$1000 Windows Laptop

I am extremely confused on what I should be looking for in todays computers because my PC Gaming Days ended in the early 2000s. However with the CoVid crisis I find myself with time on my hands, so perhaps I can rekindle my skills.

I will not be a hardcore gamer. Maybe Id like to play a World of Warcraft style MMO. I dont see myself getting to into battle royal type games which seem to demand peak performance.

One thing I want the computer to handle are Flight Simulators. Flight Gear, X-planes, Aerofly, even the new Microsoft Flight 2020. I would also like to be able to work with graphics programs like photoshop or GIMP without it being glitchy or painfully slow.

Should I get a good all around laptop or one designed for gaming?Ultra skinny or lightweight isnt a concern as this will be my desktop replacement and wont be traveling often. I also have a 4TB portable drive, so hard drive capacity doesnt need to be extreme.

So what would you recommend? Since this is replacing a very aged desktop, would you advise purchasing & using a dock while using this laptop at home?

Again Im looking for a Windows PC laptop around $1000

Any help is greatly appreciated. If there is anything I left out or any questions youd like to ask to make your advice easier... please just ask.

Thanks in Advance!

 

So what would you recommend?

You may not like this but......ever consider building a unit yourself?  Not only will you get a computer that will handle graphics and games, but it will not be constantly overheating. And, when something mechanical fails, it will be a huge amount easier to replace than tearing into a laptop and/or paying some repair shop 1/2 of what a new laptop would cost, and hoping they know what they are doing.

My comment is based on years of answering laptop owners when they have a problem and there is no resolve for it. Here's a typical link:

https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/forums/t/718218/laptop-hinge-is-completely-out/

https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/forums/t/714842/advice-on-getting-a-laptop-for-video-editing/

Edited by ranchhand_, 03 May 2020 - 03:05 PM.

Thanks Ranch hand!

I actually built the desktop Im replacing about 10 years ago. I got a gigantic old Dell tower chassis and ordered the rest of New Egg. However, they key was it being gigantic. Im not up for doing that on the much smaller scale of a laptop.

Im not only looking for just a specific make or model (though I wouldnt mind the suggestion). I am also looking for the minimum requirements I should expect to be included in a $1000 laptop to do everything I want to accomplish. My technical knowledge is about a decade behind the times.

They do make smaller desktop cases these days !  You don't have to have a full size tower, the main reason I have a full size tower is because there are four hard drives in it, one SSD and three HDDs.

 

I am not knocking your idea of a laptop but nobody builds laptops for themselves, it is essentially impossible. You take a laptop as it comes, if you are lucky you may be able to specify the amount of RAM and the size of the hard drive.

 

Chris Cosgrove

With a $1000 budget, you have plenty of great options for a Windows laptop. Look for laptops with a solid processor (e.g., Intel Core i7 or AMD Ryzen 7), at least 16GB of RAM, and a fast SSD for speedy performance.