So I recently sold my razer stealth 13" (I believe it is the V3 model with i7-7500u), along with my disused core v2. I also sold my 2015 MBP 15". This was Razer stealth #3 for me and the first one that I actually enjoyed. Razer is pretty good if you get lucky.
In their place I purchased what appeared to be a fantastic deal: a dell precision 5520, complete with high-end i7 quad core, 4k touchscreen, quadro gpu, 32gb ram, and 1tb ssd, for $1300. It was only a year old and in perfect cosmetic shape. It has also been an unmitigated shitshow disaster. I returned it yesterday for a refund and now have no laptop at all.
The good news with the dell: the gorgeous display
The bad news with the dell: putting a high-end i7 and quadro GPU into such a slim body means the computer can't do much of *anything* for more than a few minutes before it gets overheated. Play a game? Ferget it, completely. Render a video, even a short one? It starts out fine but quickly slows to below real-time 1080p h264 rendering and settles in at around 10-15 fps at normal quality. Solidworks simulations are fine because they run so quickly and I don't think use the GPU at all.
Additionally, the carbon fiber finish looks tacky (it's unpainted CF, and has a rubbery coating that feels nice at first but requires cleaning to not turn gross). The touchpad click is way too loud, as is the keyboard. The chassis is heavy and clunky and creaky, like all "big" laptops not made by apple.
What I want is basically my old razer stealth but with some more CPU power. The reason why I liked my old macbook and kept it around is it could render video in less than half the time of my much newer razer.
With the dell, I was hoping to get a PC laptop with the power of my mac. I have a dell tower and it is fine. It does not overheat in a few minutes and in fact makes nearly no noise at all. Silly me, thinking their laptops were as good as their towers, or any good at all. I also don't like Dell's bloatware. I'm not a fan of razer's candy crush and whatever the hell else they think PC "gamers" want to play, but it is easily uninstalled. Synapse is really good compared to dell's prosupport and other stuff. The "mobile feature enhancement pack" required to adjust things like battery charge threshold and keyboard brightness appears to have been last updated in the year 2003. Keep in mind this model retails from dell (they still sell it) for over $3000:confused_:
So this much is clear, I need a new razer stealth. I really like the idea of having a quad-core stealth. It appears my purchase options are limited, however, as the model I want is being discontinued in favor of a new model which looks pretty ugly. I don't want a built in GPU, the dell made that part very clear to me. I don't want an ugly, boxy, bezel-less chassis of the new models, with no QHD+ display option, which was the perfect resolution for this screen size. Nitpick, but I also don't like that the razer sign on the back doesn't light up. Basically, I want a laptop exactly the same as my old one, but with a quad core inside.
So I can purchase this quad core "v4" model from amazon, with a 3rd party warranty. Or I can purchased a refurbished model directly from razer (shudder). We have a microsoft store as well but I have no idea what their stock is like. Maybe micro center, but their price is high.
TLDR convince me there is a better laptop than the stealth. I don't want to buy another Razer because I want something that I can hold on to for several years without fear of breakdown, but I don't know what else to do. The new macbooks are terrible, and I suspect the lenovo experience will be even worse than dell's. I used to run around with nothing but thinkpads but that was back in the IBM days.
Also convince me that buying a refurb (*shudders*) direct from razerzone.com (*double shudder*) is not akin to taking 1200$ cash and throwing it into the wind.
For extra difficulty points I will be purchasing this laptop with my own money and not getting it through my employer unlike every other laptop I've owned recently. I want my own. So it needs to last with 0 issues for several years. I need something that can run lightworks and garmin virb edit but I don't care about games and only do video stuff once in a while. Budget 1500 or so.
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Laptops Mobo dead records is held by dell user with 15 motherboard replacement or maybe more, I think it’s within 4 years.
From your laptop requirements, Gunmetal Blade stealth is great choice but unfortunately it seems out of stock anywhere.
I want also upgrade my stealth with quad core one due my gaming needs but my I like dual core 12,5 qhd from its battery life and sweat 1440p resolution for gaming with core using internal screen. There’s already asked on eBay private for €600 (purchased refurbished €800), so for almost 2 years usage it’s not bad at all but it’s still hard to let it go;)
Okay my bad thought you’re kind stealth person who doesn’t like logo light and fancy chroma since it’s mostly more for gamers. Damn $1200 for quad 512GB isn’t bad, I bought refurbished 128gb dual core for €800 converts maybe around $900. From my experience the difference is only without specs sticker with the new unit, honestly it’s kind deal breaker for me because I like specs sticker, but I can live with it😅
From your laptop requirements, Gunmetal Blade stealth is great choice but unfortunately it seems out of stock anywhere.
I want also upgrade my stealth with quad core one due my gaming needs but my I like dual core 12,5 qhd from its battery life and sweat 1440p resolution for gaming with core using internal screen. There’s already asked on eBay private for €600 (purchased refurbished €800), so for almost 2 years usage it’s not bad at all but it’s still hard to let it go;)
Pentalobe
I dont want the gunmetal because of no chroma and no green logo. Ruins the whole point of a razer. The black is still available through official channels but not razerzone, unless I want to roll the dice on a refurb.
In the US the stealth H4 (quad core) with 512g disk is $1500, or $1200 refurbished.
Okay my bad thought you’re kind stealth person who doesn’t like logo light and fancy chroma since it’s mostly more for gamers. Damn $1200 for quad 512GB isn’t bad, I bought refurbished 128gb dual core for €800 converts maybe around $900. From my experience the difference is only without specs sticker with the new unit, honestly it’s kind deal breaker for me because I like specs sticker, but I can live with it😅
For whatever reason the 256 wasn't showing up earlier on amazon (maybe out of stock?) I can get the 256gb for $1300 on amazon, which is the model I wanted and the price I wanted to spend.
Also kinda neat is amazon now has a finance option that I actually find somewhat appealing. 5 monthlies of $260. No credit, just pre-authorized charges.
You're right I'm not a PC gamer. I use my laptop mainly for work and web browsing. That doesn't mean I want fugly boring hardware.
I’ve decided that the new “squared off” model may be worth considering. There are a few upsides:
+newer: better supported over it’s lifetime, and easier to purchase
+more powerful, if only slightly
+all of the keyboard legend is backlit, it doesn’t matter much to me because I memorized the positions of the old fn- keys without issue. Still a nice touch
+extra usb socket. Dunno what I would plug in there but it’s nice? Would rather have an SD slot.
+ has matte screen cover already. Previously used an illumishield brand which was great but could never get all the bubbles out
This brings me to the biggest issue I see with this machine:
-wacky screen resolution options. FHD or 4k on a 13”. The old 3200x1800 was absolutely perfect for me. This gave 1600x900 points at 200 dpi, which every app supports without issue. I would run FHD at 150 or 125% scaling, which is definitely not ideal. 4k at 300%? Do my apps even support 300%? OK, 4k is a bad option here and I would be a fool to choose that model. But FHD coming from a QHD+, I am concerned this may be a letdown. I loved the old QHD+ screen. Pin sharp resolution, easy to scale dpi, and everything comfortably large enough to read.
Also,
-configuration options force me to choose a gpu (that I don’t want) in order to get 16gb of ram (that I do want). Sigh.
-no chroma keyboard and light up sign on the lid. I wanted an RGB lid logo and they went the complete opposite direction. Penny pinching on an outrageously overpriced machine? Ugh.
-WTF are they thinking with that right shift key?
I’m wondering if I should consider the full size blade 15. Still a FHD screen at even lower dpi, but I can run a 15 fhd at 100% scaling without issue. I can also get a lot more powerful cpu, but I lose comatibility with usbc chargers and batteris I already own. Also, I’m still stuck with a gpu.
Also kinda neat is amazon now has a finance option that I actually find somewhat appealing. 5 monthlies of $260. No credit, just pre-authorized charges.
You're right I'm not a PC gamer. I use my laptop mainly for work and web browsing. That doesn't mean I want fugly boring hardware.
I’ve decided that the new “squared off” model may be worth considering. There are a few upsides:
+newer: better supported over it’s lifetime, and easier to purchase
+more powerful, if only slightly
+all of the keyboard legend is backlit, it doesn’t matter much to me because I memorized the positions of the old fn- keys without issue. Still a nice touch
+extra usb socket. Dunno what I would plug in there but it’s nice? Would rather have an SD slot.
+ has matte screen cover already. Previously used an illumishield brand which was great but could never get all the bubbles out
This brings me to the biggest issue I see with this machine:
-wacky screen resolution options. FHD or 4k on a 13”. The old 3200x1800 was absolutely perfect for me. This gave 1600x900 points at 200 dpi, which every app supports without issue. I would run FHD at 150 or 125% scaling, which is definitely not ideal. 4k at 300%? Do my apps even support 300%? OK, 4k is a bad option here and I would be a fool to choose that model. But FHD coming from a QHD+, I am concerned this may be a letdown. I loved the old QHD+ screen. Pin sharp resolution, easy to scale dpi, and everything comfortably large enough to read.
Also,
-configuration options force me to choose a gpu (that I don’t want) in order to get 16gb of ram (that I do want). Sigh.
-no chroma keyboard and light up sign on the lid. I wanted an RGB lid logo and they went the complete opposite direction. Penny pinching on an outrageously overpriced machine? Ugh.
-WTF are they thinking with that right shift key?
I’m wondering if I should consider the full size blade 15. Still a FHD screen at even lower dpi, but I can run a 15 fhd at 100% scaling without issue. I can also get a lot more powerful cpu, but I lose comatibility with usbc chargers and batteris I already own. Also, I’m still stuck with a gpu.
Pentalobe
I’ve decided that the new “squared off” model may be worth considering. There are a few upsides:
+newer: better supported over it’s lifetime, and easier to purchase
+more powerful, if only slightly
+all of the keyboard legend is backlit, it doesn’t matter much to me because I memorized the positions of the old fn- keys without issue. Still a nice touch
+extra usb socket. Dunno what I would plug in there but it’s nice? Would rather have an SD slot.
+ has matte screen cover already. Previously used an illumishield brand which was great but could never get all the bubbles out
This brings me to the biggest issue I see with this machine:
-wacky screen resolution options. FHD or 4k on a 13”. The old 3200x1800 was absolutely perfect for me. This gave 1600x900 points at 200 dpi, which every app supports without issue. I would run FHD at 150 or 125% scaling, which is definitely not ideal. 4k at 300%? Do my apps even support 300%? OK, 4k is a bad option here and I would be a fool to choose that model. But FHD coming from a QHD+, I am concerned this may be a letdown. I loved the old QHD+ screen. Pin sharp resolution, easy to scale dpi, and everything comfortably large enough to read.
Also,
-configuration options force me to choose a gpu (that I don’t want) in order to get 16gb of ram (that I do want). Sigh.
-no chroma keyboard and light up sign on the lid. I wanted an RGB lid logo and they went the complete opposite direction. Penny pinching on an outrageously overpriced machine? Ugh.
-WTF are they thinking with that right shift key?
You got the answer which one is for you 😂. New keyboard layout Right shift key may take time getting used to, it’s similar with Blade 15, for gaming bigger keys is better, someone still use arrow keys for fortnite, unreal tournament or even overwatch. I have also lefty’s relative who use that keys for gaming.
Which models are synapse 3 compatible? That was an issue with my H3 after buying a 2nd mamba (elite) that did not work with synapse 2, which my legacy system (er, from 2017?!) did not support synapse 3.
Pentalobe
Which models are synapse 3 compatible? That was an issue with my H3 after buying a 2nd mamba (elite) that did not work with synapse 2, which my legacy system (er, from 2017?!) did not support synapse 3.
I don’t have latest stealth but I think it’s up from stealth 2019.
There is a new stealth 2019? I thought they just came out with the 2018 late last fall?
Pentalobe
There is a new stealth 2019? I thought they just came out with the 2018 late last fall?
This one. I call it late 2018 but since anyone says stealth 2019 so I said it with no purpose;), some users mentioned fans rpm controll that is only on Synapse 3.
Why don't they just call it the H5 since there has been H1, (which I owned), H2, H3, (which I owned), and H4, before it... I believe the H is reference to it's code name "Hazel" but I'm not sure.
Maybe they dumped this internal designation with the change to the new body?
Maybe they dumped this internal designation with the change to the new body?
Pentalobe
Why don't they just call it the H5 since there has been H1, (which I owned), H2, H3, (which I owned), and H4, before it... I believe the H is reference to it's code name "Hazel" but I'm not sure.
Maybe they dumped this internal designation with the change to the new body?
Yes H could mean Hazel code name for Blade stealth battery, like Betty on Blade 14. I heard it’s project name from project founders most important person like GF etc. I usually call mine v2 (late 2016), v1 original stealth early 2016, v3 is new 13,3 inch 2017. From there idk, there’s later cpu update on same v3 to quad core, so idk if it’s v3 or v4 or v3,5;)
I ordered the 8550u model. No GPU/16gb ram, 3200x1800 display, regular keyboard layout, chroma.
Easy decision
Easy decision
Pentalobe
I ordered the 8550u model. No GPU/16gb ram, 3200x1800 display, regular keyboard layout, chroma.
Easy decision ;)
Good to hear...why took that long;) It’s gpu inside it UHD620, you can play Minecraft well (joke), play old game like Bayonetta, Deadpool or original Gear of wars occasionally without issue or lag @720p on hd620 without core help, anyway no one brings Core to cafe for gaming;)
Because I wanted to buy from Amazon and they had it out of stock all weekend.
Don't worry, I don't want to play games on a 13 inch (or even 17 inch) screen:
(all I need now is to find a 2nd ikea TV stand just like my first one...)
Don't worry, I don't want to play games on a 13 inch (or even 17 inch) screen:
(all I need now is to find a 2nd ikea TV stand just like my first one...)
Is that electronic store:D Just my curiosity, which want do you see while playing splatoon😅
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