Hi, I’m looking for the best budget friendly laptop for my illustration course. Any recommendations are appreciated :)

Country
UK
Budget
£400
Are you open to refurbs/used options?
Yes
Screen size
15", 16", 17"
Weight limit
Don’t mind, as long as it fits in my backpack without being too heavy.
Purpose
Illustration + 2D/3D designs
Form factor
Standard Laptop
Intended usage
Illustrations, Adobe Software (mainly photoshop, in design, illustrator and lightroom), Blender, Nomad, Sims and everyday general usage
Desired battery life
Around 6+ hours ideally.
Please list, in order of most important to least important, the priority between Size, Weight, Performance, Battery life
Performance, Battery life, Size, Weight
Info/Requirements
Something with lots of storage and high RAM

Thank you!!

Hey everyone,

I'm considering buying the Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5 16IMH9 with the following specs:

​CPU: Intel Core Ultra 7 155H

​GPU: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 6GB VRAM

​RAM: 16GB LPDDR5x

​Storage: 512GB SSD

​Display: 16" 2K OLED

​My Main Use Cases:

​Short-form video editing (Reels/TikTok/Shorts in 1080p and light 4K) using Premiere Pro & CapCut.

​Daily college commuting and productivity.

​My Questions for Owners/Users:

​How is the thermals and fan noise during video rendering/exporting?

​What is the real-world battery life on light tasks (web browsing/docs) with the 2K OLED screen?

​Is the weight and 16" form factor manageable for daily backpack carry at university?

​Any known issues with the OLED panel or overall build quality/hinges over time?

​Thanks in advance!

I've been looking for laptops and I found 3 in my price range all with different specs and idk what to get. I primarly intend to use it for playing games (mainly indie, nothing AAA, the most performance demanding being modded minecraft) and schoolwork.

The most promising one in my eyes after looking online a bit is a asus with a AMD Ryzen 7 8840HS and a AMD Radeon 780M

The other one I found is a acer with a AMD Ryzen 7 7730U and as for the graphics card it just says "AMD Radeon Graphics" which I tried looking up but I couldnt figure out anything

And the last one I found is a lenovo with a AMD Ryzen 5 7535HS and a AMD Radeon 660M

They all have 16 gb ram and 512 gb ssd, the first 2 are both roughly 600 euro while the 3rd is about 550. I plan to keep this laptop for atleast 3 years.

Help would be greatly appreciated since I'd rather not waste my money.

Hello guys I want a cheap but good performance laptop.I have already Ps5 Pro I want laptop because coding,indie games and portability.I search some laptops and I see RTX 3050 6GB laptops mostly.İs 3050 laptops good for me?Or I should buy 4050 or anorher one?

Looking for a laptop that can handle everything I do without breaking the bank. Budget is around $1,000 USD,

What I use it for:
Online college classes, including remotely proctored exams
Work: Excel, email, CRM, lots of browser tabs
3D printing: Bambu Studio and beginner CAD (Tinkercad/Fusion)
Eventually working remotely while traveling.
What I want:
Windows on Intel or AMD (no Snapdragon, since proctoring software can be an issue)
16GB RAM minimum, 512GB+ storage
Good build quality and reliability
13 to 14 inch screen preferred
Currently looking at the 2026 Dell XPS 13 (16GB, $799 at Best Buy) and the 2026 Asus Zenbook 14 OLED (Ryzen AI 9 465, $899). I've seen mixed things about the XPS on here, so I'd like to hear from people who own either one, or if there's something better in this range I'm missing. Not a pc gamer. Thanks!

Salut, ca fait environ une semaine que j'ai le galaxy book 5 pro et quand je le ferme après une session il fait systématiquement ce clique quelqu'un sait d'où ca peut venir et que faire?

I'm not a big fan of Apple, but I've always liked the hardware on Macs so I'll be really interested to see this.

Looks like Apple has been trying to move out of their comfort zone lately.

I need to know if the 768p display on my laptop can be upgraded to a 1080p one. I can't seem to find a definite answer.

Hey everyone, can anyone suggest me a laptop close to 50k with discount.

I need 16gb ram, 512 storage, and a descent powerfull laptop.

I will use it for Devops, Kubernetes and mostly software dev.

I'm a student and I need a laptop with longevity, good processor and fast performing laptops under 60k( indian currency). Please suggest me.

Hey everyone,

I’m look to buy a new gaming laptop, and pretty much every brand/company that’s reputable seems to have massive qc problems that effect a ton of the devices they sell.

I don’t know much of anything about computer specs etc. honestly, but I live in a remote area, so anything I get has to be shipped (which takes a long time where I live) I understand that some products just aren’t going to work, but in my location any issues with it would mean I would have no computer for quite a while due to shipping times, so I’m very hesitant to buy one these laptops and then end up with no computer for months and out however much money till the issue is resolved.

Just wondering if anyone has some advice for where to start looking or brands that are pretty reliable and have good qc?

Thank you :)

I've bought my laptop recently maybe its been 2 days. I've seen lot of ppl on reddit saying their charging lasts for 15hrs but mines draning out pretty quick say 4hrs. Can anyone help me figure out the issue? Any solutions?

Need advice on ASUS Vivobook 16 for college use

I’m planning to buy the ASUS Vivobook 16 and would like your opinions on whether it’s a good choice for my requirements.

My requirements are:

- Processor: Intel Core i5 or AMD Ryzen 5 or better

- RAM: 16GB, preferably upgradeable

- Storage: 512GB NVMe SSD

- Display: 16-inch Full HD or better, preferably IPS

- Graphics: Integrated graphics are sufficient; I don’t need a dedicated GPU

- Battery: Good battery life for college use

- Build quality: Reliable and durable for everyday use

- Weight: Reasonably lightweight and portable

- Connectivity: Good selection of USB ports, HDMI, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth

- Operating system: Windows 11

- Usage: Forensic science studies, coding, programming, research, multitasking, and occasional photo/video editing

I don’t need gaming features. My priority is reliability, performance, good battery life, and value for money.

Is the ASUS Vivobook 16 a good choice for these requirements? Are there any common issues with its display, thermals, battery life, or build quality that I should know about?

Would you recommend any better alternatives in the same category?

Thanks in advance!

I recently bought a new laptop for my work, and I've started having quite strained, tired, red/dryed out eyes. It now even happens just after about 60 min of use, which is a real problem. I'm on the move a lot, which is the reason for purchase, as I'm on it about half the time I work. The laptop is a 16" Acer Predator with a 1600p 240hz IPS display. I tune the brightness based on the environment I'm in. On the days I do use my laptop, even using my phone hurts my eyes.

At home on my desktop I have a 34" Curved Ultrawide 1440p 180hz VA display (and a secondary vertical TN display). I've never had issues here. Sometimes even being in front of it for 12h per day. I sometimes use blue light filtering glasses at home, but not at all always, I'm more without them than with.

This is very concerning as it obviously sucks. Does anyone have similar experiences or know of any fixes for this issue?

My main theories are that it's either the way higher pixel density on the laptop, or the IPS display (I've never owned one before). It could also be that since it's such a small screen (16"), I'm closer to it than on my monitor at home.

Thank you for taking the time to read, looking forward to your responses. <3

Edit: typo

I recent got this hp dragonfly and the feeling of the touchpad is out of this world ..palm rejection very nice..its by no means new tech but coming from lenovos with plastic touchpads ..its like day and night

I bought a laptop yesterday , at that time this symbol was not there today there was one update showing from windows side , and after this the yellow colour mark is in my drive , do anyone know why this happens ? and how to fix this?

I bought my HP OmniBook 7 Aero 13 about 6 months ago in India and it’s still under warranty. Over time I’ve noticed the following:

• Hinge is getting tighter. It was easier to open with one hand when new.
• Lid lags on the right side when I open it from the center. It’s straight when closed.
• Clicking/cracking sounds from the palm rest area on the side where the bottom cover seam is wider. It’s repeatable with light pressure.
• Bottom cover gap along the side edges. The technician refitted the cover, and the gap came back after it was screwed down.

An HP technician came out, opened the lid once at normal speed, said it was fine, he ignored that yt video and said its not reliable. No torque or alignment check was done. I’ve since sent HP a written complaint with video evidence, and I’m waiting on a reply.

I have also found other HP Community discussions involving the OmniBook 7 Aero 13.3-inch:

• Owner reports a cracked bezel
• Australian owner reports a diagonal display fracture during screen-angle adjustment

Photos and video are attached.

link:

Youtuber opening HP Omnibook 7 aero with one hand: https://youtu.be/C6aKl2F7xFA?t=180 
I have uploaded the video proof here(my own laptop):
Video 1 (unlisted): HP Omnibook aero hinge apparent tilt, noise: https://youtu.be/awmyFyty_pA 
Video 2 (unlisted): HP Omnibook aero hinge apparent tilt, noise:https://youtu.be/AHm6KvzGC-s 
Video 3 (unlisted): HP Omnibook aero left side palm rest click sounds:  https://youtu.be/GJ2qNhdgoBY 

Questions:

1. Does anyone with the same model have a tightening hinge, a lid that lags on one side, or clicking from the palm rest?
2. If you got a hinge or chassis replacement under warranty, did it fix the problem?
3. Is a seam like this normal on your unit?

Im overly concerned about such issues because my old HP laptop's hinge broke like this, on that i used to open hinge from left side, but on this im opening and closing it from the center only.

On buying "HP", actually i planned to buy another lenovo laptop but during that time due to RAM price increase laptop prices went up and very few unpopular ones were on lower(actual) prices, i panicked and bought this one, the specs were pretty good but it was too small and i never thought i'd buy a 13.3" laptop but i had to buy this, i did not get much time to research properly for issues.

Had this laptop for a few years but recently the black plastic has suddenly turned white/brown.

Used to use alcohol to clean but switched to deionised water about a year ago.

Hey everyone!

I’m 16 and currently in my second-to-last year of high school. I’m planning to study Chemical Engineering in college, and lately, I’ve been feeling like I really need a laptop.

My budget is definitely well under $1,000 (ideally in the $500–$800 range or even cheaper, as $1,000 feels like way too much for what I actually need). Im from Argentina, so prices are up by a lot probably here.

Im looking for "basic stats". Solid performance, a decent amount of RAM, a fast SSD, and good battery life. I just want something reliable that offers great value for money without overpaying.

I currently run Arch Linux on my desktop (I really dislike Windows 11, and 10 is only slightly better IMO). I’d love to install Arch on this laptop too, so good Linux hardware compatibility (Wi-Fi cards, power management, etc.) is a huge plus.

I will be using it for my last year of high school and when I get to college, I also do some light coding (I'm not a dev, but I enjoy programming and tech), and light/casual gaming (nothing too demanding).

I’m totally open to the used/refurbished market (I’ve heard a lot about ThinkPads, but not sure which exact models to look for).

What models or specs would you recommend for this use case? Any specific CPUs/GPUs I should stick to for seamless Arch support?

Thanks in advance :)

I've deleted the largest downloads and recordings, the only games i have add up to around 50GB. I've also deleted temporary files and that jargon.

How tf is the storage this messed up and what can I do to fix this?

Hi all,

I'm not massively in the loop with tech on laptops these days.

Basically, I had a Lenovo Ideapad which is past warranty and the middle row of the keyboard simply doesn't work. Seems expensive for what it is to fix, and the laptop is quite slow anyway.

I was thinking of buying something to replace. I mainly just use to organise my life and a bit of python and the like. So spreadsheets mainly. Sometimes media.

I want something which will last. Lenovo business laptops ate decent but the personal ones seem built to break. I've had family have similar experiences.

I don't want to go too expensive so I was considering a refurb (I'm in the UK).

Can you help me decide if this is decent value?

https://www.currys.co.uk/products/samsung-galaxy-book4-edge-15.6-refurbished-laptop-copilot-pc-snapdragon-x-plus-256-gb-ssd-sapphire-blue-excellent-condition-10274707.html

Looking for a new (ish) laptop, are there any sites that sell "seconds" ie, laptops that are essentially new, but might have a small issue, dent on case, or just marked.