Someone tell me if this laptop is any good?

[spikerS]

So I am not really up to date on specs and stuff anymore, so I figured I would turn to you guys for some advice.

I know I am going to pay a bit of a premium on it because star wars, and I am ok with a small premium for that as I am a star wars nut, however....

So I am thinking about this laptop...what is beyond's thoughts?

http://www.bestbuy.ca/en-CA/product/hewlett-packard-hp-15-6-star-wars-special-edition-laptop-intel-core-i5-6200u-1tb-hdd-8gb-ram-windows-10-home-n5r59ua-abl/10399672.aspx?path=e9cc0fde33ab2aeeb780edb8db2a44b6en02

[G-ZUS]

Specs look decent, what are you going to be using it for?

[spikerS]

it would be my main laptop. Some lighter gaming, but nothing crazy as I do the bulk of my gaming on the XB1. It would stream movies to different sources. Surf the net a lot, do video editing with windows movie maker. Stuff like that.

[revelations]

Im underwhelmed by the i5 and 5400 rpm drive. I wouldnt be too quick to use this for WMM as it will take quite a while to render HD videos.

i7 and 7200 rpm would be my recommendation ....

[Mitsu3000gt]

This is a little better but still 5400 RPM:

http://shop.lenovo.com/ca/en/laptops/ideapad/500-series/500-15-inch/?sb=:000001CA:00006F50:#tab-customize

Could put in an SSD for minimal cost I would think.

[jwslam]

http://www.amazon.ca/dp/B00SGS7ZH4/ref=asc_df_B00SGS7ZH44005767?smid=A3DWYIK6Y9EEQB&linkCode=df0&creative=395381&creativeASIN=B00SGS7ZH4&tag=redflagdealsc-20
Smaller, has SSD, but the processor...

[HiTempguy1]

Pretty underwhelming for the price, for $1000-$1100 you could get a laptop with a dedicated gpu and either a SSD or a harddrive with a built in solid state cache. Then pay some starving artist to do some bitchin StarWars art on the case!

The reason why I mention the harddrive with the cache built in is originally I was pretty skeptical of these. However, Anandtech did extensive testing on them and they are significantly faster than a standard harddrive (especially the 5400rpm ones).

My current laptop has a 1TB hybrid drive, it starts from dead-cold to desktop in about 15 seconds with windows 8 with classic shell installed. After taking a peak at it, replacing it with a SSD would be a pain in the ass. If you want a SSD, get an SSD already installed.

Edit-
Additionally, I would focus on GPU, whether integrated or dedicated, before processor. Processor power is so over the top nowadays, not everyone needs an omgz0r I7!!11!1! I'd stay away from I3's, but other than that, everything else is fair game.

[revelations]

WMM is CPU intensive, not GPU intensive.

[spikerS]

ok, but comparing the star wars laptop with this one, they seem pretty similar, with the most glaring difference being the CPU.

http://www.bestbuy.ca/en-CA/product/hewlett-packard-hp-15-6-laptop-black-intel-pentium-n3700-1tb-hdd-8gb-ram-windows-10-15-ac128ca/10393551.aspx?path=2e561afb9b16de02b817dab6544593ccen02

is there an appreciable difference between the 2?

[taemo]

better CPU, 1080p screen on the Starwars laptop

[Mitsu3000gt]

The Lenovo I posted is the same price and better than the StarWars laptop unless I missed something. You move up to an i7.

[revelations]

Originally posted by spikerS
ok, but comparing the star wars laptop with this one, they seem pretty similar, with the most glaring difference being the CPU.

http://www.bestbuy.ca/en-CA/product/hewlett-packard-hp-15-6-laptop-black-intel-pentium-n3700-1tb-hdd-8gb-ram-windows-10-15-ac128ca/10393551.aspx?path=2e561afb9b16de02b817dab6544593ccen02

is there an appreciable difference between the 2?

That laptop is for basic internet & homework use only. Would also be a good laptop for a receptionist.

[colinxx235]

If you're going to be doing gaming should kick the budget up a few dollars over to an asus. I've had amazing luck with my two. First one last 6 years, second one is on 2 years of good usage no problems.


http://www.memoryexpress.com/Products/MX59116 (www.memoryexpress.com/Products/MX59116)

or

www.memoryexpress.com/Products/MX54231

[spikerS]

Originally posted by colinxx235
If you're going to be doing gaming should kick the budget up a few dollars over to an asus. I've had amazing luck with my two. First one last 6 years, second one is on 2 years of good usage no problems.


http://www.memoryexpress.com/Products/MX59116 (www.memoryexpress.com/Products/MX59116)

or

www.memoryexpress.com/Products/MX54231

Asus is my last resort. I have an Asus now, and it has gone back in for 2 motherboards, 2 LCD screens, and now the HDD failed in it.

I am done with Asus and I hope to never own one again.

[spikerS]

Originally posted by revelations


That laptop is for basic internet & homework use only. Would also be a good laptop for a receptionist.

Thank you for that, and this is why I am asking, as I am not up to date on what is current out there.

I see this is going to be $500 for black Friday...any good? It's an AMD...
http://www.bestbuy.ca/en-ca/product/hewlett-packard-hp-15-6-laptop-amd-quad-core-a8-7410-1tb-hdd-8gb-ram-windows-10-15-af148ca/10394203.aspx?path=c0a34ecaef687a6560852770293fbf56en02

[colinxx235]

Originally posted by spikerS


Asus is my last resort. I have an Asus now, and it has gone back in for 2 motherboards, 2 LCD screens, and now the HDD failed in it.

I am done with Asus and I hope to never own one again.


Really!? Mind if I ask what model is was? As my experience has been amazing. Quite a few buddies have owned them all with similar positive reviews too. Sorry to hear yours wasn't the same.


If you're a fan of MSI they have a decent 15.6" as well. The big thing is making sure its i7 over those i5. I noticed bestbuy has always stocked a lot of the older tech/processors


www.memoryexpress.com/Category/LaptopsNotebooks?FilterID=2aa66682-5ef5-4eb7-dc0e-b59fb10b7331

[spikerS]

Originally posted by colinxx235



Really!? Mind if I ask what model is was? As my experience has been amazing. Quite a few buddies have owned them all with similar positive reviews too. Sorry to hear yours wasn't the same.


If you're a fan of MSI they have a decent 15.6" as well. The big thing is making sure its i7 over those i5. I noticed bestbuy has always stocked a lot of the older tech/processors


www.memoryexpress.com/Category/LaptopsNotebooks?FilterID=2aa66682-5ef5-4eb7-dc0e-b59fb10b7331

Notebook
K75DE Series
Serial Number： C9N0CJ91829XXXX
Purchase Date：2012/12/07

It is just sitting collecting dust in the garage for the past 5 months. Won't even get the a windows screen just bluescreens with a HDD error.

As for an MSI I7, that star wars laptop was already pushing my budget, those are all over $1k, and I just can't justify that.

[jwslam]

Originally posted by colinxx235
Really!? Mind if I ask what model is was? As my experience has been amazing. Quite a few buddies have owned them all with similar positive reviews too. Sorry to hear yours wasn't the same.
totally different category but my Asus TF101 went to shit after 6 months of use.

[colinxx235]

^
Well damn, maybe some guys haven't had the same luck

I noticed the Spikers was an AMD, and I'm definitely NOT an AMD fan. My first laptop was one and it shit the bed in under two years (HP). Same with an older family computer did the same.

[revelations]

Laptops will tend to "shit the bed" because almost NO ONE knows that, while the laptop is running, the HDD is EXTREMELY susceptible to motion, impact and vibrations.
This also applies to external HDDs - ive witnessed people moving then around like a paper weight without a second though.

Doesent matter WHAT brand it is (Acer -> Asus) or how much you paid for it - it will cause a drive crash if apply serious motion to the drive while its powered up. Maybe not the first time, but eventually.

Even with firmware to detect motion/impact, the HDD bearings still suffer from precession forces even if the heads are off.

The ONLY solution is an SSD - but then you generally give up SOME storage space (500 GB SSDs are now 200$).

[revelations]

Originally posted by spikerS


Thank you for that, and this is why I am asking, as I am not up to date on what is current out there.

I see this is going to be $500 for black Friday...any good? It's an AMD...
http://www.bestbuy.ca/en-ca/product/hewlett-packard-hp-15-6-laptop-amd-quad-core-a8-7410-1tb-hdd-8gb-ram-windows-10-15-af148ca/10394203.aspx?path=c0a34ecaef687a6560852770293fbf56en02

Again, unimpressive AMD processor (i3 level) and 5400 RPM drive.

[revelations]

http://www.memoryexpress.com/Products/MX58089

Its an ACER product so I would replace the HDD with an SSD immediately.

[16hypen3sp]

Don't overlook hyperthreading on the CPU. I hear it is making or breaking some games. I didn't really know too much about it. Luckily, my CPU has it.

[HiTempguy1]

Spikers, did you ever buy a laptop?

BestBuy has an HP StarWars laptop on for $999.99 right now for boxing day, its specs are much more decent and should last you years of use without having to upgrade.

[spikerS]

Originally posted by HiTempguy1
Spikers, did you ever buy a laptop?

BestBuy has an HP StarWars laptop on for $999.99 right now for boxing day, its specs are much more decent and should last you years of use without having to upgrade.

nope, not yet, but that 999 price isn't a sale. thats the same price as before.