Budget 51-70k Suggest me a laptop

avi

Skilled
My old laptop has become...well old. Now I am thinking to upgrade. My old laptop is Dell XPS L501x, with config:
  • Intel i7 740M Quad Core (First Gen/Nehalem)
  • 4GB DDR3
  • 2GB nVidia GT435m
  • 500GB HDD
  • 1920 x 1080 15.6" FHD
  • 2.1 JBL Speakers
  • Synaptic Trackpad and backlit keyboard

I have hackintoshed my laptop, like since beginning of the time. Now I am in great dilemma, whether to get MBP or go again with hackintosh route.

The New MBP Pro (2015) costs 83K-84K for config:
  • Core i5-5257U 2.7Ghz Dual Core
  • 8 GB RAM
  • 128 GB SSD
  • 13.3 Inch IPS with LED Backlit
  • Intel Iris Graphics 6100
  • Resolutions: Retina i.e. 2560x1600 Pixels (Scaled resolutions: 1680x1050, 1440x900 and 1024x640 Pixels)

If you see the config, you know how Apple is ripping off. i5 Dual core proccy at 83K :mad:

Either I will have to get above and weep in corner or find a pretty nice laptop at half the price and pArtY wiTh Mah fRaNdS.

  • The MacBook Pro of 2014 used i5-4258U or i5-4278U. So my target laptop should have either this same proccy or much powerful one. So even i7 will do.
  • Secondly, OS X does not need discrete graphics at all. So, onboard graphics will be fine. In fact, thanks to Intel Optimus, you cannot anyway use discrete graphics.
  • My old Dell screen is "B+RGLED display with TrueLife" I have no idea what that even means, but I want a display better than this.
  • I have seen couple of Windows laptops. What I see is, only costly laptops come with good screen. If you get a high end gaming laptop costing 60-70, you get good screen, good display, good keyboard etc. I don't see such things in lower end models, i.e. which come within 40-50K. Their screens suck. And no backlit keyboard.

So, here's what I want:
- Intel i5 or i7, powerful than i5-4258U or i5-4278U
- Processor should be 4th Gen (Haswell) or 5th gen (Broadwell) only.
- Should have great display with great color reproduction and great viewing angles. -- THIS IS MUST YOU GUYS
- Screen resolution should be nice.
- Screen size 13 - 15
- 8GB RAM or 4GB with upgradable
- Doesn't matter SSD or HDD
- Must have good speakers
- No need of discrete graphics card.
- If it comes with a GC, then probably there should be a way to turn it off from BIOS, cos OS X not gonna use it anyways.
- Backlit keyboard is a plus
 
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What's your usage going to be? Thought about just replacing the disk with an SSD on your old laptop? (especially if you just want to hackintosh)

Specs on the old one seem nice to me! Yeah display is FHD and nice too.
 
What's your usage going to be? Thought about just replacing the disk with an SSD on your old laptop? (especially if you just want to hackintosh)

Specs on the old one seem nice to me! Yeah display is FHD and nice too.
Have already got SSD actually. My laptop heats a lot. Battery is also gone. Had changed thermal paste and had it serviced. Still temperatures are at 74-75C (CPU).

It has great keyboard, just too good. Great screen and really good 2.1 speakers. I don't think I can find any laptop which can be comparable to this.

Also, I am pretty sure i5 4th gen or i5 5th will outperform my i7 first gen.

My main usage is for programming. So I need CPU need to be fast. Secondly for movies and TV shows. So, for that I need a better speakers.

Just visited a nearest Dell showroom to check screens. ALL OF THEM SUCK. I checked laptops of <50K and 4th gen Intel CPU ones. So they didn't have newer models. But displays on these laptops just suck, they are nowhere near to my current laptop screen. This is a big letdown.
 
Don't factor in the speakers too much. You could get something like a JBL Clip for that. Best bet would be to get some laptop with international warranty from abroad with Antiglare FHD IPS screen through a buddy.
 
I am also in lookout for a new laptop to upgrade from my i5 560m but my requirement is similar yet different. I need Linux and display 13' to 14' max, IPS display, onboard graphics. I find macbook hardware to be very good for the price but OS issues spoil it. Anyway just wanted to give you a heads up you won't find the Mac book proccy in windows laptop, it's like intel custom built it for apple, only asus had one model with same processor. The advantage of this model is higher base frequency and tdp with powerful graphics. If you are planning to get an external GPU then i5-4X00U should be ok. If onboard is the main requirement then get broadwell as it has higher base frequency and we'll work better when GPU is loaded as well i5-5200U will suffice. I am mostly leaning towards xps 13 fhd developer edition or t450s. Had bad experience with dell laptop in past so might end up with thinkpad. Dell display is excellent, both fhd and qhd.

Edit: since you want onboard get broadwell. I5-5200u will suffice, not much performance difference compared to higher series or higher models are not vfm. Finally none of the U series will be faster than the macbook proccy as they have higher tdp 15w vs 28w accept that or get Mac or get haswell M series 37w
BTW is good build quality your requirement? You will find the macbook cheap if you compare the dell xps and thinkpads :p
 
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I would just buy a Macbook for coding..
I really don't want to spend that much. that's why I am exploring my options. MBP comes with great screen, so if I can't find any such laptop with good screen, then I will have to go with MBP anyways.
 
I am also in lookout for a new laptop to upgrade from my i5 560m but my requirement is similar yet different. I need Linux and display 13' to 14' max, IPS display, onboard graphics. I find macbook hardware to be very good for the price but OS issues spoil it. Anyway just wanted to give you a heads up you won't find the Mac book proccy in windows laptop, it's like intel custom built it for apple, only asus had one model with same processor. The advantage of this model is higher base frequency and tdp with powerful graphics. If you are planning to get an external GPU then i5-4X00U should be ok. If onboard is the main requirement then get broadwell as it has higher base frequency and we'll work better when GPU is loaded as well i5-5200U will suffice. I am mostly leaning towards xps 13 fhd developer edition or t450s. Had bad experience with dell laptop in past so might end up with thinkpad. Dell display is excellent, both fhd and qhd.

Edit: since you want onboard get broadwell. I5-5200u will suffice, not much performance difference compared to higher series or higher models are not vfm. Finally none of the U series will be faster than the macbook proccy as they have higher tdp 15w vs 28w accept that or get Mac or get haswell M series 37w
BTW is good build quality your requirement? You will find the macbook cheap if you compare the dell xps and thinkpads :p
What's wrong with OS X? If you buying MBP, OS X is beshtu and well optimised.

Well, I am not looking exact Intel proccy, something better than that in terms of performance.

No external/discrete graphics as OS X can't really use that.

Yes, even I am inclined towards i5 5th gen.

I remember reading some issues with Dell XPS 13, do read. I won't be buying this, as it's more costlier than MBP :p

Dell dipslay should be good, I can vouch for that as I have XPS.

What's next after U series? No proccy in 5th gen, which can be faster than i5? Or do I have to go with i7 :/

Don't care for build quality or looks.

(Typed from mobile, will quote relevant parts later.)
 
Some tips for hackintoshing part:
1. Newer laptops are much easier to hackintosh. No more manual DSDT edits or bootloader configs. So don't worry much about buying a non-Apple laptop to use OS X.
2. There is 99% probability that the onboard wifi will not work with OS X. To add to the pain, Lenovo & HP whitelist their BIOS to allow only their wifi cards to work with the laptop so you cannot swap with an OS X compatible one. There is no way to bypass this as the BIOS are almost always encrypted.
 
1. Agreed. Scene is much better now. Thanks to Clover, which makes whole thing even better. Though I would still patch and apply DSDT for overall perfomance and outcome.
2. Yup, I am aware of it. In my XPS also Wifi doesn't work. I use those el-cheapo ₹300 EDUP WiFi dongles. Working fine so far and no complaints.
 
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