Buy your next laptop on Aliexpress... MAYBE?

[@JarrodsTech]

I haven't used a Chuwi for about 3 years, but my experience was similar, the build quality felt way better than expected for the price. The CPU was disgustingly slow though, some random Celeron I'd never heard of, so it's cool to see that they're using something decent now.

[@MonicaHolly143]

Now we need ur review for this and their higher end laptops

[@berrymckockiner5883]

Please make a video on it

[@furythree]

​@@berrymckockiner5883and suffer through his slow rambling? I'm good

[@XDXDXDXDXDXDXDXDXDXD]

My uncle had one in 2018, don't remember the exact model but it was a 13" and the battery didn't have a damn BMS (legit). It would have one side inflate every 6 months.

[@MaximNightFury]

They still sell models with Celerons, though at around USD$200. Gemini Lake is 4 years old and that's what they're using.... not exactly good from my experience (Chromebook has one)

[@filpoamati]

Never thought I'd hear Linus say 'Buy' and 'AliExpress' in the same sentence without grinning

[@norude]

*Without the word "never"

[@schpreck]

There are tons of excellent deals on there if you know where to look.

[@Marksman560]

Linus lost his marbles

[@NetMan_PL]

​@@norudeor "don't", etc etc

[@DPedroBoh]

I mean, he was grinning, but yeah

[@HyperionAlpha]

7 days later and there's at least two things to note here. 1. Chuwi does sell on Aliexpress, and they have laptops on AliExpress right now, however, they are cheaper and even more low-end than the laptop featured in this video. As Linus said in this video, they bought this laptop directly from Chuwi's website, not AliExpress. 2. Chuwi's website went down for at least a full 24 hours in this past week. Once it returned, the laptop that you see in this review was no longer available, and is still no longer available. The cheaper laptops look nearly identical, but they have a lesser spec cpu, and less RAM. No word on whether the better laptop will return later, but for now it looks like this video has done its damage to Chuwi's inventory.

[@norude]

that's a good problem to be having

[@usupov_ilim]

I was thinking like that. if the investors of video paid much more, they always shows like fair side of the laptops, if opposite, if there is no investors the laptops reputation always been reduced

[@KacKLaPPeN23]

Still available at the EU store but price went up about 10%

[@no.5015]

Another thing to note, is that Chuwi’s website could potentially be giving out misinformation, or the recent Chuwi Corebook X has had a revision/downgrade, as it states on the FAQ page that the Chuwi Corebook X does not come with a fan.

[@665libertine]

14 Days later and there is a XPro priced at $499 as follows: CoreBook XPro 15.6 inch i3-1215U 15.6 inches FHD 1080P 16：9 Intel Core i3-1235U 4.4GHz 8GB RAM+512GB SSD 69.99 Wh, Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.2 Backlit keyboard, Windows 11

[@quinnhackett9565]

"It's a big deal for a student" *proceeds to plug $250 backpack

[@Open__56]

Yeah you can buy way more cheaper backpacks which can give even more space for your stuff.

[@HeyoHudsy]

well yeah. what are you supposed to do with all the savings from a good budget laptop?

[@Open__56]

@@HeyoHudsy You are supposed to pay your School fees with your savings and also save money for the future.

[@anondimwit]

@@Open__56 called a joke

[@MonographicSingleheadedM-sp2wk]

XDDDDD that s how yt works, and I respect it. I do NOT see a problem there.

[@colamity_5000]

"Casual games like dota 2"

[@benjaminoechsli1941]

That easy access panel for the SSD is pretty sweet. My first ever laptop was $500. It's cool seeing how far the price range has come, especially if you're willing to poke around.

[@DG_427]

They are pretty rare, some high end laptops have them, but low/mid range usually don't.

[@johnt.848]

On their website they show an NVMe drive but state memory, and the internal layout shows it to be for the RAM.

[@HectorRodriguezN]

I'm glad you are calling out HP at 16:34 for hiding the screws, my last 3 laptops have been HP, and they all had this problem for when I upgraded RAM or SSD. (Pavilion, Laptop, then Pavilion again, both pavilions are 1366x768, actually most specs for the laptop were all better than the pavilions but it had a plastic chassis). Another thing, here in El Salvador, they are selling models with 4/8 GB RAM, lower CPUs and the aforementioned screens at 800-900 USD, so I will definitely be exploring chuwi when I am due for a laptop renewal

[@voltare2amstereo]

You can buy a full hd bare LCD panel for the hp and swap it out

[@LinuxHen]

900 usd for a computer like that? That's just plain obscene. Here in the US 750 will get you an HP with 16 gb of ram, and a core I-7 with a touch screen. Y'all are being straight up fleeced down there.

[@EngiNetion]

I really hated my Pavilion 15 p285-ur for that. It was my first and last HP laptop.

[@HectorRodriguezN]

@@Un_Pour_Tous I can imagine, I have seen comments about the battery and there's also a few issues they mention in the video. But you might expect a few rough spots when you are paying a lot less, however they also have some pros against hp

[@morphowolf.-vv5fq]

i have a victus for $480new with a rtx 3050 and 16gb ram 1tb ssd and i5 12500H and lasts like 7hrs on battery saver and eco mode. best budget laptop from hp (i did have some bending issues in the laptop but HP fixed it for free twice)

[@astealoth]

I got an HP 15 with an R5 5500U, about 2.5 years ago for $450. It only came with a 1x8gb 3200 stick of RAM and a 256gb SSD. I upgraded it with a matching spec 1x8gb 3200 stick of RAM and got a way bigger m.2 SSD for it for cheap on Ebay. Still works great. I don't use it a lot but with dual channel 3200mhz memory those Vega 8 graphics can slap. Even runs Diablo 4 pretty stable with FSR. The screws being under the feet is the only thing I greatly dislike about this generation of HP Laptop. They've been using this chassis for like 3-4 years now, it's the one little detail that will keep me from looking at HP for my next laptop.

[@mtrebtreboschi5722]

I see a 14 inch HP Envy 2-in-1 with a current gen i5/8gb ram/ 512 gb ssd for $550 rn at best buy. 450 open box. I think they coulda found a better deal

[@adrian39369]

Hey have this exact spec 13inch hp and was debating the other day if upgrading was worth it. What model ram did you use?

[@alext3811]

The one that Linus had looks like the Hand-Me-down Envy 2-in-1 that I used in HS (USA Section 504 Accommodations for ADHD, but was a hand-me-down from my father, this was Skylake so in ~2018). The charger looks similar, although I think the video has a 65w (blur but looks more 6 than 4 to me). Not the same chassis, but similar enough. It wasn't gaming, and came with an HDD (I replaced the SSD twice because the first WD blue died (I think because I dual-booted one of those android-x86 and had bluestacks on windows, along with synching Google Drive and OneDrive (my district had both) locally. I actually had a boot issue with the WD drive during a science class.

[@parthmalani6286]

Another huge problem with these hp laptops is the hinge. Cheap Hp laptop chasis uses plastic to hold the screws that attach the hinge. I had a motherboard replaced under warranty and just the service guy removing the screw once broke it. Ive seen the same thing happen to many hp laptops over time.

[@__Random_user_]

​@@parthmalani6286I was just looking at the chuwi subreddit with people saying they had similiar problems.

[@hongluzhang7771]

Linus doesn't know how competitive laptop market is in China, as literally over 95% gaming audience in high school and university is limited to use laptops rather than diy pc due to residence and some other factors at play. Truly wish someone like Andy can actually take Linus a tour on the specs of laptops they can get at various price points, because now I am just so angry at the greedy pricing strategies computer companies are forcing onto consumers.

[@singnugget]

import import import. all western companies are greedy as fuck, even in other poorer markets. i got 16GB of DDR3 ram imported from china NEW for $19. shipping and all other fees included. locally id probably need to pay at least 30 for the same thing on USED market

[@brreeaad]

More Andy content would be so great

[@miodekks]

Im interested what laptop can u get in china for 2k or more

[@dnsjtoh]

@@miodekksSurpisingly they don’t get to the top end because of very very harsh US sanctions. You won’t get a super top end laptop, but you probably will get a good one.

[@eriksson8698]

@@dnsjtoh？？？？？ who told you that? We have everything you have in the market , maybe 10%-20% cheaper than your price and no tax on it .

[@mr.guillotine3766]

I'd like to see you guys test their entire lineup of laptops vs more mainstream options. This one did so well, that I am now curious if that ends up being the case for the others.

[@roqeyt3566]

You should look at their n100 model, it's 270€ and is actually a really really well thought out machine I'm personally buying a larkbox and my mum has the aforementioned laptop.

[@talkingonthespectrum]

Yessss

[@I_enjoy_some_things]

I'm honestly so glad I have no use for a laptop haha. Long gone are my days of laptop gaming, and I don't miss them at all.

[@mr.guillotine3766]

@@I_enjoy_some_things Oh, I'm not remotely interested in them for gaming, but I'm disabled (back pain and random spasms, which can mess me up for a couple weeks at a time) so having a decent enough laptop to use to do my writing, check the web, and do some surveys (only way I can afford groceries, plus make a few bucks extra each month) even if I'm barely able to stand up, would be a nice little backup plan...can't use my desktop for that lol So, yeah, I could definitely use one since I doubt that the U.S. is going to suddenly decide that giving the disabled enough to actually afford rent and bills anytime soon.

[@nisalpeiris1714]

Aliexpress isn't that bad of a place to order these days. It just takes a long time to arrive. There are lots of really good products you can't find anywhere else.

[@cristianorossi6971]

Yes, the Chuwi has some problems with the battery, but if you think about the fact that you can easily have a battery back-up for it due to USB-C, then it becomes less bad in my opinion. I sometimes used my powerbank on my laptop and even though it can't really charge it, it at least solws down the discharge

[@datachu]

This is a good point. Another reason USB-C charging is epic. The HP having a USB-C port but NOT supporting charging from it (likely causing customer confusion) infurates me. I really wish the USB organization would put a stop to crap like this once and for all.

[@kelmanl4]

Most people have a usb c charger for their phone or laptop anyways and unless you work outside or travel for work alot, then you are gonna be in a building with power you can use. My Samsung galaxy book gets like 4 hours with entensive tasks which is a pretty sage compromise compared to other stuff.

[@FlyboyHelosim]

If only I had a laptop that was so low-powered it could be charged via a USB port.

[@kelmanl4]

@@FlyboyHelosim USB-c can deliver up to 240w of power

[@FlyboyHelosim]

@@kelmanl4 But rarely does. It's always the 65 watt range that use USB-C. Anything more powerful typically still uses a barrel jack.

[@TEENYcharma]

also another thing I think the Chuwi has over other cheap laptops is that the trackpad is centered. I know its a super small detail, but it is just such a pet peeve of mine when manufacturers have the trackpad off to the left a little bit. The centering of the trackpad is enough to give it the premium look

[@BelikovSV]

Yeah. I don’t get it why most windows laptops still trying to fit numpad. It costs more, looks bad, no place for speakers and so on.

[@fidelisitor8953]

@@BelikovSV I hate numpads. They look hideous, push the main keyboard to the left and just ruin typing experience.

[@boryolmung9548]

@@fidelisitor8953 for some people Numpad is their method of input numbers on keyboard so this is mostly a personal preference. My current ODM laptop has a numpad but i don't use it. Honestly i don't care about numpads

[@DefaultFlame]

I don't get why they'd offset it to the left rather than the right if they are going to do it at all.. Most people are right handed.

[@PepperKnowledge]

@@BelikovSV Personally I don't buy laptops that don't have a numpad. I do a lot of calculation day to day.

[@achimhaun2726]

It's always depressing for me when I see fantastic tech prices (especially laptops from HP/Dell) only to find out that the identical model available in Germany costs at least 50-70% more..

[@gregor2436]

On which do you refer? I'm from Germany and these prices did not seem to be so good - or better: they seemed to be pretty expensive.

[@roqeyt3566]

​@@gregor2436i think he meant seeing the US pricing, then checking locally. Some of that difference is tax related though No worries for him though, Chuwi is price comparable in Europe.

[@tiloalo]

HP price in the US are always mentioned tax free. So you can add 19% on any price mentioned when comparing to German price (or remove 19% from the German price).

[@sam928232]

Chuwi have eu store, they are cheap there

[@natan6218]

yep, recently bought a thinkpad t470s for almost 600 euros in slovenia...

[@HStark]

Chuwi has been making budget laptops and tablets in China for more than a decade now. They have always been great at this budget segment, though I'd say the laptop in this video is probably one of the higher end and more expensive option they offer.

[@ireallyreallyreallylikethisimg]

sub 500$ is crazy for that kind of performance. I'm thinking of getting their 100$ android tablet to use as a touch screen on the side.

[@DestroyAllWarnings]

It makes sense people don’t worry much about battery life on a cheap laptop. When I was in school, what mattered most was squeezing every bit of performance per dollar - I was broke but always within reach of an outlet in every class and every lab.

[@Haligonian]

Since it takes USB-PD, you can always use a portable power bank to compensate for the worse battery! The extra space and weight you save with the Chuwi vs. the HP would allow for a sizeable one in your backpack or whatever.

[@Fredjikrang]

A 65W output power bank isn’t cheap. You might be better off just using that money for a better laptop in the first place.

[@kaktusgoreng]

@@FredjikrangYou could get a ugreen powerbank for around 62 USD. It’s not that much expensive

[@Dracossaint]

​@@Fredjikrangits not THAT expensive either. Basesus makes a good one $63 not the greatest capacity, but I've seen on sale for $45 before and its held up great for about 2 years now.

[@leonro]

I still wouldn't recommend this approach to compensate. The Chuwi actually has a decently large battery, and the fact that it has such low endurance means that it drains power way too fast. It's still much better to get a laptop that runs very efficiently if you need battery life.

[@captainheat2314]

@@leonroa $50 powerbank and this $550 laptop is still cheaper than comparable specs brand laptops

[@KartoonPerson]

As a highschooler I do say that the chuwi 3.5 hours is decent for school use cause even though we have laptops for doing school work, teachers barely even tell us to pull out our laptops and when we do classes are usually just 45mins and so the chuwi laptop will last half of the school day if we have it open from 1-5 period, so I think the chuwi laptop is actually really good for students if your school doesn't provide you with Chromebook.

[@__Random_user_]

I'd rather get a 1440p color accurate display. You won't use your disk much but having a better CPU will come in clutch for sure.

[@rashidaandoh1736]

🎉❤🎉🎉❤😮🎉❤😮

[@rashidaandoh1736]

🎉❤🎉🎉❤😮🎉❤😮🎉🎉🎉😮

[@KartoonPerson]

@@__Random_user_ I guess again I said for students, highschool students, buying a 1440p color accurate display won't add anything to just doing school work but flexing to other students

[@RusticRonnie]

Doesn’t work in uni sadly

[@BrownFoxWarrior]

I agree on the arrow key thing. I hate using the half keys on the two arrows I use the most. I need full keys (or at least consistently sized ones if they MUST be slimmed).

[@namelesssoul7524]

I bought a Chuwi Lapbook pro a few years ago. It is an amazing computer, but the hinge broke after a year. I have yet to try and diy fix it, but apparently it's not uncommon for their laptops to have some cheap internal structural materials. Something to keep in mind.

[@Dornacgove]

To be fair, that's not exclusive to Chuwi or other noname brands, as far as cheap laptops go. Years ago a hinge on my sisters Lenovo cracked and when trying to get a replacement hinge, I found there are dozens of offers for the OTHER side hinge on ebay, but none for the one she needed. Lenovo only sold them in pairs and one of them had a hole drilled in the middle of the hinge (to this day I find it hard to believe it wasn't intentional) where they tended to break... so everyone was trying to sell off the other after replacing the broken one.

[@notfunny3397]

Asus Zenbook 14 and 14X goes on sale often for 500-600usd, 14X is more It has a 2.8k oled display, 14X is 120hz as well. They have 13th gen core H processor

[@jonmey4196]

Picked up a 12th gen 14 oled 2.8k for 550 open box in the spring

[@Masther33]

I came here to say the same thing, the 14 OLED can be bought for $550 on best buy, has 90hz, i5-1240P a 75Wh battery, usb c charging with thunderbolt 4 and a really nice keyboard, only drawback is that its has 8gb of non-upgradeable ram, but models with 16gb exist, i have one and feels miles ahead of everything for the price

[@RandomTheories]

@@Masther33 Got a Vivobook K6500ZC (i5 12th gen, RTX3050, 16GB RAM, 15,6" OLED screen) and that thing is WILD for that money. I even think its just too nice for simple work notebook

[@snajperSLO]

I was lucky on the 14X Pro (AMD 5800H with 16GB and the 3050) for around $800 on sale but that was before the new models were released. It has some small issues (like the keyboard backlight bleed, stock Mediatek Wifi/BT card is just rubbish - its now on Intel AX210 with 0 issues).

[@a.filakiewicz2942]

i noticed a pretty consistent pattern servicing laptips - business laptops are designed to be relatively easy to service and come with good manuals for technicians. Premium consumer goods are hit or miss, but budget laptops are purepousfully difficult to disassemble.

[@sunshinekisses8498]

Underrated comment... this is brilliant... some of this applies to boots and clothes industry as well.

[@LoganT547]

I've noticed the same thing; I currently own an HP ProBook 430 G8. Compared to the other cheap, crappy HP laptops I've owned before it, this one is actually built to last and feels reliable, and I have been maintaining and upgrading with 0 issues. I find it pretty funny how business laptops are designed to last for ages when most companies upgrade every year, meanwhile the consumer models barely last a year before dying.

[@WCDavis-mv9os]

I've been running a $300 ThinkPad for the last 4 years. 8th gen i3 is surpisingly powerful, more than enough for basic tasks and even some lightweight gaming. Oh, and one of the best Linux experiences I've had on a laptop. Going ThinkPad again for sure.

[@Tekgnome.]

We buy $250-$350 t580's for our organization. 8th gen i5, 16gb ram, a 512gb SSD, and we buy the big extended batteries. They last all day on battery, are compatible with windows 11, and are plenty quick enough for office tasks.

[@TheCebarks]

Lenovo is partnered with Red Hat to make sure their products have a good linux experience.

[@Pasi123]

I'm still using a ThinkPad T440p which I got for 500€ used in 2019. i7-4800MQ, originally 8GB RAM but I upgraded it to 16GB, GT 730M, 256GB Samsung SSD, 14" 1080p IPS

[@matklm]

I got a ThinkPad yoga L390 and I put 16g of ram and a 1t SSD 330€ in total Running linux Mint

[@D3nn1s]

Ibm/lenovos are great. Sure they might be a tad bit more expensive than a similar hp but the quality is just much better. Running an x1 yoga for 3 years and had multiple others before that. Great little machine, though a bit more expensive when i bought it (1250€) it can be bought used for 500ish as well now.

[@Star-fr4jz]

Not sure if you'll see, but that SSD is a MAP1202A + some YMTC memory (QLC I think, for the cheaper stuff). It runs HMB. It's a very common configuration in cheap budget drives from lesser-named brands because the configuration is super cheap in price.

[@tipoomaster]

I have the one with the 8259u. In just over a year of use the hinge catastrophically failed, I was very gentle. The overseas after warranty support is very sparse and expensive to ship. Also had to pay shipping to replace a battery that swole in warranty. Be warned, these are somewhat disposable products with questionable lifespans, like he said you pay for the cost in every product at this price and for this one they took the skill points away from durability.

[@krishanadriano]

Yeah, warranty claims is a concern for this product

[@dustojnikhummer]

One middle hinge in general is a recipe for disaster.

[@Ubeleili]

I also bought a really cheap Chinese laptop while living in China. I have no idea what brand it was. But it had some reaaaallly godly components for its price range. ... It was a really awesome 15" gaming laptop ... ... It lasted 6 months before it broke down and never worked again.

[@sloreo8278]

Laptop display brightness is huge imo. I got my GP66 thinking the 1080p 300 nit screen wasn't a big deal but swapped in a 1440p 400 nit screen a few months ago and the difference is insane.

[@ANYONCE-YTLA]

yeah that was big BIG change.

[@debiancool]

can't help but point out that you can get a usb-c to HP barrel jack adaptor for 3-10$, works great, lets you use just a usb c charger. They are probably available for all brands, and it still lets you rotate the cable around the laptop

[@mihirghawghawe9255]

but then you have to carry around a dongle

[@mehmetfrataydn5304]

​@@mihirghawghawe9255who doesnt carry dongles in 2023

[@legojenn]

I got the Ryzen version of that HP last year for $460 in the US. I am really impressed with it for the price. My biggest complaints are the cheap, easily scratched plastic and deck flex. The HP now has 32 Gb of RAM and a 2 TB SSD. I'll still look at Framework for upgradeability next go around.

[@dennisazurdia2638]

I have the same version Linues bought, great laptop and also the touch screen that mine has justifies the price premium I had to pay, but overall wish US prices would be available in more countries. Had to pay around 580 USD for the laptop after conversion from my currency.

[@legojenn]

I get it. I was on vacation down there when I bought mine.@@dennisazurdia2638

[@Waffls]

I bought a Chuwi tablet in 2016 for $275 and it was way better than the price would indicate. That quad core atom CPU wasn't amazing but it was fine for schoolwork and content consumption. The thing that sold it for me was the screen and I/O. It used the same 12" screen as the previous gen Microsoft Surface. 2 USB A ports, micro SD slot, and mini HDMI out all in an aluminum chassis. FOR $275!!! OH and that included a magnetic keyboard. Really cool to seem them still making fantastic cheap computers.

[@RandallJakub]

Is the tablet still working? Im thinking about getting Chuwi Ubook tablet with pen but Im scared a bit about the warranty and shipping. And Im not sure if I should go through their official site or aliexpress (for some reason 12gb version is cheaper on their site and 8gb version is cheaper on aliexpress :D ), and yeah I wonder how the warranty works here if it is 2 years as normal and how would it perform after some time. I plan to use it for school + 3d modelling while travelling in train etc.

[@Waffls]

@@RandallJakub I honestly couldn't tell you about the warranty. I haven't used it in a couple years but it still works. When I didn't need it for school anymore I just used it for watching yt videos and movies.

[@Desaved]

Also, 10-key and backlit are mandatory for any laptop I own. I like the directional arrows as well.

[@Steamrick]

It should have decent rollover as well. I once had a cheap laptop that couldn't register pressing W, left shift, left ctrl and space bar at the same time - and I was trying to play warframe, where that's basic mobility. That sucked.

[@l3lue7hunder12]

If the power settings make so little a difference, then it's pretty safe to say they don't change anything essential. Most commonly it's some device or bug preventing actual power conservation mode. But even with only 3 hours, this is a very clear recommendation - which I never thought i'd see or get for anything at least introduced on AliExpress.

[@Ferzin400]

I just ordered a Lenovo Yoga Slim 6 (14" Display size) with an R5 7540U, 16GB RAM, 1TB SSD and an OLED 16:10 FHD Panel for 550€ new, taxes included from Amazon at Prime day. Really excited to try it out next week!

[@godbilla1991]

I’ve missed these type of reviews from LTT. Keep them coming please!

[@bfbunny]

For someone with more access to the Chinese market, I had recently seen laptops with Ryzen 7-7840HS inside, alongside upgradable so-dimms and a 2880*1800 120Hz panel for $550USD, but the bigger problem is that the company making this decided to scalp their price up to $600 during normal sales, but it might make an interesting showing against this chuwi. That said, this supposedly $550USD laptop got horrific speakers, but at least it got quite some performance for its price.

[@Jehty_]

Why do the speakers on a laptop matter? Especially in that price range they will always be crappy. So you gonna have to use headphones anyways. So why would it matter if it's crappier than others?

[@Qimchiy]

Yeah speakers is a good place to sacrifice. But there's also a chance these laptops have terrible DACs that it can't power some earphones or headphones even at 100% volume while also being very noisy.

[@Qimchiy]

@@Simon-tr9hv well yes. But then again that's just one extra thing to bring. Which I do, bring. Just something you wouldn't expect.

[@bfbunny]

@@Jehty_ I'm not saying that it is a bad buy because of the speakers, just pointing out one of the potential flaws of that device.

[@__Random_user_]

I litterally never use speakers on a laptop. Especially in class. Why'd you use them? Use headphones or external speakers.

[@SparkRattle]

Chuwi, from my experience, feels really close to what a Huawei laptop feels especially between the Huawei Matebook 14 (one I own) and the Chuwi Corebook 14. So far, I have been using the Matebook for work and I'm quite satisfied. Chuwi has always been notably slower and now I know why. I wonder if LMG can do a quick review of the Matebook series and see how it really compares to the Chuwi. If anything, you can have a slew of comparisons since other chinese companies have done the same trend with their notebook and laptop models like Realme (Realme Book), Infinix (INBook Y1), and Xiaomi (RedMi Book). From what I can tell, this seems to be a decent attempt at making Macbook clones but I kinda like it. Not everyone will though and I respect that.

[@thomashewson]

The plastic cassis on those hp laptops are so bad, they feel super cheap and this only gets worse with a few years of use and start cracking. Also those trackpads become more and more rattily with more use until they no longer register clicks. This has happened on my laptop and the same laptop my friend has. To be fair it is quite easy to get into and replace the trackpad but this is clearly a problem. Loved the video!

[@S_wali]

Sometimes you can activate type c charging in the bios. My laptop didn’t ship with it out the box , but with a bit of digging I now charge it via type c (I also have a 5 year old hp laptop )

[@aranntzag]

Can you tell me how you did it?

[@Gatorade69]

​@@aranntzagBoot into Bios and look for the option (Most likely USB charging). Every Bios is a bit different so there's not really any standards. Even the way to access the BIOS depends on manufacturer. It's usually hold Del while booting but could also be F2 or F10, like I said there is no standard. Sometimes it tells you what to press during boot. Would help to know the make and model.

[@Sotanaht01]

Am I just out of touch? Almost every time I've ever used a laptop, I've had it plugged in. If it can manage over an hour solid on a bad day unplugged, it can do everything I'd probably ever need in between outlets. Home, work, school, even many businesses as restaurants there's always an outlet nearby, and when there isn't you can probably get by on battery for an hour or two and then plug it in at the next location. Spending 4+ hours in a location with no power, save for when your power goes out or if for some insane reason you would want to do all your computing outdoors just doesn't make sense. I'm sure there are some niche cases where you might have some kind of job that requires you to use a computer constantly but also be in a place without electricity, but I can't actually think of any. That definitely does not apply to all devices of course. The thing about laptops though is that in order to use them you generally need to sit down (or at least use a standing desk or something), and if you are going to sit (or use a desk you are probably going to be stationary, and if you are stationary you probably can plug something in. Other devices like phones and headphones are used on the move and plugging in is a serious drawback.

[@dadudeme]

Personally I would not ever look for a new laptop then looking at the under 500€ price range. I would always look for business laptops one cycle behind. That does mean they will be around 5 years old. But you are getting a really good quality laptop that will easily last another 5 years for every day use and even light gaming.

[@llamajoeteam]

Good point, I did this for years, used an old work laptop as a school laptop for general use. Worked great, especially with an ssd upgrade.

[@-JonnyBoy-]

Good thing with HP is you can download their laptop service manual that shows how to completely take it apart and change bits.

[@liualex9329]

Good thing most people who want to take their laptop away don't need a service manual to do so.

[@JerrJang316]

HEY EDITORS - im confident that youtube couldnt have auto-generated the subtitles - if i am right, and you guys did it yourselves, they go way out of sync later in the video (i reloaded a few times in other browsers to double check) ... they stop at 20:35, and then start again at 20:52 - not like they skipped, but where just paused

[@DavidMorseMusic]

Still better than my school's "computers"

[@Superkai66]

Fax

[@thatdarnskag5043]

In such a hurry to comment an overused joke that it doesn’t even work for the device being reviewed.

[@DavidMorseMusic]

@@thatdarnskag5043 except it was MY joke

[@InstaSound]

​@@DavidMorseMusic...and the joke doesn't work for this device at all. It's a recent device that is well specced and competitively priced. It's unlikely a school would have hardware of that caliber unless they recently re-equiped their computer rooms.

[@faceless4970]

Yeah buy 500$ laptop with 250$ bagpack 5:56 💀

[@kidnavajo]

Waiting on the Spectre Sound Studios episode!🙏🙏🙏🙏🙌

[@verybenjaminlife1507]

Hey Linus, I met one of the members of your production staff this weekend while at the Portland Retro Gaming Expo. It was a good vibe. Thanks for doing your tech tips.

[@AmaraTheBarbarian]

These HP laptops were the machines I worked on the most back when that was what I did for a living. Not because they had more issues or anything, but it was the bulk of what we sold and at the time the HDD was still too common, I did a ton of HDD to SSD swaps. Their chassis hasn't changed in years and the screws under the feet still annoys me to this day, I got really good at getting them back on, but if you give it a hard look it's never quite as exact as the machine that rolls them off the line. I don't even get why manufacturers hide screws, anyone who knows how to work on a laptop still knows where they are, everyone knows the thing has to be assembled somehow and therefore able to be disassembled, just give me a dozen visible holes in the machine.

[@Steamrick]

The only thing worse is devices like the Surface Pro where you have to pry the screen up to get inside...

[@mist1373]

@@Steamrick thankfully those are getting slightly more repairable, they have the ssd easily accessible under the kickstand and they sell some replacement parts too. still quite a ways to go though

[@ironeleven]

I get older ones with that body style occasionally at my job testing and reimaging used laptops and I felt that "HP, you dickheads!" in my soul.

[@outlawfps3948]

People don't talk enough about how important a solid screen hinge is. If the screen shakes everytime you type on the keyboard, it gets really annoying really fast

[@isthismarvin]

I own the Corebook X! Great device for the money, but I had some graphical glitches after a year. Also you can hear static noises from the inside, but they only happen when the device is not charging

[@georgedomse]

One thing that is never tested in these videos (most probably because it can't be tested) is the longevity of the batteries. I experienced more than once - even with premium manufacturer's laptops - that batteries degrade extremely fast. I'm talking 35% over less than 100 battery cycles on my HP elitebook 830 G8 for example.

[@BomboMaster]

When the hp they're comparing is the one you're using

[@archechme]

5:53 I realised this when I went on vacation recently. I had my phone, laptop and wireless earbuds and all of them shared the same charger and the charger was my macbook charger. We could only dream of this 10 years ago.

[@DenatusDotCom]

I love my CHUWI LarkBox X, AMD Ryzen 7 3750H that I use as a home lab server. After a swift memory upgrade to 32 GB it runs a few VMs without a problem. Only thing I wish was better is the cooling fan that sounds way to much.

[@j_c771]

arent you worried about the battery catching fire when plugged all the time.

[@DenatusDotCom]

No, since the Larkbox X isn't a laptop, it's a small NUC.

[@Jehty_]

can you replace the fan? @@DenatusDotCom

[@j_c771]

@DenatusDotCom 😄I just assumed it was a laptop

[@Gustavo_St]

Thanks for bringing value for money reviews, and alternative brands that operate in that space. I like flagship reviews but that is a crowded space as everybody likes to review them. The cheap but good realm is under reviewed by major channels, but there is definitely a huge market for them. Please keep doing this kind of review.

[@Adam-y3w5o]

I had that Chinese Chwoi whatever; it's a CRAP !! Its battery barely lasts for half an hour; it constantly freezes and dies in the middle of the work; its fan is so noisy; and the screen starts shaking every time I connect to WIFI. And it suddenly died within a couple of months. It's a waste of money !!!

[@priultimus]

5:16 oh my god that’s the EXACT laptop i’ve been trying to recover since it somehow managed to ruin its own battery and its own internal ssd - that thing is AWFUL and unreliable

[@nuteven7156]

Thanks for not selling out and keeping information real and knowing not all of us are born with a sliver platter, always recommending and always posting

[@ireallyreallyreallylikethisimg]

too bad the price of the laptop skyrocketed since then

[@spanishchair]

I work in a computer repair shop and I see that exact type of HP laptop all the time for all sorts of issues. The biggest being the "hinge" breaking (a.k.a. the hinge screws ripping out of the extremely cheap plastic chassis). I also immediately knew when I saw that laptop that there are two-three screws hidden under the rear feet and some models have even more hidden under the front one. I've had to open up so many HP laptops and the majority have cheap build quality with annoying hidden screws for no reason which makes them a pain to work on and they rarely go back together properly unless you know what you're doing. So many people buy HP because they're the cheapest option (Computers as well as printers) and they appear to be a good cost for the specs but we've had so many problems with HP's products we have stopped recommending them to our customers. We've also noticed that some HP laptops (usually the cheap ones but sometimes even some of the higher end models) will not allow you to install a regular copy of Windows due to driver requirements which make it so Windows will not even boot up after a fresh install. Instead, HP requires you to use their tool to install a model specific Windows image which includes their drivers as well as all their bloatware which is sometimes up to 10 apps.

[@rfvtgbzhn]

Yes, things like hidden screws are annoying. It's better today though, as for most laptops you can find a disassembly video on youtube for the exact model or a very similar one.

[@xavierjiang7112]

I daily a Dell Inspiron with i5-1135G7 and 16GB of RAM. It get a plastic chassis, but it have a 2.5 inch HDD mount and a NVMe bay. I dual-drive it. For daily driver you want robust reliability, above all else. Hp will be able to push BIOS and other updates along the way, smaller companies cannot be said equally.

[@ጋ፞]

"Buy your next laptop on AliExpress" Well, I need money first

[@feistyfinn9365]

At this price point, used options like a M1 MacBook Air seems like a stellar deal.

[@efdbjon2114]

why tf would u buy a macbook

[@ecalz2100]

​​@@efdbjon2114why not? It's decent if you don't really do much heavy workload on it and if you're not a pirate.

[@feistyfinn9365]

@@efdbjon2114Apple Silicon. The M1 SOC that can run rings around anything in 2020 at a fraction of the heat with these x86 laptops. If you need game compatibility, then I guess you have a point.

[@ConceptNull]

Wtf are you talking about? There is plenty of cracked software for Mac...@@ecalz2100

[@CKnono009]

Are we talking about $500 laptop or $1000 laptop? I confuse

[@mRipX]

got a $150 hp laptop as a 'gift' and the screw are also under the rubber

[@t0mn8r35]

This was a very useful and entertaining review. I think you should do more laptop reviews like this one.

[@Holycurative9610]

I bought a small notebook from Chuwi (on Amazon) which I used for web browsing fo a year before selling it on to my neighbour last year, it was a great little machine for not a lot of money. I also had a Chuwi tablet which was superb for under GB£150, it was metal framed, HD screen, good storage and pretty fast while multi tasking. I'd recommend them if you're on a budget and have just bought the laptop in the video for my son for college...

[@dreamersmask]

I considered a Chuwi tablet ~5 years ago, and ended up getting a Teclast and a Cube instead (I don't know if Cube exists anymore), which were absolutely amazing. I'd recommend anyone on a budget check out the reputable Chinese brands.

[@lamarcknritu]

Chuwi reps about The Lab : "I fear no man. But that thing, it scares me."

[@FFXfever]

I remember chuwi from my journey with them 7 years ago. At the time, budget segment was either xiaomi air, a 3rd gen i5 Thinkpad (the last gen built with ibm), and acers. Chuwi appeared at this time selling only mcore laptops. It was really cheap but they had no branding, with the only trustworthy reviewer being Chris from techtablet. Got one of it and it worked fine, but it seemed to have the life span of an Acer for me

[@MelonMusk068]

1 lesson on my school takes 2 hours. Most days I have 2 lessons back to back, so the 3 hour battery wouldn't even last a schoolday for me without having to resort to charging it during the class (which isn't always a problem if there are enough wall outlets).

[@jtn191]

I had one of the tablets. Bad battery life & the screen easily cracked. But nice ports

[@gregor2436]

The 3rd gen i5 (so e.g. t430 I think) had nothing to do with IBM. Lenovo was not allowed any more to use IBM for marketing - let alone IBM participating in the development. Even the t61 were produced (and as far as I know mostly developed by Lenovo). But, of course, they reused old stuff, but it developed by Lenovo.

[@stigrabbid589]

​​@@gregor2436Lenovo ended the IBM licensing early, not the other way around, They chose to stop partnering with IBM.

[@R6ex]

Same. My Chuwi tablet has been working great for several years already. Don't expect OTA software updates though.

[@joefries365]

That model of HP laptop is horrid. I wouldn't spend 100 $ on it NEW. I work as a computer tech and see those ones coming in with failed HDD's or broken hinge mounts at least once a week. and the thing is when you take them apart for the SSD upgrade usually that's when you find the broken hinge mounts and all the little pieces fall out even though the machine is only 6-12 months old. Just get a lenovo...or that other one he has...

[@tobster786]

3 hrs and 21 min is about what my massive thinkpad p70 with a 6700hq does lmao

[@bigkawk]

im literally watching this on the $500 hp laptop in the intro

[@dogishappy0]

If I was still in the market for a low powered gaming lap top I would definitely give this a look! Unfortunately, I gave up on budget options after 3 failed 500-600 laptops and ended up increasing my budget to $1000 and getting an Open Box gaming laptop from Best Buy.

[@syaieya]

The Best Buy Open box lottery is so hit and miss to actually have things but the scores are incredible when you do. When my 1060 laptop died I found a cute little ryzen 5 lenovo yoga for under 300 bucks on open box and it's done all I ask as long as I leave gaming to the desktop.

[@koilamaoh4238]

if you are lucky at 500-700 you can get lucky with a actual "gaming" low end gpu instead; if not, theres always the amd+cpu gpu combo which are usually ok ; but you know people can get a higher end mini box PC 5"x5" size with higher end amd at around 350$ lol, out performs most 500$ ones if not little higher. I would spend at least 1200-1500$ at least to get almost top tier gaming card, I never go above top tier where the laptop over heats/throttles, short battery, usually laptops in the price range range of 1500+3000.

[@dogishappy0]

@koilamaoh4238 I'm enjoying my Asus Gaming Tuf. While it certainly isn't the best, it allows me to play FF14 on the go and that's all I needed it to do.

[@JeremyOrlow]

The problem with the arrow keys (6:35) is when your hand is moving from the keyboard to the arrow keys, it's much easier to find the right key when the left/right are at the same height as the up/down. MacBooks switched to the HP style arrows for a few generations and then (thankfully!) switched back -- because it was horrible.

[@lukewilliams3334]

You guys should do more laptop comparisons and videos about laptops at different price points. Loved the video

[@TheFi1thyCasual]

I don’t know about anyone else, but I think the quality of the content from LTT has been quite a bit better. Their pivot to slowing down the pace of production is working.

[@xp7575]

POV: you're the guy Linus keeps making fun of for repeatedly sayin this wild nonsense without realizing 90% of the vids still coming out were filmed before the production changes

[@StillShatter]

​@@xp7575 I guess he prefers the taste of Canadian boots 😂😂

[@TheFi1thyCasual]

@@xp7575 guess I’m watching that 10% then bud.

[@atswag]

Love you guys are back to the little banter between builders and employees. Best stuff

[@glenben92]

WOW! Nice to see a CHUWI make an appearance!! I bought a CHUWI Lapbook 14 around June of 2016 (there was a plasticky one with 4gb ram and a metal chassis one with 8gb, mines the jank one unfortunately) but that makes it all the more impressive that over 7 years later it's still my main laptop, I still use it regularly and it's still going strong, the battery even lasts a good few hours still (was like 8-10 hours when new, probably 4-6ish now). I was really impressed with the thing for how much it cost (£220ish IIRC). I do wish I had the 8gb metal chassis version in hindsight but I honestly didn't expect it to last me as long as it is doing. It even managed to edit and render out some 1080p video in hitfilm, not that I'd recommend trying that on something with a one-point-something GHz CPU and 4GB of RAM to !!SHARE!! with the graphics haha. Web browsing, document creation and even GIMP photo editing is all 👌 though. Great, now I want a new Chuw.

[@dreamersmask]

I feel the same way about my (now sadly gone) Teclast and Cube (similar Chinese brands) which I bought because I felt they were better quality than Chuwi at the time. But this has got me wanting to try Chuwi!

[@Adam-y3w5o]

I had that Chinese Chwoi whatever; it's a CRAP !! Its battery barely lasts for half an hour; it constantly freezes and dies in the middle of the work; its fan is so noisy; and the screen starts shaking every time I connect to WIFI. And it suddenly died within a couple of months. It's a waste of money !!!@@dreamersmask

[@fab1604]

Really interesting, I always see these Chuwi on Amazon and AliExpress, thank you LTT staff for reviewing this unit (also didn't know they have an official store on their website)

[@SwirlingDragonMist]

I want to see Alex play Tetris with Steve Wozniak in a car.

[@Nabee_H]

This honestly makes me want to impulse buy, was looking at a budget laptop but display, feel and comfort is more of a priority given that if I need performance I have my PC at home.

[@hachikiina]

I think you would be happy with a refurbished last gen business laptop like hp elitebooks, thinkpads and dell latitudes. they're really solid for what they are and come down in price after a year or two. they are mostly easily serviceble too since they are meant to be looked after by an IT team.

[@polycrylate]

If youre happy with your pc at home id assume battery life would be most important. For me it is and the only reason I switched to a MacBook for a laptop. Hate using macos tho eventually I'll try asahi 😭

[@Adam-y3w5o]

I had that Chinese Chwoi whatever; it's a CRAP !! Its battery barely lasts for half an hour; it constantly freezes and dies in the middle of the work; its fan is so noisy; and the screen starts shaking every time I connect to WIFI. And it suddenly died within a couple of months. It's a waste of money !!

[@ArtisChronicles]

Once the SSD and camera came up, it became clear what the Chuwi compromised on. Not the worst thing to compromise on if I didn't mind eventually upgrading the SSD. Kind of actually impressed. Edit: you guys actually linked one of the SSDs I would definitely consider as an upgrade. That's pretty cool.

[@alexandercheskis]

Man, when Alex called the DRAM chip a "Computer the librarian uses" i felt old as fuck saying "Card Catalogue"

[@railgrinder]

The only experience I had with a Chuwi was about two years ago helping a friend. A budget laptop that seemed to be okay on the surface, but the BIOS was a huge mess the more I dug in deeper. It was a combination of listing excessive settings that even a tech savvy user wouldn't use, some power settings didn't work, terrible menu layout, terrible setting descriptions. At the time, drivers and BIOS updates were also nonexistent on the site. I also accidentally spilled a little rubbing alcohol on the keyboard while cleaning off some grime, no more than maybe a teaspoon. I managed to soak it all up and dry it off but it reacted with the plastic that held the key switches and within a week all the keys all broke off on half the keyboard. Couldn't replace the keyboard either without changing the chassis since it was held in place by glue and plastic welded rivets. It pretty much went to scrap and got it replaced with a better built laptop.

[@4partmedia]

So you damaged the laptop yourself and...... yea. 😂

[@railgrinder]

@@4partmedia Sure did and made up for it! 😅 Although I've never seen plastic melt away like that with alcohol, it's more of an observance that cheaper plastics are used.

[@igameidoresearchtoo6511]

It might not be caused by cheap plastic (probably), because in actuality even many "expensive" plastics dissolve very fast in rubbing alcohol, but it is the manufacturer's duty to add a chemically resistive coating, literally everyone does it, I don't see why they can't do it, but it's the little things that they cheap out on that don't matter until you really need them to be there. the coatings used are rarely sometimes applied externally but mostly just imbedded in the mix to begin with, its literally dirt cheap, maybe pennies per laptop. @@railgrinder alternatively you could DIY a coating but I doubt anyone without a chemistry MS can do it well lol.

[@nottyrantnot]

me as always dodging the sponsers

[@dbjungle]

I bought a Chuwi Aerobook back in 2019 and it has been one of my best tech purchases. I have always run Linux on it full time. My model has a Core m3-6y30 and 8gb single channel RAM. Performance is expected and the battery life is definitely longer than 3 hours, but still not great. Personally I will not buy any laptop bigger than 13.3" and any aspect ratio other than 16:9 or 16:10. Both of the laptops in this video have major deal breakers for me. Also, I don't care much about battery life. I rarely use my laptop more than 2 or 3 hours away from a charger and can always whip one out if needed.

[@mozo_zob]

BRUUH. this just opened up some repressed memories. I remember when I was 13 and looking for a laptop or a tablet and Chuwi just happened to show up in my search results. Never bought the device, but man I was just like "Oh shit i remember this brand."

[@Lizlodude]

QC is definitely an issue with these types of products, but it looks like the company at least has actually existed under that name for a while, so that helps. Also, if you're buying in that price range, look at used. Laptops drop in value soo much, and if you find a good one it'll probably still work fine for another few years.

[@hiddeninthewires2308]

19:37 alex is the smart one. Give him a raise

[@nioxic77]

wait... how much of an effect does resolution have on battery life? Sounds like we need the lab to test that. I am super curious! (also on mac, does "scaling" actually change battery life in any meaningful way?) I've seen a test on a smartphone where it made almost no difference, except with games

[@ollelit4819]

I liked my own comment 2

[@GugureSux]

6:45 Linus just won 1000 extra points for knowing this Finnish gaming masterpiece. Also, I remember the time you could buy a brand new PackardBell Easynote laptop for 399€, back in 2012 and it'd be essentially a gaming laptop (i3, Nvidia GT540 1GB, 6GB DDR3, 1TB, burning DVD).

[@wolfeadventures]

Spyware hardware helps subsidize the costs?

[@haxie4516]

Unlikely, repeated investigations have been done on Chuwi's products and they've repeatedly been found to be clean

[@wolfeadventures]

@@haxie4516 interesting. Whenever an item is well below market price I always suspect that. Good to know it’s been checked.

[@haxie4516]

​@@wolfeadventures Yeah, it's not to say that the products aren't worse in other ways to be fair. The factories used to make them may have worse conditions, the materials they use may be lower quality and come from conflict, etc

[@BajGer12331]

The laptop is gone from their website very sussy

[@haxie4516]

​@@CantStopTheSignal337 Lenovo was using Superfish, which is not their own tools or spyware or anything, but a company that was based out of California. Lenovo quickly stopped doing business with them for obvious reasons. All the major scares of late have been hoaxes, like the Huawei one, etc. I do agree that you should always be cautious, but this is true of any company... Especially as the spyware that was on those Lenovo laptops came from the US...

[@jimw7916]

overacting money-lover

[@haxie4516]

What?

[@krisclem8290]

Hiding the screws under the feet like that sure is frustrating, just worked on a laptop from someone who doesn't know much about computers, yet was sure in themselves enough to take crack at it. Brought it to me all mangled. That's the type of customer that you should have all the screws completely visible I guess.

[@HoldMeForever]

Not as cheap as Linus' credibility.

[@KW8309]

Fr XD

[@haxie4516]

How original.

[@HoldMeForever]

@@haxie4516 "how original" 🗿🦑

[@KW8309]

Even if LTT tries to push everything under the rug, strahat tactic and deflections can only do so much when the online community now knows how scummy they are.

[@haxie4516]

​@@HoldMeForever Wow. Amazing rebuttal. Truly, you must be at least 4 years old to come up with that.

[@taylorjudd950]

Can i buy sexual harassment allegations on temu?

[@haxie4516]

You thought you did something, but you failed...

[@taylorjudd950]

@@haxie4516 baha says you

[@haxie4516]

@@taylorjudd950 Well given this video isn't about TEMU... You messed up, kid. But hey, don't let facts get in the way of your narrative

[@ProstoChester]

Chuwi Corebook 2022 with i3 and 16gb ram is still my workhorse for going out of my apartment. Serves me for two years non stop. What a beautiful cheap machine for coding with i3 2cores 4thrwads it actually can last up to 6 hours of coding.

[@shrimpvendor9911]

Linus called Dota 2 a casual game. Dislike.

[@disnous_r]

I bought an HP with R5 5500U and 1x8 3200 RAM and 512 SSD, like..... three years ago for 45,000 rubles (about $450-480) and I still use it. I stuck 2x8 3200 HyperX Fury there and... Vega 8 can produce 30-35 FPS in CP2077 with FSR and so on. During the process, I took it apart more than once: cleaned it from dust, changed the thermal paste, and in principle, the solution with screws under the rubber pads is not as bad as it seems. The only negative is the hinges. Considering how many times I've dropped it and how I handle my backpack, it's no wonder they just... fell off? In short, it’s a pretty good laptop for the money, especially in our market... I apologize for the terrible English, not my native language 🙂

[@alicinchrsandy9129]

I cannot believe this society has gotten to the point where a $500-$700 laptop is "cheap" and we shouldn't expect much. While a $800-$900 is "midrange". We need to fix this because this is just terrible.

[@nathansautodetail]

HP has used that bottom panel design for years. It's really not hard to get the rubber strip off to get to the screws. I work on them all the time. That being said, yes, there's really not any reason to hide the screws when they already have some showing anyway.

[@HFRG-zq1qm]

As to HP Laptops, I have an HP elite book that I have had for about 5 years and it was already a few years old when I got it, and the only issue I have with it is that after these several years of moderate use by me and my ol' lady, the SSD is nearing the end of it's life. But replacements are just a convenient excuse to upgrade.

[@Retro2Classic2Modern]

13:14 was informative. 03:08 and 17:29 were informative about Intel WI-FI Chipset and Battery life.

[@Custmzir]

12:45 I just bought an HP victus s0095ax and I can confirm that HP has this weird thing were the fan ramps up to max speed while running a game but after you stop the game it will continue to stay at max speed forever, unless you open omen gaming hub then switch the performance profile to performance then back to balanced.