[Tech] Scan 3XS laptops

[Ronin Storm]

I'm looking at picking up a laptop for work (through the company). A bit of scouting around seems to indicate the Scan's 3XS systems are pretty decent, and certainly their configuration options work out well and better than Dell, for example.

Anyone have experience of Scan's 3XS systems, particularly laptops? Any alternative recommendations?

 

[Haven]

Any alternative recommendations?

"Work" is a very generic requirement

Whats the constraint that you care about:
* CPU
* Memory
* Graphics
* Disk Speed & || capacity
* Size/Weight
* Battery Life
* Screen Resolution/Size

Pick Any 2 and we'll work from there

Other generic manufacturer considerations:
* Apple
* MSI

 

[Nanor]

• I wish
• Haven would use
• Bullet points

 

[Ronin Storm]

Yeah, sorry, it's not really about help specifying a system. More about quality of suppliers versus overall cost. For clarity, though, I'm specifying a desktop substitute in laptop form and it needs to be able to carry off web and server app development, graphics and modelling work, and desktop gaming all in one.

I'm pretty unlikely to buy Apple as I've no use for Mac OS and while I know you can dual boot them and so on it seems kinda pointless when you never intend to use the other part of them.

I hadn't considered MSI, though my sense of their quality from recent net wanderings is that it may be lacking some...?

Dell will deliver, for sure, but their build flexibility isn't great and I feel like they add 10-20% to the price just for being Dell. If I'd no other options, though, I'd probably buy Dell.

Which is why I ended up at Scan 3XS, really. They felt like Dell but with greater build flexibility and more balanced prices. I'd say that they're currently front running for me.

 

[Iron_fist]

At the moment I really like the Gigabyte laptops. I have the U2442F, and I have to say, despite the screen being decidedly meh (TN) it's a fantastic bit of kit.

I also know Spicy has recently received the new model of this machine , the P34G and says it's a huge improvement, hugely better screen, more CPU\GPU power, but at the expense of about an hour battery life. (his full review is here)

 

[Ronin Storm]

Thanks for that, Iron. Makes me realise that I'm looking for something at 17". Good to know that Gigabyte could be a good option, though I note Spicy's comments on possible quality control issues at the moment. Also their offerings seem to be 15" and under...?

Anyone any experience with MSI?

 

[Traxata]

Ronin: The 3Xs laptops are the same model I have / possibly updated to haswell CPUs.
I'd say SCAN's CS is better than OCUKs which is where I got mine from, and last time I looked SCAN were selling it significantly cheaper.

 

[Iron_fist]

They have a couple of larger machines, the P27K for instance. Personally I prefer a smaller lightweight laptop that can pack some gaming punch, making things like hopping on a train to TBG something that can happen relatively easily. It mostly comes down to what you prefer in terms of size vs portability at the end of the day.

The QC issue with the P34G seems to have been that it was the first batch of them that they got out the door quickly to satisfy pre-orders, The previous model that I have was fantastically put together and I've not had a single issue to date ( even after having stripped out the M-SATA and putting a 256GB in, as well as adding the now standard spindle disk which was a surprisingly simple process.)