Need some advice on buying a laptop for production

Hardware Hub Laptops & Netbooks
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Yes yes, another thread of the kind.

Could someone please advice? Not a fan of laptops, but finally gave up on laptops, given to me as a contractor, so want to purchase something for at least a few years.

My field of work is Java development. So its a linux + docker and that sort of stuff. Looking more for core power than a core count (and thinking Intel would feel better here).

The majority of use of the device is to place into a ventilated space, connect to a regular monitor and use like a regular pc (dont care much about the screen, nor the keyboard)… but it would be nice if it didn’t break the moment I feel the need to use it directly.

For the Why dont you get a minis forum or something: a) want it to be to have a battery, b) want the possibility for it to be mobile if I desire.

My main question is more for a vendor and at least a series, which people had good experience (and I am not speaking about a kid, whos used to use stuff till it breaks so the parents would buy the next one).

And Im looking for a thick one. None of the slim crap (like my last 3 laptops), which for some strange (who wouldve guessed) start to choke on minute 15 and thermalthrottle when I decide to simply run Docker and have tests running. Hoping for a cooling solution that is actually something to speak about.

The budget is somewhere to 1.500 usd (yeah yeah, I know, but add an extra 500+ to my local retailer prices).

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The most hassle free and powerful laptop i’ve used for work so far was the macbook with apple silicon. Doing scala/spark on jvm without problems.

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Some of them gamery builds, are not the thin+light BS
Some would also support, those lesser used peripherals, like Eth Jacks and actual SD slots

I haven’t really kept up, with the newest things- I nabbed a refurb MSi, with Gen10 i7

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Yeah. Definitely a gaming one. I do understand that they are targeted at taking constant loads and, thus, working with heat.

I was thinking MSI (I am an MSI fanboy), but the internet speaks bad things about MSIs non top series(which cost too much for a person, whos not a fan of laptops).

So Im trying to figure out which vendor does it better.

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Thanks, but not an ios fan.

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The one I got, was from MSi Creator series [which at the time, was strictly intel only]
Asus has their FX50_ series, being a bit thicker [I know it swings both way- CPU wise]
Both allow, for M.2 and sys. memory upgrades

… And of course, Asus has their ROG/Strix/Zephyrus stuff too

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This listing here, is VERY ol’ close, to the one I got

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Creator seems to also cover the group of OLED users (at least the ones I found at my local retailers) with the CPU being an I7 at most(and a price tag of 3k usd…). Clearly intended for other audience.

Get a moderate device, slap some rgb, call it gaming… and nothing more. I don’t need SHINY. I need a working beast with an i9 and appropriate cooling (my desktop`s radiator for 13900k looks like it had two three of those laptops for breakfast…).

I am considering Lenovo Legion. Seems to have the least crap (240hz 8k screen and that sort of stuff), but I don`t know how well they last.

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Not gaming but pretty thick and should be reliable: thinkpad P series.

2 Likes
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Thanks. This is what I will most likely go for.

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To research exact models I recommend notebookcheck. They do throttling tests and the like. Some of the p series have soldered RAM, some have slots.

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Thank you very much. I was just spinning the question of should I maybe look for 13700 intead of 13900 due to the hot temper of the later.

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if you haven’t looked at zen5 laptops, i would take a look. Im pleased with mine.

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At some point I was thinking zen5, but they are either unreasonably overpriced at my local retailers, or don`t exist. I was just browsing, found something decent, and then realized that its a 7950 mobile, but with gaming crap making it cost as much as I would pay for 13900 one.