Hey everyone! I'm 17 and wrapping up high school, gearing up for law school next year. My current Lenovo gaming laptop is on its last legs, and my parents have given me a budget of about $1200 for a new device (that's roughly R$6500). I'm really torn about what to get. Here are my options:
1. **Build a gaming PC** (R5 7600 + 5060): This would offer great repairability, but it's not portable, which could be a hassle when I move for university or go on exchange.
2. **Buy a gaming laptop** (like the Dell G15 5535 with an RTX 4050): This could handle my gaming needs, but I've heard cheap Windows laptops can have issues, and brands like Lenovo and Acer have let me down in the past.
3. **Get a MacBook Air** (M4 with 16GB RAM): This would be about $200 more, but my parents are okay covering that since they're worried about durability. However, it won't handle gaming, which could help me focus on studies. But I don't own any other Apple products, so that feels a bit out of place.
I also have a Galaxy Tab S9 FE for school, which I think would suffice, so I'm wondering if a desktop is really necessary, but my parents are skeptical. About my gaming, I mostly play titles like Minecraft and Cities Skylines, but I've been eyeing heavier games recently. I also edit videos and run virtual machines sometimes. So, I'm looking for advice on what option would be best for me? Any insights would be super helpful!
6 Answers
Consider building a compact desktop in an ITX case! It’s portable enough if you get a small monitor too, and you'll get that desktop performance. Then later, you could pick up a used laptop for more casual needs. Best of both worlds!
Given your skills with computers, a desktop would be perfect! It allows for upgrades, so it's future-proof. My desktop is over a decade old, and I keep upgrading it to handle my video editing needs. It sounds like a desktop could keep up with your usage as well!
If gaming isn’t your main thing, a gaming laptop like the Dell will be more than enough for school. It can handle some gaming on the side too! The MacBook is cool for status but might be overkill for your needs right now. Just my two cents!
If you're really into gaming, building a PC would give you the most power and flexibility. Just be sure to think about portability if you're moving around for school. You could get a decent bag for the laptop too, but if you're gaming more often, the desktop might be the way to go. Just keep it on hard surfaces for better durability!
You might want to tackle that mysterious issue with your current laptop first! But if it’s too far gone, just go with what you feel is the right balance between gaming and study. If you want gaming and school in one, go for the Dell. If you feel like you're doing more studying, the MacBook could be a safe bet, even if it's pricier.
Honestly, it seems like you've already laid out the pros and cons pretty clearly. If you build a mini-ATX PC, it could be manageable to transport. Just know that Apple wants you in their ecosystem, but if you lean towards a Mac, upgrading to the M4 model is a smart move for better performance. OSX also handles VMs well, which is a plus!
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