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Thread: Laptop build quality

  1. #1
    Grand Master Der Amf's Avatar
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    Laptop build quality

    My laptop is in need of replacing, so I'm about to wander down to PC World and take a look at what they've got.

    I like the small thin Samsung I've had the last six years, but physically it's about to fall apart, and Microsoft are about to discontinue Windows 7 support. I need to get something much more sturdy this time.

    Using the search criteria 13.3" screen, Intel Core i5, SSD, I've eight results: 3 HP, 2 Dell, 2 Lenovo, 1 Acer.

    They all have 256GB SSD and Windows 10. 4 have the i5-8250u processor, 4 the i5-8265u. (The two HP Envy's have NVIDIA graphics cards which I presume would be wasted on me.)

    Will the variations in price be mostly down to build quality? If so, good, hopefully that's something I can see for myself when in the shop.

    EDIT: I should have used my eyes more before posting this - I had forgotten some laptops now have touch screens which I'm not interested in. Things are narrowing themselves down.

    It looks like what I want is the Dell Inspiron 13 5000 for £629. Which isn't in stock at the moment. That saves me a trip in the rain.
    Last edited by Der Amf; 18th June 2019 at 15:49.

  2. #2
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    I have a 13" Dell XPS 9360 and it's bombproof. Carbon fibre chassis and metal top and bottom covers.

    When I was shopping for mine, other brands just looked flimsy by comparison.

  3. #3
    Master petethegeek's Avatar
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    If you do decide to go down the Dell path, which wouldn't be a bad decision in my experience - particularly if you can stretch to an XPS, then you may want to keep an eye on their outlet site. Stock and prices change fairly rapidly so it's worth investing a bit of time following both for a bit to get a feel.

    I've picked up the last two of my PC style laptops from there and they have both turned out to be excellent value for money purchases.

  4. #4
    Grand Master Der Amf's Avatar
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    Looking at online reviews I realise that I really should have done a lot more research before starting this thread, so sorry for that. Who would have thought so much would have changed in six years?

  5. #5
    Grand Master Andyg's Avatar
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    I would suggest looking at the HP Elite range. Its what lots of companies provide their staff so are very robust.

    The Lenovo ThinkPads are worthy of note.

    If money is no object then have a look at Alienware or the HP Zbook range.

    Whoever does not know how to hit the nail on the head should be asked not to hit it at all.
    Friedrich Nietzsche


  6. #6
    Master MarkO's Avatar
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    I currently have 3 Dells as work computers - all running windows 7 Pro.

    My main work computers are Dell Precision and the third is a Latitude. All have been used 6 days a week since Dec 2015.

    All have been robust, one of the Precision models I dropped from my bag onto a concrete floor - it landed on the corner and the case is cracked but survived other than cosmetic damage and continues to work fine.

    I did replace the standard hard drives with SSD but that is easy to do if you need an upgrade.

    When recently looking for a new laptop for #1 son I found good deals and massive selection at saveonlaptops.co.uk.

  7. #7
    Master mondie's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by amnesia View Post
    I have a 13" Dell XPS 9360 and it's bombproof. Carbon fibre chassis and metal top and bottom covers.

    When I was shopping for mine, other brands just looked flimsy by comparison.
    I have been a Dell convert for 20 year. My most recent Dell is an XPS with 15" 4K touchscreen, seemed bulletproof and with a good amount of metal in its outer shell this perception was reinforced. That was until just before Christmas, at 2.5 yrs old I had to have the screen replaced under Dells 3yr premium warranty. Along with the screen a new palm rest was fitted. In recent weeks the computer started to feel a little loose in one corner and made a slight creaking sound each time I opened the screen. I thought it was a loose screw and intended to get one of the techs at work to go over it, but on the weekend the screen suddenly died. I called Dell yesterday only to find the 3yr warranty had just expired three weeks ago, and the warranty on repairs is only three months and that will be £845 to fix sir.

    The tech fixed the machine today and Dells over the phone diagnosis proved correct, a screw which attaches the screen hinge to the palm rest had pulled out and in doing so, severed the ribbon cable running to the screen. This ribbon cable happened to run by and through said hinge. Dells diagnosis just from my description of the problem was 100% which leads me to think this would seem a common issue. Dell flatly refused to do consider a waranty repair or part compensation, hiding behind their T&C. This has soured my opinion of Dell, especially as XPS laptops are expensive and sold as a premium product for heavy users. The failed palm rest is all plastic and it was a metal screw attaching a hinge onto the underside of the plastic palmrest that caused the failure. I have my doubts Dell are building stronger laptops based on this experience, especiallyy as the hinge mount is quite a stressed part.

    Unfortunately, I don't know of another manufacturer that does onsite repairs, this remains a key reason to consider Dell if you are a business user.

  8. #8
    Grand Master Raffe's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by amnesia View Post
    I have a 13" Dell XPS 9360 and it's bombproof. Carbon fibre chassis and metal top and bottom covers.

    When I was shopping for mine, other brands just looked flimsy by comparison.
    Another Dell XPS 13 owner, and the battery in mine has swollen so that the keyboard has been impacted from underneath and has started to malfunction. There was a callback last year but they only replaced batteries for some of the models and not others. Mine was not replaced as they think the XPS13 was not impacted by the problem (just google, the web is full of people who describe the isuue).

    I have now removed the battery and the PC works fine again, a replacement battery costs about 70 Euros, so no big catastrophe - but I am disappointed by Dell's service and support. Wouldn't buy again.
    Someone who lies about the little things will lie about the big things too.

  9. #9
    Master mondie's Avatar
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    That reminds me Raffe, when I had the screen replaced at Christmas I also had a swollen battery that was replaced under warranty. There was a lot of pressure stored in the battery!

  10. #10
    Grand Master Raffe's Avatar
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    I found good quality amongst Lenovo laptops, the medium to high quality range is very durable and has a nice feel to it. Will be my next choice.
    Someone who lies about the little things will lie about the big things too.

  11. #11
    Master Skier's Avatar
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    A couple of years ago when I needed a new laptop I eventually went for an HP Spectre - a near identical spec to THIS ONE. It's certainly thin, robustly built etc. It's not my main computer (I use a desktop for that) and isn't hammered though used regularly and has been perfect. I never use it as a tablet and didn't have a need for a huge SSD as I have either a 2TB portable hard drive or a 256GB memory stick if I need additional space.

  12. #12
    Grand Master Glamdring's Avatar
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    Dells have begun to solder their RAM and so on down so they can't be replaced, copying Apple. I'd be looking maybe at a Thinkpad which are getting good reviews.

    If you want thin, then this:
    https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/...5D7JCP0R4PR1PE

  13. #13
    Master ingenioren's Avatar
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    I am using HP Elite book and Lenovo X1 Carbon, and pound for pound, the HP is excellent, every day

    Good luck !!

  14. #14
    Grand Master Der Amf's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Raffe View Post
    I found good quality amongst Lenovo laptops, the medium to high quality range is very durable and has a nice feel to it. Will be my next choice.
    I'm in the shop, taking advantage of the severe staff shortage to give everything a good maul. The 14" Lenovo Yogas feel nicely sturdy. Unfortunately they haven't the 13.3" in stock, so I can't see if with the smaller size comes significantly less sturdiness.

    The Lenovo Ideapads are also nicely solid.

    The Acers seem very flimsy, and the small HPs seem physically unconvincing.

  15. #15
    Grand Master Raffe's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Der Amf View Post
    I'm in the shop, taking advantage of the severe staff shortage to give everything a good maul. The 14" Lenovo Yogas feel nicely sturdy. Unfortunately they haven't the 13.3" in stock, so I can't see if with the smaller size comes significantly less sturdiness.

    The Lenovo Ideapads are also nicely solid.

    The Acers seem very flimsy, and the small HPs seem physically unconvincing.
    Made the mistake of buying a HP for my dad last year, never again will such a piece of garbage enter my household. It had many issues from the beginning, HP refused any kind of responsibility/support if I wasn't prepared to do a few tests including complete hardware resets myself. I ended up binning it (two months old) and bought him a Lenovo. He is very happy with it.
    Someone who lies about the little things will lie about the big things too.

  16. #16
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    Just had my aging work laptop (Lenovo) with a new HP Elitebook x360. The Lenovo are really sturdy, if not worried about style then these are a really good option.
    The HP is beautifully sleek and fast (it’s the i7) and the aluminium case feels sturdy. I think they cost about £1500 retail though (we buy about 6000 a year, so must be getting a very good deal or I wouldn’t have been given one!) but I think actually represent pretty good value compared with what you would pay for the equivalent Mac or Surface


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  17. #17
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    Wouldn't buy from PC World.

    If you want Dell, do direct:

    https://www.dell.com/en-uk/shop/lapt...90-wifi-laptop

    And currently 8% TopCashBack

    Or go for a refurb:

    https://outlet.euro.dell.com/Online/...rid=125&~ck=mn

    I've had very good experience with Dell generally, to be fair.

  18. #18
    Master draftsmann's Avatar
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    If you want a durable laptop, I don’t think much if anything outclasses the Panasonic Toughbook. I’ve had one for three years, the best laptop I’ve ever had. A brutal machine- you could probably bludgeon someone to death with it, wipe it with a cloth, open it up and type your report with it none the worse for wear.

  19. #19
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    As an IT buyer for work these are my thoughts / experiences
    Dell = poor customer service
    HP= non existent customer service
    Lenovo = brilliant for the money, excellent customer service too.

  20. #20
    Master mondie's Avatar
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    Nunya - Does Lenovo offer an onsite warranty repair service? Thats a key consideration for me.

  21. #21
    Master dice's Avatar
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    I have an almost top spec Dell 13 inch XPS 9370 (1TB SSD rather than 2). Its a pretty fantastic laptop if you can live without traditional USB ports (or live with the dongle).

    In hindsight, I would have gone for the Lenovo X1 Carbon for around the same price and performance. A colleague has one and while it isn't as flashy, the keyboard is far nicer and the overall build is robust. That is a compliment, as the Dell is no delicate machine.

  22. #22
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    Quote Originally Posted by mondie View Post
    Nunya - Does Lenovo offer an onsite warranty repair service? Thats a key consideration for me.
    I wouldn't know from a retail point of view as I'm a commercial buyer, the warranty they give my organisation is 4 year next day swap out

  23. #23
    Master Tony's Avatar
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    This month marks the fourth birthday of my Dell XPS 13.

    It's been all over the place and has travelled on just every kinds of transport. It still works and looks like new and I'll buy a new one when the time comes.

  24. #24
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    I used to be a Dell user but the last two laptops have been sub-standard and the last one, a Latitude, suffered a catastrophic hard drive and screen failure at 18 months from new - and became a brick.

    Since then I have used Lenovo machines exclusively and have to say I have been delighted with the performance/price and they have had no service issues whatsoever. Worth saying that I purchased the last one at Currys PC World who are often unjustly maligned. Many years ago I had a desktop PC that was "spiked" by a nearby thunderstorm, resulting in the sound board being disabled. As this was fixed on the motherboard, after an on-site visit from an engineer, they couldn't get a spare within 28 days so I was invited to exchange the PC for a new machine of the same value - which of course was now faster/slicker/better processor etc. No quibbles at all. Worth consideration.

  25. #25
    Grand Master Der Amf's Avatar
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    I think I ought to buy at PC World if I choose something which they stock, as it is they who gave me the opportunity to discover which machines I wanted.

  26. #26
    Master blackal's Avatar
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    I've always bought IBM/Lenovo, albeit top-spec models.......... apart from a brief (never to be repeated) foray into Macbook crap.

    Sure, if you buy a £500 laptop - it will be built to that pricepoint - but Lenovo is still the leader on build-quality in my opinion.

  27. #27
    Grand Master Der Amf's Avatar
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    I think the two I'm choosing between are

    • Lenovo Yoga 730 13.3" (216×306×14mm, 1.12kg) 2-in-1, good build quality, not great battery life

    • Asus Zenbook 14" Laptop (199×319×16mm, 1.19kg) bigger screen in similar space better battery life queries over the fussy touchpad

    [Both are i5, 8GB, 256GB hard drive, £800]

    I haven't seen let alone mauled an Asus yet. One review says "press the keys a bit harder and there's a worrying amount of give to the keyboard chassis" but another while noting that flex still calls it robust

    Although I hadn't been thinking about a 2-in-1, the idea is appealing. And Lenovo has had a lot of on this thread.

  28. #28
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    My Asus laptop experience is largely positive:
    +very thin and light
    +instant startup
    +pretty robust - the kids have used it for the last 2 years with no ill effect
    +decent keyboard

    -poor touchpad

  29. #29
    I have been using a Microsoft surface laptop 2... lovely build and screen..... not the cheapest but got one from eBay !

    cheers

    matt

  30. #30
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    I managed to drop my MacBook Air from a metre onto a concrete step. Amazingly it survived with a mere chip on the metal case. Genuinely amazed.

  31. #31
    Grand Master Raffe's Avatar
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    200% Lenovo.

    I say no more.
    Someone who lies about the little things will lie about the big things too.

  32. #32
    my little lenovo has fallen off the sofa umpteen times, stepped on, bits of plastic have broken off - still works fine
    tough but not pretty to look at

  33. #33
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    Laptops vary by task, I would categorise these as, gaming, business and home. PCworld tend to do the home and some gaming machines. These are not in the same league as business machines and are seen as disposable objects. Things like the Lenovo carbon x1 and Dell latitude ranges are business machines as as a result are generally more expensive to buy for the individual. Business machines are normally bought at a price point in bulk but are much better and more serviceable machines. A good gaming rig is expensive but have the same build as business machines albeit with expensive graphics included and are normally best sourced direct online for example Alienware which is part of Dell.

  34. #34
    Grand Master Der Amf's Avatar
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    It's not that I'm wanting a machine I can bludgeon someone into next week with, it's just that my Samsung is literally being held together with sellotape, and I quite fancy not having to worry along those lines for the next half decade.

  35. #35
    Grand Master Carlton-Browne's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by L8_M8 View Post
    Business machines are normally bought at a price point in bulk but are much better and more serviceable machines.
    Just remember that another factor in the higher cost of business machines is continuity of componentry. Enterprises tend to have corporate images with embedded drivers and don't like chipsets to change too much from one month to the next as it means these can break. With domestic machines the manufacturers will change stuff every week if it allows them to keep their costs down.

    Just one word of warning about the Lenovo X270/280 range - my team in the Middle East no longer deploy these as they've not been tough enough for the field locations where they are used and we now stick to L470/480. I use an X270 and I've noticed a common fault is the machine blue-screening if you pick it up using the front left hand corner - not all of the time but often enough to be annoying.
    In the Sotadic Zone, apparently.

  36. #36
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    Quote Originally Posted by Carlton-Browne View Post
    Just remember that another factor in the higher cost of business machines is continuity of componentry. Enterprises tend to have corporate images with embedded drivers and don't like chipsets to change too much from one month to the next as it means these can break. With domestic machines the manufacturers will change stuff every week if it allows them to keep their costs down.

    Just one word of warning about the Lenovo X270/280 range - my team in the Middle East no longer deploy these as they've not been tough enough for the field locations where they are used and we now stick to L470/480. I use an X270 and I've noticed a common fault is the machine blue-screening if you pick it up using the front left hand corner - not all of the time but often enough to be annoying.
    The Thinkpad range is tough, they are built to mil specs, but any electronic item won't fare so well in extreme heat or sand.

    Picking it up by the corner it puts massive stress on the chassis, pick it up properly.

  37. #37
    Grand Master Der Amf's Avatar
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    Lenovo Yoga S730 13.3" laptop (rather than the 2-in-1 I was previously considering) 12mm thick, and rigid


  38. #38
    Master KavKav's Avatar
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    Bought the HP ENVY 17-bw0006na for my wife a few months ago, it was quite expensive but I(we) are 100% happy with it and HP customer services cheerfully supplied full system recovery DVD’s after I grumbled!

  39. #39
    Grand Master Raffe's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Der Amf View Post
    Lenovo Yoga S730 13.3" laptop (rather than the 2-in-1 I was previously considering) 12mm thick, and rigid
    I am sure you will be happy with this.
    Someone who lies about the little things will lie about the big things too.

  40. #40
    Grand Master Der Amf's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Raffe View Post
    I am sure you will be happy with this.
    Once I've got over how much less attractive Windows 10 is compared to Windows 7, yes. Wonder if there's a setting marked "round off the harsh corners"?

  41. #41
    Grand Master Glamdring's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Der Amf View Post
    Once I've got over how much less attractive Windows 10 is compared to Windows 7, yes. Wonder if there's a setting marked "round off the harsh corners"?
    Have a look at Stardock's offerings. I use their classic Start menu.

  42. #42
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    Quote Originally Posted by Der Amf View Post
    Once I've got over how much less attractive Windows 10 is compared to Windows 7, yes. Wonder if there's a setting marked "round off the harsh corners"?
    I must admit, I am not a huge fan of the tiles.

  43. #43
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    Bought a Lenovo Ideapad a month ago, pretty impressed with it. I'm a Mac bloke myself, so I struggled to setup the Windows stuff, but now its all working its good.

  44. #44
    Grand Master Der Amf's Avatar
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    The absence of a function lock button is an annoying omission, given that page up and page down etc are function (left hand) + cursor keys (right hand) Immediately browsing through long documents has become less straightforward.

    Getting spammy pop ups is pretty annoying too. I miss DOS.

  45. #45
    Grand Master Der Amf's Avatar
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    Somewhere in the middle of the four years since this thread, I poured beer all over my laptop. Miraculously, it survived. Unsurprisingly, it's now on the way out.

    Should I be looking at Lenovo again? Or have things moved on since then?

  46. #46
    Do not buy HP if they have plastic hinges. A lot of them do.

    Don’t buy any laptop with plastic hinges. Do your homework as they may have chrome outside, but plastic inside.

    Plastic anything parts that are subject to forces are to be avoided at all costs.

    I’ve had laptops, cameras, shavers etc, all be rendered worthless because of a small plastic part.

  47. #47
    Master dice's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Der Amf View Post
    Somewhere in the middle of the four years since this thread, I poured beer all over my laptop. Miraculously, it survived. Unsurprisingly, it's now on the way out.

    Should I be looking at Lenovo again? Or have things moved on since then?
    Short answer - yup, Lenovo. Thinkpad range only.

    I just bought a replacement machine for work as the Dell is now retired (works fine, but IT have to spend their budget right?). Went Lenovo T14s, absolute workhorse. The current Intel generation appears to run hot and in a laptop/ultrabook, its the least possible desirable characteristic you could ask for.

  48. #48
    Master blackal's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Der Amf View Post
    Somewhere in the middle of the four years since this thread, I poured beer all over my laptop. Miraculously, it survived. Unsurprisingly, it's now on the way out.

    Should I be looking at Lenovo again? Or have things moved on since then?

    Go for Lenovo thinkpad. My P51 is still going strong (it should)

    The thinkpad I use in my client’s offices - is one of the smaller ones, but seems to have the same high quality keyboard.

    I can’t see past IBM/Lenovo

  49. #49
    Grand Master Raffe's Avatar
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    Is it resurrection week?
    Someone who lies about the little things will lie about the big things too.

  50. #50
    Grand Master Der Amf's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Raffe View Post
    Is it resurrection week?
    If I see my laptop walking on water, I'll be sure to let you all know.

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