So after waiting for my Dell Precision 7770 to arrive, I finally got it today, only to find out it's still registered to Ford through Windows Autopilot.

Seriously, how does Dell Refurbished sell laptops without checking this stuff first?

Called Dell and apparently it'll take 3-5 days to get it removed. I know it's not the end of the world, but it's pretty annoying to finally get the laptop and then have to wait another week before I can actually use it.

I've seen some people mention using Rufus to install Windows offline and bypass the setup. I'm tempted to just do that and get started rather than wait around.

My only concern is whether I'd end up having to set everything up again once Dell finally removes the lock.

Anyone else dealt with this?

spent way too long researching oled laptops for college so sharing the notes. this is the SFG14-73 (Core ultra 5 125H) config listed in India.

- screen 14"2.8K oled. for reading Pdfs and notes at night its a real step up from ips panels at the price
- weight 1.3kg, 14.9mm thin. easy to carry all day
- battery: 65wh, big for a 14 inch. real hours depend on brightness, check reviews
- charging: Usb-c, so one charger can do phone + laptop
- ram: 16gb lpdrr5x, soldered. can't upgrade, so 16 is what u want anyway
- fingerprint + face login, 1440p webcam, nice for online classes
- price: listings show around 77k, lower in sales. its been going in and out of stock so check before u plan around it

downsides: oled is glossy so sunlight reflections, intel arc grapics is fine for light stuff but not gaming, and soldered ram means u buy the right config once.

anyone else comparing oled laptops in this budget, what's on your list?

HP 247 G8 Notebook PC

Hi friends, I've been racking my brain for weeks trying to find the right laptop for my needs. I was looking at a ZenBook 14 OLED with a Ryzen processor and 16 GB of RAM. But I saw on the forum that some people have had bad experiences with the laptop within a year, I mainly want it for amateur music production, school/work stuff, and occasionally playing Fortnite or Marvel Rivals. I don't really know much about computers, so I'd appreciate any help that they could give me.

From the budget that does not exceed 1350 Dollars are fine, and preferably ones that can be obtained in Mexico.

Out of warranty repairs are where people get burned, and its usually the bill changing between the phone and the counter, not the repair itself. what i'd ask, any brand:

- call the brand first and ask for an estimate for part + labour. note the number and who told u
- ask what the diagnostic charge is and whether it's adjusted if u go ahead
- get the estimate in writing with the part named before u approve
- a line on the screen is the panel, not the motherboard. if someone quotes a board for a display fault, get a second opinion
- authorised = genuine part + warranty on the repair. local shop = cheaper, sometimes compatible parts. know which one you're paying for
- ask for the old part back

anything i missed?

if your laptop sounds like it's about to take off while you're just in a browser, and the area above the keyboard gets hot, the fan and heatsink are probably packed with dust. it gets worse over time so a lot of people assume the laptop is just old and slow now.

first things to try: open task manager (or activity monitor on mac) and see if something is actually pegging the cpu. if nothing is and the fan is still screaming, it's airflow. shut it down, unplug it, and blow short bursts of compressed air into the vents at an angle. hold the fan still with a toothpick through the vent so it doesn't overspin.

if that barely helps, the dust is matted against the heatsink fins and the bottom panel has to come off to clean it properly. on most laptops that's just screws, but look up your model first since some have clips that snap easily. while it's open, old thermal paste can be part of it too if the laptop is a few years old.

using it on a bed or blanket makes all of this way worse since it blocks the intake.

I have a six-year-old laptop. I replaced the battery in February 2023, but it started failing again in 2025, and I've been using it plugged in ever since. The battery is also swelling and has cracked the laptop's body. I replaced the screen in March 2026 as well. Overall, I've already spent around 30% of the laptop's original price on repairs.

It often crashes during startup, and whenever it enters automatic repair, it never manages to fix the issue or identify the cause. I've also noticed multiple signs that the laptop might have memory issues. Now, it won't turn on at all. The screen is black, the fan is running at full speed, and neither the built-in keyboard nor my external keyboard lights up.

Getting it repaired would be expensive, although still cheaper than buying a new laptop. But is it worth it?

I need a 14 inch laptop i can take to school. Preferibly if it has 16 gb of ram. Also i need it to be able to run light gaming like persona series and visual novels. Decent battery life, thin, and black. Im from canada

Hello people.

Well, at the beginning of the current year I bought a refurbished HP x360 830 G6, I wanted a laptop that is also a tablet for making college homework and stuff, specially because I am studying Computer Science and Software Engineering so I needed something which architecture is x86 and at the same time it allows me to take notes for some classes.

For the last 8 months it's been a great laptop, good performance for what I usually do with the device and 0 complains in general. All until 4 days ago when I noticed the lower left part of the screen was scraping against the chassis, I already noticed some time ago that side was a little misaligned but I didn't think it was going to get more serious.

After noticing that I opened the laptop and the plastic part in which the nuts are supposed to go was completely destroyed on both sides. Since that I have spend the last 4 days fixing this and I finally managed to do it but I am afraid of my little fix not lasting too much time so I am thinking on saving some money and buy a Thinkpad because I have heard and read that those laptops last a long time and are very durable and easy to repair.

I just want to know if it is actually true and which ones can be recommended as a good buy. I would really appreciate your answers.

both launched in aug and the price gap is smaller than it used to be, so i put the specs side by side:

helios neo 16 (2026)
-up to i9- 14900HX
-rtx 5070
-16" wqxga (2560 X 1600), 180hz
-up to 32gb ddr5
- launch price 2,42,990

nitro 5 ( 2026, i7 config)
-i7- 14650HX
-rtx- 5050 8gb
-16" 1920 X 1200, 165hz
-16gb ddr5, up to 32gb
- around 1.85L on acer's store

so roughly 58K more for a 5070, a stronger cpu and a 1600p screen. for 1200p gaming the nitro 5 looks like the sensible buy. if u edit a lot or want to game at 1600p, the helios makes sense, anyone here with either?

Looking for a reliable ₱30k–₱40k ($500–$700) laptop for graphic design work

Hi! Im not sure if this is the best place to ask this, but Im looking for a work laptop with a budget of around ₱30,000–₱40,000 in the PH.

Im a graphic designer working mainly with Adobe Illustrator, Photoshop, and multiple Chrome tabs (they are all usually open together). I mainly do vector work for apparel/print production.

My current laptop is a 10yo Dell Inspiron 7559 (i7-6700HQ, 16GB RAM, GTX 960M, HDD). It still handles most of my work well, but Im starting to look for an affordable replacement since this one has given me too many scares this year, like a BSOD...

What Im looking for (I think, I did use ChatGPT to help me compile these since I have no idea what Im doing):

• 16GB RAM minimum, preferably upgradeable
• 512GB SSD or better
• A capable modern processor for Adobe work
• A decent IPS(?) screen (100% sRGB isnt necessary for me I think, since what Im using now looks fine and works well enough. Im just looking for something similar to what Im using right now haha... maybe just not a washed-out display or those ones that look too plastic?)
• Good build quality, especially sturdy hinges (my current one started lifting years ago but got it fixed, but now it cant travel and is forever open haha)
• Reliable performance for long work sessions
• Ideally something that will last at least 2 years so I can save up for a better one, since this is just a replacement in case my Dell gives up on me

Some laptops ChatGPT suggested as possible candidates were the Acer Aspire Lite 15 (i5-13500H), Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 (i5-13420H), ASUS Vivobook 15 (Core 5 120U), MSI Modern 15 (i5-1334U), and Acer Aspire Lite 15 (Ryzen 7 7730U). I did a search for those, and they look fine? I really have no idea but they are options.

Id like to avoid HP since we dont have great experiences with it.

Also, do all laptops come with some kind of preinstalled software that acts like ads? My Dell came with McAfee and it would pop up so much. I tried to delete it, but Im pretty sure I still have files from it. Ive also seen a comment about Lenovo having good hardware but bad preinstalled software? Sorry Im not sure about these parts, havent needed to buy a new gadget in a long time.

Any advice or suggestions would be great, thank you!

I am doing CSE and need a laptop that can atleast last 4 years. WIll be needing cloud gpu to train model in cloud. What is the better option.

I need help

Hello, a friend asked me to suggest her some laptops around 500€. I prefered the Lenovo T14/L14/P14 models but actually this one is a really good deal with this specs I guess

https://www.esm-computer.de/hp-elitebook-845-g9-amd-ryzen-7-pro-6850u-16-gb-500-gb-m.2-nvme-ssd-webcam-touch-sehr-gut-1035070/

Is there any reason not to buy a EliteBook? Like cooling issues or something else.

I don't use my laptop. I have a neat desktop setup at home, and gradually over the past few years I've transitioned to doing all of my work and "mobile" activities on my phone.

For the past couple of years I've had an HP Pavilion Aero 13 that I picked up on clearance for $700aud / $492usd. I actually love it for what it is. The performance, design, display, form factor, weight. I think it's great, does everything I'd want, that is, if I actually used it.

Model: 13-BE2124AU

Processor: Ryzen 7 7735U

iGPU: Radeon 680m

Memory: 16gb LPDDR5 6400mhz

SSD: WD Blue SN580 2tb (upgraded)

Wifi: Intel AX210 (upgraded)

Display: 13.3 inch IPS 16:10 WUXGA 400+ nits 100% sRGB

Weight: <1kg

Battery cycles: 1

Condition: Presents as new, literally zero marks, original box and accessories

So I guess, the question is, do you think it's worth holding on to or better to just f**k it off while it's still worth something? I could maybe see myself using it one day as a little, I dunno, travel device, Linux machine, retro gaming thingamajig, maybe? Alternatively I could have $500aud in my pocket.

My MacBook recently broke and now I need a new laptop. I liked the battery life on the MacBook a lot and liked it connected to my messages and FaceTime. However, I want something new all I do is watch shows/stream, use zoom, study, and I would like to play team fight tactics. However, I don’t think I want a gaming laptop. What laptops do you recommend for a good battery life plus life in general with a budget around 1k or less.

So basically, I have a HP EliteBook 6 G1i 14 inch Notebook AI PC here, and also, I have a cooling pad.

I see two ventilations of this laptop: one under the laptop and one located at the back side of the laptop. Well, I don't know which is air intake and which is air exhaust. I am afraid that if the exhaust is the under, the cooling pad might be counterproductive.

I tried running heavy games to test but the laptop's fan is just too quiet I cannot detect.

Does anyone know? Thank you so much

Hi i'm a freshman mechanical engineering student thinking about switching from my Windows laptop to a MacBook, and I'd like to hear from anyone running a similar setup. Before starting college, I bought an Acer Predator gaming laptop thinking I’d need it for software like AutoCAD and SolidWorks, but, I’ve literally never used it for engineering software I only end up using it for web browsing and taking notes in lectures. I already have a capable pc at home that handles all my CAD work, plus I have full access to my university’s computer labs whenever I need to do work outside of class. Carrying around the acer predator around has been annoying because the fans constantly ramp up out of nowhere during classes which always irritates me even with the dedicated gpu off and everything tuned down. I also really want the battery life of a MacBook, and since I already use an iPad for class notes, I feel it would fit my school setup a lot better. Has anyone in engineering made this exact switch or any general advice?

Years ago someone asked r/buildapc about building a laptop from scratch, and the top answer called it a terrible, stupid decision. Fair point back then. I wanted to see how far one person can get today.

Where it's at:

- Brain: NanoPi M6 (RK3588), running Debian

- Screen: 16" 1920×1200 BOE laptop panel. SBCs don't output eDP, so I designed my own DSI→eDP bridge board, 4-layer, built at JLCPCB. It took 3 bring-up rounds to get a picture.

- Power: my own 4S6P 21700 pack. The board and the panel run straight off it, no wall adapter.

- Goal: 30 hours on battery. The pack is big and the RK3588 is efficient, so it's not crazy on paper, but I haven't measured it yet.

- Planned: solar charging for the pack, so it can run off-grid.

- Next: a custom keyboard/touchpad board, then a case.

It's still a pile of boards and wires on a desk, not a laptop you'd carry yet. But it boots, and every part of the display path is mine.

Honest question for this sub: what would make a DIY laptop actually worth it for you? Battery life, repairability, a specific screen, something else?

i’m looking to buy a laptop that’s around 1.5k, that can run roblox & possibly some other video games as well. I also don’t want a gaming laptop or something that’s chunky, as I’m a teenage girl who prefers aesthetics (haha). Thanks!

LAPTOP QUESTIONNAIRE

• Country

USA

• Budget

$1200

• Are you open to refurbs/used options?

No

• Screen size

14" or higher

• Weight limit

Any

• Purpose

Want to buy girlfriend new laptop. She plays some games on steam but nothing too big. I would like for her to be able to play some AAA if she wanted but kind of unlikely. Otherwise she would mostly use it for excel, browsing websites and watching movies. Does not need to be a gaming laptop.

• Form factor

I'm not sure. Standard laptop but foldable screen or touchscreen wouldn't be an issue

• Intended usage

She wants to play two player games on steam. If she likes a AAA game like Hogwarts Legacy then I would want that to run smoothly on basic settings. Does not need to be a gaming laptop though.

• Desired battery life

I'm not sure

• Please list, in order of most important to least important, the priority between Size, Weight, Performance, Battery life

1. performance

2. size

3. battery life

4. weight

• Info/Requirements

Not really. Just want a laptop under $1200 thats a decent size and can handle a some gaming if desired. Mostly to watch movies, play games and use excel. Would prefer to buy from Best Buy.

Thank you to anyone who gives advice!

Hello everyone,

I am between MacBook air and pro.

Which one would you buy with a budget around 2k usd? Semi flexible. Does it matter if wait for deals over the next couple of months? Black
Friday etc

I don’t do anything that requires a lot of processing power. Mainly storing photos, editing, browsing the internet.

I don’t replace computers frequently so I wouldn’t want a laptop that will last a long time.

Edit.
Looks like folks are recommending to wait until Black Friday. I will keep an eye for potential deals.

The two options I was looking at currently were the air 15in m5 24gb ram 1TB at $1849 at Best Buy

And pro 14in 16gb ram 1TB at $1849 at Best Buy

So I’m going off to school soon and I needed a new computer and found the HP omnibook 7 at Sam’s on sale. Now mostly I’ll be using this for school, but sometimes I’ll want to wind down and play some games or watch some movies. How good is it for stuff like that? For context I wanna play games like Deadlock and the horror game Routine. Would it work well for that?

So my almost 6 year old Asus Zenbook S may have finally been killed. Went to replace the battery and accidentally tore off the connector. I thought I was super gentle but it tore.

I loved that laptop as it was super fast and never gave me any issues. Would this be a good option as a replacement. I don’t do too much editing in video or photo but want a touch screen, at least 16gb ram, good battery.