Dell G7 7588

Level51 W15-Lite (N950TP6) with desktop CFL CPU

Yes that's a good option. But it has entry level IPS panel which is worse than good quality IPS. Is 14 inch OK to you?

You don't need overkill performance for your needs. I would priority display quality (after looking at your usage). Asus UX430UQ with i3 7100U would be my choice. If you need 8GB RAM, Asus UX430UA with i3 7100U.

FYI 8550U and 8250U don't have much performance diff (besides the 2MB more L3 cache) due to cooling and TDP limitations. Xiaomi Notebook Pro has an excellent cooling so spend your time to tune the CPU via Intel XTU (undervolting+increase PL1 limit), can maintain 3.4GHz at all core clock just like 7700HQ.

A bit expensive. You can get 4GB RAM+128GB M.2 SSD as low as RM420. There's a 320s 14 on sale now in Lazada, only 2199.

Reliability mainly depends on luck and how you use/keep it.

Envy 13, UX331UN - mediocre cooling (due to small chassis), everything pretty much the same
Acer Swift 5 - OKish battery life, low brightness, high sRGB touch display
Acer Spin 5 13 - base unit has some flex

Every model has its own pros and cons. Check NBC reviews to compare

This post has been edited by ZM Fong: Apr 27 2018, 09:45 AM

Potential QC issues (Surface lineup issue), 4GB RAM will struggle (soldered), insanely hard maintenance/upgradability, cooling not that good. Excellent display and battery life, portable.

ST Plus is based on N850HK1. That model runs VERY hot. Even a repaste couldn't help much. Xiaomi Notebook Pro is another story since the specs are not comparable. It has good build quality, display, input devices, battery life and cooling (8250U can be tuned to 7700HQ).

May I know what games do you play?

For a mediocre cooling design, even in gaming CPU and GPU temps are already high (~80℃). If under heavy stress test the cooling system will die. Poor thermals lead to high inner temps, high surface temps and high fan noise while under load. Every laptop has different cooling performance, check reviews from Notebookcheck or Ultrabookreview (or notebookreview forum)

N850HK1: cooling design fault: fans too small and not powerful enough (chosen the wrong fans), tripod heatsink design, poor airflow etc.

Helios 300: Outdated cooling design, CPU runs hot as a result

MSI GL/GP: low quality thermal paste, fairly thin chassis

Asus GL: low quality thermal paste, thin chassis, undersized heatsink and insufficient heatpipes (in some models)

Repaste means replace thermal paste.

If only Dota then MX150 can handle it, no need 1050/1050TI. Thus the Notebook Pro can handle it. You need adapter for the plug (China plug), maybe need reinstall Windows too if you don't want Chinese Windows, otherwise compatible. One thing special about this laptop is, you can tune the 8250U CPU to match 7700HQ performance by undervolting and increasing PL1 (TDP) limit via Intel XTU. (may need a repaste if the thermal paste job is bad)

This post has been edited by ZM Fong: Apr 27 2018, 03:56 PM

HP Omen 15 2017 has a good IPS panel but OKish cooling and build quality. Get a new model with CFL-H CPU like Dell G7. They have good after sales service (bad service can still occur if you're unlucky)

Used Thinkpad like T430/T520 would be my choices, much better than all 14/15 inch options in this price range.

Buying laptop isn't just only specs

New: Lenovo Ideapad 120s, Chuwi stuffs
Used/refurb (1 yr warranty), much better choice IMO: Thinkpad T430, T520, T440s. Just need to add new battery, maybe SSD and some extra RAM

UX430UA and Swift 5 are Ultrabooks. Y520 is gaming laptop with dGPU. So not a good comparison. Do not listen to shop guys.

UX430UA has a good display. Swift 5 has a good display too with touchscreen enabled (with good contrast and sRGB) but the max brightness is too low. Y520 has entry level IPS with low sRGB and OKish contrast.

UX430UA with i3 is slower than 8250U in Swift 5 and 7300HQ in Y520. 8250U is generally faster than 7300HQ, however that's not the case with Swift 5 due to mediocre cooling (due to thin profile).

Swift 5 and UX430UA are WAY more portable in terms of weight and thickness.

UX430UA has good battery life. Swift 5 has OKish battery life while Y520 has mediocre battery life.

Y520 has the worst build quality among the 3 options (still good for gaming laptop). UX430UA have aluminum frame+plastic body. Swift 5 has full metal body.

There may be more differences but these are what I remember. Look at Ultrabookreview and Notebookcheck reviews to compare.

Your budget is very tight. I would suggest used Thinkpad like T430 with new battery and extra RAM/SSD

If you don't want used, Ideapad 120s or Chuwi stuffs

This post has been edited by ZM Fong: Apr 30 2018, 11:43 AM

Reviews of their stuffs are quite good. Cheap, good build quality, OK battery life, IPS display (some are high quality 3:2 panel). Can't comment on reliability. Warranty handled by importer so buy at your own risk. Most of their stuffs are good, just compare the specs. At such price range they offer the best options.

If you want 14 inch, Lapbook 14.1, though this model isn't that good. I recommend Lapbook 12.3.

Laptops in this price range have sacrifices so check reviews from Notebookcheck or Ultrabookreview (Anandtech or TechRadar for Chuwi laptops reviews)

This post has been edited by ZM Fong: Apr 30 2018, 12:14 PM

I would still suggest both upgrades. However if your budget don't allow, upgrade SSD first then RAM.

Depends on your usage. UX430UA has better display, slightly better build quality and slightly better battery life. And more portable too. 320s 14 has better CPU performance and slightly better keyboard. Also dGPU.

Zenbook is premium consumer line while Ideapad 300 series is budget consumer line so there might be differences in QC too

This post has been edited by ZM Fong: Apr 30 2018, 04:36 PM

320s 14 or 15 with 8250U, 52Wh battery and IPS panel. 14 inch model need manual upgrade SSD. Both models need RAM upgrade.

SSD important for smooth OS. HDD runs laggy