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I don't know much about CPU benchmarks and hardware specifications - I'm looking at laptops capable of running several VMWare instances. These instances have 2-4 GB of RAM allocated to each. They perform low-moderate intensity tasks but aren't doing anything niche like video encoding or graphics work.

I currently have a ThinkPad Edge with a i7-4702MQ, 8GB of RAM, and a (failing) 5400rpm hard drive. It's due for a replacement.

Here are the list of things I believe I need for this laptop - - Intel processor with 15W TDP, pref. i7. - 14" or smaller screen, the smaller and lighter the better. - M.2 SSD capability, preferably NVMe - Preferably 16GB RAM but 1x8GB would be okay to upgrade - 1080p screen - Australian retailer - $1500-2000 budget

Something from the Dell Latitude line would be nice but I'm likely unaware of some decent brands out there.

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  • I'd also add a secondary question - what consequence does the i7-6650U's reduced clock speed have to these sorts of tasks? Does the improved onboard graphics/eDRAM compensate for this, or is this only a CPU you'd recommend for graphics-intense tasks?
    – C. Aya
    Commented Jan 6, 2017 at 1:19
  • Portability requirement? (if there is one)
    – 0-60FPS
    Commented Jan 6, 2017 at 4:00
  • I don't quite understand what you mean - yes, it should be portable, as it gets taken to different work sites. Staff are trying to get me to specify a 15W tdp processor for this reason, as they don't want to specify a laptop that guzzles power.
    – C. Aya
    Commented Jan 6, 2017 at 8:36
  • Good call on wanting the M.2 SSD. That, along with a traditional HDD should take care of the space requirements for the VMs. Any i7 over the last few years are going to do fine. My concern is the RAM, dedicating that much ram to various VMs running at the same time is going to eat system resources quickly. Id eliminate the 8gb chip. In your case, Id recommend 16gb minimum. I found a few canidates, posting answer!
    – BigElittles
    Commented Jan 6, 2017 at 14:44
  • @C.Aya Sorry, I was a bit vague. I guess what I mean't by that was does the laptop need to be under 5 lbs, less than a inch thick etc...
    – 0-60FPS
    Commented Jan 6, 2017 at 17:18

1 Answer 1

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This is the only one I was able to find that meets all of your requirements.

The memory comes with 16gb in this config, what I consider the minimum to meet your needs. Its up-gradable to 32gb.

The GPU is a 960M, this will push most game @ 1080p in high/ultra settings just fine. Poorly optimized AAA games might have to be toned down by removing shadows or something.

Its super lightweight, coming in at under 4 pounds... thats crazy to me.

Also, its within your price range, name brand and ships to Australia.

MSI 14" GS40

Product Specs

Other laptops that meet requirements (Minus price req)

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  • That CPU has a TDP of 45 Watts, well above the desired 15 Watt limit his staff are suggesting.
    – MrPublic
    Commented Jan 13, 2017 at 23:44
  • @MrPublic If a system that meets all requirements does not exist, a recommendation that meets the most of the requirements is usually acceptable. Also, staff suggestions are just that, suggestions. Not requirements.
    – NZKshatriya
    Commented Jan 14, 2017 at 1:12
  • @NZKshatriya If that is the case then BigElittles should change the answer stating that it does not in fact "meets all of your requirements." It should be noted that the CPU in that laptop is NOT a 15 Watt TDP Chip.
    – MrPublic
    Commented Jan 14, 2017 at 19:46
  • Are there any laptops with 15w TDP CPU's other than those tiny netbooks from a few years ago?
    – NZKshatriya
    Commented Jan 14, 2017 at 20:41
  • See my answer below. Intel launched their new Kaby Lake Mobile CPUs in Q3 2016 IIRC. The i7 7500u is exactly what he needs. It supports Virtualization, 2 cores/4 threads, and upwards of 32 GB of RAM. It is a 15 Watt TDP chip, and the laptop itself is running 16GB of Low Power DDR3 RAM.
    – MrPublic
    Commented Jan 14, 2017 at 22:14

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