[Question] Upgradable laptop suggestions.

sixpackshaker

sixpackshaker

Stole from my reddit post.


  • **Total budget (in local currency) and country of purchase. Please do not use USD unless purchasing in the US:**US $ sub 900
  • Are you open to refurbs/used? Renewed is fine. New is OK
  • How would you prioritize form factor (ultrabook, 2-in-1, etc.), build quality, performance, and battery life? Desktop replacement is fine.
  • How important is weight and thinness to you? weight does not matter
  • Do you have a preferred screen size? If indifferent, put N/A. 15+
  • Are you doing any CAD/video editing/photo editing/gaming? List which programs/games you desire to run. light gaming
  • If you're gaming, do you have certain games you want to play? At what settings and FPS do you want?- Fallout 4 full settings
  • Any specific requirements such as good keyboard, reliable build quality, touch-screen, finger-print reader, optical drive or good input devices (keyboard/touchpad)? minor like for optical drive, back lit keyboard
  • Leave any finishing thoughts here that you may feel are necessary and beneficial to the discussion. My preference would be one nvme drive with two 2.5 hhd drive. within 4 years old. Or 2 nvme with a lot of storage like 2+gb
 
PatrThom

PatrThom

You are REALLY limiting yourself with the whole "I want it to contain four drives," likely to the point of excluding everything. You're going to be better off getting something with one NVMe/SATA SSD and possibly one internal HDD, and then using external/network for all other storage. It looks like there's plenty available in the $1300 range but even there we're talking Intel ARC graphics rather than something NVIDIA 3000-series or better (which is what I was trying to limit searches to).

--Patrick
 
GasBandit

GasBandit

Staff member
Yeah, I have to echo what Patrthom said. And you may as well forget about an internal optical drive, and just shell out the $45 later for an external blu-ray drive the first time you actually need one. That's a once-in-a-blue-moon thing these days.
 
GasBandit

GasBandit

Staff member
Do you want to be able to use it on a USB-C dock, or are you fine using it as a laptop only or plugging in myriad cables when wanting to use it with external monitors/peripherals?
 
Tinwhistler

Tinwhistler

GasBandit said:
Yeah, I have to echo what Patrthom said. And you may as well forget about an internal optical drive, and just shell out the $45 later for an external blu-ray drive the first time you actually need one. That's a once-in-a-blue-moon thing these days.
Click to expand...
As a hedge for when this day was coming, I have 3 internal optical drives sitting in my spare parts bin that I culled from replacement systems over the years.
 
Tinwhistler

Tinwhistler

The biggest issue i face now is most modern cases don't have a cutout for them
I guess when the time comes, I'll have to 3d print a case ;)
 
PatrThom

PatrThom

Tinwhistler said:
The biggest issue i face now is most modern cases don't have a cutout for them
I guess when the time comes, I'll have to 3d print a case ;)
Click to expand...
I specifically bought a case that has such a cut-out (though mine does NOT have the tempered glass) for the day I decide to install a BD or cassette deck or whatever. Or I suppose I could go with the Poe option if I really have to, since I got one on sale for $40 (though it is not tray-loading model).

--Patrick
 
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