Reddit reviews Huawei MateBook X Pro Signature Edition Thin & Light Laptop, 13.9in 3K Touch, 8th Gen i7-8550U, 16 GB RAM, 512 GB SSD, GeForce MX150 Space Gray - Mach-W29C (Renewed)

I would recommend the Huawei Matebook X Pro because of the following :

The case has a high quality feel to it and smooth matte aluminum surfaces, flexing is minimal around the base and center of the keyboard and likewise for the lid despite the very narrow bezels.

USB 3.0, USB type C, Thunderbolt 3 for ports.
Upgrades is hard, ram is soldered and SSD is underneath a heat pipe, but upgradeability is low in most ultrabooks.

Camera is "spring-loaded popup" from the keyboard, so the angle is fixed and image quality is unimpressive.

Keyboard is spill-proof chiclet keyboard, shallow in travel, Feedback is adequate, typing overall is quiet, and backlighting comes standard in two levels.

Touchpad is large, Multi-touch gestures is supported and easy to do thanks to the large touchpad.
Mouse keys are integrated (there are no dedicated mouse keys), feedback is soft and little spongy.

Display is 3:2 aspect ratio, has 13.9-inch screen , Brightness is very high (but usability in direct sunlight is still average because of the glossy screen), slight backlight bleeding that is easy to ignore.

Color coverage is very good at 61.6% for RGB and 95% for sRGB, screen doesn't have Screen flickering / PWM (which is a great plus if you have sensitive eyes).

CPU throttle under continuous intensive work, however, it is still more powerful than the 7th gen dual/quad core CPU.

Fan noise is low during low to medium usage.

Heat is average during normal usage, but it gets hot during gaming (but still stays cool in the area that you use during gaming).

There are two front-facing speakers on each side plus two more facing the bottom corners.

Battery life is about 8-9 hours during normal/average usage.

With the base model 15 inch MacBook pro you're looking at $2400. Although it would be great for productivity, it would not be good for games. For that kind of money. You could get an Dell XPS 15 and a few years of added warranty. This would be a great option because it can play games like fortnight just fine, and doesn't look gamery, you could easily be able to take it to class.

https://www.dell.com/en-us/shop/dell-laptops/xps-15/spd/xps-15-9570-laptop/DYCWB1647H
Here's a link, 2018 model for sale at $1500.

If you're looking for a more gaming style laptop. There are also a lot of really solid options as well. For example the Razer blade 15, https://www.razer.com/gaming-laptops/razer-blade/shop
Which still comes a few hundred dollars cheaper the base Macbook pro depending on your configuration.


As far as 13 inch models go most windows laptops with with dedicated gpus like an MX150 would be preferable for some light gaming, but don't expect to be playing fortnight on epic settings. These laptops usually have better battery life because of their less powerful hardware if that's something you'd prefer. Although if the laptop you pick comes with a thunderbolt port, for example Razer blade stealth at $1500
https://www.razer.com/gaming-laptops/razer-blade-stealth/shop
Or even something like
Huawei MateBook X Pro Signature Edition Thin & Light Laptop, 13.9in 3K Touch, 8th Gen i7-8550U, 16 GB RAM, 512 GB SSD, GeForce MX150 Space Gray - Mach-W29C (Renewed) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07FRPL763/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_zduRCbZ36GQ61

Which is a MacBook lookalike if you prefer that styling. And at $1100, you could connect either laptop up to an external GPU. Which can boost overall graphical performance when you're docked at your desk or at home. Either style you prefer, there isn't very much you could pick that's wrong. Just depends on your day to day use.

"Surface laptop/Macs don't have comparable specs for $1100 though. I feel like a i7, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD for $1100 seems like a great value?"

You're right. That's why I bought one. My point was that the newest model of the matebook x pro costs $1900+, and at the price there's no huge advantage to the matebook vs the competition. But at $1200 it's a screaming deal -- you're getting a laptop that would otherwise cost you $600-700 more.

Here's the ebay link:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/OB-Huawei-Matebook-X-Pro-13-9-53010CAJ-Intel-i7-8550U-512GB-SSD-16GB-MX150/264446113021?epid=17029957227&hash=item3d923774fd:g:CNUAAOSwAWtbsrB2

versus the amazon link:
https://www.amazon.com/Huawei-MateBook-Signature-i7-8550U-GeForce/dp/B07FRPL763/ref=pd_sbs_147_t_0/145-4590881-4935844?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B07FRPL763&pd_rd_r=05c942b9-8d5c-44fb-a5f9-feebac255b7f&pd_rd_w=kLyNY&pd_rd_wg=GdkLz&pf_rd_p=5cfcfe89-300f-47d2-b1ad-a4e27203a02a&pf_rd_r=QRB0Q3JMVT9DERJ8QT61&psc=1&refRID=QRB0Q3JMVT9DERJ8QT61

ebay is $1200, amazon is $1170. I figured open box was worth $30, but who knows.
Happy shopping!

Amazon Renewed products are usually in excellent condition: https://www.amazon.com/Huawei-MateBook-Signature-i7-8550U-GeForce/dp/B07FRPL763/ref=sr_1_3?crid=2IVTRMTQWY7C7&keywords=huawei+matebook+xpro&qid=1570368594&sprefix=huawei+mateboo%2Caps%2C197&sr=8-3

In that case the current one with an MX150 is on sale within your budget on Amazon (last I checked, which I think was yesterday).

Edit: this is another option, but it has a 4K screen which hurts its battery life: HP ENVY 13" (Nevermind, no thunderbolt 3)

Edit 2: another choice: Huawei MateBook X Pro (refurbished)

Huawei matebook w/mx150 (or mx250 but the price is quite higher)

https://www.amazon.com/Huawei-MateBook-Signature-i7-8550U-GeForce/dp/B07FRPL763/ref=mp_s_a_1_3?keywords=matebook&qid=1568533701&s=gateway&sr=8-3