If possible id go with upgrading to a 512 drive and windows pro license. If i had to pick one or the other id probably go with a windows pro license first then 512 drive. Especially since this is going to be used for work.
If this was mainly for personal use id go with the 512 drive first then windows pro, but even then id still try to upgrade to pro.
With dell sign up for pro support plus, which includes accidental damage, you can literally check your laptop in luggage and when it comes out looking like hell on the other end get a replacement for calendar year.
picking one of the 3 options above i would pick pro support over the 512 drive or pro windows
Dell has a separate battery warranty, this is mainly for people that have killed their battery life, however if the battery expands because its bad dell will replace it, so if its starts losing battery life its worth looking to see if it has expanded cause they will replace that asap for free most of the time. (some times you need to send them a picture as proof)
yes i realize that the drive, windows pro and pro support brings the cost up an additional 160ish in cost but i found that laptops last for roughly 3-5 years and you dont really upgrade them so you want to invest for the future.
The main reason you want to go with pro is if you really are going to use this for business then you should enable bitlocker (and also export the recovery key to usb if you need it) encryption on the local hard drive. If it never leaves your house then you can probably get away with out a pro license.
@bucfanpaka … the current absolute trash fire that is the graphics card apocalypse might bite you in the ■■■■ regarding the prices right now, just a fair warning.
Also, my advice on Office (dunno if this is echo’d above) is to buy a full copy (not a subscription), or … if you already work for someone then they definitely have a work scheme that will give you a free copy. Definitely.
If you’re definitely going to use 365 features a lot then you can integrate with that if you like, but it’s a choice, then, not a necessity.
I personally have a business account with Microsoft, which is super cheap (seriously a tiny amount), and it is for the online only versions of the office suite (which has other brilliant perks) … if I ever wish to link my ‘physical’ Office coppies up with them, I can.
One of the big reasons that I mention any of this is to avoid linking an online account to your computer, but if you’re OK with that, then fill your boots, mate.
Either way, could be worth having two logins on whatever you make to separate church and state
Thank you!! That is a good point on the Pro - although the work stuff I’m doing is only going to involve basic software, there is the issue of potentially sensitive information and all that (though more for what I’ll be logging into rather than have stored locally, but still could be some), I need to be careful about security. Theft risk, and such. So I’ll add that for sure even if I go with another computer. No biggie on the cost of upgrading to the 512. And might well be worth covering on pro support plus for a couple years then.
@MadManMoon - Good point on Office, might get a better deal through work, might wait on that til I get it then. The graphics card thing, yeah, haha, def going prebuilt, I don’t have the foggiest clue about any of that stuff, just need to know if I buy X it will run Y ok, lolol. For home PC, people have suggested I build, but yeah, that’s not happening, haha.
I want to say anything GTX 960+ is vaild for gaming, especially if you play on a laptop.
i have this laptop https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01J0RJPCC as a gaming laptop and it still plays everything on high, boundless plays with out issue, i even play warframe on this with out problems with everything maxed out I bought that back in 2016 for christmas for around the same price of the one you listed.
Its no longer my primary system but it does work if i need it for anything.
Dell hp Lenovo etc are all fine just make sure you get a “business line” laptop. The “consumer line” ones suck. They’re super flimsy and don’t hold up over time.
Business line names:
Dell latitude or vostro
Hp elitebook
Lenovo thinkpad
Any of the gaming ones should be ok too. Dell Alienware, asus ROG.
@xyberviri is right on Windows 10 Pro … you can’t skimp on the features it provides.
Also, it’s hellishly restrictive to not be pro, the ■■■■ you can’t change (especially on updates and privacy) is insane.
Even without the harddrive, w10p is a must, I think.
On office, I’m not going to pretend to be the oracle, here, but there’s so much good stuff they’re doing (if you’re a business) that it’s hard to ignore … but the subscription method kills home users IMO.
Truth … I have a relative that works at HP, and I got an convertible Elitebook x360 1030 G3 from them … and it’s brilliant.
Expensive, usually, though … but they have similarly specced non-convertibles that are extremely good.
When I can finally afford to upgrade my gaming PC’s graphics card ( ) then I’m going to use one of the current SLI 970s in an eGPU box to make that lappie even more nicerer.
OH!
This reminds me!
Find their business “OUTLET” site!!! They sell business laptops that have been reconditioned or are just ‘open box’ and they are REALLY reduced in price. Some have discrete (dedicated, like nvidia/amd) graphics, too.
That looks like a nice laptop that would fit your needs The main things would be having a decent dedicated graphics card, recent gen CPU, & current OS (which it does). You can add whatever software you’d like to have, if it doesn’t have what you want when you 1st purchase it. It has a good amount of current ports
I can tell you that heat is a big issue with almost all higher-end/gaming PCs. It’s because the M2s, CPUs, and GPUs get extremely hot when running taxing software/games. Think of gaming as smashing your car accelerator to the floor - your engine is going to get hot. You need the radiator and fans to keep it cool. Laptops will always run hotter because of their compact design and less cooling (smaller/less heat sinks, most don’t have AiO or enough fans). There are some things you can do - I would advise against placing it directly on your lap while gaming. I would also advise against placing it on a solid, flat surface (ie: wood table). It needs to breathe. Heat can cause your game to appear laggy, it can cause your PC to suddenly shut down, and it can cause permanent damage to your hardware. You can buy a laptop stand with a fan in it - from my experience these don’t have high enough RPMs/CFMs to make a difference. However, a stand that keeps the laptop up off a solid surface would be a good idea.
If you’re going to use it to take a lot of screenshots, I’d advise you to buy some flash drives and save them there instead of on your laptop. Make sure they are 3.1 or newer. You can buy a 1TB+ external drive, but flash drives work just as well.
Since you’re going to be using it for gaming, I agree with the post that suggested getting the 512 SSD.
Send me a DM, maybe we can find you a way around it all … there’s still good reasons to use 365 … but if you only need it for the occasional word doc or spreadsheet, you’re probably better off with what you’ve got.
I would recommend what I put above, though. If you can get a 2016 or 2019 copy of the full suite, then you’ll have a licence for a full, local, installable, office, that isn’t dependent on a subscription.
I’ve been following and feeling the waters on this for some time … and I truly believe that the 2019 full install version might well be the last time MS do that. Or they’ll make it super hard for people to do it in the future. I say this as a huge advocate for what 365, SharePoint, Power Platform, etc, can do for a business, by the way … it’s literally my livelihood … if there were any ■■■■■■■ jobs.
Thanks @DKPuncherello!! I’ll admit I haven’t ruled out an an Alienware laptop I saw too, if it really might hold up better and be worth the cost difference overall. Though I guess if I’m going to spring for a couple years of protection on the other, that sort of offsets the primary concern I had with the durability.
@majorvex - Thanks!! Good point on the flash drives for sure, I’ll be taking plenty, hehe! And good to know that one should work well for me, it is what I’m leaning towards right now. Great idea on the stand too, I’ll do that for sure!
I have an elitebook revolve 810. I bought it as a backup laptop, but when my thinkpad yoga 14 shattered it became my daily driver. I also have a surface and an old latitude. All were good laptops
No problem! It might be good to get a yr or 2 of accidental damage for it (and a good case). Sometimes repairs can be pretty pricey depending on damage, and your warranty would be worth it then. (especially for a brand new laptop)
That laptop has good specs, and will do what you need and more.
I do agree with @xyberviri on the 512 GB drive, especially because games/programs take GBs of storage.
If you buy that laptop make sure you get all of the deals you can. Dell provides deals a lot of times, and you can also get an education discount (students, schools, teachers).
I am an IT Admin with years of experience for an organization, and I buy/manage/repair computers/devices for a large amount of people there. I am usually looking at what’s next to buy for my users to fit what they do on the daily and other demands. Love what I do :)’
Additionally: There are also free open source alternatives to the Office suite or Office 365. One that I use for a lot of things, personally, is Libre Office.
For purchasing Office you can:
Buy the Subscription
Buy Office 2019 (one time purchase) This may also be the best route for your needs, this way you are not paying for a subscription, and you have the full capabilities of Office.
That is a good point on the Pro - although the work stuff I’m doing is only going to involve basic software, there is the issue of potentially sensitive information and all that (though more for what I’ll be logging into rather than have stored locally, but still could be some), I need to be careful about security. Theft risk, and such. So I’ll add that for sure even if I go with another computer. No biggie on the cost of upgrading to the 512. And might well be worth covering on pro support plus for a couple years then.
For home PC, people have suggested I build, but yeah, that’s not happening, haha.
) then I’m going to use one of the current SLI 970s in an eGPU box to make that lappie even more nicerer.
The main things would be having a decent dedicated graphics card, recent gen CPU, & current OS (which it does). You can add whatever software you’d like to have, if it doesn’t have what you want when you 1st purchase it. It has a good amount of current ports 
hehe! And good to know that one should work well for me, it is what I’m leaning towards right now. Great idea on the stand too, I’ll do that for sure!