[condor]

What would be good choices for a home use laptop (no gaming). Looking for an i5 4-core kind of config with 8GB min. Even a 256/512 GB SSD would be sufficient. Touch screen not required.

[Amien]

Originally Posted by longhorn

What would be the better option among these three below.

The intel is a 15 inch laptop while the other two are 14 inch. The only issue I see with this is the 8 GB soldered RAM that cannot be upgraded.

You've listed them in increasing order of performance but in day-to-day usage, you probably won't be able to tell one apart from the other.

All 3 should have integrated graphics. If I remember correctly, only the Iris XE Max is dedicated.
PS: I thought you were getting the MSI with upgradable RAM. That Flipkart deal on it was really good, I don't think its going to get much better unless you really want something with a larger screen.

Originally Posted by condor

What would be good choices for a home use laptop (no gaming). Looking for an i5 4-core kind of config with 8GB min. Even a 256/512 GB SSD would be sufficient. Touch screen not required.

Refer to this post from a few pages ago:-
https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/gadge...ml#post5008304 (The Laptop Thread: Configs, deals & questions)

[longhorn]

Originally Posted by Amien

PS: I thought you were getting the MSI with upgradable RAM. That Flipkart deal on it was really good, I don't think its going to get much better unless you really want something with a larger screen.

How good is MSI service ? I don't think it is as common as the other major brands. Anyways, weighing my options now. Wifey is keen on getting a 14 inch model. In fact she liked the Ideapad 5 14. The only thing putting me off from buying that is the 8 GB non upgradable RAM. The MSI Prestige 14 comes with Wifi 5 as against Wifi 6 on the Ideapad. Fingerprint scanner is also missing on the MSI. There is no perfect laptop, just have to decide which features can be sacrificed.

[Amien]

Originally Posted by longhorn

How good is MSI service ? I don't think it is as common as the other major brands. Anyways, weighing my options now. Wifey is keen on getting a 14 inch model. In fact she liked the Ideapad 5 14. The only thing putting me off from buying that is the 8 GB non upgradable RAM. The MSI Prestige 14 comes with Wifi 5 as against Wifi 6 on the Ideapad. Fingerprint scanner is also missing on the MSI. There is no perfect laptop, just have to decide which features can be sacrificed.

MSI's service improved quite a bit once they changed providers. Last I checked they had the same one as ASUS.
You usually trade things like RAM upgradability for compact designs, which is why the MSI stuff stands out. That said, 8GB should be plenty, just that you cannot add more later.

If you're looking for an alternative to the Ideapad 14, take a look at the Acer Swift 3 SF314-42. You should also look at the somewhat older but still very capable LG Gram 14Z90N which goes as light as possible but still retains upgradability/durability.

[longhorn]

Ordered the Lenovo Ideapad Slim 5 with the Ryzen 5 4500 U processor last Tuesday night on the Lenovo website. It was delivered home in 48 hours. Honestly I didn't expect them to be so quick. It cost me 58 k including additional 2 year warranty. There is a 5k cashback on HDFC cards, so once that comes in, the net cost to me would be 53 k. I feel its a good deal at this price.

The only shortcoming I see here is the non upgradable RAM. I prefer to have at least 16 GB of RAM even if it were soldered on, as I tend to hold on to these products for long. Sadly even the Ryzen 7 variants available on Amazon and in stores didn't have a 16 GB RAM even as an option. Hence went back to the Ryzen 5 variant.

The plus points of the Ideapad 5 are a good keyboard, 300 nits IPS panel, WiFi 6, Bluetooth 5.1 and fingerprint scanner. Personally, I felt this was the best middle ground at this price point, hence went ahead with this

Thanks @Amien for your support and guidance.

EDIT: Forgot to mention - The speakers are very low on volume, worse that the old laptop I'm upgrading from. Just adding here so that it would be helpful for anyone looking at this model.

[neeraj08]

I have an HP Pavilion Gaming laptop that I bought in 2019. It came with 8GB of RAM that I want to upgrade. There are two slots for the RAM and one of them is occupied by the 8GB chip. The existing RAM is Samsung make and is rated at 2666MHz. I am thinking of purchasing a 16GB RAM chip for the upgrade. The new chip that I have short listed is Crucial make and also rated at 2666MHz.
I am looking for advice on how to proceed with this upgrade.
Questions-
1. Can I slot the new RAM chip in second slot so that the total RAM capacity equals 24GB? Or, is it better to replace the existing 8GB chip with the new 16GB chip?
2. Will it cause any issues in long term if I use RAM chips of different capacities and makes together?
3. Is it advisable to do this upgrade myself at home? I have the prying tool and screw driver kit with me.
4. Any recommended brand for buying the new 16GB chip? The Crucial 16GB 2666MHz chip is currently selling at approx ₹6.5k on Amazon. I also checked a local shop and they had AData 16GB 2666MHz chip for ₹7k.

Thanks in advance!

[Amien]

Originally Posted by neeraj08

I am looking for advice on how to proceed with this upgrade.

Dual-channel mode allows you to utilize the full memory bandwidth of your processor. For ideal operation, DIMMs across both channels should be as close to identical as possible.

You can pair an 8GB module with a 16GB one but only 16GB of the resulting 24GB will be running in dual-channel mode. That means that if your utilization exceeds 16GB, the last 8 will have access to effectively half the bandwidth. So while this will work, its a sub-optimal solution.

If you replace the 8GB module with a single 16GB one, you're giving up dual-channel mode entirely. Not recommended unless you plan on adding another 16GB very soon.

Because it is extremely unlikely that you will utilize more than 16GB on a regular basis, I would recommend purchasing another Samsung 8GB DIMM with speeds and timings(CL) closest to the one you have already. You can use a tool like CPU-Z to check these (Memory and SPD tabs).

You can absolutely perform this upgrade yourself at home. While RAM installation is fairly straightforward, Watch a few YT videos if need be.

[woodstock3001]

Originally Posted by condor

What would be good choices for a home use laptop (no gaming). Looking for an i5 4-core kind of config with 8GB min. Even a 256/512 GB SSD would be sufficient. Touch screen not required.

Dear Condor,

I just bought HP 14s DK0093AU laptop for my kid with Ryzen 5 3500u processor, 8GB Ram, 1 TB HDD + 256GB SDD, Win 10 & MS Office. Cost on pocket 41610/- (Paid 43,800 by SBI Card & will receive 5% Cashback).

After comparing almost every option available from Lenovo to Dell to Acer to MI (I did not consider MacBook due to budget constraints), I believe this is the best buy. I would suggest you to do consider this & make decision. Happy buying.

[a4anurag]

Have a query regarding laptop repair/parts sourcing for my Dell Laptop:

Dell Inspiron 15R 7520 SE for the past 7 years with the below specs: -
RAM: 8GB DDR3, 1600 MHz
CPU: Intel Core i7-3612QM
GPU: AMD Radeon HD 7730M (2GB DDR3)
HDD: Western Digital - 1TB (5400 rpm)
Display: 15.6”, Full HD (1920 x 1080)
Battery: 48Wh, Lithium-Ion, 6-cell
OS (64bit): Windows 10.

During lock-down period, the laptop fell down from ~3 feet height and since then there are a lot of issues:

• If I lift the laptop, it switches off;
• Bluetooth & WiFi works sometimes (needs to be restarted to get it working)
• Battery is fully dead, runs on AC power only.
• Base plastic panel is cracked (after the fall)
• WD HDD connecting port is loose I feel
• When I tilt the screen, it shuts and comes up (as if there is some loose contact)

Looking at the issues I know what many must be thinking: scrap and get a new one but my usage isn't high and doesn't warrant a new laptop at all so want to try and see if I can repair this.

With this effort being put in, I plan to add a 256GB SSD in place of the main WD 1TB HDD and shift then the OE WD 1TB HDD in place of the CD/DVD drive location using a caddy (purchased already) since the CD drive is not used at all.

Dell stores in Hyderabad are charging exorbitant prices for anything I ask w.r.t this laptop so I have come here to ask if anyone knows what can be done to get things running.

[CoffeeBeans]

Originally Posted by a4anurag

Have a query regarding laptop repair/parts sourcing for my Dell Laptop:

Dell Inspiron 15R 7520 SE

I had the same model Dell laptop with Intel I5 from 2012 which ran into all these issues a couple of years ago after falling from the table. My laptop usage is also not high so I was not willing to replace and invest in a new laptop, however it started showing age and took a lot of repairs approx4-5 k in batteries etc, to keep it running.
But then last year I saw that even old laptops are getting decent exchange prices due to high demand so went ahead with Lenovo slim Ryzen 3 laptop which was about 26 K but I got a very decent 9k discount with exchange so the final cost was 17k. I then put another 3.5k for 128GB SSD and 8GB RAM and its working fantastic. I'm sure I can use it for another 5-6 yrs without much issues.
So my suggestion for you would be to exchange your laptop and instead of investing more on repairs as even if no faults, HW is going to start showing its age and would start slowing down.

[Tgo]

Originally Posted by a4anurag

During lock-down period, the laptop fell down from ~3 feet height and since then there are a lot of issues:

• If I lift the laptop, it switches off;
• Bluetooth & WiFi works sometimes (needs to be restarted to get it working)
• Battery is fully dead, runs on AC power only.
• Base plastic panel is cracked (after the fall)
• WD HDD connecting port is loose I feel
• When I tilt the screen, it shuts and comes up (as if there is some loose contact)

Looking at the issues I know what many must be thinking: scrap and get a new one but my usage isn't high and doesn't warrant a new laptop at all so want to try and see if I can repair this.

From the issues you mention I believe there has been damage to the structure of the laptop. The structure mainly means the back and top panel. It acts as the chassis on which the parts are screwed on. The boards and chips etc. sit on top of molded posts in the panels which have threaded brass inserts to fasten the components down. From my experience of fiddling about with old laptops, the first result of loading or impact is taken by these posts which crack up (and disintegrate into small pieces) and let the brass inserts loose. No amount of Jugaad with super glue can repair it reliably. Replacement panels are like out of production automobile parts which you can only source from the scrappers.

Wi-fi and Bluetooth module as well as the screen issue could just be a loose connection. But you need a strong chassis to hold the wires and connectors down firmly.

Related thread on (DIY: Laptop hardware upgrades).

[AbhiJ]

So I have managed to get a Asus ROG Zephyrus G15 (2021) from USA.

In what is clearly an afterthought, I am now wondering that the warranty policy of Asus is?

Does Asus have global warranty?

[Amien]

Originally Posted by AbhiJ

So I have managed to get a Asus ROG Zephyrus G15 (2021) from USA.

In what is clearly an afterthought, I am now wondering that the warranty policy of Asus is?

Does Asus have global warranty?

This link might provide some insight.

By default, you will likely not have support outside of purchase region but your best bet is to contract ASUS and see if an exception can be made. International warranty usually only applies to specific products (usually business-class and ultrabooks) and Acer is the only manufacturer that offers it upfront.

[piyush78]

Hello Friends,

Can Someone Recommend a good midrange convertible laptop with touchscreen and stylus ? Had a really bad experiance with samsung Tab S3 whose motherboard got fried one fine day for no apparent reason. Changing the motherboard is too expensive.
My requirements are to use it for online teaching and online classes. Bundled stylus will be helpful as need to run one note on it.

Thanks in advance

[Amien]

Originally Posted by piyush78

Can Someone Recommend a good midrange convertible laptop with touchscreen and stylus?

This ASUS VivoBook Flip is really the only option that fits that description. Convertible/2-in-1s are usually either flimsy or expensive due to the challenges imposed by a 360-degree hinge.

The Flip has the latest 7nm quad-core CPU and upgradable RAM despite its lightweight chassis. Touch input is fairly good considering the price-range and a stylus+holder is included.