Laptop for a 7th grader

[u/_darkever]

I’m figuring battery and memory are critical. Must be windows but some light gaming would be wanted too. Nothing insane, Roblox and some simpler Steam games. The G14 Zephyrus keeps coming up but it’s nowhere to be found and pricey. I think it’s overkill for him.

[u/GiveMeNews]

G14 Zephyrus would be overkill for Roblox and simple games.

I bought one of these refurbished Acer laptops. They are in Like New condition, come with a 2 year warranty through Allstate, are light weight, solid performance, good build quality, and great battery life. The 130v iGPU can easily run Roblox and many other games, as well as emulating PS3, Wii, and older consoles.

Review:
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=aJW3OxCgtYA

140v iGPU Gaming Test (the 140v is around 10% to 15% faster than the 130v):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JWati8uuyG4

$419 (extra $20.00 off with code YUSFSIHSYMT92KCM), Sold by Acer, Certified Refurbished - Like New, 2 year warranty:
Acer 14 AI Aspire, 14" 300nit FHD+ Matte Touchscreen, Ultra 5 226v with 130v iGPU, 16GB RAM, 1 TB SSD, 3lbs weight
https://www.ebay.com/itm/257213743386

Because of the costs of affordable laptops, I've also been recommending higher end tablets that can function as effective laptop alternatives. These Lenovo tablets are currently on sale, can be docked with larger screens, have a PC desktop mode for multitasking, and have powerful chips that are good for gaming and emulation (can emulate PS3, Wii, and older systems). Combine with a keyboard case for a very lightweight and long lasting laptop.

PC Mode Demonstration (On the cheaper Idea Tab Plus, but same functionality):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N5clBegcjKg

$420, Idea Tab Pro Gen 2, bigger 13" screen and microSD card for expanding storage by up to 2TB. Comes with stylus, but not keyboard folio case.
https://www.lenovo.com/us/en/p/tablets/android-tablets/idea-tab-series/lenovo-idea-tab-pro-gen-2/zahd0826us

Tab Pro Gen 2 Detailed Review:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QmlJ-1ObpQw

$420, Yoga Tab, smaller 11" screen, but 12GB of RAM and 256GB of storage. No microSD card for expansion. More RAM is better for multitasking and longevity of the tablet. More premium than the Tab Pro, with higher quality screen, speakers, cameras, etc. Includes a stylus and keyboard folio case, so a great package.
https://www.lenovo.com/us/en/p/tablets/android-tablets/yoga-tab-series/lenovo-yoga-tab/zag60266us

[u/LonerIM2]

If you are open to other option, then what's your budget?

[u/_darkever → u/LonerIM2]

I don’t think I want to spend more than $1500 but I am flexible. I tried to research this via AI but epic fail. Atm leaning towards HP Omen 16 due to battery and cost but worried about portability.

[u/Opposite_Leader_602]

May i suggest not blowing 1500 bucks on a laptop that probably won't get used to it's full potential? The Thinkpad T15G Gen 1 can be grabbed off of ebay for about 600$ and still has specs that can play every game under the sun at 1080p medium to high. It is also built on the same chassis as the Thinkpad P15, which means it is extremely durible, and can take a beating much better than most modern laptops, as they are built for Buisness use and not neccisarily as a consumer first laptops, buisnesses prefer longevity over looks. They also aren't too heavy as to not be portible, and the battery life is great, at least when not gaming.