I’m purchasing a laptop (in the US) which will primarily be used for business/productivity. I’m between the following 3 black friday specials (open to other recommendations as well) and was hoping to get the opinion of this sub on which I should purchase.

LAPTOP QUESTIONNAIRE

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  • Total budget: $500 to $800
  • Are you open to refurbs/used?: No
  • How would you prioritize form factor (ultrabook, 2-in-1, etc.), build quality, performance, and battery life? : ultrabook preferred, build quality and performance prioritized over battery life.
  • How important is weight and thinness to you?: portability is nice to have but not required.
  • Do you have a preferred screen size? If indifferent, put N/A. : Not a major deciding factor for me but I’d guess 14.5"-15" is the sweet spot for functionality and portability.
  • Are you doing any CAD/video editing/photo editing/gaming? List which programs/games you desire to run. : no just basic business/productivity. Excel, ppt, word, etc.
  • If you’re gaming, do you have certain games you want to play? At what settings and FPS do you want? : No requirements. Minimal gaming.
  • Any specific requirements such as good keyboard, reliable build quality, touch-screen, finger-print reader, optical drive or good input devices (keyboard/touchpad)?
    -I’d like a solid build quality for when i do take this on the road to customers for presentations or in my company vehicle.
  • Leave any finishing thoughts here that you may feel are necessary and beneficial to the discussion. : Really just looking for a well built laptop that will last 4-5 years. Will more than likely be docked 70-80% of the time. May need to bring on the road for travel at times.

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I zeroed in on these 3 because they all have i7 CPU’s, a minimum of 16GB RAM, and a minimum of 512GB SSD (figure these specs will get me the 4-5 years im looking for). Won’t be doing any gaming or CAD work. Screen size is not a major determining factor for me as it will mostly be docked/connected to my monitors. I do have a Dell thunderbolt dock (WD22TB4) available to me in case that sways your decision. I’m really just looking for a reliable laptop that I can use for the next 4-5 years and take on the road with me when occasionally when needed without worrying about it breaking.

Thank you!

Lenovo Ideapad Slim 5 laptop - $549.95

  • Intel Core i7-1355u
  • 16GB Ram
  • 512GB SSD
  • 16" screen

Lenovo 14 Slim 7 - $699.95

  • Core i7-1260P
  • 16GB RAM
  • 1TB SSD
  • 14" screen

Dell XPS13 - $799.95

  • Intel Core i7-1250u
  • 16GB Ram
  • 512GB SSD
  • 13.4" screen

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