haha. Ok - so I think the two Acers are exactly the same. Why the different price? Who knows?!
Based on graphics card alone, I’d pick the Acer. I’d have to look at lot more in depth to be confident in that pick, though.
1 Like
Sounds like the cheaper Acer should be good though?
Yeah, the cheaper Acer should be fine.
(to be clear, the Lenovo will be a better-built computer. Sturdier. However, the advantage of the better graphics card in the Acer would still put that as my choice)
I’m curious, though, to see what @ryan1 or other computer nerds think. 
1 Like
I agree. Lenovo is known for building high-quality, long lasting computers. Acer has typically been the budget brand. But their quality has definitely improved dramatically over the years. 5-6 years ago, I would have never bought an Acer. Now? For sure.
Having said that, if there is any plan to tote this computer back and forth all over the place, then I might go with the Lenovo. (I also would consider the 15" screen instead of 17" typically to be more portable.) But if the laptop is meant more to be a “portable desktop”, rather than something meant to go with you everywhere all the time, then the 17" is fine…as is the Acer.
2 Likes
What additional accessories and/or programs do I need to get?
All I have on my list is a mouse and a mousepad 
That’s all you really need to get started. Software purchases would be based on what you need. So, for example, I bought Pinnacle Studio software in order to do video editing because my son is totally into making movies.
1 Like
maybe some headphones? Minecraft makes weird noises. 
2 Likes
We already have some for the XBox X and PS5, those should work, right?
And we’re talking an 11 year old. I’d definitely go with the Acer.
If we’re talking a high school sophomore, Lenovo.
What’s the average expected life span of a laptop.
My question, given the 11 yo, is there a 15" available, as good as the 17?
But that’s muddying that waters.
1 Like
The kid eventually bought a gaming keyboard. But originally - wireless mouse.
Let him get started with the standard equipment and a mouse. Upgrade the keyboard later.
1 Like
Yep - looks like it has a normal headphone jack, so those should work!
1 Like
I agree with this.
Agree with this.
These tend to be cheaper, and in my opinion are just as good as Intel’s processors. I say that anecdotally, since I am quite happy with my gaming computer with an AMD Ryzen processor.
2 Likes
Hi. Necroing this (sorry) to give my 2 cents.
Minecraft is a very lightweight game–It doesn’t need much in terms of processing power (Unless you want to install mods. Then you’ll need a more powerful machine).
What to look for
I recommend looking for a laptop with an Intel i5 or AMD Ryzen 5. Both are pretty comparable.
I would avoid buying an Intel part that is below 9000 (eg, don’t get 6500. But an 10500 is okay), as those are old.
Similar thing goes for AMD–Avoid parts below 2000.
Pretty much any graphics card can run Minecraft. Yes, a GTX card is great, but pretty much anything that isn’t Intel HD (Intel Iris is fine) will run great on vanilla (unmodded) Minecraft.
As far as “RAM” or Memory, look for 8 Gigabytes–Ideally 16. The specific RAM numbers don’t matter too much (eg, DDR3, DDR4…) just look for the size (8GB, 16GB)
For storage, you’re looking for an SSD with at least 200 Gigabytes of room. Ideally, you’ll want 500 gigabytes, but 200 will be plenty.
I recommend purchasing a laptop, monitor, and docking station. A monitor will allow you to have an ergonomic desk setup where they won’t be hunching over the laptop all day, and it will let them see the game easier on a larger screen (and now you won’t have to worry about screen size on the actual laptop! Yay!)
You can then plug the monitor into a docking station for the laptop (or plug it directly into the laptop, if you don’t want to use a docking station) to use the laptop through the monitor. A decent monitor will put you back $100-150, and a laptop that can play Minecraft will be in the $500-$800 range.
Other people here will be far better at telling you what brands are more reliable/higher quality/better value, since I’m not a laptop person.
You might also consider purchasing a Steam Deck (and it’s docking station) instead of a laptop, which has seen a lot of great reviews. It’s made by the Amazon of video games, Steam, and is basically their version of a Kindle. It’s $400 for the cheapest model and $530/650 for a better one. It can also function like a normal computer/laptop when you want to. Here’s how to install minecraft on that (Note-The minecraft installer made by mojang doesn’t work on the steam deck, so you need to use third party ones like in that video)
1 Like