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Ask HN: Quality of recent gens of Dell/Lenovo laptops worse than 10 years ago?

112 points ferguess_k | 10 comments | 01 Dec 25 14:47 UTC | HN request time: 1.196s | source | bottom

I have been purchasing used/new Lenovo/Dell laptops for the last 7 years, and I have noticed that the build quality of recent models is concerning.

Lenovo: Ex-company gave me a NEW Carbon X1 around 2019, and the battery only lasted for less than a year (!). On the other side, I bought a used 2017 470S from the same company, added more RAM, didn't touch anything including the SSD, and I'm still using it in daily coding. I did buy a new battery last month so technically the old batteries lasted for about 7-8 years.

Dell: I bought 3 laptops + 1 desktop from Dell Refurbished (So the quality should be consistent). 2 laptops + 1 desktop are older models, and 1 is Precision 5550 (2021) that I bought last December. Everything works fine, except for the 5550, which has issues with battery (dropped from 31% to 4% in a few seconds) and (more deadly) charging port (doesn't charge from time to time). Even if I bought it new in 2021, I would be surprised that it only lasted for a bit over 4 years.

The other issue is that 5550 uses USB-C ports. I blame on myself not checking it closely before the purchase. I really hate those ports. Why is everyone copying from Mac?

What's my option? I can't really justify the 2,000+ CAD price point for a new laptop, especially if it lasts less than 5 years. I'd prefer a "low-end" workstation with 32GB memory, but because of the price point I can only afford a 16GB non-workstation one. I don't do gaming any more but I still prefer a good integrated video card. I can't afford Framework and other Linux laptops because they are expensive and usually don't operate in Canada so delivery is expensive too.

I did buy a used Macbook Pro M1 16GB (2021) from my current company last month. I haven't used it but I'm confident that the hardware is good. The problem is I don't really like the software, so I figured I still need a Linux box.

Did you find any sweet spot?

1. ryandrake ◴[01 Dec 25 15:38 UTC] No.46108669[source]▶
As someone also trying to get out of (or at least less dependent on) the Apple ecosystem, the laptop market sucks! Everyone but Apple is making the same garbage-tier, shoddy, plastic laptops with bottom of the barrel components that I'm sure are engineered to just barely work enough to avoid immediate product returns.

I'm starting to accept that if I want a development workstation class machine, I need to build a tower from components.

replies(3): >>46109429 #>>46115247 #>>46117895 #
2. bryanlarsen ◴[01 Dec 25 16:35 UTC] No.46109429[source]▶
When you walk into a Best Buy, the small majority of non-Apple laptops seem to be made of metal, even the $300 Chromebooks. They look and feel more premium, but probably aren't.

The sad thing is that plastic should be the best material to make laptops from. It's lighter, and it gives when dropped. Think about the cases everybody puts on their phones. They're not made of solid metal, for good reason.

The old Thinkpads had it right, they used a magnesium frame surrounded by high quality plastic.

My MacBook Pro is well made, but it's also a pound heavier than it needs to be.

replies(1): >>46118521 #
3. hombre_fatal ◴[01 Dec 25 23:47 UTC] No.46115247[source]▶
I've been considering Framework or System 76 when my Macbook Pro finally dies.

But that means spending ~$1600-2000 (though, about how much my MBP cost).

It seems to take some good research or a clutch recommendation to spend less than that while getting what I want. And I don't understand how 1080p is still such a common resolution.

4. ahartmetz ◴[02 Dec 25 05:26 UTC] No.46117895[source]▶
Thinkpad T models (and other "professional" lines) are fine IME, Framework laptops supposedly too. These Thinkpads use a combination of fiber reinforced plastics and magnesium for their cases. Aluminum is actually not the ideal material for laptop cases.
replies(1): >>46118231 #
5. adastra22 ◴[02 Dec 25 06:25 UTC] No.46118231[source]▶
> Aluminum is actually not the ideal material for laptop cases.

Why? It works and it is very lightweight.

replies(2): >>46118547 #>>46118667 #
6. pmontra ◴[02 Dec 25 07:18 UTC] No.46118521[source]▶
When I walk into those kind of shops I press a few keys of every laptop and check which keyboard flex. Usually the cheap laptops flex and the expensive ones don't. By cheap I mean 300 or 400 Euro and by expensive I mean 800 or 1000 Euro or more. Some laptops that flex are made of metal, some that do not flex are made of plastic. My HP ZBook 15 from 2014 is rock solid and does not flex even if it's mostly plastic. There is a catch: the keyboard is built with a sheet of metal on the bottom, so it's very rigid. The laptop itself has a frame of metal and a shell of plastic. It's definitely not light, one of those laptops in the 3 kg category (6 lbs?) and definitely not cheap. It's also built for total repairability: it opens with no screws and I can replace everything even the CPU and the GPU l. I replaced the HDD and the DVD with 2 SSDs, maxed out the RAM to 32 GB and replaced the keyboard many times, when keys eventually wear and start to fail. I'd buy it again, with modern components (NVME bus, DDR5 RAM) and without the number pad so I can center the space bar and the touchpad.
7. ahartmetz ◴[02 Dec 25 07:22 UTC] No.46118547{3}[source]▶
It dents and it's heavier than magnesium or fiber-reinforced plastic. You might have heard of some related changes in airplane technology.
replies(1): >>46118710 #
8. randomNumber7 ◴[02 Dec 25 07:38 UTC] No.46118667{3}[source]▶
Magnesium and plastic burn better.

Also aluminum is quite good at heat transfer.

Wait....

9. adastra22 ◴[02 Dec 25 07:43 UTC] No.46118710{4}[source]▶
Magnesium has a tendency to combust, and corrodes rapidly in the presence of water. Plastic feels like plastic, and doesn't conduct heat very well.
replies(1): >>46119610 #
10. ahartmetz ◴[02 Dec 25 10:07 UTC] No.46119610{5}[source]▶
I'm personally not a fan of putting my hands on something with good heat conduction! It's nice for passively cooled cases (that you don't put on your lap), but that has pretty severe TDP limitations.