What laptop for work?

[Calza]

I've got a budget of around £1100 for a new work laptop. Don't have a big list of requirements:

- Windows Based
- 14 or 15" HD
- Webcam
- Not too heavy
- Good battery
- No specific applications but usual heavy office use

For some reason my company are throwing gaming laptops at me. Nothing against that but thought I'd throw it out here to anyone with experience?

[randlemarcus]

If you have the ability to say no to the gaming laptops, I would do, purely based on weight They do tend towards the portly.

Ultrabooks work quite well these days, especially when paired with a doc for home use.

[Calza]

You're right, they do seem a bit heavy.

The front runner so far is https://www.currys.co.uk/gbuk/gaming/pc-gaming/gam... which is apparently 2.1kg.

I've forgotten the model of my previous laptop (old company) to check and compare..

[RizzoTheRat]

Do you have a separate monitor/keyboard etc at home? If so see if they can be persuaded to provide a docking station for home use. I have a 14" Dell Latitude with a docking station at work, and plug in to my monitor at home. I wouldn't want to be using a 14" screen full time.

Gaming one's are pointless extra weight unless you really need the graphics capability, the integrated graphics on modern laptops are good enough to play a lot of older games too.

[Tracy Island]

I've used Lenovos for years, they've been very reliable (if that's something you value). I've just had a quick look, and it seems a 14" Thinkpad is under 1.5kg.

[Calza]

Ah yes I have a wireless mouse and keyboard at home plus a second monitor.

Quite happy using laptop + monitor assuming the laptop is a decent resolution. I can't exploit using both my home monitors as one of them only has one output and I can't be arsed cable swapping or using a hub.

[Funk]

I'm supplying 14" Dell 5410s to customers left, right and centre at the mo - good mid-spec notebook and having just configured three of them this morning they're nicely-made, decent screen and avoid my pet hate in a laptop which is keyboard 'flex' when you're typing. Backlit keys as well which is a must-have for me having had it now. These ones are i5, 8Gb, 256Gb NVMe SSD - pretty much spot on for a work machine.

https://www.dell.com/en-uk/work/shop/laptop-comput...

Edit: echo the comment about Dell docks - they work great, just a single USB-C connection to the laptop, leave your external monitors, keyboard, mouse and power connected to the dock and just one lead to connect to the laptop: https://www.dell.com/en-uk/work/shop/dell-universa...

Edited by Funk on Monday 29th March 15:27

[Mammasaid]

Dell Latitude 5420 - 1.4Kg

https://www.dell.com/en-uk/work/shop/laptop-comput...

[anxious_ant]

For business use I find Lenovo Thinkpads pretty good, the ethernet port is very useful for me.

For 15" laptop you would be looking close to 2kg for weight though.

T15 seems to be in your budget : https://www.lenovo.com/gb/en/laptops/thinkpad/t-se...

For 15" screen I find 1980x1080 resolution more than enough.

If you want lightly there is the T14 (around 1.47kg), although for the price I'd go with the 15" : https://www.lenovo.com/gb/en/laptops/thinkpad/t-se...

[Calza]

Funk said:

I'm supplying 14" Dell 5410s to customers left, right and centre at the mo - good mid-spec notebook and having just configured three of them this morning they're nicely-made, decent screen and avoid my pet hate in a laptop which is keyboard 'flex' when you're typing. Backlit keys as well which is a must-have for me having had it now. These ones are i5, 8Gb, 256Gb NVMe SSD - pretty much spot on for a work machine.

https://www.dell.com/en-uk/work/shop/laptop-comput...

Edit: echo the comment about Dell docks - they work great, just a single USB-C connection to the laptop, leave your external monitors, keyboard, mouse and power connected to the dock and just one lead to connect to the laptop: https://www.dell.com/en-uk/work/shop/dell-universa...

Edited by Funk on Monday 29th March 15:27

Mammasaid said:

Dell Latitude 5420 - 1.4Kg

https://www.dell.com/en-uk/work/shop/laptop-comput...

That 5420 looks good with a dock..

[Jinx]

Huawei Matebook - 1.49Kg. Good chip the 4800H.

[NMNeil]

Tracy Island said:

I've used Lenovos for years, they've been very reliable (if that's something you value). I've just had a quick look, and it seems a 14" Thinkpad is under 1.5kg.

I second that.
I bought mine for a court case to play videos to the judge. Just plain works.

[RizzoTheRat]

Calza said:

Funk said:

I'm supplying 14" Dell 5410s to customers left, right and centre at the mo - good mid-spec notebook and having just configured three of them this morning they're nicely-made, decent screen and avoid my pet hate in a laptop which is keyboard 'flex' when you're typing. Backlit keys as well which is a must-have for me having had it now. These ones are i5, 8Gb, 256Gb NVMe SSD - pretty much spot on for a work machine.

https://www.dell.com/en-uk/work/shop/laptop-comput...

Edit: echo the comment about Dell docks - they work great, just a single USB-C connection to the laptop, leave your external monitors, keyboard, mouse and power connected to the dock and just one lead to connect to the laptop: https://www.dell.com/en-uk/work/shop/dell-universa...

Edited by Funk on Monday 29th March 15:27

Mammasaid said:

Dell Latitude 5420 - 1.4Kg

https://www.dell.com/en-uk/work/shop/laptop-comput...

That 5420 looks good with a dock..

The only thing I'd say agasint that 5420, is do you really need the 360 degree flip hinge? I've got an Inspiron 2-in-1 as a personal laptop and the only thing I ever flip the screen right back for is playing a drawing game with my nieces. I'm assuming it adds in a little bit extra weight and fragility for something I really don't need

[snuffy]

I've got one of these as my work laptop (i.e. supplied by my company):

https://store.hp.com/UKStore/Merch/Product.aspx?id...

It looks quite smart and the screen is very nice. Weights about 1.4kg.

I don't use it mind you.

[Calza]

Jinx said:

Huawei Matebook - 1.49Kg. Good chip the 4800H.

Any experience? I have a Huawei phone I rate very highly.

[Sheepshanks]

Ive had a Lenovo ThinkPad T14 (Intel) for about 6 months after a series of other IBM/Lenovo ThinkPads and it's worked just as well as all the others did. Only thing they've done on this one is made on-site an option (about £50 I think) for the warranty, but it's still 3yrs anyway.

I'd say be careful of which display you get - one mine, the standard is 250nits but the one I got included a 400nit display and it's nice and bright. Some of the even brighter displays are glossy.

I think right now they're changing to the Gen2 machines so you might be a bit limited on choice.

I use the full dock - it's dead handy to just drop the machine on it, but they're quite price. Think I paid £150 but they're usually nearer £200. There are lower cost solutions.

[stewies_minion]

+1 Lenovo. T490 / T14.

[colin79666]

HP EliteBook 840 G7 14" FHD Laptop with i5
£1,098.00 VAT incl.

There is a 830 variant if you wanted a 13” screen instead. The few hundred we have dealt with so far at work seem well built, nice keyboard and decent battery life. Just a shame HP have stopped including the Ethernet port that remained up until this generation.

[NotMine]

Yes my wife have HP and it has not been bad for years.

I prefer than Dell.

[Funk]

We're also an HP and Lenovo reseller (as well as Dell) and given the choice I'd pick either Dell or Lenovo in that order. The HP Dragonfly laptops are very nice though.

I don't have any experience of Huawei laptops so I couldn't personally comment on them.