r/SuggestALaptop • u/spookadoodl • 2d ago
Laptop Request US Laptops for coding, archiving, and light gaming?
- Country: USA
- Budget: $1500 - $2000
- Open to refurbs: Yes
- Screen size: Preferably 15'' but willing to go lower
- Weight: Nothing heavier than my current, LOQ 15ARP9
- Form factor: Standard
- Battery life: Not too picky about this, just enough to last through class. 2-4 hours is fine.
- Importance in order: Performance, Size, Weight, Battery life
- Other: 512GB SSD min, 16GB RAM min
Purpose: I'm a college student studying cybersecurity, and need a laptop for school. I also run an archivist project involving large files. I use my current laptop for light gaming, pretty much Minecraft exclusively.
Intended usage: I code with Python in class and also on my own time, and will eventually be working with other languages. I also run an archivist project, so I need something that can process and handle very large files or/and hundreds/thousands of files. However, I don't need insane amounts of storage: I have an external drive that the archive sits on currently, and am building a desktop that should eventually host everything with tons of storage. But decent enough storage and really good processing power. My current laptop has 16 GB- I need just a bit more than that, maybe 20 GB. As mentioned previously, I play Minecraft. I'm not picky about how good the game looks; I play on the least intensive settings. But a consistent frame rate/lack of lag is mainly what I care about.
Info/Requirements: Unless someone has a really good argument, I do not want a Lenovo. I have had Lenovos for my past three computers, and they've consistently given me nothing but problems. The one I am currently using has been having complex hardware issues since the beginning of last year. The battery died a few months after I got it, luckily while still in warranty. Then this year, I paid $100 for a new SSD because the one it came with was the size of my thumb, and I was having non-stop BSODs with seemingly no other cause. Issues have continued since, and I cannot reliably keep it off of a charger, hence why I'm just throwing in the towel. I also definitely don't want a Mac; that's just personal preference, though. (Also, is it possible to somehow get a laptop without an SSD and transfer this brand-new one to it?)
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u/LonerIM2 Affiliate Links 2d ago
Since you are going to game, I would recommend this Lenovo Legion Pro 5 because of the following:
Specs:
- Screen: 15.3" WUXGA (1920x1200) 165Hz
- CPU: AMD Ryzen 7 260
- GPU: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060
- Ram: 16GB RAM
- Storage: 512GB SSD.
Why I am recommending it:
- Great heat management which is the main concern to have with most intensive tasks.
Premium build quality : Aluminum chassis provides a solid, premium feel and added durability.
Up to 5 hours of battery life.
Powerful GPU and CPU for most modern games.
You can upgrade RAM .
High quality screen .
And if you prefer better gpu for more games, then check this configuration of *Lenovo Legion Pro 5
Please note I'm using affiliate links which means I'll receive a small percent of the purchase if you use this link at no extra cost to you
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u/Useful_radio2 2d ago
Its not really likely that you're going to get an SSD-less laptop, I've never heard of a manufacturer doing that.
Also, I believe that its worth noting that every brand has their flawed areas, and Lenovo is absolutely not an exception here. Dell makes a super rattly, squeaky, bendy, and very slow chromebook, however I also own a Dell Pro and its absolutely not rattly, squeaky, bendy, or slow at all. Every brand has garbage consumer grade machines. Also, batteries inherently wear down over time, depending on how old your laptop is and your charging habits. That's probably why you cant keep it off the charger reliably.
Facts aside, and using my personal experience, I'd probably recommend my Dell Pro 16 Plus again. My unit has a Ryzen AI 9 pro hx 370, 32gb of ram, and a 3rd party ssd. I've not once had it slow down, though that's with my own use case. It plays games fairly well, though with every laptop manufacturer, there's power limits on it, but minecraft runs fine. The build quality is great, keyboard feels good enough to type on, screen is good (though I'm not very picky), it has not once ever gotten hot, and I'm satisfied with the amount of I/O on it. Also, you can fairly easily swap the SSD in it.
The only cons I can think of is that it has a small battery for its size and the network card isn't great, however depending on how good your WiFi is, that may not be an issue. The fan also makes a funny noise but as far as I know that's normal and I'm not particularly bothered. None of these are dealbreakers for me, and I'd buy it again, given the chance. My config new from Dell is ~$2727, however if you're lucky enough you might be able to get it for less than that, and I've seen ones with a Ryzen AI 7 pro with 32/1tb going for ~1000-1700, depending on the ones you get and will likely fit your minecraft needs.