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2015 Laptop feature wishlist
I think I did one of these a few years ago, and I figured I should go ahead and update this with what I'm looking for again. (Sadly, not much has changed). Comments/arguments/suggestions always welcome.
Basic wishlist:
Code:
Form Factor: 14" equivalent laptop body (possible due to the below screen tech)
Display: 15" XPS "Infinity style" (slim border) IPS screen.
Resolution: 1920x1080 is still fine.
Touchscreen: Optional, but desired
CPU: Whatever, Intel is currently king.
GPU: onboard is fine. I'm not gaming, this is a laptop for doing browsing/terminal work mostly.
RAM: 16-32GB of RAM support in 2x SO-DIMM slots. User-serviceable.
(Broadwell officially supports 16GB SO-DIMMs, but they are EXTREMELY hard to find as of now).
Storage1: M.2 Bootable NVMe socket. User-serviceable.
ODD: Optional, though I would like it. It still comes in handy at work.
Network: Physical GbE port. Still a must have for me.
Wireless: 802.11AC, current goto is Intel AC-7265
Interestingly, I have a Lenovo T450s for work now. It's close to the above. It has a few shortcomings though.
- 4GB soldered onboard RAM with only a single SO-DIMM slot. (max 20GB of RAM with a 16GB SO-DIMM).
- 14", not 15" display.
- No NVMe capable M.2 slot.
- No ODD.
So as of this year, there are a few options that are close to my ideal, but still can't find something that checks all the boxes.
Last edited by James; 08-03-2015 at 07:49 AM.
Crusader for the 64-bit Era.
New Rule: 2GB per core, minimum.
Intel i7-9700K | Asrock Z390 Phantom Gaming ITX | Samsung 970 Evo 2TB SSD
64GB DDR4-2666 Samsung | EVGA RTX 2070 Black edition
Fractal Arc Midi |Seasonic X650 PSU | Klipsch ProMedia 5.1 Ultra | Windows 10 Pro x64
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Update:
I want this with the dell infinity style display and size: http://anandtech.com/show/9503/lenov...ile-xeon-chips
Crusader for the 64-bit Era.
New Rule: 2GB per core, minimum.
Intel i7-9700K | Asrock Z390 Phantom Gaming ITX | Samsung 970 Evo 2TB SSD
64GB DDR4-2666 Samsung | EVGA RTX 2070 Black edition
Fractal Arc Midi |Seasonic X650 PSU | Klipsch ProMedia 5.1 Ultra | Windows 10 Pro x64
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Crusader for the 64-bit Era.
New Rule: 2GB per core, minimum.
Intel i7-9700K | Asrock Z390 Phantom Gaming ITX | Samsung 970 Evo 2TB SSD
64GB DDR4-2666 Samsung | EVGA RTX 2070 Black edition
Fractal Arc Midi |Seasonic X650 PSU | Klipsch ProMedia 5.1 Ultra | Windows 10 Pro x64
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The more I look at the repair manual for the new XPS 15 9550 w/ "infinity" display, the more it seems like my ideal laptop. User replaceable parts (RAM, SSD, etc.) , large battery, 15" screen in a 14" body...
Yeah, this might be my next laptop.
Now if only these 32GB DDR4 SO-DIMM kits would become cheaper.
Only major knocks are no ODD (my last work laptop didn't have it either), and no built-in GbE. I know I can get a dongle or USB adapter, but for some reason wired networking really matters to me.
Last edited by James; 10-11-2015 at 07:01 AM.
Crusader for the 64-bit Era.
New Rule: 2GB per core, minimum.
Intel i7-9700K | Asrock Z390 Phantom Gaming ITX | Samsung 970 Evo 2TB SSD
64GB DDR4-2666 Samsung | EVGA RTX 2070 Black edition
Fractal Arc Midi |Seasonic X650 PSU | Klipsch ProMedia 5.1 Ultra | Windows 10 Pro x64
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Another reason to get a Dell vs. my current Lenovo: No restrictions on upgrade parts. Just tried upgrading my Lenovo to 802.11ac (Intel AC-7260 card) and I get the "1802 Unauthorized Network card" error on boot. Apparently Lenovo has a whitelist of allowed wifi cards that only includes purchased from lenovo models (modified firmware). Dell's don't have this restriction.
Crusader for the 64-bit Era.
New Rule: 2GB per core, minimum.
Intel i7-9700K | Asrock Z390 Phantom Gaming ITX | Samsung 970 Evo 2TB SSD
64GB DDR4-2666 Samsung | EVGA RTX 2070 Black edition
Fractal Arc Midi |Seasonic X650 PSU | Klipsch ProMedia 5.1 Ultra | Windows 10 Pro x64
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Hi, Personally, I would choose Dell more than Lenovo. Dell has a good service and you can easily get compatible or even original
parts of it more than the others. I am using Dell for more than 5 years and its still working fine.
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Well since I last posted here:
- 32GB (2x16GB) DDR4 SODIMM kits are much cheaper, ~$120.
- I'm still planning on getting the XPS 15, I just can't seem to convince myself to pull the trigger.
- I still wish it had a fingerprint reader or Realsense Camera.
- I'm still enamored with it's ease of upgrades after looking at several other options including the newer HP laptops.
Last edited by James; 04-22-2016 at 08:07 AM.
Reason: Close parentheses
Crusader for the 64-bit Era.
New Rule: 2GB per core, minimum.
Intel i7-9700K | Asrock Z390 Phantom Gaming ITX | Samsung 970 Evo 2TB SSD
64GB DDR4-2666 Samsung | EVGA RTX 2070 Black edition
Fractal Arc Midi |Seasonic X650 PSU | Klipsch ProMedia 5.1 Ultra | Windows 10 Pro x64
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