Engineering Laptop!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hello everyone,

I am looking for a laptop to take with me to college. I am going to be an engineering student but am not downloading any CAD software on my laptop (I’m going to use the computers in the Engineering Lab) or do any gaming. I am going to use my laptop to take notes and download large PDF’s. Touchscreen is a plus for me but I can deal without a touchscreen laptop.

I’m stuck between these laptops:

Lenovo Yoga c930 (16 GB of RAM, 256 GB SSD)

Dell XPS 15 (16 GB RAM, 512 GB SSD)

HP Envy x360 (16 GB RAM, 512 SSD)

Can anyone give me pros/cons on the laptops?

Look up the reliability of that Dell model. Many students I know, including my son had to return their Dell for various issues, including latch issues, processor speed issues and other failures inside of two years of buying a Dell in 2016. Dells may not last for 4 years. I am not familiar with Lenovo, but RPI websites might have info, as they used to require Lenovo for all students. HP laptops used to be very reliable, but I know nothing about the latest model.

Some info on Dell
https://www.notebookcheck.net/Dell-XPS-15-9570-issues-still-cause-of-concern-for-owners.393156.0.html

The Dell XPS 15 (9560, year 2016) version is what both my kid and I have. Do note that the 2019 version (which Dell confusingly calls the XPS 7590) finally takes care of the biggest issue that most users had, which is the placement of the camera (no more “nostril cam”), plus it offers an i9 CPU for really high-end models. However, it literally just came out last month (June 2019) so chances are this model might be hard to find.

The XPS 13/15 is probably nicest machine out there alongside the MacBook Pro. Based on what you are saying, if budget is an issue, you should probably go with an i5 version. My kid did have an issue with the battery “bubbling up” (probably from overcharging the battery) and literally lifting his keyboard up, but it was a warranty item and Dell sent him a free battery. And has had issues with screws coming loose (probably from the battery issue), but once he put a cover on the bottom of the laptop, that helped a lot. Other than that, no problems, it’s been going pretty strong for him for 2+ years. Probably next year though I’ll think about upgrading for him.

Fwiw, my D’s Dell from 2017 has been fine, and their on-site coverage (be sure to purchase this) replaced basically half of the machine in 3 days, on-site, when she dropped it. A roommate was without a computer for 2 weeks after a similar incident.

It’s an Inspiron - we saw no reason to get the much more expensive XPS - she deals with a slightly wider bezel and a few ounces.