Computers & Electronics

Help me find a laptop

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Deal Addict
May 6, 2007
1413 posts
377 upvotes
Ottawa, On

Help me find a laptop

OK So I'm looking for a laptop for Lightroom photo editing and general use (web browsing/email/document editing). I have a list of specs I need but i'm having a problem finding a laptop that meets said specs without being too expensive. So what I need is:

i5 Processor Minimum Broadwell but preferred Skylake (5th and 6th generation respectively)
8GB Ram (or 4GB with the ability to upgrade without voiding warranty)
~15" screen size
1080p IPS display
Minimum 2 USB 3.0 ports
256GB SSD (or HDD with the ability to upgrade without voiding warranty)

Budget is $900 but less if I'm going to need to upgrade the ram of HDD

Thanks in advance
8 replies
Deal Addict
Jun 29, 2008
1897 posts
557 upvotes
North York
Increase your budget to $1300 and you'll be more successful.
Deal Addict
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Dec 1, 2010
2565 posts
1642 upvotes
GTA
Lenovo Z51 Notebook 80K601CRUS
- 15.6" FHD(1920 x 1080) Intel Core i7-5500U 2.4 GHz 8GB 1TB HDD
- AMD Radeon R7 M360 DDVDRW Bluetooth 4.0 Windows 10 Home

$829
http://www.canadacomputers.com/product_ ... _id=092421


Everything you want in your budget with better i7 processor full HD 1080p and bonus dedicated graphics AMD Radeon R7 M360. (No SSD)

Model Z51 (80K601CRUS)
Operating System Windows 10 Home
Type Consumer Notebook
Processor Intel Core i7-5500U 2.4 GHz
Standard Memory 8 GB
Hard Drive 1 TB
Optical Drive DVDRW
Display Size 15.6"
Display Technology FHD(1920 x 1080) widescreen display
Graphics AMD Radeon R7 M360
Wireless 802.11ac Wireless LAN
Ethernet 10/100/1000Mbps
Bluetooth Bluetooth 4.0
Webcam 720P
HDMI 1 x HDMI
USB 2 x USB 3.0; 1 x USB 2.0
I/O 1 x VGA; 1 x Headphone/Microphone Combo Jack
Card Reader 4-in-1 (SD, SDHC, SDXC, MMC)
Keyboard YES
Security Kensington Lock
Battery Up to 4 hour(s)
Dimensions 15.10" x 10.43" x 0.97"
Weight 5.06 lbs.
Warranty 1 YEAR
Deal Addict
May 6, 2007
1413 posts
377 upvotes
Ottawa, On
heyyahblah wrote: Lenovo Z51 Notebook 80K601CRUS
- 15.6" FHD(1920 x 1080) Intel Core i7-5500U 2.4 GHz 8GB 1TB HDD
- AMD Radeon R7 M360 DDVDRW Bluetooth 4.0 Windows 10 Home

$829
http://www.canadacomputers.com/product_ ... _id=092421


Everything you want in your budget with better i7 processor full HD 1080p and bonus dedicated graphics AMD Radeon R7 M360. (No SSD)

Model Z51 (80K601CRUS)
Operating System Windows 10 Home
Type Consumer Notebook
Processor Intel Core i7-5500U 2.4 GHz
Standard Memory 8 GB
Hard Drive 1 TB
Optical Drive DVDRW
Display Size 15.6"
Display Technology FHD(1920 x 1080) widescreen display
Graphics AMD Radeon R7 M360
Wireless 802.11ac Wireless LAN
Ethernet 10/100/1000Mbps
Bluetooth Bluetooth 4.0
Webcam 720P
HDMI 1 x HDMI
USB 2 x USB 3.0; 1 x USB 2.0
I/O 1 x VGA; 1 x Headphone/Microphone Combo Jack
Card Reader 4-in-1 (SD, SDHC, SDXC, MMC)
Keyboard YES
Security Kensington Lock
Battery Up to 4 hour(s)
Dimensions 15.10" x 10.43" x 0.97"
Weight 5.06 lbs.
Warranty 1 YEAR
Ya I may have to consider that one. Unfortunately it don't have an IPS display, and since it'll be used for photo editing that's kinda high on my priority list.
Deal Addict
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Dec 1, 2010
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Oh it doesn't have IPS? Damn I thought it did. Oh well I guess its too good to be true on all parts. Does IPS really matter so much? I don't know if I notice any difference myself.

My Lenovo laptop has an IPS display but its a Thinkpad model so its like in the $1400 price range, and like thericyip for IPS you would have to increase your budget, next model up that I saw were HP Envy x360 laptops, they had IPS displays but I believe base model prices are $1049 and up at the HP Store. It's full IPS.

http://h20386.www2.hp.com/CanadaStore/M ... BL&sel=NTB

I think you better tell the wife you're gonna save $300 and get the Star Wars themed laptop, I mean who really cares? It's just a theme, I think its Cool AF. No one is too old for Star Wars, even if your a professional, hell I would still use it. $300 is 300. For that price you could buy yourself a 500GB MLC SSD like the 512GB 850 PRO by Samsung.

Or you can always put stickers over darth, or invest in plasti-dip. There are guys in the GTA that do it, they use the same thing for car rims to change colors. Plasti-dip the back of the laptop, problem solved :)
Deal Addict
May 6, 2007
1413 posts
377 upvotes
Ottawa, On
heyyahblah wrote: Oh it doesn't have IPS? Damn I thought it did. Oh well I guess its too good to be true on all parts. Does IPS really matter so much? I don't know if I notice any difference myself.

My Lenovo laptop has an IPS display but its a Thinkpad model so its like in the $1400 price range, and like thericyip for IPS you would have to increase your budget, next model up that I saw were HP Envy x360 laptops, they had IPS displays but I believe base model prices are $1049 and up at the HP Store. It's full IPS.

http://h20386.www2.hp.com/CanadaStore/M ... BL&sel=NTB

I think you better tell the wife you're gonna save $300 and get the Star Wars themed laptop, I mean who really cares? It's just a theme, I think its Cool AF. No one is too old for Star Wars, even if your a professional, hell I would still use it. $300 is 300. For that price you could buy yourself a 500GB MLC SSD like the 512GB 850 PRO by Samsung.

Or you can always put stickers over darth, or invest in plasti-dip. There are guys in the GTA that do it, they use the same thing for car rims to change colors. Plasti-dip the back of the laptop, problem solved :)
Ya I thought it would have been IPS too. Most manufacturers seem to use TN panels for their 720p models and IPS for their 1080p models. When I looked up reviews though they all said it had terrible colour accuracy (only 60% of sRGB) and bad viewing angles. Eventually one of the reviewser figured out they were using TN panels rather than the IPS they had originally been advertising. Since then they've stopped claiming they're IPS, so i guess it was a mixup between engineering and marketing. Anyways, if it weren't for the fact that we plan on doing some editing on this laptop I probably wouldn't care about IPS. However, for editing you really need >80% sRGB coverage (preferably >90%) and reasonable viewing angles, and the only to get that is with IPS.

I'm going to push for the Star Wars laptop too but the look I got when I suggested it was rather negative.
Deal Addict
User avatar
Dec 1, 2010
2565 posts
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da_guy2 wrote:
I'm going to push for the Star Wars laptop too but the look I got when I suggested it was rather negative.
That's unfortunate because it has the specs you want and to get a negative view on a piece of hardware just because of the shell is a little bit silly, considering the price. I mean does she want you to spend another $300 for something thats painted white? What gives .... Lol ....

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