Time for a new laptop

[lwlee]

So I've been pricing gaming laptops that have a good video card in them. I'm disappointed that they only have one HDMI output. If my 2nd additional screen is a USB will the video card even matter? Am I asking for to much when I want 2 HDMI outputs?

Are you a gamer? GPU really only matters for people who game a lot and at high resolutions. Generally better to opt for as much CPU as you can get if you are not a gamer or just a casual one. I have my laptop using USB-C (DP 1.4) to 34" Ultrawide and HDMI to 27" screen.

https://www.quora.com/How-do-I-know...-the-GPU-card-and-not-the-integrated-graphics

One of the comments

There’s something very important you need to understand.. Laptops work different than PCs.

Laptops utilize both the iGPU and dedicated GPU interchangeably. Your laptop can assign different tasks to different GPUs arbitrarily.

Your HDMI port and built-in screen is connected to both of them simultaneously.

The laptop automatically uses the dedicated GPU for more demanding tasks and the iGPU for less demanding tasks in order to conserve battery power.

You can set a specific application rule for which GPU to use in the windows settings to override the automatic choice.

 

[tango29]

HP used to be even the worst of the worst, their stuff was considered complete junk. I don't know how it is now as I don't follow this stuff intently.

It has been ~4 years since there was a HP laptop in our house. We had 2 bought about 6 months apart. The first lasted 1 year before it had issue after issue, and was replaced. The 2nd lasted 1.5 years and enough was enough and it was fired, almost literally as I was debating making some thermite and melting it down and sending it to HP HQ. I figured I might get in trouble so didn't.

 

[spy]

I was debating making some thermite and melting it down and sending it to HP HQ. I figured I might get in trouble so didn't.

Lol, what kind of laptop(s) are you using now?

 

[tango29]

Lol, what kind of laptop(s) are you using now?

One is a Lenovo, and the other I'm not sure, my son bought it and is in Alabama.

 

[long]

Are you a gamer? GPU really only matters for people who game a lot and at high resolutions. Generally better to opt for as much CPU as you can get if you are not a gamer or just a casual one. I have my laptop using USB-C (DP 1.4) to 34" Ultrawide and HDMI to 27" screen.

https://www.quora.com/How-do-I-know...-the-GPU-card-and-not-the-integrated-graphics

One of the comments

There’s something very important you need to understand.. Laptops work different than PCs.

Laptops utilize both the iGPU and dedicated GPU interchangeably. Your laptop can assign different tasks to different GPUs arbitrarily.

Your HDMI port and built-in screen is connected to both of them simultaneously.

The laptop automatically uses the dedicated GPU for more demanding tasks and the iGPU for less demanding tasks in order to conserve battery power.

You can set a specific application rule for which GPU to use in the windows settings to override the automatic choice.

I’m not a gamer. In the past I’ve had problems running multiple screens through USB and I was hoping to avoid that by getting a machine that had a GPU with memory and multiple outputs.

 

[lwlee]

I’m not a gamer. In the past I’ve had problems running multiple screens through USB and I was hoping to avoid that by getting a machine that had a GPU with memory and multiple outputs.

Only USB-C with DisplayPort functionality allows video support. Plus make sure the USB-C cable can handle video. Beyond that, monitors should work. I don't think most laptops have more than one HDMI port.

Another option that you should consider is a KVM like Plugable. It will provide multiple ports (video, ethernet, USB) and other functionality using a single USB-A or USB-C port. Especially for smaller laptops that few ports, Plugable's docking station, can provide all that ports that you could want.

 

[Overnight]

...The 2nd lasted 1.5 years and enough was enough and it was fired, almost literally as I was debating making some thermite and melting it down and sending it to HP HQ. I figured I might get in trouble so didn't.

ROFL, man, I know exactly the feeling you mean. Too funny.

 

[d08]

It has been ~4 years since there was a HP laptop in our house. We had 2 bought about 6 months apart. The first lasted 1 year before it had issue after issue, and was replaced. The 2nd lasted 1.5 years and enough was enough and it was fired, almost literally as I was debating making some thermite and melting it down and sending it to HP HQ. I figured I might get in trouble so didn't.

Could you specify the models or at least the series? I'm very curious which models fail so badly.

 

[tango29]

Could you specify the models or at least the series? I'm very curious which models fail so badly.

At this time I am not sure. I will take a look in my closet of tech shame to see if I have the boxes they came in or a folder with the docs from the boxes. They were both from Best Buy, but I wish I had bought them at Costco as I think we could have returned them in the time frame we owned them. Pretty sure the Costco credit card still doubled the warranty at that time, not sure they are still offering that with the card.
While I didn't thermite them, I did pull the hard drives and destroy them, or they would probably be sitting in the closet also.

 

[mervyn]

Asus OLED seems a good value these days. Other brands are expensive in comparison.