New work laptop needed with some specifics!
Discussion
I need to replace my works laptop. I have free rein to purchase whatever suits my needs best but I would rather keep it under £1k if possible.
I do a bit of design work in photoshop and indesign, and some cloud based data work, but my biggest requirement is to be able to handle several large excel sheets open at the same time.
I need to be able to run at least 2 QHD monitors off it and ideally in addition to the laptop screen. Being able to feed another HDMI screen at the same time would also be a help but not essential.
I’d like to be able to run my 2x QHD monitors with the laptop closed too so obviously need a docking station too.
I would prefer not HP as their after sales service is not even close to good enough.
Any suggestions/recommendations welcome, thanks.
I do a bit of design work in photoshop and indesign, and some cloud based data work, but my biggest requirement is to be able to handle several large excel sheets open at the same time.
I need to be able to run at least 2 QHD monitors off it and ideally in addition to the laptop screen. Being able to feed another HDMI screen at the same time would also be a help but not essential.
I’d like to be able to run my 2x QHD monitors with the laptop closed too so obviously need a docking station too.
I would prefer not HP as their after sales service is not even close to good enough.
Any suggestions/recommendations welcome, thanks.
To be honest, almost any laptop should be able to do all of that.
We use Surface laptops & docks at work, run 2 x 27" QHD screens and laptop internal screen no problem.
I'd get 32Gb of memory (Which may limit the selection a little) - as we're finding 16Gb with Windows 11 and a few browser tabs and Excel models going can hit memory limits quickly.
Maybe it comes down to how portable you want, battery life, and whether you'd want to be able to run 2 screens directly off the laptop without a dock? (Which I'm pretty sure can be done with a USB-C port with video output and daisy-chaining the monitors together using Display Port)
Oh - and if you want to use the laptop with the lid closed and no dock, then you can change in Windows what happens when you close the lid; if you chose "do nothing" then it'll work fine.
We use Surface laptops & docks at work, run 2 x 27" QHD screens and laptop internal screen no problem.
I'd get 32Gb of memory (Which may limit the selection a little) - as we're finding 16Gb with Windows 11 and a few browser tabs and Excel models going can hit memory limits quickly.
Maybe it comes down to how portable you want, battery life, and whether you'd want to be able to run 2 screens directly off the laptop without a dock? (Which I'm pretty sure can be done with a USB-C port with video output and daisy-chaining the monitors together using Display Port)
Oh - and if you want to use the laptop with the lid closed and no dock, then you can change in Windows what happens when you close the lid; if you chose "do nothing" then it'll work fine.
MrBig said:
Thank you. I will be aiming for as much memory as I can possibly get. I’m using 4GB at the moment 
With regards to running it with the lid closed, would a docking station allow me to power up the laptop without opening it?
I have a few Dell laptops plugged into some Dell WD19 docking stations via USB C which allow me to do that. The WD19 has a power button on it which the Dell laptops respond to for powering on. A good thing too really as several of them have their power buttons on the top right hand side of the keyboard which makes them inaccessible with the lid closed!With regards to running it with the lid closed, would a docking station allow me to power up the laptop without opening it?
Most laptops with power buttons accessible on the side are able to be powered on with the lid closed. We also have a few HP Chromebooks which don't understand the Dell WD19 power button but that's ok as they have their power buttons on the side of the laptop and will still output to an external monitor with the lid firmly shut (broken hinges).
Yes, those Dell docking stations can work well.
Little more 'experimental' would be seeing if a Bluetooth keyboard would wake the laptop from sleep (Assuming you'd have a keyboard as you want to use with lid closed!) - there are some USB power settings that allow external devices to wake Windows up. Not always 100% reliable, but it can work.
Just as an aside - does it have to be a laptop? If you're trying to keep it small, then there's some great little PC's available which would give more 'bang for buck' than an equivalently priced laptop.
Little more 'experimental' would be seeing if a Bluetooth keyboard would wake the laptop from sleep (Assuming you'd have a keyboard as you want to use with lid closed!) - there are some USB power settings that allow external devices to wake Windows up. Not always 100% reliable, but it can work.
Just as an aside - does it have to be a laptop? If you're trying to keep it small, then there's some great little PC's available which would give more 'bang for buck' than an equivalently priced laptop.
MrBig said:
Thank you. I will be aiming for as much memory as I can possibly get. I’m using 4GB at the moment
With regards to running it with the lid closed, would a docking station allow me to power up the laptop without opening it?
Depends on the manufacture and docking station. With regards to running it with the lid closed, would a docking station allow me to power up the laptop without opening it?
I'd also recommend Dell for work laptops. They seem to integrate well with Dell docking stations but to get a decent one would use most, if not all of your £1K budget.
Depending on your work policy, don't discount refurbished laptops.
I've used https://www.europc.co.uk/ a few times for Dell laptops, and they've always been in A1 condition. They sometimes have dock's too.
There's also the Dell Outlet itself.
I've used https://www.europc.co.uk/ a few times for Dell laptops, and they've always been in A1 condition. They sometimes have dock's too.
There's also the Dell Outlet itself.
I have a Lenovo Thinkpad P16 Gen 2 I7 from Laptops Direct. Cost about £1200. I run it through a Lenovo universal USB-C docking station which has its own power button - no need to ever lift the lid on the laptop
It will run two monitors via the docking station and a third via a USB > HDMI adapter
I also run the same setup for a work PC, using a much lower spec ThinkPad E15 I5, and that also handles three monitors without issue.
It will run two monitors via the docking station and a third via a USB > HDMI adapter
I also run the same setup for a work PC, using a much lower spec ThinkPad E15 I5, and that also handles three monitors without issue.
i've got a thinkpad p14, 32GB ram.
does everything asked of it including light 2D/3D cad
initially they gave me a hp dock and hp monitors. the dock didn't turn the laptop on from it's power button so i swapped to a lenovo dock which does.
also have a thinkvision m14t as it fits in the same sleeve as the laptop and has a thick band at the bottom so the screens line up perfectly, allowing and OCD compliant 2 screen portable solution.
does everything asked of it including light 2D/3D cad
initially they gave me a hp dock and hp monitors. the dock didn't turn the laptop on from it's power button so i swapped to a lenovo dock which does.
also have a thinkvision m14t as it fits in the same sleeve as the laptop and has a thick band at the bottom so the screens line up perfectly, allowing and OCD compliant 2 screen portable solution.
the-photographer said:
The recent thread on busines laptops was heavily anti-Dell. Also not a fan of Dell
My previous client supplied Dell Laptops - mine was very highly specced (I believe the cost at the time was about £4K); the machine felt like it was well made and the keyboard was excellent. It had a touch screen but in 18 months the only I used it was by accident (who wants fingerprints on their monitor). The warranty was excellet according to the IT department who were continually chaninging people's failed docking stations. On the minus side:
1. The docking stations were poor and kept failing. Some of the older high spec machines required a bizzare Dell dual usb-c cable (basically 2 usb-c cables connected together) which was handed - put it in upside down and ... no output.
2. The laptop was slow compared to a macbook (but that is possibly due to corporate virus policies and Windows in general) - opening copying files took ages
3. When used with 2 identical QHD Dell monitors it would get confused and randomly select a bad resolution /refresh rate on one monitor.
4. There was a hardware fault on the USB-C / Thunderbolt connections and it would randomly drop all devices for a fraction of a second (just enough to disconnect a Teams call)
5. Dell regularly issue BIOS updates - which to me is concerning. (the BIOS should be relatively simple and should not require patches every month or so).
Overall I was not impressed despite its hefty price tag and spec.
My current client as supplied a HP - it is basic and much lower spec than the Dell... It feels very cheaply made in comparison but it is at least more reliable (apart for the expected Windows blue screens on shutdown for updates). I cannot comment on the speed as their IT system is bonkers and is definitely slowing down basic things like opening files in VIM.
Years ago Cisco supplied Lenovo - which were better than anything I have had since (as far as Windows laptops go) - unfortunately the defence industry tend t shun Lenovo because GCHQ found potential hardware level backdoors on the motherboard.
My previous client supplied Dell Laptops - mine was very highly specced (I believe the cost at the time was about £4K); the machine felt like it was well made and the keyboard was excellent. It had a touch screen but in 18 months the only I used it was by accident (who wants fingerprints on their monitor). The warranty was excellet according to the IT department who were continually chaninging people's failed docking stations. On the minus side:
1. The docking stations were poor and kept failing. Some of the older high spec machines required a bizzare Dell dual usb-c cable (basically 2 usb-c cables connected together) which was handed - put it in upside down and ... no output.
2. The laptop was slow compared to a macbook (but that is possibly due to corporate virus policies and Windows in general) - opening copying files took ages
3. When used with 2 identical QHD Dell monitors it would get confused and randomly select a bad resolution /refresh rate on one monitor.
4. There was a hardware fault on the USB-C / Thunderbolt connections and it would randomly drop all devices for a fraction of a second (just enough to disconnect a Teams call)
5. Dell regularly issue BIOS updates - which to me is concerning. (the BIOS should be relatively simple and should not require patches every month or so).
Overall I was not impressed despite its hefty price tag and spec.
My current client as supplied a HP - it is basic and much lower spec than the Dell... It feels very cheaply made in comparison but it is at least more reliable (apart for the expected Windows blue screens on shutdown for updates). I cannot comment on the speed as their IT system is bonkers and is definitely slowing down basic things like opening files in VIM.
Years ago Cisco supplied Lenovo - which were better than anything I have had since (as far as Windows laptops go) - unfortunately the defence industry tend t shun Lenovo because GCHQ found potential hardware level backdoors on the motherboard.
Mr Pointy said:
the-photographer said:
The recent thread on busines laptops was heavily anti-Dell. MrBig said:
I need to replace my works laptop. I have free rein to purchase whatever suits my needs best but I would rather keep it under £1k if possible.
I do a bit of design work in photoshop and indesign, and some cloud based data work, but my biggest requirement is to be able to handle several large excel sheets open at the same time.
I need to be able to run at least 2 QHD monitors off it and ideally in addition to the laptop screen. Being able to feed another HDMI screen at the same time would also be a help but not essential.
I’d like to be able to run my 2x QHD monitors with the laptop closed too so obviously need a docking station too.
I would prefer not HP as their after sales service is not even close to good enough.
Any suggestions/recommendations welcome, thanks.
At the risk of being 'that' person, is there anything stopping you moving to a MacBook Pro - just make sure its the M2 Pro or better.I do a bit of design work in photoshop and indesign, and some cloud based data work, but my biggest requirement is to be able to handle several large excel sheets open at the same time.
I need to be able to run at least 2 QHD monitors off it and ideally in addition to the laptop screen. Being able to feed another HDMI screen at the same time would also be a help but not essential.
I’d like to be able to run my 2x QHD monitors with the laptop closed too so obviously need a docking station too.
I would prefer not HP as their after sales service is not even close to good enough.
Any suggestions/recommendations welcome, thanks.
Generally I find Adobe stuff much more stable on OSX than Windows.
Currently running a 5k display, the 2kish internal display and another 1080p monitor all at the same time on an older M1 model.
Running the 5k screen via a Dell WD19 dock - which also charges. Just make sure it's the one with a single USB-C connector, and not the weird Dell specific dual plug. the cable side is actually user swappable if needed.
Will be a bit over budget, but you should be able to get something for ~£1400, either from the Apple refurb store or Amazon if they have old stock or M2 or M3 products.
bobthemonkey said:
At the risk of being 'that' person, is there anything stopping you moving to a MacBook Pro - just make sure its the M2 Pro or better.
Generally I find Adobe stuff much more stable on OSX than Windows.
Currently running a 5k display, the 2kish internal display and another 1080p monitor all at the same time on an older M1 model.
Running the 5k screen via a Dell WD19 dock - which also charges. Just make sure it's the one with a single USB-C connector, and not the weird Dell specific dual plug. the cable side is actually user swappable if needed.
Will be a bit over budget, but you should be able to get something for ~£1400, either from the Apple refurb store or Amazon if they have old stock or M2 or M3 products.
I've never used a mac in my entire life. £1400 is seriously pushing my budget and I wouldn't have a clue where to start with it.Generally I find Adobe stuff much more stable on OSX than Windows.
Currently running a 5k display, the 2kish internal display and another 1080p monitor all at the same time on an older M1 model.
Running the 5k screen via a Dell WD19 dock - which also charges. Just make sure it's the one with a single USB-C connector, and not the weird Dell specific dual plug. the cable side is actually user swappable if needed.
Will be a bit over budget, but you should be able to get something for ~£1400, either from the Apple refurb store or Amazon if they have old stock or M2 or M3 products.
Interesting that Dell don't seem to be very well regarded. I've bought Dell for home laptops a number of times now and my data engineer wife is always supplied them by the multi billion pound business she works for.
I will never buy another HP product. Their support and aftersales totally suck.
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