Best uni laptop for 2020/2021?

OP

Original post by gorilla_08

I'v just started university and looked at alot of laptops to buy. The 2 that stand out to me are the Acer Aspire 5(intel i5 processor) £600 or the lenovo yoga slim 7i(£750)

Hi, the laptop that I have now (the one that broke) was also an Acer. The plastic bottom broke as it cracked and it sort of just started to peel off the backside (?) of the laptop. So I’m just worried if I buy another Acer laptop, would it have the same build problems and can be easily damaged? I can be quite clumsy 😋 so I need something that won’t break easily: after all I’m paying £600+ here.
As for the Lenovo yoga s7 slim, it looks neat but I’m not sure if it’s worth the money? Like could there be better laptops at that price?
I also had a look at the Lenovo ideapad 5 and they have similar features, so is it worth the extra money the yoga 7?
I’m sorry if I sound really specific but it’s just that I can’t afford to buy another laptop ina year’s time if something were to happen to the new one, not at least after the next 2 yr.
So I have to be careful and look at the laptop’s build to make sure that it’s not encased in cheap plastic that will easily break like it did in my case.

Reply 3

Original post by Mylady

I also had a look at the Lenovo ideapad 5 and they have similar features, so is it worth the extra money the yoga 7?

The Slim 7 has better battery life, a better display, a backlit keyboard(compared to most of the available Ideapad 5's) and better build quality, but you pay an extra £170 compared to an Ideapad 5 with the same core specs. Both are solid devices, it just comes down to whether you can justify the extra money the Yoga costs.

EDIT: I'm comparing the Ryzen 4000 versions, which generally run cooler and have better performance than Intel:
https://www.currys.co.uk/gbuk/computing/laptops/laptops/lenovo-ideapad-5-14-laptop-amd-ryzen-5-256-gb-ssd-platinum-grey-10208021-pdt.html
https://www.currys.co.uk/gbuk/computing/laptops/laptops/lenovo-yoga-slim-7-14-laptop-amd-ryzen-5-256-gb-ssd-orchid-10209079-pdt.html

(edited 3 years ago)

Reply 4

OP

Original post by bIuewolf2l

The Slim 7 has better battery life, a better display, a backlit keyboard(compared to most of the available Ideapad 5's) and better build quality, but you pay an extra £170 compared to an Ideapad 5 with the same core specs. Both are solid devices, it just comes down to whether you can justify the extra money the Yoga costs.

EDIT: I'm comparing the Ryzen 4000 versions, which generally run cooler and have better performance than Intel:
https://www.currys.co.uk/gbuk/computing/laptops/laptops/lenovo-ideapad-5-14-laptop-amd-ryzen-5-256-gb-ssd-platinum-grey-10208021-pdt.html
https://www.currys.co.uk/gbuk/computing/laptops/laptops/lenovo-yoga-slim-7-14-laptop-amd-ryzen-5-256-gb-ssd-orchid-10209079-pdt.html

I don’t know if you have it or not, but would you say that the yoga slim 7 is a durable laptop that will last me for longer? And that it won’t stop stop working after a while or start getting slower?
Also, you said that the laptop will run cooler due to ryzen 4000: is that for slim 7 or both laptops?

Reply 5

gorilla_08

12

Original post by Mylady

Hi, the laptop that I have now (the one that broke) was also an Acer. The plastic bottom broke as it cracked and it sort of just started to peel off the backside (?) of the laptop. So I’m just worried if I buy another Acer laptop, would it have the same build problems and can be easily damaged? I can be quite clumsy 😋 so I need something that won’t break easily: after all I’m paying £600+ here.
As for the Lenovo yoga s7 slim, it looks neat but I’m not sure if it’s worth the money? Like could there be better laptops at that price?
I also had a look at the Lenovo ideapad 5 and they have similar features, so is it worth the extra money the yoga 7?
I’m sorry if I sound really specific but it’s just that I can’t afford to buy another laptop ina year’s time if something were to happen to the new one, not at least after the next 2 yr.
So I have to be careful and look at the laptop’s build to make sure that it’s not encased in cheap plastic that will easily break like it did in my case.

the ideapad 5 is solid aswell. Its probably one of the best budget laptops out there because it has a great keyboard and decent screen. For your price range its suits well as its £530 https://www.currys.co.uk/gbuk/computing/laptops/laptops/lenovo-ideapad-5-14-laptop-amd-ryzen-5-256-gb-ssd-platinum-grey-10208021-pdt.html

If you care alot about durability you can look at some lenovo thinkpad https://www.lenovo.com/gb/en/laptops/thinkpad/l-series/ThinkPad-L14-Intel-/p/22TPL14L4N1

(edited 3 years ago)

Reply 6

OP

Original post by gorilla_08

the ideapad 5 is solid aswell. Its probably one of the best budget laptops out there because it has a great keyboard and decent screen. For your price range its suits well as its £530 https://www.currys.co.uk/gbuk/computing/laptops/laptops/lenovo-ideapad-5-14-laptop-amd-ryzen-5-256-gb-ssd-platinum-grey-10208021-pdt.html

If you care alot about durability you can look at some lenovo thinkpad https://www.lenovo.com/gb/en/laptops/thinkpad/l-series/ThinkPad-L14-Intel-/p/22TPL14L4N1

Thanks for the recommendations. I had a look at the link for Lenovo thinkpads, but the one with intel 5 is just way overpriced for me at £900+, and the one for around £560 runs on intel pentium so it’s performance won’t be good enough.
Do you have any other good suggestions for budget laptops?
Also, would you say that in the long term, the Lenovo yoga slim 7 might be better compared to the ideapad 5?

Reply 7

Original post by Mylady

I don’t know if you have it or not, but would you say that the yoga slim 7 is a durable laptop that will last me for longer? And that it won’t stop stop working after a while or start getting slower?

No. Both should last as long - the Yoga does have better build quality IMO(full aluminium build on the Yoga compared to an aluminium lid and plastic base on the Ideapad) so it should hold up better to damage but assuming you take care of it, both should last a similar amount of time. Any laptop with the same core specs(CPU, RAM, SSD) should really - the extra money you're paying is for niceties that I mentioned in my earlier post.

Original post by Mylady

Also, you said that the laptop will run cooler due to ryzen 4000: is that for slim 7 or both laptops?

There are more factors than just the CPU(a poor cooling system can affect it(see the 2020 MBA)), but generally the Ryzen 4000 series CPUs run cooler than their Intel counterparts.

Answering your question, yes that's for both.

Reply 8

rach0

13

I got a HP pavilion over a year ago and it still works great. it’s very fast and i’ve had no problems with it. i’ve also had acers in the past and they’ve lasted a long time as well :smile:

Reply 9

OP

Original post by rach0

I got a HP pavilion over a year ago and it still works great. it’s very fast and i’ve had no problems with it. i’ve also had acers in the past and they’ve lasted a long time as well :smile:

Hi could you please tell me which model do you have for the HP laptop specifically? Thanks xxx

Reply 10

OP

Original post by bIuewolf21

No. Both should last as long - the Yoga does have better build quality IMO(full aluminium build on the Yoga compared to an aluminium lid and plastic base on the Ideapad) so it should hold up better to damage but assuming you take care of it, both should last a similar amount of time. Any laptop with the same core specs(CPU, RAM, SSD) should really - the extra money you're paying is for niceties that I mentioned in my earlier post.

There are more factors than just the CPU(a poor cooling system can affect it(see the 2020 MBA)), but generally the Ryzen 4000 series CPUs run cooler than their Intel counterparts.

Answering your question, yes that's for both.

Thank you

Reply 11

rach0

13

Hi, this is the laptop that i got in currys, HP Pavilion 14-ce3600sa 14" Laptop - Intel® Core™ i3, 256 GB SSD, Silver

There is also HP 14s-dq0500sa 14" Laptop - Intel® Pentium® Gold, 128 GB SSD, Silver

you’ll want to get a laptop with SSD storage, preferably intel with a good memory 128-256gb. RAM of 6-8gb is also good - this is the speed.

I got £50 off my laptop through student beans and currys :smile:

Reply 12

redoubtable

21

I've had a HP Pavilion laptop for 6 years now and it is on its last legs for sure but it has served me really well!

Reply 13

Dunnig Kruger

16

Original post by Mylady

Hi guys,
I’ll be starting uni from 2021 and I’m just looking around for some laptops for uni. As I’m going to be studying medicine (hopefully, fingers crossed), I want my laptop to be able to last me for as long as possible. Obviously it’s not going to last for 5-6 yr but I was hoping for 3-4 yr if maintained well. Also, I don’t want any 2 in 1 laptops because the last one that I had ended breaking when I was trying to convert it into the tablet form.
It would be a nice touch if it had a touchscreen, but it’s not a requirement.
And I need it to be lightweight since I’ll be carrying it around it a lot - it would be nice if it had a nice premium look to it as well 😅 (I don’t mean like I need an expensive MacBook or anything just that it had a nice look and feel to it).
As for budget, it’s currently £700 max or lower. A sweet spot would be between £550 and £650, but I can go up to a max of £700.
My main priority for my laptop is that it will last me over the years and that it won’t start slowing down after a year or so of use.
Thank you guys for all of your help! ☺️

I agree with you that consumer grade laptops often have shoddy engineering and as a result don't last well.

If you want a laptop that will last, go for a premium business laptop from HP or Dell. These companies, along with Lenovo are the big sellers in the corporate market. Therefore in years to come it will be easier and generally cheaper to get spares than it will be for consumer grade laptops from these companies, or laptops from other brands.

HP 840's 830's and 820's are built like tanks.
Dell Latitude 7xxx eg 7470's are also very well built laptops.

I'm typing this on a 9 year old HP premium business laptop that I bought several years ago for £80 off ebay. It's still just as pleasantly fast today as the day I fitted an SSD to it (which was just after I bought it). There's every chance I'll still be using this in 2025 and 2030.

Chris Titus Tech has done some Youtube videos on how to debloat Windows 10.

A premium feel to your laptop is well worth having. There are a lot of consumer grade laptops with rather nasty and cheap feeling keyboards. Not good with the amount of assignments you'll be typing.

If I were in my teens and was going to start studying medicine next year:

I'd buy a Dell Latitude E7470 for £230ish off ebay. I'd also buy a steno keyboard or machine. Either a new Georgi or a used steno machine off ebay. And I'd download Plover and start learning steno "typing" as a hobby.
I'd also look into getting a printer and a large monitor for use at home / student digs.

With a few months practise and a medical dictionary added into Plover, assignments will fly into your computer 2 to 3 times faster than with a Qwerty keyboard. With 2 years practise they will fly in 5 times faster.
Follow my advice and you'll have a laptop that will speed up over time.

Because with any premium business laptop made in the last 9 years and fitted with an SSD, it will be lightning fast in terms of you having to wait for it to boot up and then open Word documents, or web browsing or video conferencing apps. Because these apps aren't CPU nor RAM intensive. The bottle-neck is in the hard drive speed (which is sorted by using an SSD) and the internet connection speed - determined by the internet connection to your home and the number of people downloading (porn etc) at any time.

Laptops spend a cummulative huge amount of time waiting for user input when you are typing an assignment. That gap between each key press. It makes a huge amount of sense to focus on what you can do to speed that process up. Instead of agonising over the exact CPU and RAM in your laptop.

There will be people that advise you to buy new and not buy used. That's just how things are. There's a lot of people out there that don't understand how the internal specs of a laptop relate to how they perform for medical student applications. There's a lot of people out there that don't understand the huge benefits of geting basic mastery of Plover steno for a teenaged student entering medical school in 2021. There's a lot of people that will focus on the internal bits of your laptop. Instead of taking an overall, long term look at what's the best overall IT set-up for you.

As a medical student you should have the technical ability to watch and copy youtube videos on things like, how to replace your battery in your Dell Latitude laptop. Laptop battery replacement is a lot easier than open heart surgery.

Reply 14

gorilla_08

12

Original post by Mylady

Hi guys,
I’ll be starting uni from 2021 and I’m just looking around for some laptops for uni. As I’m going to be studying medicine (hopefully, fingers crossed), I want my laptop to be able to last me for as long as possible. Obviously it’s not going to last for 5-6 yr but I was hoping for 3-4 yr if maintained well. Also, I don’t want any 2 in 1 laptops because the last one that I had ended breaking when I was trying to convert it into the tablet form.
It would be a nice touch if it had a touchscreen, but it’s not a requirement.
And I need it to be lightweight since I’ll be carrying it around it a lot - it would be nice if it had a nice premium look to it as well 😅 (I don’t mean like I need an expensive MacBook or anything just that it had a nice look and feel to it).
As for budget, it’s currently £700 max or lower. A sweet spot would be between £550 and £650, but I can go up to a max of £700.
My main priority for my laptop is that it will last me over the years and that it won’t start slowing down after a year or so of use.
Thank you guys for all of your help! ☺️

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B08BJB4CT7/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?smid=A3P5ROKL5A1OLE&psc=1

Saw this today, Im considering getting it myself for university. Got a tablet mode with a drawing pencil etc. Good specs too

Reply 15

username5383500

18

Original post by gorilla_08

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B08BJB4CT7/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?smid=A3P5ROKL5A1OLE&psc=1

Saw this today, Im considering getting it myself for university. Got a tablet mode with a drawing pencil etc. Good specs too

A word of warning. Multiple times the listing references that the laptop has an i5, but you're never actually told what model it is. I think it's unlikely to be something ridiculously old, but it's a lot of money to spend without knowing what you're actually getting. Some of the reviews also mention how parts of the listing are wrongly advertised, so I'd be very cautious of buying this.

OP: I'd echo everything Bluewolf said, as usual he's spot on. Any laptop you buy today will last if you take care of it. Assuming no physical defects, the first thing that'll go in the 5-6 year timeframe is the battery. But that's normal, batteries degrade over time and you can't do anything about that.

The £500-600 range remains the sweet spot in terms of value for money, and many of the previously mentioned laptops will suit your needs. I'd also add this Dell Insprion to the mix, as Dell typically have a slightly higher "premium" appeal. The only thing you won't likely find is a touchscreen, since they're typically paired with 2 in 1 devices. Otherwise anything like this Dell or the previously suggested Lenovo laptops will be perfect.

Reply 16

Original post by AcseI

A word of warning. Multiple times the listing references that the laptop has an i5, but you're never actually told what model it is. I think it's unlikely to be something ridiculously old, but it's a lot of money to spend without knowing what you're actually getting. Some of the reviews also mention how parts of the listing are wrongly advertised, so I'd be very cautious of buying this.

It says in the description it's got a 10th Gen Processor - the parts people are claiming we're falsely advertised are the missing Active Pen and back-lit keyboard. I'd still be inclined to be a bit cautious, but if having up-to-date hardware is the problem it is fairly up to date.

(edited 3 years ago)

Reply 17

username5383500

18

Original post by bIuewolf21

It says in the description it's got a 10th Gen Processor

Ah yes, so it does. Would still be nice to know exactly which processor though, but I wasn't expecting it to not be a modern chip. Someone could go sleuthing on the product pages to find out, although it's definitely still something that needs to be in the listing.

Reply 18