I'm going to need a new (PC) laptop soon. What do I REALLY *NEED*? Model/spec suggestions?

[vindibona1]

My 13 yo Sony Vaio DuoCore laptop is showing signs of end of life. I use it as a secondary computer on my desk, along side a 2 year old Alienware tower that currently handles the heavier tasks. With the Sony I plug it into a 27" monitor and have a stand-alone keyboard and mouse and I intend to keep that configuration. My new laptop should be 15" or larger and have HDMI or other port to go to my desktop monitor and the ability to continue to use an external keyboard and mouse. My Sony isn't officially "docked" but it's set up as if it was. I like and need that.

I would like it to have the capacity to view higher res video clearly and not choke when doing a bit of video editing, though I anticipate doing video editing mainly on my tower, but having at least an adequate (or better) graphics card, a fast processor and plenty of ram should probably be expected. The two main programs that I often use are Photoshop and Davinci Resolve Studio as well as Reaper (for audio).

I know I could just throw $3000 at a dart board and come up with something good. I am hoping to stay under $2000 and always appreciate value and best bang for the buck equipment. My Alienware tower listed for $1500 and I got an open box for $800 and put $300 in upgrades into it for ram and additional drives and it's awesome.

I would appreciate suggestions for my next laptop so that when my Sony craps out, which it could do at any time ( got a blue screen today) I'm not at the beginning of the research cycle.

Thanks in advance for the suggestions.

 

[Flycaster]

My 13 yo Sony Vaio DuoCore laptop is showing signs of end of life. I use it as a secondary computer on my desk, along side a 2 year old Alienware tower that currently handles the heavier tasks. With the Sony I plug it into a 27" monitor and have a stand-alone keyboard and mouse and I intend to keep that configuration. My new laptop should be 15" or larger and have HDMI or other port to go to my desktop monitor and the ability to continue to use an external keyboard and mouse. My Sony isn't officially "docked" but it's set up as if it was. I like and need that.

I would like it to have the capacity to view higher res video clearly and not choke when doing a bit of video editing, though I anticipate doing video editing mainly on my tower, but having at least an adequate (or better) graphics card, a fast processor and plenty of ram should probably be expected. The two main programs that I often use are Photoshop and Davinci Resolve Studio as well as Reaper (for audio).

I know I could just throw $3000 at a dart board and come up with something good. I am hoping to stay under $2000 and always appreciate value and best bang for the buck equipment. My Alienware tower listed for $1500 and I got an open box for $800 and put $300 in upgrades into it for ram and additional drives and it's awesome.

I would appreciate suggestions for my next laptop so that when my Sony craps out, which it could do at any time ( got a blue screen today) I'm not at the beginning of the research cycle.

Thanks in advance for the suggestions.

I got/use a Asus 17" ROG machine. I purchased a gaming type notebook for the horsepower and form factor. 8gb dedicated video ram (thank you Invidea), 16 gb ram, and a terabyte spinning hd, and a 256gb ssd. got for $1,200 @ Bestbuy a year ago, and yes, kind of configured like your setup: separate monitor/keyboard/mouse


Works all my go pro and Mavic Gen I vids/stills with zero hiccups...
But toss in Crysis, and the fans do come on......

 

[DoomMeister]

But toss in Crysis, and the fans do come on......

Another FPS gamer!

 

[66427cobra]

My 13 yo Sony Vaio DuoCore laptop is showing signs of end of life. I use it as a secondary computer on my desk, along side a 2 year old Alienware tower that currently handles the heavier tasks. With the Sony I plug it into a 27" monitor and have a stand-alone keyboard and mouse and I intend to keep that configuration. My new laptop should be 15" or larger and have HDMI or other port to go to my desktop monitor and the ability to continue to use an external keyboard and mouse. My Sony isn't officially "docked" but it's set up as if it was. I like and need that.

I would like it to have the capacity to view higher res video clearly and not choke when doing a bit of video editing, though I anticipate doing video editing mainly on my tower, but having at least an adequate (or better) graphics card, a fast processor and plenty of ram should probably be expected. The two main programs that I often use are Photoshop and Davinci Resolve Studio as well as Reaper (for audio).

I know I could just throw $3000 at a dart board and come up with something good. I am hoping to stay under $2000 and always appreciate value and best bang for the buck equipment. My Alienware tower listed for $1500 and I got an open box for $800 and put $300 in upgrades into it for ram and additional drives and it's awesome.

I would appreciate suggestions for my next laptop so that when my Sony craps out, which it could do at any time ( got a blue screen today) I'm not at the beginning of the research cycle.

Thanks in advance for the suggestions.

Minimum of 32 gb RAM. Large SSD.

And since it appears you expect to spend $2k+, it is worth taking a look at the Mac platform. The Macbook laptops are very reliable and you might find them well suited to video/photo editing. Less vulnerable to viruses, too.

I have had both Windows and Mac machines for over 30 years. I prefer Windows for the core "corporate stuff" like Outlook, Excel, Word, PowerPoint, etc. Like the Mac for video and photo editing. Most of the time I run my Windows computer from my Mac using Remote Desktop. Just easier than running upstairs to my home-office for minor tasks.

Just to prove I'm not wedded to any particular platform, I also have seven Raspberry Pi's running different OS's and applications including NAS, Video server, and a landline Call blocker. Pretty versatile for a $35 computer but not powerful enough for video editing...yet.

Since you have the time use it to check out several options. If history is any indicator, it will be with you for a while.

Good luck...

 

[vindibona1]

@66427cobra While Mac isn't a terrible suggestion, I have had enough experience with Apple to know that they are a terrible value (at least for me). I cut my teeth on Macs, ran a studio for a couple decades with Macs... until I saw how much money I was throwing away. I have never had a Mac last more than 5 years without major repairs (or total failure). My average PC has lasted 12 years. The power I can buy in a Mac for $3k I can get in a PC for $2K and use it twice as long, often without any repairs. I still have an old Macbook Pro that I've sunk $500 into in two $250 chunks to keep it going, but in all honesty I feel that I should have used the $500 for a new PC laptop.

If I were considering a Mac I would possibly consider a Mac Mini solely because I know Davinci is optimized for the M1 chip, but I want a laptop with its own monitor that I can travel with. My older laptops aren't powerful enough to preview my drone videos when I'm away.

I'm thinking Alienwear again. I've got an Alienware desktop from Dell and and for the money have been very happy, not even knowing at the time that I'd be editing video. The ASUS ROG looks interesting, but beyond monitors I know little about the quality and durability of their laptops. Same with ACER.

 

[66427cobra]

@66427cobra While Mac isn't a terrible suggestion, I have had enough experience with Apple to know that they are a terrible value (at least for me). I cut my teeth on Macs, ran a studio for a couple decades with Macs... until I saw how much money I was throwing away. I have never had a Mac last more than 5 years without major repairs (or total failure). My average PC has lasted 12 years. The power I can buy in a Mac for $3k I can get in a PC for $2K and use it twice as long, often without any repairs. I still have an old Macbook Pro that I've sunk $500 into in two $250 chunks to keep it going, but in all honesty I feel that I should have used the $500 for a new PC laptop.

If I were considering a Mac I would possibly consider a Mac Mini solely because I know Davinci is optimized for the M1 chip, but I want a laptop with its own monitor that I can travel with. My older laptops aren't powerful enough to preview my drone videos when I'm away.

I'm thinking Alienwear again. I've got an Alienware desktop from Dell and and for the money have been very happy, not even knowing at the time that I'd be editing video. The ASUS ROG looks interesting, but beyond monitors I know little about the quality and durability of their laptops. Same with ACER.

No argument about the cost of a Mac, they are VERY pricey. But I have found that upgrades on many of the software packages I have purchased, along with the OS, are free. Not an issue with Davinci Resolve, now that it is free, but Final Cut Pro has been upgraded without charge for the 5+ years since I purchased it. Be that as it may, I can't say the savings is enough to offset the higher initial cost of a Mac.

Haven't had your experience with failures. ?...my 2012 Macbook Pro is still kicking albeit slower than anything you can buy today (Windows or Mac).

Good luck...

 

[theDRONEranger]

This kinda goes along the lines of, "I'm gonna need a new car soon. What do I really need?"
Great open ended question.
OK
expect many differing answers . . .
to include,
+32GB RAM
+SSD hard drives of sufficient storage + external HDs (backups)
+high end gaming resolution
+BRAND is your choice.
++MY local disc is 952GB with Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-8750H CPU @ 2.20GHz 2.21 GHz
+++5TB external (main) +++2x 2TB and 2x 1TB Ext HDs [11TB total ext] (I need more)
+++UPS

Lots, and Lots, and Lots, and Lots, and Lots to choose from!!!

Other questions . . .
What is your DOS base? Apple/Unix/MS/HomeBrew
Which exact (graphics) programs do you intend to run???? What are the minimum requirements???


Evaluate your intended requirements first!!!

 

[vindibona1]

No argument about the cost of a Mac, they are VERY pricey. But I have found that upgrades on many of the software packages I have purchased, along with the OS, are free. Not an issue with Davinci Resolve, now that it is free, but Final Cut Pro has been upgraded without charge for the 5+ years since I purchased it. Be that as it may, I can't say the savings is enough to offset the higher initial cost of a Mac.

Haven't had your experience with failures. ?...my 2012 Macbook Pro is still kicking albeit slower than anything you can buy today (Windows or Mac).

Good luck...

I don't object to reasonable software fees. I was grateful to start on the free version of Davinci and knew some day I would upgrade to the studio version. When the promo came out for the free Speed Editor with the purchase of Resolve Studio it was a golden opportunity. And I'll never have to pay upgrade fees. [Adobe Premier users pay upgrade fees every day]

 

[vindibona1]

This kinda goes along the lines of, "I'm gonna need a new car soon. What do I really need?"
Great open ended question.
OK
expect many differing answers . . .
to include,
+32GB RAM
+SSD hard drives of sufficient storage + external HDs (backups)
+high end gaming resolution
+BRAND is your choice.
++MY local disc is 952GB with Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-8750H CPU @ 2.20GHz 2.21 GHz
+++5TB external (main) +++2x 2TB and 2x 1TB Ext HDs [11TB total ext] (I need more)
+++UPS

Lots, and Lots, and Lots, and Lots, and Lots to choose from!!!

Other questions . . .
What is your DOS base? Apple/Unix/MS/HomeBrew
Which exact (graphics) programs do you intend to run???? What are the minimum requirements???


Evaluate your intended requirements first!!!

I'm sort of tied into the Windows DOS system and that's ok. I know Win11 has just been released and know nothing about it. I prefer Win7 but I know that's dead and buried. I'm ok with Win10 on my desktop station.

Knowing my requirements??? That's a tougher question than it seems. When I bought my Alienware tower two years ago I bought it for mainly for Photoshop, not knowing that I'd be into drones and editing video. Luckily it meets the requirements, but has since I've upgraded the RAM to the max 48GB and now have 3 internal HD's (2-SSDs and 1-4TBHD).
As I tend to keep my equipment for a very long time what I know is that what I need today may not- probably will not be what I need tomorrow. I suspect my next drone will shoot 8k video or at least 6k. Will I need that laptop to supplant my desktop for power? I don't know. How do the better laptops stack up against towers other than the space to put components inside. Is the ram upgradable in modern laptops or have things changed?

Additionally, I'm not up to speed on the chipsets and cores and differences between i7 and i9 chips. I'm a little gun shy on that aspect as the last laptop I bought in 2012 has an i5 chip, but it's older 13 year old brother with a duo core chip is better and faster- by a lot.

 

[Sully53]

What about one of these?... This is what I’m thinking for my next laptop.

GIGABYTE AERO 17 HDR XD-73US524SP 17.3 inch (1 TB, Intel Core i7 11th Gen., 2.3 GHz, 16 GB) Laptop - Black for sale online | eBay

Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for GIGABYTE AERO 17 HDR XD-73US524SP 17.3 inch (1 TB, Intel Core i7 11th Gen., 2.3 GHz, 16 GB) Laptop - Black at the best online prices at eBay! Free shipping for many products!

www.ebay.com

 

[vindibona1]

What about one of these?... This is what I’m thinking for my next laptop.

GIGABYTE AERO 17 HDR XD-73US524SP 17.3 inch (1 TB, Intel Core i7 11th Gen., 2.3 GHz, 16 GB) Laptop - Black for sale online | eBay

Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for GIGABYTE AERO 17 HDR XD-73US524SP 17.3 inch (1 TB, Intel Core i7 11th Gen., 2.3 GHz, 16 GB) Laptop - Black at the best online prices at eBay! Free shipping for many products!

www.ebay.com

I think it is a definite consideration. I'm not ready to pull the trigger yet unless one of the Sonys dies on me which would move the time of need up a bit. I'm trying to get through the next month of lots of big bills (mostly insurance premiums on various things all at the same time). Just extended my M2's Care/Refresh today.

 

[66427cobra]

I'm sort of tied into the Windows DOS system and that's ok. I know Win11 has just been released and know nothing about it. I prefer Win7 but I know that's dead and buried. I'm ok with Win10 on my desktop station.

Knowing my requirements??? That's a tougher question than it seems. When I bought my Alienware tower two years ago I bought it for mainly for Photoshop, not knowing that I'd be into drones and editing video. Luckily it meets the requirements, but has since I've upgraded the RAM to the max 48GB and now have 3 internal HD's (2-SSDs and 1-4TBHD).
As I tend to keep my equipment for a very long time what I know is that what I need today may not- probably will not be what I need tomorrow. I suspect my next drone will shoot 8k video or at least 6k. Will I need that laptop to supplant my desktop for power? I don't know. How do the better laptops stack up against towers other than the space to put components inside. Is the ram upgradable in modern laptops or have things changed?

Additionally, I'm not up to speed on the chipsets and cores and differences between i7 and i9 chips. I'm a little gun shy on that aspect as the last laptop I bought in 2012 has an i5 chip, but it's older 13 year old brother with a duo core chip is better and faster- by a lot.

Any laptop is always going to lag behind a tower with a dedicated graphics card and GPU.

You should probably answer your own question before pulling the trigger..."Will I need that laptop to supplant my desktop for power?".

Maybe a cheap laptop for basic stuff is the way to go when the Sony craps out. Then use the extra money on the latest dedicated graphics card for your tower. It would probably handle 8K much better and you can delay the graphics upgrade until you really need it for your video.

You have a lot of alternatives...which is both good and bad news.

 

[Chrislaf]

No argument about the cost of a Mac, they are VERY pricey. But I have found that upgrades on many of the software packages I have purchased, along with the OS, are free. Not an issue with Davinci Resolve, now that it is free, but Final Cut Pro has been upgraded without charge for the 5+ years since I purchased it. Be that as it may, I can't say the savings is enough to offset the higher initial cost of a Mac.

Haven't had your experience with failures. ?...my 2012 Macbook Pro is still kicking albeit slower than anything you can buy today (Windows or Mac).

Good luck...

I second the recommendation by Cobra. I have worked with both Mac and Windows computers both laptops and desktops for years in an education environment. As has been stated the initial cost of a Mac laptop will be more but over the long term the cost of owning a comparable Windows device usually catches up and often costs more.

l have owned my Late 2013 Retina MacBook Pro for over 7 years. I have never had a single problem with it and it is still my only computer. I run current versions of Lightroom, Photoshop, and Final Cut Pro X on it. Mind you I don’t do heavy video editing as I am primarily a stills photographer.

I often fix Windows computers for family and friends, rarely are they Mac computers.

Chris

 

[vindibona1]

Any laptop is always going to lag behind a tower with a dedicated graphics card and GPU.

You should probably answer your own question before pulling the trigger..."Will I need that laptop to supplant my desktop for power?".

Maybe a cheap laptop for basic stuff is the way to go when the Sony craps out. Then use the extra money on the latest dedicated graphics card for your tower. It would probably handle 8K much better and you can delay the graphics upgrade until you really need it for your video.

You have a lot of alternatives...which is both good and bad news.

I second the recommendation by Cobra. I have worked with both Mac and Windows computers both laptops and desktops for years in an education environment. As has been stated the initial cost of a Mac laptop will be more but over the long term the cost of owning a comparable Windows device usually catches up and often costs more.

l have owned my Late 2013 Retina MacBook Pro for over 7 years. I have never had a single problem with it and it is still my only computer. I run current versions of Lightroom, Photoshop, and Final Cut Pro X on it. Mind you I don’t do heavy video editing as I am primarily a stills photographer.

I often fix Windows computers for family and friends, rarely are they Mac computers.

Chris

Chris...
We're just going to have different experiences here buddy. I ran a brick and mortar photography and graphics studio on Macs for 20 years and was challenged to install my first PC in 2005. My kids are all into Macs and that Macbook that I spoke of that I have was a hand me down from my daughter. I raised her on Mac. But she and her husband seem to go through 2 Macs for every PC I do. And now I'm doing not only still photography and graphics but audio recording and in the past year video editing. The PC with specs I've listed below... $800 at retail store in Chicago, on sale. Normally $1500. Even at $1500 I couldn't come close to those specs with a Mac.

Additionally, my other peripherals, iPhone, iPad are hand me downs. It's not only that Apple only upgrades devices' OS to a certain point, the apps often stop functioning for units that can't upgrade the OS. The second reason I stay with an iPhone is because it seems to be more DJI drone friendly.

Cobra... That's one of the things I'm wrestling with. I don't really need (at this time) portable full editing capabilities. But recently was on vacation in NY and Vermont and had taken a lot of videos I couldn't even get to run/preview on my "newer" Sony. I suspected that it wouldn't be great, and wanted to be able to back up my cards on the spot so I took it anyway. I may end up with something that is just adequate for playback up to 8k video without having to strain a portable system with editing. Any suggestions on a graphics card upgrade? How much would that cost and would it be worth it?

Here are the important current specs on my Alienware tower:

 

[Tufargon]

Just found this deal on slickdeals today if you're still looking.

Gigabyte AERO 15 Laptop: i7-11800H, 15.6" 4K OLED, RTX 3060, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD $1249 after $100 Rebate + Free S/H

Newegg [newegg.com] has GIGABYTE AERO 15 OLED KD 15.6" UHD 4K AMOLED, i7 -11800H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060, 6GB GDDR6, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD Gaming Laptop on sale for $1249 after code and rebate

slickdeals.net

 

[vindibona1]

Just found this deal on slickdeals today if you're still looking.

Gigabyte AERO 15 Laptop: i7-11800H, 15.6" 4K OLED, RTX 3060, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD $1249 after $100 Rebate + Free S/H

Newegg [newegg.com] has GIGABYTE AERO 15 OLED KD 15.6" UHD 4K AMOLED, i7 -11800H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060, 6GB GDDR6, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD Gaming Laptop on sale for $1249 after code and rebate

slickdeals.net

Thanks... I'd go for it if I wanted to pull the trigger today. No trips planned until Dec/January at the earliest and I'm getting my Sony laptops to limp along. Though I'm not sure which of the many things I tried worked, but I think I just fixed one issue where my duo core Sony wouldn't wake up.

 

[Tufargon]

Not sure you'll find another laptop with those specs at that price anytime soon. Especially with a 4k OLED screen. If I had the money and needed one I'd be on that so fast.

 

[Outrunner]

Something along these lines should keep you going for a few years Overview GS76 Stealth

 

[vindibona1]

Not sure you'll find another laptop with those specs at that price anytime soon. Especially with a 4k OLED screen. If I had the money and needed one I'd be on that so fast.

I know... But the next two months brings a tidal wave of large bills. Gotta manage cash flow. Gas going from $2/gal to almost $4/gal hasn't helped one bit (the news says 40% increase... hogwash).

 

[vindibona1]

I know... But the next two months brings a tidal wave of large bills. Gotta manage cash flow. Gas going from $2/gal to almost $4/gal hasn't helped one bit (the news says 40% increase... hogwash).

I think I may have just bumped up my timetable.