Hi,

I'm looking for a laptop recommendations for my dad. His previous laptop is the Sony Vaio vpceg17fg; it's passed down to my sister. Sorry for the long post, I tried to be as thorough as possible.

The Requirements:

Usage: Mainly for work purposes [Microsoft Office], some net surfing with multiple tabs], some occasional Youtube and Movie watching and very light gaming [those require low resources, metroidvania ish, platformer type]

CPU: At least something similar as the older one [i3-2310M]. Can I get an I5 processor at this price range?

RAM: 4GB minimum, non-soldered, expandable.

Storage: SSD [256GB or empty slot and I put my own SDD] and another HDD Slot or DVD slot that I can convert to HDD slot, if possible.

Graphic: Integrated is fine but if discrete is available for the price, then discrete please.

Screen: 13+” or wider screen, 1080p. No idea about high/low sRGB as long it’s as good as the previous laptop, it’s okay. Non-touch type.

Battery life: Decent battery life [at least 4h], longer the better. [Replaceable battery]

Weight: As light as the possible as long as it fits all the requirements [2-2.5kg. The old one was at 2.3kg]

Others: Good warranty service; If possible back-lit keyboard;

Brand: No preferences as long has decent build quality and good service. Something with 2 years warranty if possible.

Budget: 2K-2.5K [Lower the better]


Any physical shop recommendation? I’m from Kampar, Perak but I doubt there’s many choices in Ipoh. Well be heading down to KL on the 21st/22nd, so thinking of buying then. Prefer not to buy through online store.
I'm thinking of possibly getting the laptop from Viewnet in Lowyat Plaza. Is that place okay?

Thank you in advance.

Thank you for the recommendation. I'll check them out.

Btw, could I ask if I want laptops with removable batteries what should I look at?

Are HP laptops no good? And what about those with Ryzen CPUs?

1. My dad just informed me that he needed a laptop. He'll be coming back home on the 22nd and leaving the next day or so. So, I got a tight window to buy. Don't want to risk getting the item delayed. I'm okay with buying from online but not this time though, due to the timeframe.

2. Yes, those types. I've watched some reviews and there are some laptops with non-removable battery. With the previous laptop, when at home, if my dad is using it for a long time, he would remove the battery and keep the power plugged in. But do all the current laptop have battery inside the bottom cover?

This post has been edited by tryingtolearn: Feb 17 2019, 05:00 PM

I see. Then, in the case of non-removeable batteries, wouldn't the battery degradation be faster with the continuous discharge and recharge?

Thank you.

I had a look at the Brightstar Site. They have some laptops within the range. I'm thinking of the following:

From Brightstar Site
Intel HD
RM1699 - HP 14-BS726T/727TU
I3-7020U, 4GB RAM, 1TB HDD, Intel HD, Windows 10, 1 Year Warranty, 41 Wh Battery
RM1799 - Lenovo Ideapad 330 14IKBR-81G2006WMJ
I3-7020U, 4GB RAM, 1TB HDD, Intel HD, Windows 10, 1 Year Warranty, 30 Wh/35 Wh Battery
RM1799 - Lenovo Ideapad 330 14IKBR 6XMJ
I3-7020U, 4GB RAM, 1TB HDD, Intel HD, Windows 10, 1 Year Warranty, 30 Wh/35 Wh Battery
RM1999 - Lenovo Ideapad 330 15IKBR-81DE01JAMJ/JBMJ
I5-8250U, 4GB RAM, 1TB HDD, Intel HD, DOS, 2 Year Warranty, 30 Wh/35 Wh Battery

MX130
RM1899 - Lenovo Ideapad 330 15IKB DEMJ/DFMJ
I3-7130U, 4GB RAM, 1TB HDD, Nvidia MX130 2GB, Windows 10, 1 Year Warranty, 30 Wh/35 Wh Battery

MX150
RM2499 - Lenovo Ideapad 330 15IKBR-81DE00EEMJ/ EFMJ
I5-8250U, 4GB RAM, 1TB HDD, Nvidia MX150 2GB, Windows 10, 2 Year Warranty, 30 Wh/35 Wh Battery


From Viewnet
RM1812 – HP 14-BS727TU/728TU
I3-7020U, 4GB RAM, 1TB HDD, Intel HD, Windows 10, 1 Year Warranty, 41 Wh Battery
RM2299 - LENOVO 330s-14IKB 81F400G1MJ/G2MJ
I5-8250U, 4GB RAM, 128GB SSD, Intel HD, Windows 10, 2 Year Warranty, 30 Wh/35 Wh Battery
RM2499 – LENOVO IP 330-15IKB-81DE00EEMJ/EFMJ/EDMJ
I5-8250U, 4GB RAM, 128GB SSD, Intel HD, Nvidia MX150 2GB, 2 Year Warranty, 30 Wh/35 Wh Battery

I'm thinking of either the RM1699 - HP 14-BS726T/727TU or RM1899 - Lenovo Ideapad 330 15IKB DEMJ/DFMJ or RM1999 - Lenovo Ideapad 330 15IKBR-81DE01JAMJ/JBMJ plus with 250GB SSD [Evo 850/850 or MX500], another 4-8GB RAM and either an external enclosure or HDD caddy for the 1TB HDD. If decided not to add/change, then I'll go with the RM2299 - LENOVO 330s-14IKB 81F400G1MJ/G2MJ or RM2499 – LENOVO IP 330-15IKB-81DE00EEMJ/EFMJ/EDMJ.

Can i get your opinion/advice with the first 3 choices?

Thanks again for your help.