Most expensive laptops

Original Article ↗ Hacker News Discussion ↗

Mobile vs desktop GPUs and thermals

  • Several comments call out Nvidia’s branding as misleading: “RTX 5090 laptop GPU” is far weaker than the desktop 5090 (roughly closer to a lower-tier desktop chip with ~half the shader cores).
  • Consensus that it’s physically impossible to sustain desktop-5090 power (≈600W) in a laptop: power delivery, heat dissipation, fan noise, and user comfort are hard limits.
  • Past “desktop GPU in a laptop” designs existed, but were huge, loud, had short battery life, and needed massive power bricks; current high-end “5090 laptop” parts are heavily cut down.
  • Thermal anecdotes: gaming laptops can move ~200W of heat with very thick plastic cases and big vents, but are noisy. Even 145W laptop GPUs plus a 60W CPU are described as “ugly” thermal challenges.

Specs vs real-world workloads (ML, video, storage)

  • For some local ML tasks, RAM capacity is viewed as more crucial than GPU speed, though others stress memory bandwidth still matters, especially for inference.
  • Someone notes no listed laptop has enough RAM (and unclear GPU access to it) to host ~0.5T-parameter local LLMs.
  • 24TB SSDs are defended as useful for: 4K/8K or raw video on location, conference recording, geospatial data (GeoTIFFs), and huge sample libraries for musicians/DJs, where juggling external drives is error-prone.

Are these machines “worth it”?

  • Many see top-end gaming and workstation laptops as niche tools for professionals whose workloads (3D, CAD, video, big tests/compiles) justify multi‑thousand‑dollar spend.
  • Others argue laptops are fast-obsoleting tools, unlike high-end hand tools, so “super expensive” models rarely make sense for typical users.
  • High-end Macs are repeatedly compared: a $3.5k–4.5k MacBook Pro is framed by some as good value versus similarly priced or more expensive Windows “workstations” with worse displays and build quality.

Brand/model and configuration criticism

  • The list’s $7k+ ThinkPad without a discrete GPU is mocked; others say it’s a misconfigured listing since that platform can ship with RTX Ada GPUs and is much cheaper in practice.
  • HP ZBook/Fury lines are called overpriced “crap” by some; others counter they have metal shells and proper pro GPUs, and that nobody should pay MSRP.
  • One-liner dunk: “MSI is rubbish,” without further elaboration.

Buying, financing, and market quirks

  • Strong advice to avoid MSRP and look for Lenovo/HP business discounts, refurbished units, or ex-lease mobile workstations on eBay, which can cost 10–30% of original price while still being very powerful.
  • Security concerns about used laptops are raised (potential spyware), with pushback that OS reinstalls and the low incentive for sellers make this risk minimal.
  • Discussion of leasing (especially from Apple) vs buying: for businesses, a €100/month high-end Mac with warranty over 3 years is portrayed as cheap relative to salaries and productivity gains; others stress you must compare performance, not just cost deltas.
  • Amazon-based pricing is seen as incomplete: direct-from-manufacturer configs can be significantly more expensive (and higher spec).
  • Separate thread notes ubiquitous consumer installment plans/BNPL (including for very small purchases) and the varying legal consequences of default by country.