Recommendations for replacement of my current Laptop

[antlev]

I think I posted this on the wrong forum so I apologise for the repeat
My current laptop is over six years old and components are starting to wear out, the case is showing signs of age and I think I have a power supply issue as every time I move the laptop it powers down and I have to reboot.
I had to change the screen some years ago due to a hinge failure which caused the screen to fail but other than that this laptop has served me well.although I changed the Hard drive a year or so ago am now looking to upgrade with a budget around £800 and any suggestions would be most welcome. I write books and use my laptop for this purpose along with video graphics and occasionally watch some sport on it.
Thanks for any help
Here is my current spec:
PROCESSOR
Intel® Core™ i5-4210M CPU @ 2.60GHz
GRAPHICS
Intel® HD Graphics 4600
AUDIO
Realtek High Definition Audio
NETWORKING AND I/O
TAP-NordVPN Windows Adapter V9
Intel® Dual Band Wireless-AC 7260
Realtek PCIe GbE Family Controller
MEMORY
8 GB
STORAGE
SanDisk SSD PLUS 480GB

 

[moosEh]

. I write books and use my laptop for this purpose along with video graphics and occasionally watch some sport on it.

Hello there,

Could I ask what you mean by "video graphics" as if you are gaming then that vastly changes the recommendations vs a standard word editing/streaming laptop.

 

[Stephen M]

What sort of screen size are you looking for. I also write and often like to have a working window plus other reference windows open and all visible at once but with my eyesight would not want to drop below a 17" screen for doing this. Your needs may be different but it is worth knowing for our suggestions.

 

[antlev]

Hi Mooseh
sorry I meant streaming I don't play games on my laptop so not looking for a gaming spec but am trying to purchase a machine that will last, my present one the keyboard has taken a hammering due to what I do with my writing and it has not lasted Had it replaced once but its wearing again as is the screen which as I said every time I move it on my lap (I know the name laptop is really a misnomer as its not really designed to sit on somebodies lap) the screen goes off and the machine reboots As I replaced the screen a few years ago I guess I'm getting the same problems so wanted a good chassis with my next purchase
Stephen - I find 15.6 ins okay for my work but use it at 125% screen size but I usually don't have multiply windows open although sometimes I do when looking up references

 

[antlev]

This is one that I am considering
Chassis and Display
Cosmos Series: 15.6 "widescreen Full HD IPS LED 60 Hz 45% NTSC (1920x1080)
Processor (CPU)
Intel® Core ™ i5 9300H Quad Core Processor (2.4 GHz, 4.1 GHz Turbo )
Memory (RAM)
8 GB 2133 MHz SODIMM Corsair DDR4 (2 x 4 GB)
graphics card
NVIDIA GeForce MX250 - 2 GB DDR5 Video RAM - DirectX December
1 er HDD
500 GB Samsung 860 EVO 2.5 "SSD, SATA 6 Gb / s (up to 550 MB / sR | 520 MB / sW)
Memory card
reader Integrated 6-in-1 card reader (SD / Mini SD / SDHC / SDXC / MMC)
AC
adapter 1 AC adapter 90 W
Power
cable 1 Cloverleaf 1 meter European power cable
Battery
Cosmos VIII 4-cell lithium-ion battery
Thermal paste
COMPOSITE EXTREME THERMAL CONDUCTIVITY MX-4
Sound card
High definition 2 channels Audio + SoundBlaster ™ Cinema
Bluetooth & Wireless
GIGABIT LAN & WIRELESS INTEL® Wi-Fi 6 AX200 (2 , 4 Gbps) + BT 5.0
USB / Thunderbolt options
1 USB 3.1 PORT (Type C) + 2 USB 3.0 PORTS + 1 USB 2.0 PORT
Language Keyboard
BRITISH KEYBOARD WITH MULTICOLOR BACKGROUND LIGHT 64-bit Windows 10 Home
operating system
[Core +] - incl. individual license [KK3-00002]
Language Operating system
United Kingdom / United Kingdom - English
Windows recovery media
Windows 10 multilingual recovery image: unlimited downloads from the online account
Office Software
FREE 30-day trial of Microsoft® Office® 365 (Mandatory operating system)
Antivirus
WITHOUT ANTIVIRUS SOFTWARE
Browser
Google Chrome ™
Notebook
Mouse TOUCH MOUSE 2 BUTTONS INTEGRATED WEBCAM
Webcam
INTEGRATED HD 1 MP
Warranty
Warranty Gold 3 years (2 years pick-up and return, 2 years components, 3 years labor) Clevo NH55RGQ
chassis
(2GB MX-250, i5-9300H, 60Hz FHD IPS N4)
Delivery
3 - 4 DAYS FOR DELIVERY IN SPAIN
Compilation time
Standard structure - Approximately 6 to 8 working days
Price: £ 756.00 VAT and shipping included

 

[antlev]

Am looking to spend around £700 and looking for a better chassis than my current one which i cannot remember the chassis but it has worn quite badly in my opinion but am now in need of a replacement as my current machine keeps powering off whenever I pick it up and move it so i suspect the power supply is failing or there is a loose connection inside my current system (cannot remember the chassis but it now over four years old)
PROCESSOR
Intel® Core™ i5-4210M CPU @ 2.60GHz
GRAPHICS
Intel® HD Graphics 4600
I need a 15.6 inch screen and at least 8gb memory
I already have an almost new SSD which I would replace into the new laptop its a SanDisk SSD PLUS 480GB
Any recommendation please
Reply
Report Edit

 

[SpyderTracks]

So just to confirm, what are your uses, it hasn't been too clear?

Did you service your previous laptop? Custom laptops (any high performance laptop) needs to be serviced once a year to clear out dust buildup and repaste the CPU maybe every couple of years, otherwise they tend to overheat and display the symptoms you were talking about on your previous laptop.

If your uses are fairly low key, then you would certainly benefit from applying a graphite thermal pad on the CPU rather than paste. The benefits are that they don't degrade, so you never have to worry about reapplying them. The downside is that they're not as thermally effective as paste, so if it's extreme usage, it wouldn't be suitable. I mainly use my laptop now for web browsing, media and office work and I installed one about 6 months ago and haven't looked back, it's been superb ever since.

I wouldn't apply one to my gaming rig though as it wouldn't be able to dissipate that amount of heat so effectively.

Innovation Cooling LLC IC Graphite Thermal Pad (40 X 40 mm) …: Amazon.co.uk: Computers & Accessories

Buy

www.amazon.co.uk

BTW, you buy the relevant size for your CPU, but they're mainly sized for desktop chips. I ended up buying the above and cutting to size with scissors.

 

[antlev]

I Use the laptop for writing my books the current book is going to be around 100,000 words long and i use office word, I touch type at around 40 wpm so the keyboard gets a bit of a hammering
I also use it for social media work as I advertise my books on these sites along with watching some live football.
I noticed that over time one corner of the machine sometimes seems to be a little out of its casing and I just pop it back in and you can hear an audible click when I do this yet when I check the underside all the screws are in place and in tightly.
As my hard drive is a recent purchase I don't think I would require a new one with any new laptop I purchased
I have had my current machine serviced and cleaned at least once a year but as it was built back in 2014 I guess like me bit are starting to fail
I am not sure of the benefits of an integrated graphics card against an independent one

 

[SpyderTracks]

I Use the laptop for writing my books the current book is going to be around 100,000 words long and i use office word, I touch type at around 40 wpm so the keyboard gets a bit of a hammering
I also use it for social media work as I advertise my books on these sites along with watching some live football.
I noticed that over time one corner of the machine sometimes seems to be a little out of its casing and I just pop it back in and you can hear an audible click when I do this yet when I check the underside all the screws are in place and in tightly.
As my hard drive is a recent purchase I don't think I would require a new one with any new laptop I purchased
I have had my current machine serviced and cleaned at least once a year but as it was built back in 2014 I guess like me bit are starting to fail
I am not sure of the benefits of an integrated graphics card against an independent one

For your uses, an integrated gpu would be optimal, no requirement for a dedicated one, just unnecessary cost that won’t be used.

Give me a second and I’ll draw up some suggestions.

 

[SpyderTracks]

For top tier business laptop I would suggest the following, reason being it's a premium aluminium chassis so wear is greatly reduced. Any laptop keyboard is going to be prone to wear, they're not really designed for constant use, it would be suggested to use an external keyboard if you're using it for typing in that way:

Chassis & Display
Lafité Series: Aluminium Chassis: 15.6" Matte Full HD IPS LED (1920 x 1080)
Processor (CPU)
Intel® Core™ i7 Quad Core Processor i7-10510U (1.8GHz, 4.9GHz Turbo)
Memory (RAM)
16GB Corsair 2400MHz SODIMM DDR4 (2 x 8GB)
Graphics Card
INTEL® HD GRAPHICS (CPU Dependant) - 1.7GB Max DDR4 Video RAM - DirectX® 12
1st M.2 SSD Drive
512GB ADATA SX6000 Pro PCIe M.2 2280 (2100 MB/R, 1500 MB/W)
Memory Card Reader
Integrated 6 in 1 Card Reader (SD /Mini SD/ SDHC / SDXC / MMC / RSMMC)
AC Adaptor
1 x 65W AC Adaptor
Power Cable
1 x 1 Metre Cloverleaf UK Power Cable
Battery
1 x Lafité Battery 54WH
Sound Card
Intel 2 Channel High Definition Audio + MIC/Headphone Jack
Bluetooth & Wireless
GIGABIT LAN & WIRELESS INTEL® Wi-Fi 6 AX200 (2.4 Gbps) + BT 5.0
USB/Thunderbolt Options
1 x THUNDERBOLT PORT (USB-C) + 2 x USB 3.0 PORTS + 1 x USB 2.0 PORT
Keyboard Language
15" LAFITÉ SERIES MULTI COLOUR BACKLIT UK KEYBOARD
Operating System
Windows 10 Home 64 Bit - inc. Single Licence [KK3-00002]
Operating System Language
United Kingdom - English Language
Windows Recovery Media
Windows 10 Multi-Language Recovery Image - Unlimited Downloads from Online Account
Office Software
FREE 30 Day Trial of Microsoft® Office® 365 (Operating System Required)
Anti-Virus
NO ANTI-VIRUS SOFTWARE
Browser
Firefox™
Notebook Mouse
INTEGRATED 2 BUTTON TOUCHPAD MOUSE
Webcam
INTEGRATED 1MP HD WEBCAM
Warranty
3 Year Silver Warranty (1 Year Collect & Return, 1 Year Parts, 3 Year Labour)
Chassis
Clevo N151CU (i7-10510U, FHD IPS, 60Hz N7, Thunderbolt, 54WH, Blank KB) SILVER
Delivery
STANDARD INSURED DELIVERY TO UK MAINLAND (MON-FRI)
Build Time
Standard Build - Approximately 5 to 7 working days
Price: £889.00 including VAT and Delivery
Unique URL to re-configure: https://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/saved-configurations/lafiteIV-15/MJ3UMB7uuF/

 

[antlev]

For top tier business laptop I would suggest the following, reason being it's a premium aluminium chassis so wear is greatly reduced. Any laptop keyboard is going to be prone to wear, they're not really designed for constant use, it would be suggested to use an external keyboard if you're using it for typing in that way:

Chassis & Display
Lafité Series: Aluminium Chassis: 15.6" Matte Full HD IPS LED (1920 x 1080)
Processor (CPU)
Intel® Core™ i7 Quad Core Processor i7-10510U (1.8GHz, 4.9GHz Turbo)
Memory (RAM)
16GB Corsair 2400MHz SODIMM DDR4 (2 x 8GB)
Graphics Card
INTEL® HD GRAPHICS (CPU Dependant) - 1.7GB Max DDR4 Video RAM - DirectX® 12
1st M.2 SSD Drive
512GB ADATA SX6000 Pro PCIe M.2 2280 (2100 MB/R, 1500 MB/W)
Memory Card Reader
Integrated 6 in 1 Card Reader (SD /Mini SD/ SDHC / SDXC / MMC / RSMMC)
AC Adaptor
1 x 65W AC Adaptor
Power Cable
1 x 1 Metre Cloverleaf UK Power Cable
Battery
1 x Lafité Battery 54WH
Sound Card
Intel 2 Channel High Definition Audio + MIC/Headphone Jack
Bluetooth & Wireless
GIGABIT LAN & WIRELESS INTEL® Wi-Fi 6 AX200 (2.4 Gbps) + BT 5.0
USB/Thunderbolt Options
1 x THUNDERBOLT PORT (USB-C) + 2 x USB 3.0 PORTS + 1 x USB 2.0 PORT
Keyboard Language
15" LAFITÉ SERIES MULTI COLOUR BACKLIT UK KEYBOARD
Operating System
Windows 10 Home 64 Bit - inc. Single Licence [KK3-00002]
Operating System Language
United Kingdom - English Language
Windows Recovery Media
Windows 10 Multi-Language Recovery Image - Unlimited Downloads from Online Account
Office Software
FREE 30 Day Trial of Microsoft® Office® 365 (Operating System Required)
Anti-Virus
NO ANTI-VIRUS SOFTWARE
Browser
Firefox™
Notebook Mouse
INTEGRATED 2 BUTTON TOUCHPAD MOUSE
Webcam
INTEGRATED 1MP HD WEBCAM
Warranty
3 Year Silver Warranty (1 Year Collect & Return, 1 Year Parts, 3 Year Labour)
Chassis
Clevo N151CU (i7-10510U, FHD IPS, 60Hz N7, Thunderbolt, 54WH, Blank KB) SILVER
Delivery
STANDARD INSURED DELIVERY TO UK MAINLAND (MON-FRI)
Build Time
Standard Build - Approximately 5 to 7 working days
Price: £889.00 including VAT and Delivery
Unique URL to re-configure: https://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/saved-configurations/lafiteIV-15/MJ3UMB7uuF/

Thanks for you suggestion will have a close look at this one Thanks again much appreciated

 

[antlev]

For top tier business laptop I would suggest the following, reason being it's a premium aluminium chassis so wear is greatly reduced. Any laptop keyboard is going to be prone to wear, they're not really designed for constant use, it would be suggested to use an external keyboard if you're using it for typing in that way:

Chassis & Display
Lafité Series: Aluminium Chassis: 15.6" Matte Full HD IPS LED (1920 x 1080)
Processor (CPU)
Intel® Core™ i7 Quad Core Processor i7-10510U (1.8GHz, 4.9GHz Turbo)
Memory (RAM)
16GB Corsair 2400MHz SODIMM DDR4 (2 x 8GB)
Graphics Card
INTEL® HD GRAPHICS (CPU Dependant) - 1.7GB Max DDR4 Video RAM - DirectX® 12
1st M.2 SSD Drive
512GB ADATA SX6000 Pro PCIe M.2 2280 (2100 MB/R, 1500 MB/W)
Memory Card Reader
Integrated 6 in 1 Card Reader (SD /Mini SD/ SDHC / SDXC / MMC / RSMMC)
AC Adaptor
1 x 65W AC Adaptor
Power Cable
1 x 1 Metre Cloverleaf UK Power Cable
Battery
1 x Lafité Battery 54WH
Sound Card
Intel 2 Channel High Definition Audio + MIC/Headphone Jack
Bluetooth & Wireless
GIGABIT LAN & WIRELESS INTEL® Wi-Fi 6 AX200 (2.4 Gbps) + BT 5.0
USB/Thunderbolt Options
1 x THUNDERBOLT PORT (USB-C) + 2 x USB 3.0 PORTS + 1 x USB 2.0 PORT
Keyboard Language
15" LAFITÉ SERIES MULTI COLOUR BACKLIT UK KEYBOARD
Operating System
Windows 10 Home 64 Bit - inc. Single Licence [KK3-00002]
Operating System Language
United Kingdom - English Language
Windows Recovery Media
Windows 10 Multi-Language Recovery Image - Unlimited Downloads from Online Account
Office Software
FREE 30 Day Trial of Microsoft® Office® 365 (Operating System Required)
Anti-Virus
NO ANTI-VIRUS SOFTWARE
Browser
Firefox™
Notebook Mouse
INTEGRATED 2 BUTTON TOUCHPAD MOUSE
Webcam
INTEGRATED 1MP HD WEBCAM
Warranty
3 Year Silver Warranty (1 Year Collect & Return, 1 Year Parts, 3 Year Labour)
Chassis
Clevo N151CU (i7-10510U, FHD IPS, 60Hz N7, Thunderbolt, 54WH, Blank KB) SILVER
Delivery
STANDARD INSURED DELIVERY TO UK MAINLAND (MON-FRI)
Build Time
Standard Build - Approximately 5 to 7 working days
Price: £889.00 including VAT and Delivery
Unique URL to re-configure: https://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/saved-configurations/lafiteIV-15/MJ3UMB7uuF/

Have looked at the above spec and like it just a couple of question if you don't mind
Is it worth going for the i7 rather than the i5?
Is there a great advntage in having 16GB Ram as opposed to my current 8GB?
Do you think its a waste of time me inserting my existing SSD into the laptop rather than the purchase of a brand new one?
I would have to transfer so much information over if I kept the new SSD rather than inserting my current one (its less than a year old)
Thanks for all your help and hope you don't mind me asking questions

 

[SpyderTracks]

Have looked at the above spec and like it just a couple of question if you don't mind
Is it worth going for the i7 rather than the i5?
Is there a great advntage in having 16GB Ram as opposed to my current 8GB?
Do you think its a waste of time me inserting my existing SSD into the laptop rather than the purchase of a brand new one?
I would have to transfer so much information over if I kept the new SSD rather than inserting my current one (its less than a year old)
Thanks for all your help and hope you don't mind me asking questions

That build is what I would personally opt for. i5’s are really poor processors by today’s standards, I wouldn’t go for anything less than an i7. It’s overkill but would last that much longer in a laptop that you can’t upgrade.

8Gb would very likely be enough for your uses which are quite slight if you want to save some cash.

Your current SSD I’m betting is a SATA SSD? They’re considered “old” these days and very slow compared to the M2 that’s in the build I specified. The M2 runs at about 4 times the speeds of a SATA SSD. Transferring data is very easy, most people would store it in cloud storage anyway like OneDrive so it would automatically be available on any PC under your account.

 

[antlev]

Thank you for the information and yes my SSD is a Sata and thought that the i7 would be a better option
Really helpful thanks again

 

[SpyderTracks]

Thank you for the information and yes my SSD is a Sata and thought that the i7 would be a better option
Really helpful thanks again

Pleasure. Let us know what you decide.

 

[antlev]

Am going with your recommendation in its entirety
Thank you so much for your help

 

[Blitzball]

I know it is a necro bump but where did you find a screen for the laptop? I have both hinges broken at the metal piece. I can find anything similar on ebay, amazon and other sites.

 

[SpyderTracks]

I know it is a necro bump but where did you find a screen for the laptop? I have both hinges broken at the metal piece. I can find anything similar on ebay, amazon and other sites.

If you can create your own thread please rather than hijacking others.