Best laptop under $1,000?

Hey there,

I’m currently on the hunt for a laptop capable of handling heavy-duty CAD work, 3D visualization, photoshop, and Illustrator. My workflow usually involves running multiple resource-intensive programs simultaneously, so my top priority is having enough horsepower to churn through renders in a reasonable timeframe without waiting forever. Ideally, I'm looking for a 15.6-inch screen with Full HD resolution—something that isn't an absolute tank to carry around, but still feels substantial. A backlit keyboard is a must, and if I can find something with an aluminum chassis, that would be great, though I'm not strictly married to that idea. I don't care about the OS being included.
I was given this recommendation as a starting point:
So, I wanted to get your take—is this actually a solid choice, or can I find something significantly more powerful if I push my budget toward the $1,500 range? Thanks!

Even though you’ve got options from ASUS, Lenovo, and Acer that check all your boxes, I still think the ASUS N is probably your smartest move. That specific one is solid—great specs and a fair price tag.

But look, if you really want to go all out on power, check out this newer Skylake model instead:

The faster processor combined with more memory—which, thanks to the platform, also means better bandwidth, a quicker FSB, and higher capacity—is going to give your rendering speeds a massive boost. Plus, since the software supports hardware acceleration, having double the high-speed GDDR5 graphics memory (4GB) will make a huge difference.

The LCD panel should be a step up too, featuring 72% NTSC coverage and a UHD resolution (3840x2160). Aside from that, the build quality and materials are pretty much identical to the other model.

At the end of the day, it’s up to you to decide if those upgrades are worth the extra cash. Even though this model fits within your budget, the gap of $0.53 isn't exactly something you can just ignore...