I am looking to compliment my current desktop computer. I currently have Widows 10 21H2 on it. I saw on Consumer Reports that the LG Gram 17 (2021) was the cats meow on their list, but it’s pricey too. Is there a way to build my own and get everything I want for a decent price? Or would I be better served in buying a pre-made machine from a local store or from an online retailer? I am open to suggestions and in no hurry. Any and all suggestions are accepted.
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Patch reliability is unclear, but widespread attacks make patching prudent. Go ahead and patch, but watch out for potential problems. |
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Which new laptop shoud I invest in?
- This topic has 41 replies, 12 voices, and was last updated 2 years, 9 months ago.
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As far as price wise, I’d like to stay below $1,500.00 for a good quality machine.
Specs: At least 8GB RAM 520TB SSD or larger. A fast CPU would be nice but I won’t be gaming with it. An assortment of USB ports 3.1/2.0 type. Long battery life but I can plug into an outlet nearby if needed. I’d prefer Windows 10 as I am learning from everyone. I do not need a Blu-ray/DVD/CD drive, but would be a nice feature at night when I am online I can listen to CDs. But I can get an external drive for that. That’s pretty much about it that I’d like.
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Have you already considered buying a refurbished PC?
https://www.lifewire.com/tips-for-buying-refurbished-computers-940072
Ex-Windows user (Win. 98, XP, 7); since mid-2017 using also macOS. Presently on Monterey 12.15 & sometimes running also Linux (Mint).
MacBook Pro circa mid-2015, 15" display, with 16GB 1600 GHz DDR3 RAM, 1 TB SSD, a Haswell architecture Intel CPU with 4 Cores and 8 Threads model i7-4870HQ @ 2.50GHz.
Intel Iris Pro GPU with Built-in Bus, VRAM 1.5 GB, Display 2880 x 1800 Retina, 24-Bit color.
macOS Monterey; browsers: Waterfox "Current", Vivaldi and (now and then) Chrome; security apps. Intego AV1 user thanked author for this post.
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I’ve used two different ‘final methods’ to buy a laptop for myself as well as a not-so-savvy friend.
My first step was to figure out what specs I’m looking for. For myself, I wanted a 4 processor/8 thread laptop that would run at 2.4ghz or faster. The HD size was not an issue as I planned to replace it with a 256GB SSD like I had in my previous laptop (I cloned the HD in my new laptop to SSD, and did not simply move the SSD from old to new). Amount of RAM was not an issue as I wanted one with the capability of being upgraded to 16GB. I’m a loyal ASUS customer having built many computers with ASUS mobos and I was looking for my 3rd ASUS laptop for my own, and an ASUS for my friend.
For my own laptop, I looked primarily to Ebay to find out what model numbers suited my needs and narrowed it down to 2 or 3. I watched Ebay ‘sold’ prices for the models I was interested in as well as checked what’s available now several times per day to ‘get the feel’ what’s it worth and what is the max I’m willing to pay. Although I’ve been an AMD processor user since my first PC-XT with an AMD-made 8088 to Intel specs, The ASUS F510UA met my needs although it had an Intel processor. In my opinion, AMD delivers more bang (speed) for the buck than does Intel.
As I recall from 3 years ago, an F510UA new was in the $700-900 range depending on retail seller prices such as Amazon and NewEgg, but could be had for $4-500ish on Ebay. It was too soon in the lifecycle to find any refurbs. But I did find several ‘open box’ ones going for $275-375. I grabbed one of those for $325, as I recall. I was not disappointed at all. I replaced the HD with a brand new Samsung 860 SSD and bought a matching 8GB stick of RAM for the upgrade. While I could have put in a ‘stick’ style SSD and left the HD in place, I didn’t need the extra space nor did I want anything to suck down the battery like a spinning HD would. As of a week ago, I can go 5 hours or more with continuous use, primarily browsing the web, without having to plug it in. I have no complaints at all.
As an aside, my 2 prior laptops were ‘refurbs’ from very highly rated Ebay sellers that, after looking at their feedback, sold only computers and computer-related hardware. Fly by night sellers that sold a ton of everything and only a computer now and then were immediately out of the competition. In many instances, the seller likely bought a ‘bunch’ of laptops being sold by a major corporation that buys 500 or more new ones then sells off the old ones in lots of maybe 10-100 units to the highest bidder. The refurb places clean off the hard drive and install a fresh copy of Windows (not more than 24 months prior release such as 20H1 would be today). When I turned them on, it brought up the familiar Welcome screen for a new computer asking name, language, keyboard, etc. Once all that was done, I went to Windows update and let ‘er rip. Both of those refurbs had no scratches, cracks, signs of wear, or anything else as I scrutinized the images very closely. I easily upgraded them with an SSD and more RAM and was not disappointed in either of them. My current F510UA astounds me every time I boot it up as it boots up faster than my 8 processor/16 thread overclocked 4.6ghz desktop computer by a couple of seconds!
For my friends’ laptop a year earlier, I wanted a new one, box and all, that I would first install software she wanted and needed to largely mimic what she had on a now-dead XP laptop. I figured a quad processor and 256 GB HD would be sufficient and I knew she wanted to stay under $400, give or take. So, I started looking at Walmart and Amazon for ASUS laptops that met my specs. I found a couple and narrowed it down to 2 or 3 models. I learned that when a laptop model is being discontinued, Walmart, in particular, will drop the price by 25-30% or so to get it off the shelves. I checked online what the introduction date was of a couple models and found one that was about 14-15 months prior.
Knowing retailers have to keep the cash registers ringing, they want old stock off their shelves as quickly as possible. After maybe 2 weeks of checking Walmart prices on a couple of candidates to become ‘no longer available’, I found one on sale for $375 as I recall. It had been $700 or so when new, was down to $500 when I started looking, and then dropped to $375. I swooped in at my local Walmart after verifying it was presently in inventory. I got there and none were to be found. So I cornered a clerk and showed him the screen print I did of the item. He went to one of the computers that could access the website and sure enough, it showed 4 in stock and gave him the Walmart item number. He then went to the ‘regular’ store computer and discovered 4 were in the back room. I don’t know if they ever sold the other three, but I scored a victory in my opinion.
As far as price wise, I’d like to stay below $1,500.00 for a good quality machine.
If you need the laptop just for Internet browsing, mail, office… I just happen to stumble upon Walmart $379.00 Gateway 14.1″ Ultra Slim Notebook, FHD, Intel® Core™ i5-1135G7, Quad Core, Intel® Iris® Xe Graphics, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD, Tuned by THX™, Fingerprint Scanner, 1MP Webcam, HDMI, Windows 10 Home
Windows 10 Home
11th Gen Intel® Core™ i5-1135G7 Processor (2.40 GHz, Up to 4.20 GHz, 8M Cache)
Intel® Iris® Xe Graphics
14.1” LCD IPS FHD Display, (1920 x 1080), Edge-to-Edge
Precision Touchpad
Tuned by THX™ Audio
512 GB Solid State Drive
16 GB Memory (RAM)
Built-in Fingerprint Scanner (Windows Hello)
1.0 MP Front-Facing Camera
Up to 10 hours of battery life
Micro SD Slot (Up to 512 GB) x 1
HDMI Output x 1
USB Type-C x 1
USB 3.0 x 1
USB 3.1 x 1
Built-in Stereo Speakers x 2
Bluetooth 5.1
Built-in Microphone
Product Dimensions: 13.1” x 8.75” x 0.75”
Weight: 4.0 lbs.
Free Upgrade to Windows 11 when available (see below)* Good even for light gaming, 4Kvideo..
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As it’s a second machine I think Alex has the right answer. I have a small laptop for travelling and a desktop for home, but the laptop gets a lot of use on the sofa.
cheers, Paul
1 user thanked author for this post.
I am a big fan of the Dell Latitude professional office laptop series.
Very well built, but not inexpensive. If you can find a factory certified refurb that meets your needs, you will end up with a strong mobile workhorse, for about the same price as a new consumer oriented laptop. You might not get some of the latest components and features.
I bought a Latitude refurb through Amazon a couple of years ago when my cheapo Acer laptop suddenly died. The refurb Dell was pre-loaded with Windows 10 Pro, but only had 8GB Ram and an HDD. So I cloned the factory HDD image to a spare SSD and swapped that right in!
One upside with Dell’s higher end models is that the user manual typically includes servicing guides, and parts are available. One advantage of these business laptops is that the typical business customer needs to have them serviceable for a longer lifecycle than a typical consumer model. The user accessibility for things like RAM and disk are well thought out. Generally just pop out a few small screws on the bottom and you’re good to go!
In general, if shopping for refurbs these days make sure that the hardware is at least Win 11 compatible. Some of them even have Win 11 pre-installed! 🙂
Dell Outlet – Refurbished and Overstock (Latitudes are listed under laptops for work): https://www.dell.com/en-us/dfh/shop/dell-refurbished/cp/outlet
Amazon renewed laptops: https://www.amazon.com/s?bbn=565108&rh=n%3A565108%2Cp_n_condition-type%3A16907720011&dc&qid=1658169431&rnid=2224369011&ref=lp_565108_nr_p_n_condition-type_1
Windows 10 Pro 22H2
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I second JohnW’s recommendation of Dell business laptops.
I bought a refurbished Dell Latitude D830 from CompUSA back in 2012 for $330 and it’s still going strong!
I upgraded the CPU to an Intel T9500, added an additional 4GB SODIMM to max the RAM out at 8GB, swapped out the 80GB HDD for a Samsung 128GB SSD and added a USB 3.0 Express Card.
It originally came with WinXP which I upgraded to Win7 Pro retail and then used Microsoft’s free update program to upgrade it to Win10 (which it runs just fine.)
Even though I built my own custom Desktop back in 2019, I still keep the Dell up-to-date with each month’s security patches and use it when I’m on-the-go.
For the small amount of money I invested in it (~$500 total), it’s been one heck of a bargain.
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Even though I built my own custom Desktop back in 2019, I still keep the Dell up-to-date with each month’s security patches and use it when I’m on-the-go.
I have been building my own desktops for over 20 years, but sometimes it’s nice to have a laptop for on-the-go, when you’re not traveling for work.
I spent about $360 for my latest “factory refurb” Dell Latitude E5450, and it’s fully up to date with Windows 10 Pro, and does quite well for my travel needs. Because I bought it as a renewed unit in 2020, it doesn’t have the required Windows 11 supported hardware, but I plan to run it with Win 10 Pro until it dies. That may be a while yet… 🙂
Windows 10 Pro 22H2
I would build one as I had mentioned when I started this topic. But I don’t own a soldering iron and even if I did, I doubt I would do a good enough job. It’s been many many years since I soldered anything.
Building a laptop really isn’t a popular thing, as far as I know… 🙂
Windows 10 Pro 22H2
From what I have seen, there are basically 2 categories of laptop users:
- Desktop replacement – these are higher spec machine that are intended as serious workstations, and/or gaming machines.
- Mobile office/infotainment.
Personally, I see my needs as category 2. Much less investment required for my laptop needs, as my PC budget is generally tied up in my desktop hardware.
A laptop is just a convenience for me, an accessory that complements my desktop, and provides connectivity for on-the-go. My Dell Latitude streams all major streaming services in HD over Wi-Fi without a hiccup! And is convenient as a backup if my desktop is down for any required maintenance! 🙂
Windows 10 Pro 22H2
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I can’t give a reliable opinion on the current consumer Dell Inspiron line. The last Inspiron I bought was in 2005, so I imagine that things have changed a bit since then.
In the interim, I bought an Acer, but what a hunk of junk! I regret that one!
But I will hold to my recommendation for Dell business laptops, such as the Latitude. I own one, and have used an employer issued one. The most solid laptops I have ever touched.
Regarding the consumer grade laptops, all I can say is read the reviews, take your chances, and best of luck! Hopefully you will end up with a decent laptop.
Editorial: My general opinion on consumer laptops now is that they are manufactured to be disposable personal discretionary items with a limited lifecycle, like smart phones.
Just upgrade to a new model every few years and everything will be fine. 🙂
Windows 10 Pro 22H2
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I have 2 Latitude e5450 computers bought from Dell Refurbished. Both are fine machines. Had to replace the battery on one of them (it was swollen), but that was very simple. Other than that no problems.
I also have an Inspiron 15 3558 purchased new in April 2016. It’s on almost 24/7 and used as a desktop. No problems with it either, although it is not as well built as the Latitudes. It’s been on a handful of road trips with no ill effects. For @Rush2112’s proposed use, it would be fine. You could probably find a good refurbished Latitude or maybe even a new Inspiron and still have at least $1,000 left over from your $1,500 budget.
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Refurbs can be fine (if the seller checks out), but I would stick with business class refubs.
Why? Business class laptops are built to a higher standard, IMO. Better components, metal instead of plastic hinges, better design for cooling, etc. The PC Business market is very competitive, and businesses won’t tolerate poorly designed machines; if your company gets a bad reputation, that can cost millions in lost sales.
If you do go for a used laptop, be sure to check out the seller, but also look into how much you need to spend to get it running (I usually replace regular hard drives with SSD’s and max out memory). Some machines limit your options for memory, and you should price out replacement parts beforehand.
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Once more: as much as possible, one should consider a refurbished compute sold by the manufacturer of the computer, preferably one that offers a warranty in case the product proves to be deficient:
https://www.hardware-corner.net/refurbished-computers-warranty/
This article lists the following:
Ex-Windows user (Win. 98, XP, 7); since mid-2017 using also macOS. Presently on Monterey 12.15 & sometimes running also Linux (Mint).
MacBook Pro circa mid-2015, 15" display, with 16GB 1600 GHz DDR3 RAM, 1 TB SSD, a Haswell architecture Intel CPU with 4 Cores and 8 Threads model i7-4870HQ @ 2.50GHz.
Intel Iris Pro GPU with Built-in Bus, VRAM 1.5 GB, Display 2880 x 1800 Retina, 24-Bit color.
macOS Monterey; browsers: Waterfox "Current", Vivaldi and (now and then) Chrome; security apps. Intego AV1 user thanked author for this post.
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Good advice!
Here is what Dell has to say about their program, which offers the full warranty with refurbished PC’s bought through their outlet.
https://www.dell.com/en-us/dfh/shop/dell-refurbished/cp/outlet-why-refurbished
“Like New (Refurbished). This is Dell’s highest grade of certified refurbished systems, submitted to a rigorous refurbishing process, to achieve Dell’s exacting quality and performance standards. These previously-owned products could have observable minor blemishes that do not affect performance, or could look as good as new. “
“At Dell, refurbishment involves a comprehensive, meticulous repair and inspection process to ensure these computers meet our standards for new products.
When computers arrive at our refurbishment facility in Tennessee, they undergo detailed testing to confirm the system includes the correct components and that all of those components are functioning. If testing shows that certain components are not functioning, they undergo electromechanical repair to bring them up to our standards for new products.
After repair, or if the product does not need repair, all data is deleted from the hard drive, ensuring that none of the previous owner’s files or information remain anywhere on the PC.
At the final step, the system is wiped down, restoring the drive and components to factory settings. Finally, the computer is closely inspected for cosmetic damage according to the strict criteria for each tier.
Every refurbished computer is audited multiple times during this process to ensure it is meeting Dell’s quality and performance standards. Used computers that don’t meet Dell standards are recycled”
Windows 10 Pro 22H2
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Here is an example of the Amazon “Renewed” warranty, offered for products from Amazon “qualified” vendors”.
Dell Latitude 7490 Laptop FHD Touchscreen Notebook PC, Intel Core i7 8650U Processor, 8GB Ram, 512GB SSD, Webcam, WiFi, Bluetooth, HDMI, Type C, Windows 11 Professional (Renewed) $449.47
https://www.amazon.com/Dell-7490-Touchscreen-11-Professional/dp/B0B1N9H3QD/ref=sr_1_2
“The product is refurbished, is fully functional and in excellent condition. Backed by the 90-day Amazon Renewed Guarantee.
– This pre-owned product has been professionally inspected, tested and cleaned by Amazon qualified vendors.
– This product is in “Excellent condition”. It shows no signs of cosmetic damage visible from a distance of 12 inches.
– This product will have a battery that exceeds 80% capacity relative to new.
– Accessories may not be original, but will be compatible and fully functional. Product may come in generic box.
– This product is eligible for a replacement or refund within 90 days of receipt if it does not work as expected”
Windows 10 Pro 22H2
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Question: I know that I would want to backup the laptop. I have 3 external HD’s that I use for my desktop PC. How many external HD’s or SSD’s should I invest in to backup the laptop with?
You really only need one external drive for doing backups (maybe two if you plan of keeping one in an “alternate location” in case something catastrophic happens at your prime location like a fire, flood, etc.)
The trick is to use one with a large enough capacity to allow for multiple backups.
Personally I use a 2TB external drive as my prime backup which, because my backups are each ~33GB, allows me to have 35 weekly backups (that’s slightly over 8 months.)
Each Sunday before I run my backup script, I delete the “oldest” backup on that drive so there’ll be room for the new one.
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It’s on the pricier side at $1,447
For your use you do not need to spend more then $500.
cheers, Paul
I hope Rush2112 is happy with his purchase. And I also hope the entries several we have made in this thread suggesting several different options will prove useful to others with questions on which computer to buy in a similar situation.
Ex-Windows user (Win. 98, XP, 7); since mid-2017 using also macOS. Presently on Monterey 12.15 & sometimes running also Linux (Mint).
MacBook Pro circa mid-2015, 15" display, with 16GB 1600 GHz DDR3 RAM, 1 TB SSD, a Haswell architecture Intel CPU with 4 Cores and 8 Threads model i7-4870HQ @ 2.50GHz.
Intel Iris Pro GPU with Built-in Bus, VRAM 1.5 GB, Display 2880 x 1800 Retina, 24-Bit color.
macOS Monterey; browsers: Waterfox "Current", Vivaldi and (now and then) Chrome; security apps. Intego AV1 user thanked author for this post.
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I bought a Dell Inspiron refurbished from the Dell outlet in 2005. It still runs, although the original battery, and the subsequent replacement are both dead now. With the power adapter plugged into the wall, all is good.
The only issue is that it’s a WinXP (32-bit) Pentium 4, single core based machine. Not very useful these days IMO.
Dude, my Dell hardware outlived the software! 🙂
Windows 10 Pro 22H2
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