Hey everyone! My boyfriend and I are about to graduate, and our parents are really kind to get us both laptops for college. We're both pretty clueless about computers, though. My budget is around $700-$800, while his parents are willing to spend quite a bit more. He's looking for a high-performance gaming laptop with great graphics, lots of storage, and long battery life, since he wants to game a lot while also handling some basic college work. I, on the other hand, don't need a gaming laptop and would prefer something more suited for running basic art applications and doing occasional gaming. I'm fine with lower graphics and battery performance. Any recommendations?
5 Answers
For your boyfriend, a high-performance ThinkPad could be an excellent choice! But, just to clarify, gaming laptops usually have lousy battery life because they need to be plugged in for serious gaming. I'd recommend something like the ROG Zephyrus if he's committed to gaming. Just a heads up, he might want a separate desktop for serious gaming later on!
Just a note on laptop durability: thinner laptops tend to overheat and fail sooner, while gaming laptops generally have better cooling solutions. A lower-priced Asus TUF could be a solid choice for your boyfriend. Just remember, heat can lead to component failure on laptops!
I’d suggest going for a solid "corporate" laptop that fits your budget's sweet spot. While new ones might not have the highest specs, models like the Dell Pro, HP EliteBook, or Lenovo ThinkPad are known for decent performance and build quality. If you can snag a used one, aim for at least an 8th Gen Intel processor to make sure it can run Windows 11. These corporate models typically last longer and have better support.
Honestly, I think gaming laptops are overrated. For the performance you want, battery life will suffer, meaning he'd need a plug for gaming sessions. Instead, he should grab a reliable laptop for college work, maybe one with Intel i5 or AMD equivalent with SSD and 16GB RAM. That's more than enough for college unless he’s doing heavy graphics work. If serious gaming is a must, he should consider building a desktop later on instead.
Here are some great picks that meet your needs and are on the larger side — 15.6" and up. Touchscreen models are super handy these days! If he’s looking for something versatile, you might want to check out 2-in-1 models for art and drawing. Websites like PCMag offer lists of budget laptops that could help narrow down your options. A few of my personal favorites are the HP 17" for $550 and the Dell 15 for about $848. They offer good features for college work and are pretty solid overall!
Right! A good cooling system is essential, especially if he's gaming. But these CPUs have built-in safeguards nowadays, so hopefully that keeps overheating to a minimum!