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00:00Hey, how's it going guys, this is Dave2D.
00:10So school is just around the corner and people are looking for some inexpensive laptop options,
00:14so I thought I'd go through a list of some devices that I think are some of the better
00:18valued options in this space right now.
00:20So first up is the Acer R11 Chromebook.
00:23It's the cheapest device in this video, so if you just need something portable that will
00:27get you through the school year, this might do it.
00:29It only runs Chrome, if you need to run a particular Windows application for a course
00:33or something, it's not going to work, but if you're just looking for email, word processing,
00:38spreadsheets or media consumption, Chromebooks can be great.
00:41There are some cheap Windows laptops out there like the HP Stream, but at this price point
00:46I prefer Chromebooks for just overall usability and performance.
00:50The R11 has a good keyboard and trackpad, good performance, a fully rotating hinge and
00:54touchscreen so it can be used as a tablet, and it has a 7 hour battery.
00:58There's no keyboard backlighting, and keep in mind that it is an 11.6 inch screen, so
01:02it's a little small, but overall it's a pretty good device for the money.
01:06Next up is the Dell Chromebook 13.
01:08Functionally, it's the same idea as the Acer R11, it is a Chromebook, so it's focused on
01:13productivity and media consumption again, but this one costs $100 more, and for the
01:18extra money, you get a really nice 13 inch screen, excellent build quality, it has the
01:23same carbon fiber finish as the XPS systems, the backlit keyboard and the trackpad are
01:27surprisingly good, but this time, there's no rotating hinge and no touchscreen, so
01:32there's no tablet mode, but it has a crazy long battery life.
01:36You can comfortably hit 10 hours of regular use.
01:38One thing to keep in mind, for either of these Chromebooks, if you want to store a lot of
01:41files locally, pick up a micro SD card because the internal storage is pretty small.
01:46Okay, the next device I want to talk about is the Acer E15.
01:50It's a full blown Windows laptop, and I think it's the best device on this list for someone
01:54who wants a cheap gaming laptop.
01:56So this thing has a Skylake i5, an SSD, a GTX 950M for $600.
02:02There is a cheaper model at $500, but that one's running the noticeably slower 940M,
02:07and it's got a slower hard drive.
02:08I'd try to get this one, it's just a better value overall.
02:11It also has lots of ports, even a USB-C, a decent keyboard and trackpad, but there are
02:16a couple things I don't love about it.
02:18The screen isn't super bright, and it has limited viewing angles, and the battery life
02:22is pretty short.
02:23It can run three hours of regular use, but for $600, you're getting very good performance.
02:27So if you're on a tighter budget, and you want to play games or edit videos, check out
02:31the E15.
02:37If you're looking for a lightweight ultra-portable, the Lenovo 710S is a really good option.
02:42It's thin and light with good performance.
02:44It's not as good as an XPS 13 because the drive is slower, but it's a more affordable
02:49option without sacrificing too much on performance.
02:52The build quality is good, not amazing, but the screen has thin bezels.
02:56If thin and light performance is something you really want, you should check that one
02:59out.
03:00There's also the Asus UX360.
03:03This one's also priced at $700, but it's running a Core M3 chip, so it's not as powerful.
03:08It has great build quality, lots of ports, and a nice screen.
03:11This one has no fan because it's running the Core M, so it's silent, and it gets you six
03:15and a half hours of battery life.
03:17But the most important feature of this thing is the rotating hinge.
03:20It adds some extra functionality, and because it's a relatively light device, it's surprisingly
03:25comfortable to use as a tablet.
03:27The Dell Inspiron 7559 is also a good laptop for students.
03:31It's $800 though, so quite a bit more expensive than the Acer E15 I mentioned earlier.
03:36But for the extra money, you're getting better performance, better build quality, and much
03:40better battery life.
03:41You'll get around five or six hours of regular use.
03:43If you want to learn more about the 7559, or any of the devices that I've listed in
03:47this video, check the video description below.
03:49I've done reviews for most of them, so I'll post them there.
03:52I do want to mention a few things about some other devices.
03:54Okay, the Surface Pro 4.
03:56It's a really nice 2-in-1, but it's expensive.
03:59So if you're a college or grad student, and your budget is a little higher, go for it.
04:03I still think it's one of the best all-around devices.
04:06It's just pricey, and probably overkill for a lot of students.
04:09There's also the cheaper Surface 3.
04:11It has a 10-inch screen, and the kickstand has set positions, so you might be able to
04:15make it work.
04:16In general, it's tough to use a device with a 10-inch screen as your daily driver in school.
04:21And then there's the Razer Blade Stealth.
04:23You can try to con your parents into getting you one for school.
04:26It's not a bad option for what you're getting, it's actually a pretty good value.
04:29But remember it's an Ultrabook, without a dedicated graphics chip, so it can't really
04:32play games without the Razer Core.
04:35And that's it!
04:36Hope you guys enjoyed this video.
04:37Thumbs if you liked it, subs if you loved it.
04:38It's been nice.
04:39See you guys next time.