#1 Decided to take the plunge into, probably, buying a laptop mainly because I want an alternative method of getting online to my desktop PCs. A more mobile option would be useful but it will likely be often used set up with a desktop monitor/mouse/keyboard. Problem is I've set myself a budget and listed the features I want but I'm going round in circles. I find one that meets those requirements then, after more research I discover it has bad reviews or has some other factor I hadn't considered. Fan noise and temperatures soon became a concern - I'd sort of decided on an Alienware 15 DA15260 with an i7 CPU and which comes in several NVidia GPU flavours, dependent on budget. But then I read it is noisy and has above average temperatures when used for anything that stresses the machine. Fan noise is a red flag for me - I had a Dell XP era laptop that would crank the inadequate 40mm fan up to max with the least provocation which I found annoying. The MSI Cyborg Gaming laptop is another I've found which matched my requirements but the simple fact is I'd appreciate some advice and alternative solutions I'd maybe not considered. Whatever it is, it must be available in the UK:- Budget: up to £1500/$2000 but I'm willing to go slightly higher for the 'right'solution. Screen: 15" minimum. 14" is too small (eyesight issues) ideally 16" 16:10. On that point: Touchpad/Keyboard: if they're usable then that's all I need. I'd prefer not to have keyboard backlighting so as long as that can be disabled/removed that's OK. Same applies to webcam and any included bloatware. Ports: as many as possible and, preferrably, a dedicated RJ45 ethernet one. This in general has been the one I've had most difficulty in matching as it seems to be mostly only 'gaming' laptops that have built in multiple port options. CPU: i7 but I'm open to alternatives. GPU: I don't really need a games playing spec one but if it can be done within budget OK. I would be fine with Intel's current on board UHD type or somthing else of equivalent capability. The issue I have is that when you can find such information anything with a seperate GPU seems to compromise any low fan noise requirement. SSD: not bothered. A 512GB one is fine. OS: Windows 11 Pro but I would not be against the cost of upgrading to that from Windows 11 Home. I don't want either TBH but this is going to be a laptop to last. Reliability and support available are obviously important too. If there are any makes that should be avoided on any grounds I'd like to know. Thanks for any help.
