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| What's the best Windows laptop money can buy? | What's the best Windows laptop money can buy? |
| (4 months later) | |
| As an IT contractor, I spend a lot of time on trains and in airports, working from my laptop. I run some pretty processor-intensive tasks on it – virtual machines, data warehousing and SQL Server analytics, Excel spreadsheets with over a million rows etc. Put simply, I want more power. I'm not bothered about a touch screen, or graphics, or how light it is. I do care about memory, disk space, battery capacity, and processor speed. Windows 7 would probably be essential. | |
| I started out on a tight budget, so I have a Lenovo ThinkPad L530. Now I'm in a position to upgrade, what's the best money can buy? Oliver | I started out on a tight budget, so I have a Lenovo ThinkPad L530. Now I'm in a position to upgrade, what's the best money can buy? Oliver |
| Every laptop involves some compromises over the main features, which are size and weight, speed, battery life and price. In the Windows market, there are many different types of laptop, each of which offers its own balance. Examples include netbooks (light and cheap but slow), Ultrabooks (light and fast but expensive), and desktop replacements (fast and cheap but big and heavy). | Every laptop involves some compromises over the main features, which are size and weight, speed, battery life and price. In the Windows market, there are many different types of laptop, each of which offers its own balance. Examples include netbooks (light and cheap but slow), Ultrabooks (light and fast but expensive), and desktop replacements (fast and cheap but big and heavy). |
| The three types you could consider are Ultrabooks, gaming laptops and portable workstations. Ultrabooks compromise on speed but have the advantages of portability and long battery life, while gaming laptops sacrifice portability and battery life for speed. Portable workstations generally provide speed and durability, while also being designed and tested to run certain types of software, such as Adobe Creative Suite and Autodesk's AutoCAD. They often have expensive but high-performance Nvidia Quadro graphics cards. | The three types you could consider are Ultrabooks, gaming laptops and portable workstations. Ultrabooks compromise on speed but have the advantages of portability and long battery life, while gaming laptops sacrifice portability and battery life for speed. Portable workstations generally provide speed and durability, while also being designed and tested to run certain types of software, such as Adobe Creative Suite and Autodesk's AutoCAD. They often have expensive but high-performance Nvidia Quadro graphics cards. |
| Ultrabooks | Ultrabooks |
| For an Ultrabook, I'd look first at the Lenovo ThinkPad T440, not the X1 Carbon Touch. The T440 starts out as a modest beast, and at a base price of £791.19 it's fractionally cheaper than your current L530 (£800.40). The T440's appeal is that you can upgrade the specification online. In particular, you can increase the memory from 4GB to 8GB for an extra £33.60, or to 12GB for £69.60. If you are running "virtual PCs" that need 1GB-2GB each, the more memory you have the better. You can also upgrade the standard 500GB hard drive to 1TB for £31.20, and throw in a 16GB solid state "micro hard drive" from £34.80. This means you can have plenty of hard drive space with some of the advantages of an SSD. (The T440 would run faster with an SSD instead of a rotating hard drive, but the 256GB SSD might be too small for you.) | For an Ultrabook, I'd look first at the Lenovo ThinkPad T440, not the X1 Carbon Touch. The T440 starts out as a modest beast, and at a base price of £791.19 it's fractionally cheaper than your current L530 (£800.40). The T440's appeal is that you can upgrade the specification online. In particular, you can increase the memory from 4GB to 8GB for an extra £33.60, or to 12GB for £69.60. If you are running "virtual PCs" that need 1GB-2GB each, the more memory you have the better. You can also upgrade the standard 500GB hard drive to 1TB for £31.20, and throw in a 16GB solid state "micro hard drive" from £34.80. This means you can have plenty of hard drive space with some of the advantages of an SSD. (The T440 would run faster with an SSD instead of a rotating hard drive, but the 256GB SSD might be too small for you.) |
| The standard processor is a fourth-generation 2.6GHz Intel Core i5-4200U, which is slightly slower than your current third-generation 2.5GHz Core i3-3120M. The difference is that it's an ultra-low-voltage chip, running at a TDP (thermal design power) of 15W instead of 35W. This will provide much better battery life. The T440 has two batteries lasting "up to 17 hours", and the second battery is swappable. However, you can opt for a faster processor, and I'm assuming you'll go for the i7-4600U for an extra £284. This will give you a useful performance improvement on your Core i3, though not a massive one. | The standard processor is a fourth-generation 2.6GHz Intel Core i5-4200U, which is slightly slower than your current third-generation 2.5GHz Core i3-3120M. The difference is that it's an ultra-low-voltage chip, running at a TDP (thermal design power) of 15W instead of 35W. This will provide much better battery life. The T440 has two batteries lasting "up to 17 hours", and the second battery is swappable. However, you can opt for a faster processor, and I'm assuming you'll go for the i7-4600U for an extra £284. This will give you a useful performance improvement on your Core i3, though not a massive one. |
| The downgrade from Microsoft Windows 8 to Windows 7 is free, of course, and the licence allows you to upgrade later. However, Windows 8 runs slightly faster and uses less memory than Windows 7, and the latest Windows 8.1 Update 1 is much more usable on a traditional laptop. Also, Windows 8 resumes in about two seconds, which is a significant benefit when you're on the move. | The downgrade from Microsoft Windows 8 to Windows 7 is free, of course, and the licence allows you to upgrade later. However, Windows 8 runs slightly faster and uses less memory than Windows 7, and the latest Windows 8.1 Update 1 is much more usable on a traditional laptop. Also, Windows 8 resumes in about two seconds, which is a significant benefit when you're on the move. |
| In other respects, you should find the T440 a good step up from your L530. Although the screen is smaller – 14in versus 15.6in – it shows more, thanks to the 1600 x 900-pixel resolution. You also save a significant amount of weight: it's 1.8kg versus 2.6kg. Finally, the T440 has built-in HSPA+ mobile broadband (3G Ericsson N5321), though you can remove this for a saving of £50. Total price online: £1,362.79. | In other respects, you should find the T440 a good step up from your L530. Although the screen is smaller – 14in versus 15.6in – it shows more, thanks to the 1600 x 900-pixel resolution. You also save a significant amount of weight: it's 1.8kg versus 2.6kg. Finally, the T440 has built-in HSPA+ mobile broadband (3G Ericsson N5321), though you can remove this for a saving of £50. Total price online: £1,362.79. |
| For more information, there's a review of the T440 and the improved T440s at NotebookCheck. The T440s has a touch screen and Windows 8. | For more information, there's a review of the T440 and the improved T440s at NotebookCheck. The T440s has a touch screen and Windows 8. |
| The 14in HP EliteBook Folio 1040 G1 is also worth a look. HP showed it in December, but it hasn’t appeared on the UK website. (Update: The Folio G1 is available, and HP has provided a link to it.) | The 14in HP EliteBook Folio 1040 G1 is also worth a look. HP showed it in December, but it hasn’t appeared on the UK website. (Update: The Folio G1 is available, and HP has provided a link to it.) |
| Gaming laptops | Gaming laptops |
| The users who really want maximum performance are the gamers. Gaming laptops often have quad-core instead of dual-core processors, and very fast graphics processors, such as the Nvidia GeForce GTX 780M. Systems often have both a large hard drive and an SSD, and perhaps a Blu-ray drive as well. Obviously they tend to be heavy and have relatively short battery life, especially when operating on full power. Most of them also have 17.3in screens, which I reckon is likely to be a deal breaker for you. However, a few have 15.6in screens, and there's a Dell Alienware with a 14in screen. | The users who really want maximum performance are the gamers. Gaming laptops often have quad-core instead of dual-core processors, and very fast graphics processors, such as the Nvidia GeForce GTX 780M. Systems often have both a large hard drive and an SSD, and perhaps a Blu-ray drive as well. Obviously they tend to be heavy and have relatively short battery life, especially when operating on full power. Most of them also have 17.3in screens, which I reckon is likely to be a deal breaker for you. However, a few have 15.6in screens, and there's a Dell Alienware with a 14in screen. |
| The Asus ROG (Republic of Gamers) range includes the G750JH, claimed to be "the most powerful 17in gaming laptop in the universe". It has a 3.4GHz quad-core Core i7-4700HQ processor and a GTX 780M with its own 4GB of graphics memory. But the processor has a TDP of 47W and the whole thing weighs 4.8kg. | The Asus ROG (Republic of Gamers) range includes the G750JH, claimed to be "the most powerful 17in gaming laptop in the universe". It has a 3.4GHz quad-core Core i7-4700HQ processor and a GTX 780M with its own 4GB of graphics memory. But the processor has a TDP of 47W and the whole thing weighs 4.8kg. |
| MSI has many similar or even better gaming laptops, including the MSI GT70 Dominator Pro, which has a 3GHz Core i7-4930MX Extreme that goes up to 3.9GHz on turbo. Very few desktop PCs have anything as fast, partly because of this chip's suggested retail price: $1,096. However, the TDP of 57W means it's only suitable for 17.3in laptops. | MSI has many similar or even better gaming laptops, including the MSI GT70 Dominator Pro, which has a 3GHz Core i7-4930MX Extreme that goes up to 3.9GHz on turbo. Very few desktop PCs have anything as fast, partly because of this chip's suggested retail price: $1,096. However, the TDP of 57W means it's only suitable for 17.3in laptops. |
| MSI also offers gaming laptops with 15.6in screens, which might be portable enough for you. The MSI GT60 2OD-092UK, for example, has a 3.2GHz Core i7-4700MQ processor (same speed as the HQ), 16GB of main memory, a GeForce GTX 780M with 4GB of graphics memory, a 750GB hard drive and a high-resolution 2880 x 1620 pixel screen for £1,854.94 on Amazon.co.uk. But it's still heavy at 3.5kg, and the battery is unlikely to last more than four hours of web browsing, or a couple of hours of gaming. | MSI also offers gaming laptops with 15.6in screens, which might be portable enough for you. The MSI GT60 2OD-092UK, for example, has a 3.2GHz Core i7-4700MQ processor (same speed as the HQ), 16GB of main memory, a GeForce GTX 780M with 4GB of graphics memory, a 750GB hard drive and a high-resolution 2880 x 1620 pixel screen for £1,854.94 on Amazon.co.uk. But it's still heavy at 3.5kg, and the battery is unlikely to last more than four hours of web browsing, or a couple of hours of gaming. |
| The 14in Dell Alienware comes in three models and you could get one with a Core i7-4710MQ, 16GB of memory, GTX 765M graphics chip, 1TB hard drive and 1920 x 1080-pixel Full HD screen for £1,498.99. Weight starts at 2.8kg. Battery life isn't mentioned so I'd assume about three to four hours max. | The 14in Dell Alienware comes in three models and you could get one with a Core i7-4710MQ, 16GB of memory, GTX 765M graphics chip, 1TB hard drive and 1920 x 1080-pixel Full HD screen for £1,498.99. Weight starts at 2.8kg. Battery life isn't mentioned so I'd assume about three to four hours max. |
| Although all these machines are powerful, they are not as practical as a ThinkPad T440, and their styling is, by ThinkPad standards, idiosyncratic and flashy. I think you'd be happier with something that falls a bit short by gaming standards but is still relatively powerful. For example, the Asus N550JV packs a Core i7-4700HQ and up to 16GB of memory, GT 750M graphics with 2GB or 4GB of video RAM, a 750GB or 1TB hard drive, and a 15.6in 1920 x 1080-pixel IPS touch screen into a slim (27.7mm), smart-looking 2.6kg package. Prices range from about £1,000 to £1,500, depending on the spec. | Although all these machines are powerful, they are not as practical as a ThinkPad T440, and their styling is, by ThinkPad standards, idiosyncratic and flashy. I think you'd be happier with something that falls a bit short by gaming standards but is still relatively powerful. For example, the Asus N550JV packs a Core i7-4700HQ and up to 16GB of memory, GT 750M graphics with 2GB or 4GB of video RAM, a 750GB or 1TB hard drive, and a 15.6in 1920 x 1080-pixel IPS touch screen into a slim (27.7mm), smart-looking 2.6kg package. Prices range from about £1,000 to £1,500, depending on the spec. |
| All these systems ship with Windows 8, which is quite popular with gamers. | All these systems ship with Windows 8, which is quite popular with gamers. |
| Workstation choices | Workstation choices |
| Workstations are among the most powerful laptops, but as mentioned above, they are designed to run professional applications rather than games. The obvious ones to consider are the Lenovo ThinkPad W540 – since you are already a ThinkPad owner – and the Dell Precision M3800. | Workstations are among the most powerful laptops, but as mentioned above, they are designed to run professional applications rather than games. The obvious ones to consider are the Lenovo ThinkPad W540 – since you are already a ThinkPad owner – and the Dell Precision M3800. |
| The ThinkPad W540 looks like a T-range laptop but includes high-spec components. The standard model has a Core i7-4700MQ but there is a choice of five chips, up to the 3.9GHz i7-4930MX (for £1,069.86 extra). Memory starts at 4GB but can be expanded to 32GB for an extra £364.80. The graphics card is an Nvidia Quadro K1100M or K2100M. As with the T440, the hard drive options include a 1TB drive with a 16GB "micro hard drive". However, you can combine a 1TB hard drive with a 256GB or 512GB SSD, which is probably ideal. You can also upgrade the 1920 x 1080-pixel FHD screen to a 3K (2880 x 1620) IPS screen for a very reasonable £90.18. | The ThinkPad W540 looks like a T-range laptop but includes high-spec components. The standard model has a Core i7-4700MQ but there is a choice of five chips, up to the 3.9GHz i7-4930MX (for £1,069.86 extra). Memory starts at 4GB but can be expanded to 32GB for an extra £364.80. The graphics card is an Nvidia Quadro K1100M or K2100M. As with the T440, the hard drive options include a 1TB drive with a 16GB "micro hard drive". However, you can combine a 1TB hard drive with a 256GB or 512GB SSD, which is probably ideal. You can also upgrade the 1920 x 1080-pixel FHD screen to a 3K (2880 x 1620) IPS screen for a very reasonable £90.18. |
| The stated weight is 2.5kg, but your spec may weigh more. Lenovo quotes a battery life of "up to six hours" for the standard 6-cell battery, so you might get "up to nine hours" from nine cells. W540 prices start at £1,353.99, but a 32GB system with a 3K screen, top spec HD/SSD combination and built-in 3G costs almost £2,500. | |
| The Dell Precision M3800 Workstation is an impressive attempt to pack workstation power into something that looks like an Ultrabook. It's only 18mm thick, and the starting weight is only 1.88kg – very close to the T440's 1.8kg. The drawback is that once you have chosen the top model, that's it. You get a Core i7-4702HQ processor, 16GB of memory, Nvidia Quadro K1100M graphics with 2GB of memory, a 256GB SSD, a 15.6in 3200 x 1880-pixel touch screen and Windows 8.1 Pro for £1,962.48 including VAT and shipping. If you really want to downgrade to Windows 7, you'll have to do it yourself. | The Dell Precision M3800 Workstation is an impressive attempt to pack workstation power into something that looks like an Ultrabook. It's only 18mm thick, and the starting weight is only 1.88kg – very close to the T440's 1.8kg. The drawback is that once you have chosen the top model, that's it. You get a Core i7-4702HQ processor, 16GB of memory, Nvidia Quadro K1100M graphics with 2GB of memory, a 256GB SSD, a 15.6in 3200 x 1880-pixel touch screen and Windows 8.1 Pro for £1,962.48 including VAT and shipping. If you really want to downgrade to Windows 7, you'll have to do it yourself. |
| According to the spec, you should be able to add a 500GB or 1TB hard drive to go with the 256GB SSD, but I can't see that option on the UK website. | According to the spec, you should be able to add a 500GB or 1TB hard drive to go with the 256GB SSD, but I can't see that option on the UK website. |
| The M3800 looks like a good choice for people who need to edit photos or videos in Adobe Creative Suite or similar software, or do 3D graphics work, but want an ultraportable. However, you don't need workstation graphics for Microsoft Excel or the other tasks you mention. | The M3800 looks like a good choice for people who need to edit photos or videos in Adobe Creative Suite or similar software, or do 3D graphics work, but want an ultraportable. However, you don't need workstation graphics for Microsoft Excel or the other tasks you mention. |
| What to choose? | What to choose? |
| In terms of raw power in a professional package, the ThinkPad W540 looks like the best bet, because it is so configurable, and has good battery life. But if you sacrifice some processor performance, the ThinkPad T440 offers a lighter and more portable package with even better battery life. The Asus N550JV could be tempting because, on paper, its i7-4700HQ offers significantly better performance than the T440's i7-4600U, without scaling the heights of the i7-4930MX. The N550JV's drawbacks are that it is just as heavy as your current ThinkPad L530, and will have similar or worse battery life. | In terms of raw power in a professional package, the ThinkPad W540 looks like the best bet, because it is so configurable, and has good battery life. But if you sacrifice some processor performance, the ThinkPad T440 offers a lighter and more portable package with even better battery life. The Asus N550JV could be tempting because, on paper, its i7-4700HQ offers significantly better performance than the T440's i7-4600U, without scaling the heights of the i7-4930MX. The N550JV's drawbacks are that it is just as heavy as your current ThinkPad L530, and will have similar or worse battery life. |
| Ultimately, it comes down to performance per watt. The 35W and 47W versions of the Core i7 are always going to outperform the 15W versions, but the 15W Ultrabook chips are fine for most of the tasks people do on laptops. Run Windows 7's Performance Monitor to find out what's limiting your current system. For example, you could graph processor queue lengths, hard page faults and the current disk queue length. I don't think the processor will be the biggest bottleneck. | Ultimately, it comes down to performance per watt. The 35W and 47W versions of the Core i7 are always going to outperform the 15W versions, but the 15W Ultrabook chips are fine for most of the tasks people do on laptops. Run Windows 7's Performance Monitor to find out what's limiting your current system. For example, you could graph processor queue lengths, hard page faults and the current disk queue length. I don't think the processor will be the biggest bottleneck. |
| In general, I'd expect the biggest gains in all-round performance to come from having an SSD and more memory rather than a (literally) hotter processor. And memory is cheap, so that's the way to go. | In general, I'd expect the biggest gains in all-round performance to come from having an SSD and more memory rather than a (literally) hotter processor. And memory is cheap, so that's the way to go. |