15" laptop with decent keyboard and discrete gfx card, ~£1K?

Technology
1

Right, maybe this is a bit cheeky but hey, you’re all reading this because you want distracting, right? :slight_smile:

As above - I’m looking for a new laptop that is basically good to type on, with 15" screen and discrete gfx. And we aren’t made of money so not costing more than around £1K. And that isn’t obviously crap for other reasons :slight_smile:

I’m finding that few reviews care about the keyboard, and yet this is my main work machine, and often isn’t possible / desirable to set up as a desktop with external keyboard etc. What I’m finding difficult is that given that everything has moved to being sold online, shops like Currys are more like car boot sales with sad odds and ends being offered.

Currently looking at HP Pavilion Power - any other experience / recommendations welcome!

cheers,
Tom.

2

Have a look at Lenovo Thinkpads on Ebay. Cheap, powerful, robust.

3 Likes
3

If money was not an issue I’d suggest a Purism Librem 15, otherwise, as @royAB said, a second hand Thinkpad with at least 8GB or RAM and a SSD from Ebay, Amazon or (and this is where mine is from) Scan, these are solid machines that are relatively easy to fix, and are great for running GNU/Linux, we have configured a few like this for clients.

2 Likes
4

You won’t find a Thinkpad with a good discrete graphic card though!

2 Likes
5

What about ThinkPad W series, eg this one (just one example of MANY - there are plenty other similar options for less money too) which says

  • 2GB Nvidia Quadro K1100M GDDR5 Dedicated Professional GPU with Optimus support for Intel HD Graphics

https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ebay.co.uk%2Fulk%2Fitm%2F323449450743

1 Like
6

Not so long ago I bought a new laptop from PCSpecialist. They have lots of configurable options.

1 Like
7

Thanks all! I’ll double down on my research when I’m back next week. I need to get something before I meet kwaiipunk in person again and he compliments me on saving materials from landfill…

I’m looking for a dossing-about gaming graphics card, not a professional CAD one - it’s not to do anything useful with :slight_smile: And I’m not sure about buying second hand for a work machine, it’s embarrassing to have to buy two in 6 months…

cheers,
Tom.

8

There are a number that do - the W series eg

1 Like
9

IMHO buying pretty much anything new is bonkers :stuck_out_tongue: buying second hand results in much better value for money (and is way more ethical too!).

10

Thanks - how are you finding the keyboard? The spec looks fine generally, just really want to be able to bang out text all day without getting pissed off with it :slight_smile: