Posted: Fri May 22, 2020 11:03 pm Post subject: Laptop Suggestions/Deals?
Any computer experts here? Laptop ended up falling causing it to probably be a brick (no boot device found is what it says now) so I’m in the market for a quick replacement. I just need it for basic work (word, excel, browsing, email, etc). Looking to purchase one as soon as possible since I need it for school/work.
Joined: 07 May 2014 Posts: 13823 Location: Boulder ;)
Posted: Sat May 23, 2020 8:33 am Post subject:
What model exactly are you using now. The reason I ask is because your laptop should have onboard diagnostics you can run that may find the hard drive since the test is a hardware level test. It will test the drive and tell you if it can still be used or not.
IF your hard drive is not damaged it may just be a simple fix or resetting the startup preferences in BIOS to find your drive or boot file OR just replacing the drive. You can buy a brand new 256gb ssd for like $30 at Fry's or Microcenter.
Buying a used laptop.. Hit Craigslist. There are IT admins on there selling beast laptops for $300ish or you can get a nice one for $150 and add a stick of RAM to it.
What city would you search in Craigslist? and what amount would you prefer to stay below?
Any knowledge of BIOS or ever change a hard drive in a laptop?
I recently bought an inexpensive laptop to do the same functions you are mentioning, no gaming or things that would require a super fancy computer.
I bought a Lenovo IdeaPad S145 off Amazon for $200 as I recall, incredibly low price for what you get. (edit, I just looked and it was actually a Best Buy Black Friday deal, $239.99)
Here are the specs, I like it in that it also has the spill resistant keyboard which came in handy as I managed to dump coffee all over it and it didn't short out.
dell xps are good for that. Go for the 13 inch. Any laptop I'd get at least 16 gigs ram.
Too pricey for his needs imo. I have an XPS 13 and it's really an amazing they basically put a 13.3" screen into a 12" laptop chassis. I have 8gb of ram on it with the ultra low power CPU (it's the 2n1 xps). I also have a beast gaming dektop with 16gb of ram and recently just bought a Gigabyte Aero 15x gaming laptop with 32gb of ram. Despite the giant chasm in horsepower between them, in real world use with web browsing, office programs, and media consumption, there's literally not one iota of difference between all 3 machines
Joined: 09 Jul 2010 Posts: 7844 Location: Orange County
Posted: Sun May 24, 2020 3:33 am Post subject:
jonnybravo wrote:
nickuku wrote:
dell xps are good for that. Go for the 13 inch. Any laptop I'd get at least 16 gigs ram.
Too pricey for his needs imo. I have an XPS 13 and it's really an amazing they basically put a 13.3" screen into a 12" laptop chassis. I have 8gb of ram on it with the ultra low power CPU (it's the 2n1 xps). I also have a beast gaming dektop with 16gb of ram and recently just bought a Gigabyte Aero 15x gaming laptop with 32gb of ram. Despite the giant chasm in horsepower between them, in real world use with web browsing, office programs, and media consumption, there's literally not one iota of difference between all 3 machines
What's your budget akk47?
Makes sense. I recently helped my friend pick out the xps 13 and she was really happy. I tend to be a power user myself so my advice is always kind of future proofing
Grats on the new laptop akk7. _________________ Don't let perfect be the enemy of good
Joined: 17 Nov 2007 Posts: 67619 Location: In a world where admitting to not knowing something is considered a great way to learn.
Posted: Sun May 24, 2020 5:59 am Post subject:
Try a refurbished laptop. I bought a refurbished computer. I've had it 4 years with no problems. I downloaded Avast Cleanup Premium, it keeps it running quick as a wink. New it cost $600.00 I bought it for $175.00. Check prices new and refurbished.
EDIT: I'm a bit late to the party. Didn't notice you've purchased a laptop already. _________________ Be who you are and say what you feel because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind.
America will never be destroyed from the outside. If we falter and lose our freedoms, it will be because we destroyed ourselves.
Last edited by jodeke on Sun May 24, 2020 8:52 am; edited 1 time in total
Ended up purchasing that. A bit pricey, but I’m hoping it lasts me a while.
That is a good deal for a reasonably-spec'd machine. And you're right, the better machine, the longer before you'll need a new one. I'm an advocate of buying more than you need right now for that reason. Hell, my last Dell lasted me 10 years (08-18) as my daily machine. Every 2-3 years I'd just buy a new SSD (original drive was mechanical) and reload the O/S onto it.
Ended up purchasing that. A bit pricey, but I’m hoping it lasts me a while.
That is a good deal for a reasonably-spec'd machine. And you're right, the better machine, the longer before you'll need a new one. I'm an advocate of buying more than you need right now for that reason. Hell, my last Dell lasted me 10 years (08-18) as my daily machine. Every 2-3 years I'd just buy a new SSD (original drive was mechanical) and reload the O/S onto it.
I think for mundane usage like being discussed here, hardware is light years ahead of what those programs have used. It's been that way for close to a decade. My old Sandy Bridge system I put together around 8 years ago is now sitting in my garage as a media consumption device and for those tasks, it loses out nothing to my main rigs. It was an I5 to boot. Had I gone for the I7, by the time that I5 is irrelevant, that I7 will be equaly as irrelevant. Moore's law is long dead imo. _________________ KOBE
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