Finally looking to replace my ancient doorstop. It has Windows 7 Pro. 7. I don’t even know where to start. I’ve been using my iPad pretty exclusively for several years but want to do more. Any direction would be much appreciated.

LAPTOP QUESTIONNAIRE

• Total budget (in local currency) and country of purchase. Please do not use USD unless purchasing in the US:

About $2000 CAD

• Are you open to refurbs/used?

No, I would prefer new.

• How would you prioritize form factor (ultrabook, 2-in-1, etc.), build quality, performance, and battery life?

I would like for it to be upgradable so I don’t need to replace it anytime soon. Battery life isn’t a big deal as I will usually be near an outlet. I would like good build quality and performance. I hate lag. I was very happy with my old custom laptop.

• How important is weight and thinness to you?

Less important if the laptop is good for me in all of the other areas. Lightweight and thin are nice but not priority.

• Do you have a preferred screen size? If indifferent, put N/A.

N/A

• Are you doing any CAD/video editing/photo editing/gaming? List which programs/games you desire to run.

Paint Shop Pro. Maybe some beginner-type video editing. Not sure of a program. Just something I’ve been interested in trying. Nothing hugely intensive.

• If you’re gaming, do you have certain games you want to play? At what settings and FPS do you want?

The Sims, Hogwarts Legacy. Maybe a couple of the “Tales of” games or other JRPG. Not sure what else. No Call of Duty or anything like that. I don’t think anything I’d play would be particularly demanding.

• Any specific requirements such as good keyboard, reliable build quality, touch-screen, finger-print reader, optical drive or good input devices (keyboard/touchpad)?

I would really like the keyboard to be the standard US keyboard, not the International or Bilingual that tend to come with Canadian laptops. This is probably a dealbreaker for me and why I imported my first laptop. Touch-screen would be nice but not totally necessary. I would like an optical drive but can always get a plug and play if it’s not available in the build.

• Leave any finishing thoughts here that you may feel are necessary and beneficial to the discussion.

I have a custom Sager 5125 Built on Cleve 1500M. Honestly, I don’t even know what that means. I have a screenshot of the receipt with the specs if needed.

I used to be a lot more tech-savvy but it has been about 20 years since I knew what I was doing. I live in Canada but had the laptop imported from PCtorque which apparently isn’t even a computer store anymore. (It was definitely .com, not .net)

I am open to importing from the US again, but would prefer to buy in Canada.