Which laptop is better?

[darkfate]

Hi, I am thinking of getting a laptop for studying, working and entertainment purposes. I have looked around and am considering getting DELL XPS 13 plus with OLED or FHD+ or HP spectre x360 14”. Is it worth getting the HP spectre with 11th gen processor? Any inputs would be appreciated. Thanks a lot!

 

[firesong]

Quick comments, both are pretty good laptops. OLED screens seem to be the hot things now, though. Can't go wrong with either, but I personally lean towards the HP X360 as being more versatile. With Microsoft's rumoured improvements with Win 11 22H2, touch/pen computing could make for more ways to use a laptop naturally. While I've always liked the XPS brand, it has not stood out for me these past few years.

Intel 11th Gen > 12th Gen (battery life concerns).

What is important is getting as much RAM as you can since they are all soldered, minimum 16GB, 32GB is preferred for longevity reasons (depends on your usage patterns) 8GB is too low going forward. We tend to multitask a lot while doing research for assignments - multiple apps open, web browser windows, etc.... I even run out of RAM on a 16GB laptop at times.

As a part-time student, I miss my X1 Yoga that I sold off to fund my Thinkpad because I need >8GB of RAM. The pen inputs turned out more useful (including highlighting PDF textbooks and all) than I expected. Microsoft OneNote is also pretty good with the pen input, so that was also a noticeable loss. Ended up buying an iPad to do eBook reading, rather than having all the files on one device.

 

[natas]

Hi, I am thinking of getting a laptop for studying, working and entertainment purposes. I have looked around and am considering getting DELL XPS 13 plus with OLED or FHD+ or HP spectre x360 14”. Is it worth getting the HP spectre with 11th gen processor? Any inputs would be appreciated. Thanks a lot!

If u can wait... HP x360 12th gen intel will be out. Personally XPS plus has good design but lacks port. I am waiting for LG gram.

 

[NightRaven49]

I have looked around and am considering getting DELL XPS 13 plus with OLED or FHD+ or HP spectre x360 14”.

do list down the prices of the configurations of both models and the spec sheet so we have a better idea. build quality wise u probably wont go wrong with either.

 

[zekrom007]

Hi, I am thinking of getting a laptop for studying, working and entertainment purposes. I have looked around and am considering getting DELL XPS 13 plus with OLED or FHD+ or HP spectre x360 14”. Is it worth getting the HP spectre with 11th gen processor? Any inputs would be appreciated. Thanks a lot!

i will just list what i see are the negatives:

HP Spectre x360 14"
- CPU only 4 cores
- only 8 Gb RAM
- 13.5" display is too small

retails at 2k+ SGD which u can use to buy a decent and more powerful Legion laptop instead.

not worth it imo


Read HWZ Forum Rules!

 

[trenzterra]

XPS Plus does not have a hardware function key row (only a touch bar). Personally, I would not be able to live with it, so I will cancel out from my list.

I would suggest waiting a month or two if you can. New laptops with Ryzen 6000U and Alder Lake processors are coming. While not a big improvement performance wise (and maybe decrease in battery life for Alder Lake variants), laptops released this year generally have better "quality of life" features such as 2x USB-C/ Thunderbolt ports (instead of one port + barrel plug like in most current HP and Acer models), HDMI 2.1 and 16:10 screen (with most being at least 99% sRGB and some being OLED with DCI-P3 support).

One model to look out for is the HP Envy x360, which has just been refreshed and should hopefully reach our shores in June/ July. The newly refreshed Acer Swift 3 and HP Pavilion Plus 14 are also not bad, with the Swift 3 having dual Thunderbolt 4 ports and the Pavilion Plus 14 coming with a 16:10 screen and dual USB-C Gen 2 ports.

Why USB-C? You can charge the laptop with a compatible power bank and this means you don't have to worry about running out of power and not having a place to charge your laptop, or you can potentially charge it with just a phone charger.

 

[firesong]

i will just list what i see are the negatives:

HP Spectre x360 14"
- CPU only 4 cores
- only 8 Gb RAM
- 13.5" display is too small

retails at 2k+ SGD which u can use to buy a decent and more powerful Legion laptop instead.

not worth it imo


Read HWZ Forum Rules!

There are 16GB models of the X360, but I haven't seen 32GB models out there. As for the 4-core/8-thread argument, it isn't that far behind AMD's 6/8 core for day-to-day usage imo. I have a Ryzen 7 and don't really feel that much difference, in some tasks like surfing and office word processing when comparing with an old 2-core Intel 7th gen. It depends on the usage types.

Also, 1.3KG and the size makes for a much more portable machine compared to the Legion, so it might matter to others.

 

[zekrom007]

There are 16GB models of the X360, but I haven't seen 32GB models out there. As for the 4-core/8-thread argument, it isn't that far behind AMD's 6/8 core for day-to-day usage imo. I have a Ryzen 7 and don't really feel that much difference, in some tasks like surfing and office word processing when comparing with an old 2-core Intel 7th gen. It depends on the usage types.

Also, 1.3KG and the size makes for a much more portable machine compared to the Legion, so it might matter to others.

But for the price point, OP can get something better. Why settle for less? Besides, the Alder Lake is already a 14 core CPU in 2022. A quad core CPU is generations behind.

On the positive side, the HP is claiming a 19.5 hours battery life. It is also a 2-in-1 convertible. Have to decide if these features are worth paying a premium for.

 

[darkfate]

Hi all thanks for the replies! I need to get a laptop by mid July.
For the HP spectre, I am considering model 14-EA1015TU because of the design and it’s a 2-in-1 (might be useful when studying) but hesitated because of the 11th gen processor. According to HP sales desk, they are facing shortage of parts so it won’t be so fast before the 12th gen spectre comes in.
For the XPS 13 plus, I will be going for about the same specs, 1 TB SSD 16GB RAM. Only thing undecided is OLED or FHD+. Is the Touch Bar function key a concern? I also read about the OLED burn-in issue. Dell says there’s no actual unit to view due to it reaching sg just yesterday.

 

[firesong]

Intel 12th Gen has worse battery life, and more thermal throttling. The 11th Gen is the better buy for now. Or Ryzen if you are okay with AMD products.
https://www.notebookcheck.net/Intel...might-cut-down-the-battery-life.615383.0.html


https://www.anandtech.com/show/1722...-12900hk-review-msi-raider-ge76-goes-hybrid/6

 

[coolad74]

hitching on this.... any difference for dell laptops for buying online or at their exclusive stores...discounts?

 

[firesong]

But for the price point, OP can get something better. Why settle for less? Besides, the Alder Lake is already a 14 core CPU in 2022. A quad core CPU is generations behind.

On the positive side, the HP is claiming a 19.5 hours battery life. It is also a 2-in-1 convertible. Have to decide if these features are worth paying a premium for.

As a part-time student, I miss my X1 Yoga that I sold (cos it had insufficient RAM). The stylus is much more useful than people give credit for. OneNote's integration with the stylus makes for quite a digital notebook too, and most textbooks are on PDFs or soft copies these days.

The weight of the laptop is a huge factor unless you drive. If you have to carry your laptop and its (300-500g) charger up and down to work and class, the lighter the better. No one cares for heavy and bulky gaming laptops if it has to be in your bag for a large part of the day, especially when on public transport and when its late at night and you're fatigued from work and after class. It's a reason why so many recommend the MacBook Air or many sub-1kg laptops - charge it fully and you don't need to bring the charger with you.

 

[trenzterra]

Anyway, don't get the XPS. I bought one two years ago. For its price, I feel it's not worth it and too restrictive. For example, say you want to plug in a wireless (non-Bluetooth mouse). There's no USB-A port for you to plug it into. Plus, if you're schooling, you probably use MS Word/ Excel all those. I cannot fathom using those apps without function keys.

The Spectre is more versatile in that it is a 2-in-1 device (although it suffers from the same port issue), but from my experience with the Spectre 13 (also 2 years ago), the digitizer on the Spectre manifests itself as a diamond grid, which can get very irritating and not acceptable for me at the price point:

Based on currently available selections, the Yoga 7 seems like a better option. It's 2-in-1 and has a USB-A port for plugging in your mouse and is cheaper. The 2022 version is even better though (comes with a 16:10 display).

The LG Gram 14 2-in-1 is also a good choice and the 11th generation version is selling for a good price now I believe and has a USB Type A port.

You can also consider the recently released Zenbook S 13 Flip OLED (not sure when's the release date and price) which has 3 Thunderbolt ports (no USB-A port but at least an extra Type C/ Thunderbolt port) and a big 67Wh battery. I think generally, Zenbooks are cheaper than the XPS and Spectre.

Lastly, there is also the Acer Spin 3 and Spin 5 which have 2xThunderbolt ports and a single USB-A. Previous Acer laptops used to give an annoying "beep" whenever the power is plugged in. Not sure if they still do it now. It's more affordable than other brands but I guess some people still have the stigma against Acer.

 

[trenzterra]

hitching on this.... any difference for dell laptops for buying online or at their exclusive stores...discounts?

I no longer see any Dell laptops selling in chain stores for some reason. I think you can only buy online or through their exclusive stores. Normally you should be able to get some degree of discount off the retail price.

 

[coolad74]

I no longer see any Dell laptops selling in chain stores for some reason. I think you can only buy online or through their exclusive stores. Normally you should be able to get some degree of discount off the retail price.

Thanks, share for benefit of all, went to 1 of the exclusive store ytd, discount would be 3-5% depending on configuration

 

[darkfate]

Anyway, don't get the XPS. I bought one two years ago. For its price, I feel it's not worth it and too restrictive. For example, say you want to plug in a wireless (non-Bluetooth mouse). There's no USB-A port for you to plug it into. Plus, if you're schooling, you probably use MS Word/ Excel all those. I cannot fathom using those apps without function keys.

The Spectre is more versatile in that it is a 2-in-1 device (although it suffers from the same port issue), but from my experience with the Spectre 13 (also 2 years ago), the digitizer on the Spectre manifests itself as a diamond grid, which can get very irritating and not acceptable for me at the price point:

Based on currently available selections, the Yoga 7 seems like a better option. It's 2-in-1 and has a USB-A port for plugging in your mouse and is cheaper. The 2022 version is even better though (comes with a 16:10 display).

The LG Gram 14 2-in-1 is also a good choice and the 11th generation version is selling for a good price now I believe and has a USB Type A port.

You can also consider the recently released Zenbook S 13 Flip OLED (not sure when's the release date and price) which has 3 Thunderbolt ports (no USB-A port but at least an extra Type C/ Thunderbolt port) and a big 67Wh battery. I think generally, Zenbooks are cheaper than the XPS and Spectre.

Lastly, there is also the Acer Spin 3 and Spin 5 which have 2xThunderbolt ports and a single USB-A. Previous Acer laptops used to give an annoying "beep" whenever the power is plugged in. Not sure if they still do it now. It's more affordable than other brands but I guess some people still have the stigma against Acer.

I personally don’t have good experience with Acer. My previous Acer laptop keyboard wrist rest area melted and I had to service it so many times, I never ever purchased another Acer from then on.

I used the old Dell XPS 15 long time ago before I switched to an Alienware and I was quite satisfied with both my purchases.

Are LG and Lenovo good laptops to get? I want something that last and doesn’t keep breaking down on me.

 

[watzup_ken]

I personally don’t have good experience with Acer. My previous Acer laptop keyboard wrist rest area melted and I had to service it so many times, I never ever purchased another Acer from then on.

I used the old Dell XPS 15 long time ago before I switched to an Alienware and I was quite satisfied with both my purchases.

Are LG and Lenovo good laptops to get? I want something that last and doesn’t keep breaking down on me.

I feel different people will have different experiences with various brands. On the contrary to what you experienced, I've seen multiple Acer laptops that lasted more than 4 to 5 years, before they got replaced.

To your question about which brand that will last, I feel it is a very tough question to answer. There is no 1 perfect brand where everyone will claim that it last forever. I personally prefer Lenovo because of the next day onsite warranty, which is very convenient. I've personally experienced quite a number of issues with Lenovo laptops over the years, where keyboard failed, battery became faulty after 6 months (fully charged and drop to 2% power all of a sudden), and display connectivity issues. Nothing is made to last, and this fact is increasingly true since it is a conflict of interest to manufacturers if they make good quality products and end up not able to sell you another product for a number of years.