[Ruby351]

I’m in the market for a new laptop, given mine had a hiccup on Christmas Day when the touchpad stopped working and I have resorted to using a mouse. Righteo then, the search for a new laptop begins and these are the things on my list that I am looking for: HP / ~15" / i7 or i5 / ~ 700 / Windows 11 / Intel Iris graphics / white letters + numbers etc. on black keys / standard laptop with NO touch screen just too busy-busy for my liking.

Several hours later I was surprised to find that there was not much out there in my price bracket. Why Hewlett Packard you may well ask, and the answer is simply because this is the brand I have had for the last few laptops and have been very happy with them, but what is available now doesn't tick all the boxes other than a 17.3" with a few shaky reviews ...

and this one is not for me.


So with a very deep breath, I decided something would have to give and rather than make do on the computer workings, I thought I would check out other brands, and I think I have whittled it down to a choice of 2, so I was wondering if you could help me out here with any thoughts you might have, which I would be most appreciative on receiving, as I know nothing Jon Snow about these brands at all?


Buy LENOVO IdeaPad 3i 15.6" Laptop - Intel® Core™ i7, 512 GB SSD, Blue | Currys

Buy DELL Inspiron 15 5518 15.6" Laptop - Intel® Core™ i7, 512 GB SSD, Silver | Currys

.

 

[Glenn65]

I’ve been using a Lenovo 13 ideapad for about 5 years. Got it at a bargain price with 1tb storage and can’t remember the ram, however it’s been a great workhorse and due to it, would recommend Lenovo as a brand. I have been looking at a replacement as it’s too old for windows 11, but it works too well for me to NEED to take the jump.

Janis on the other hand has used DELL, but the Insperon she’s had has fallen short since she got it and it’s spent most of its days in a cupboard as she finds it either too slow or unreliable when booting up. Might just be a bad one, but does taint when they tell you there’s nothing wrong with it. (Again could tell you the spec but I know it wasn’t cheap at the time.)

 

[Ruby351]

I’ve been using a Lenovo 13 ideapad for about 5 years. Got it at a bargain price with 1tb storage and can’t remember the ram, however it’s been a great workhorse and due to it, would recommend Lenovo as a brand. I have been looking at a replacement as it’s too old for windows 11, but it works too well for me to NEED to take the jump.

Janis on the other hand has used DELL, but the Insperon she’s had has fallen short since she got it and it’s spent most of its days in a cupboard as she finds it either too slow or unreliable when booting up. Might just be a bad one, but does taint when they tell you there’s nothing wrong with it. (Again could tell you the spec but I know it wasn’t cheap at the time.)

That's really interesting Glenn and thank you

Last night I was set on the Lenovo, but this afternoon I found the Dell and was leaning towards that, with it being a 'bigger' name in computers and all. What bothered me a bit was the processor though, so I have been looking into this a bit more today and as they say, you buy a new computer today and it is already out of date and yesterdays news ... mind boggling.

 

[Ruby351]

Yesterday I found that an 'H' Intel processor is a better option than a 'G' but what with everything else I was looking at, the article was not ear marked and that's all I remembered.

Looking closer at the two laptops I'm interested in, they both have the Intel Core i7 processor but the numbers attributed to them are not the same and one is a 4 core and the other a 10 core processor, so I dig a little deeper and come across this article:

Intel Processor U Vs G Vs H (Fact Checked) - TechReviewTeam

This is great reading as it explains the difference between the G, H, U and P intel processors, so in a nut shell and if I understand correctly this is it:

G - a generally poorer quality processor with an onboard GPU (Graphics Performing Unit) able to carry out basic tasks that will get the job done.

H - a 'High Performance' stand alone CPU (Central Processing Unit). In this case a separate GPU will also be required to perform theses specific related tasks. When referring to laptops with the Core i5 to Core i9, this reviewer for me speaks incredibly highly of the 'H' processor in its all round capabilities for delivering results in streaming, content creation platforms, multi-tasking, with the Core i7 and Core i9 particularly good for competitive gamers and serious developers etc.

U - stands for 'Ultra Low Power' referring to efficiency and enabling extended battery life rather than a loss in processor power. These come into there own by having a low TDP (Thermal Design Power) and as such are especially suited to the thin design and power-efficient, laptops, 2 in 1s and notebooks, They are they are not really designed for heavy gaming, with associated prolonged episodes requiring more power and increased heat, as the thinner design does not cater for adequate cooling of the internal components.

NB: TDP (Thermal Design Power) is used to measure the amount of heat a component is expected to output when under load.

P - these are for performance of thin and light laptops.

 

[Ruby351]

Okey-dokey, so now I'm thinking the Dell has an 'H' processor but is only 4 core where the Lenovo has the 'U' with 10 core and so that seems to me the latter one has a newer processor ... on I go looking for more information and the answer to my conundrum.

Away I go, tappy-tappy-tappy and my efforts pay off as I came across this website and table where I found out that the Dell processor was indeed older than the Lenovo, with the launch date being a 11 months earlier.

Intel® Core™ i7 Processor - Features, Benefits and FAQs

 

[Ruby351]

Decision made and should be with me on Wednesday

 

[JimC64]

Decision made and should be with me on Wednesday View attachment 60023


View attachment 60022

Hope it works out for you and serves you well Gina

Jim

 

[orsom weels]

A bit late for your good self, but for the benefit of anyone else reading this looking for recommendations or otherwise,
until recently, I was a club records officer dealing with authenticating age related registration applications etc with DVLA, and as such was provided with a laptop for the job. I had three Dell Inspiron 15 5000's Core i5 10th gen, as they kept going wrong! Absolutely bloody useless. None of them lasted their warranty period, and Dell's service and back up wasn't worth the name. They were soooooo slowwwwww, the touch pad buttons after the first few weeks had to be really pressed hard to register the 'clicks' and the cursor would have a mind of it's own, and when typing, I had to always be on my guard to make sure all key presses had been registered, more often that not, there would be numerous missing letters in my text. The whole thing never felt very well made, if I tried to pick it up with one hand, the chassis would flex so much, that it would cause spurious keyboard or track pad inputs etc, or just shut the thing down loosing anything I was working on and hadn't yet saved! I ended up using my own quite old HP instead, as it was more reliable, but that is now loosing support for Windows 8.1, so am sort of looking to upgrade myself soon. No idea yet what I'll go for, so will be watching to see how you get on with the Lenovo

 

[Rowley_1812]

I know AppleMac/MacBook laptops are a tad more expensive but they're always worth a look and there are some great sale bargains to be had. I've been smitten for years, in fact I don't think I've ever owned a "PC" 😱 .

 

[Ruby351]

Hope it works out for you and serves you well Gina

Jim

Thanks Jim

 

[Ruby351]

A bit late for your good self, but for the benefit of anyone else reading this looking for recommendations or otherwise,
until recently, I was a club records officer dealing with authenticating age related registration applications etc with DVLA, and as such was provided with a laptop for the job. I had three Dell Inspiron 15 5000's Core i5 10th gen, as they kept going wrong! Absolutely bloody useless. None of them lasted their warranty period, and Dell's service and back up wasn't worth the name. They were soooooo slowwwwww, the touch pad buttons after the first few weeks had to be really pressed hard to register the 'clicks' and the cursor would have a mind of it's own, and when typing, I had to always be on my guard to make sure all key presses had been registered, more often that not, there would be numerous missing letters in my text. The whole thing never felt very well made, if I tried to pick it up with one hand, the chassis would flex so much, that it would cause spurious keyboard or track pad inputs etc, or just shut the thing down loosing anything I was working on and hadn't yet saved! I ended up using my own quite old HP instead, as it was more reliable, but that is now loosing support for Windows 8.1, so am sort of looking to upgrade myself soon. No idea yet what I'll go for, so will be watching to see how you get on with the Lenovo

Now that's what I call first hand experience on another level and from what you say, I'm so glad I didn't go for the Dell, otherwise I would have been pretty gutted right now.

Having said that, I know there will be staunch Dell fans out there, otherwise, Dell would have gone out of business years ago.

I have to say, I was a bit reluctant about Dell in the first place, as in the back of my mind I had it firmly placed that things were not as they should be with the brand and there being issues with the computers, but I put this to one side, convincing myself this would have been from years back and that they MUST have got their act together by now ... hmmmm, I wonder

Anyway, great post OW and will certainly give others food for thought if they read it and are in the market for a new PC

 

[Ruby351]

I know AppleMac/MacBook laptops are a tad more expensive but they're always worth a look and there are some great sale bargains to be had. I've been smitten for years, in fact I don't think I've ever owned a "PC" 😱 .
View attachment 60036

Fantastic Rowley, great to hear from the other side, and I do know that folks that have APPLE laptops/desktops love them and are very loyal to the brand - nice one

 

[Ian D]

I try and avoid hp if I can help it, they just don’t have good cooling at all. Putting the exhaust in a stupid place on the latest line, putting it where the lid closes, so if you connect it to a monitor and close the lid, there is very little cooling going on as the hot air doesn’t have anywhere to really go.

Apple aren’t immune to it either, my 2018 MacBook Pro i9 also suffers with cooling issues, even going as far as throttling the CPU with anything demanding thrown at it.
Lenovo are better with cooling, but still use a 20 yr old style design from IBM on their thinkpads with the crazy red dot mouse tracker, who even uses that?

 

[Ruby351]

I try and avoid hp if I can help it, they just don’t have good cooling at all. Putting the exhaust in a stupid place on the latest line, putting it where the lid closes, so if you connect it to a monitor and close the lid, there is very little cooling going on as the hot air doesn’t have anywhere to really go.

Apple aren’t immune to it either, my 2018 MacBook Pro i9 also suffers with cooling issues, even going as far as throttling the CPU with anything demanding thrown at it.
Lenovo are better with cooling, but still use a 20 yr old style design from IBM on their thinkpads with the crazy red dot mouse tracker, who even uses that?

Thanks for that Ian, very interesting

I never new that about HP cooling issues and poor design, although it has never been an issue for me over the years with past 3 laptops I have had. As you can probably guess I use them extensively, but maybe it is because I place a hard surface underneath, so vents are not blocked, dust is less likely to be sucked up from fabrics etc. and it would never even have occurred to me to link it up to a monitor, but then again, I am very limited in my tech knowledge and skills.

I guess to avoid the issues on cooling if you want an HP laptop, you go for one with a Intel 'U' processor like the one below as an example

I know nothing about Apple, and with regards to Lenovo and the 'crazy red dot mouse tracker' I guess I will have to wait and find out how that will go, all in good time.

 

[Ian D]

Thanks for that Ian, very interesting

I never new that about HP cooling issues and poor design, although it has never been an issue for me over the years with past 3 laptops I have had. As you can probably guess I use them extensively, but maybe it is because I place a hard surface underneath, so vents are not blocked, dust is less likely to be sucked up from fabrics etc. and it would never even have occurred to me to link it up to a monitor, but then again, I am very limited in my tech knowledge and skills.

I guess to avoid the issues on cooling if you want an HP laptop, you go for one with a Intel 'U' processor like the one below as an example

View attachment 60038



I know nothing about Apple, and with regards to Lenovo and the 'crazy red dot mouse tracker' I guess I will have to wait and find out how that will go, all in good time.

The HP laptop is one provided from work. This is what I’m referring to, it’s just madness.

Closed lid which are pretty much blocked facing down into the desk.

Open lid, see how small the vents are.

Put them on the side, which is what Lenovo does. Oh by the way, look where HP puts the power button in the image above, so many times people at work have pressed it by mistake as it’s next to the delete key.

 

[Ruby351]

The HP laptop is one provided from work. This is what I’m referring to, it’s just madness.

Closed lid which are pretty much blocked facing down into the desk.
View attachment 60042
Open lid, see how small the vents are.
View attachment 60043

Put them on the side, which is what Lenovo does. Oh by the way, look where HP puts the power button in the image above, so many times people at work have pressed it by mistake as it’s next to the delete key.

Ah gotcha - crazy on both counts!

My HP is not like this, maybe they have got their act together?

 

[XJ1983]

Very helpful thread indeed, thank you all 💻 🖱 🖥

 

[chrisjp]

I wouldn't call Lenovo a "budget brand" at all. I've had my Lenovo T420 for some 10 years and it's still going strong. All I've done to it is to replace the original HD with an SSD - which quickened it enormously. I bought it online direct from Lenovo which allowed me to have it custom built to my specification. Lenovo originated by buying the computing business of IBM and I think IBM's architecture still forms the basis of some of their computers.

 

[Ruby351]

Thinking about the cooling issues and laptops, HP, I know that there can be issues with dust especially from fabrics if they are placed directly on your lap, well that is what the person told us who came to sort my computer out years ago when we lived in the Forest of Dean. At the time, they suggested putting the laptop on a hard surface and then on my lap, so this is what I use now, a tray with a bean bag attached to the back of it.

I accept that if you have a big tummy 'like what I have', then the tray might not be the right thing for you, but on the other hand, I sit with my feet up, so it is absolutely perfect for me.

By the way, I have been using a Wi-Fi and/or wired mouse while the laptop sits on the tray, by moving it on the arm of my chair or leg, again works perfectly for me.

A simple piece of kit, it comes with loads of designs and pictures on the top and there is a great difference in price depending on what you go for and here are a couple to give you an idea ...

 

[PetA]

I wouldn't call Lenovo a "budget brand" at all. I've had my Lenovo T420 for some 10 years and it's still going strong. All I've done to it is to replace the original HD with an SSD - which quickened it enormously. I bought it online direct from Lenovo which allowed me to have it custom built to my specification. Lenovo originated by buying the computing business of IBM and I think IBM's architecture still forms the basis of some of their computers.

Lenovo had been around for years making their own (very good tbh) laptops before they bought out the laptop side of IBM and the rights to the 'ThinkPad' trademark.