~ INR 1L/ USD 1.5k 15inch Laptop

J

1) What is your budget? (INR or USD)
INR 1L/ USD 1.5k

2) What size & weight consideration (if any) would you prefer?

Mainstream; 15" - 16" screen

3) What are the primary tasks you will be performing with this notebook?

Regular Use: Excel Workbooks, Browsing, Movies
Gaming - None (but won't mind a gaming laptop)

5) Any typical configuration in your mind you're eying for ?

Would prefer AMD if it helps lower cost or offers better performance
16 GB RAM, 512 SSD etc.
Display - conducive to extended reading (Anti Glare/ Reflective/ Anything else which is better)
Should not be stingy on ports (like xps15) - HDMI, USB A etc. - can still compromise on this front if rest factors are met
Sturdy build quality would help (Metal/ Carbon Fiber etc.)

4) Are there any brands that you prefer or any you really don't like?
a. Like: ASUS, Dell, HP, Any Other
b. Dislike: Acer

Primary criteria would be international warranty and at home after sales support

6) Anything else you would like to say?

Screen resolution 1080p (Full HD)
Battery back up (extended (5-7hrs) )
Purchase place ( Online (Amazon) / Local (Delhi) / Abroad (Canada) ) - whichever place offers best deal without compromising on warranty

I know that Asus & Dell has international warranty (Dell needs Premium support plus or something to be bought). Avoid Dell laptops as their quality has gone down & their gaming laptops run very hot, among the hottest.

Ask Lenovo & HP customer support about international warranty. I don't think Acer & MSI have any international warranty. I know Acer has something called International Travelers Warranty, but never heard of people getting it on laptops bought in US/CA, worth asking their customer support.

Bit above budget but good, has latest Ryzen 5000 & RTX 3060:
*www.bestbuy.ca/en-ca/product/asus-...512gb-ssd-16gb-ram-rtx-nbsp-3060-eng/15264490

Great laptop in general, talk to Lenovo CC as said earlier:
*www.amazon.ca/Lenovo-1920x1080-Processor-Windows-82B1000AUS/dp/B08BB9RWXD/

Indian option:
*www.amazon.in/HP-15-6-inch-5-4600H-Windows-15-en0002AX/dp/B08CGGRHLH
Add another 8GB RAM stick later, sadly just a 60Hz display, otherwise a great laptop.

J

omega44-xt said:
I know that Asus & Dell has international warranty (Dell needs Premium support plus or something to be bought). Avoid Dell laptops as their quality has gone down & their gaming laptops run very hot, among the hottest.

Ask Lenovo & HP customer support about international warranty. I don't think Acer & MSI have any international warranty. I know Acer has something called International Travelers Warranty, but never heard of people getting it on laptops bought in US/CA, worth asking their customer support.

Bit above budget but good, has latest Ryzen 5000 & RTX 3060:
*www.bestbuy.ca/en-ca/product/asus-...512gb-ssd-16gb-ram-rtx-nbsp-3060-eng/15264490

Great laptop in general, talk to Lenovo CC as said earlier:
*www.amazon.ca/Lenovo-1920x1080-Processor-Windows-82B1000AUS/dp/B08BB9RWXD/

Indian option:
*www.amazon.in/HP-15-6-inch-5-4600H-Windows-15-en0002AX/dp/B08CGGRHLH
Add another 8GB RAM stick later, sadly just a 60Hz display, otherwise a great laptop.

Thanks, this is helpful. Any specific views on XPS15 (or reco on similar models by other brands, since Dell is relatively pricey and heating issues).

JK2 said:
Thanks, this is helpful. Any specific views on XPS15 (or reco on similar models by other brands, since Dell is relatively pricey and heating issues).

Avoid Dell's high performance laptops, as I said they run too hot. For instance, my Alienware m15 with i7 + 2060 underperforms compared to friend's Acer Helios 300 (i7 + 1660Ti) because my laptop throttles bad, even with undervolting. XPS 15 runs hot & has some other issues as well. Better avoid it unless you want a glorified multimedia laptop.

J

omega44-xt said:
Avoid Dell's high performance laptops, as I said they run too hot. For instance, my Alienware m15 with i7 + 2060 underperforms compared to friend's Acer Helios 300 (i7 + 1660Ti) because my laptop throttles bad, even with undervolting. XPS 15 runs hot & has some other issues as well. Better avoid it unless you want a glorified multimedia laptop.

Thank you, noted!

Since your requirement can be met with a multimedia laptop, maybe just get Dell's Inspiron laptop with Premium warranty, ADP isn't available internationally.

New Inspiron 15 5000 Touch Laptop ($950 + tax with 3yr Premium)

Dell Inspiron 15 7000 2-in-1 Laptop | Dell USA ($1230 + tax with 3yr Premium)

Inspiron 7000 has Aluminium build.

J

omega44-xt said:
Since your requirement can be met with a multimedia laptop, maybe just get Dell's Inspiron laptop with Premium warranty, ADP isn't available internationally.

New Inspiron 15 5000 Touch Laptop ($950 + tax with 3yr Premium)

Dell Inspiron 15 7000 2-in-1 Laptop | Dell USA ($1230 + tax with 3yr Premium)

Inspiron 7000 has Aluminium build.

Yes, Inspiron 7000 series fits the bill well.

However, currently own Inspiron 7460, which went through 1 motherboard replacement, 1 HD replacement, 2 I/O Unit replacements, and bunch of other services during first 3 years of its life. Completed fourth recently.

Bad piece I guess, and has made me skeptical regarding Dell's quality. At the same time, their at home service practically replaced most of the machine part by part, with limited hassle.

JK2 said:
Yes, Inspiron 7000 series fits the bill well.

However, currently own Inspiron 7460, which went through 1 motherboard replacement, 1 HD replacement, 2 I/O Unit replacements, and bunch of other services during first 3 years of its life. Completed fourth recently.

Bad piece I guess, and has made me skeptical regarding Dell's quality. At the same time, their at home service practically replaced most of the machine part by part, with limited hassle.

Honestly, I would say Dell's quality has gone down. My previous laptop was a Dell 7559, which is still working fine after close to 5 years whereas my Alienware m15 had its battery & heatsink replaced after 1 year, out of warranty. Another friend of mine has an Alienware, his laptop's battery doesn't hold the charge as well, although that's 2 years old now.

Since you need an international warranty & isn't buying a high performance laptop, Dell is a safe choice IMO. Regd. after sales, it took some months of email exchange for Dell to understand my issue & after payment for replacement parts, they took 1 week to give me order confirmation, not sure why. But their service network is still good in India.
Just get 4 years of Premium warranty maybe. The price is still good for a 15" thin & light IMO. India lacks options in 15", esp 16GB in thin laptops.

Do talk to Lenovo & HP reps, ask about the international warranty. Lenovo ThinkPads or HP Envy are good choices, esp with AMD Ryzen 4000 CPU & will be cheaper as well.

J

omega44-xt said:
Honestly, I would say Dell's quality has gone down. My previous laptop was a Dell 7559, which is still working fine after close to 5 years whereas my Alienware m15 had its battery & heatsink replaced after 1 year, out of warranty. Another friend of mine has an Alienware, his laptop's battery doesn't hold the charge as well, although that's 2 years old now.

Since you need an international warranty & isn't buying a high performance laptop, Dell is a safe choice IMO. Regd. after sales, it took some months of email exchange for Dell to understand my issue & after payment for replacement parts, they took 1 week to give me order confirmation, not sure why. But their service network is still good in India.
Just get 4 years of Premium warranty maybe. The price is still good for a 15" thin & light IMO. India lacks options in 15", esp 16GB in thin laptops.

Do talk to Lenovo & HP reps, ask about the international warranty. Lenovo ThinkPads or HP Envy are good choices, esp with AMD Ryzen 4000 CPU & will be cheaper as well.

Thanks @omega44-xt

J

Any suggestions on where to order 16gb model in Canada, can't find on dell store and bestbuy

*www.dell.com/en-ca/shop/dell-lapto...spd/inspiron-14-7400-laptop/ni147400_sb_h109e

Can find the model in India though:

*www.tatacliq.com/dell-inspiron-740...inchw102gb-graphicssilver/p-mp000000008417131

JK2 said:
Any suggestions on where to order 16gb model in Canada, can't find on dell store and bestbuy

*www.dell.com/en-ca/shop/dell-lapto...spd/inspiron-14-7400-laptop/ni147400_sb_h109e

Can find the model in India though:

*www.tatacliq.com/dell-inspiron-740...inchw102gb-graphicssilver/p-mp000000008417131

I think I mentioned Dell US links because you mentioned USD instead of CAD in the budget. Just browse Dell CA website & see what you can get. Amazon & bestbuy are other good options that I know of.

Check these:

12GB RAM:
Dell Inspiron 15 7000 2-in-1 Laptop | Dell Canada

8GB RAM but might have RAM slots:
Dell Inspiron 17 7000 2-in-1 Laptop | Dell Canada

Dell provides detailed service manual in their support website which should show internals of laptop, mobo layout & RAM slots, if any. Check those for both laptops.

The Inspiron 17 seems to be 7706 & here's its manual, has 2 RAM slots:
*dl.dell.com/topicspdf/inspiron-17-7706-2-in-1-laptop_service-manual_en-us.pdf

Inspiron 15 is 7506, no RAM slots:
*dl.dell.com/topicspdf/inspiron-15-7506-2-in-1-laptop_users-guide2_en-us.pdf

J

Thanks @omega44-xt - really appreciate