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Help me buy a laptop please
Roland of Gilead
Registered User regular
Registered User regular
So my dad recently offered to buy me a laptop and I'm way behind on whats what. He is giving me a $500 budget and i could probably up that to $650ish. I would like a 17" screen but that isn't mandatory. My question is can someone suggest a laptop that gives me the most all around bang for my buck?
Thanks
Thanks
Roland of Gilead on
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What exactly do you need this laptop to run too?
http://www.bestbuy.com/site/HP+-+Pavilion+Laptop+/+AMD+Phenom%26%23153%3B+II+Processor+/+17.3%22+Display+/+4GB+Memory+/+500GB+Hard+Drive+-+Pewter/2285026.p?id=1218318237922&skuId=2285026
I can't really attest to HP's build quality. I just know ASUS are in the top 3 quality wise.
What does light gaming constitute? You might look into notebookcheck.net for some reviews and comparisons. Especially relating to the video cards they're packing.
Anecdotally, I have not really enjoyed HPs laptops, and I wouldn't get anything from dell thats not an XPS with a gold sparkly warranty, which it out of your price range.
That is a nice deal. If you can get that extra $150 together it's what I'd do if you're set on 17".
That Wal-Mart bought machine will choke and die on CAD.
and
http://www.officedepot.com/a/products/898773/Toshiba-Satellite-L675D-S7104-Laptop-Computer/
While a great deal and a great laptop, Office Depot's return policy for laptop is horrible, got this one the other day and the network adapter didn't work, even after getting the most recent drivers and using the Windows 7 fix. They let me switch it out for an HP that works fine.
The HP 17.3's are ugly and I hate the arrow keys on the keyboard and the touchpad, but around the Internet they are getting good scores. Make sure you know the return policy and have your options open. The 15.6 isn't as small as you'd think, I understand the want for a 17.3 though. Make sure you get a special backpack / case for it, most laptop cases will NOT carry those beasts around.
HP and Toshiba are the only options you have for a 17.3 that fits your budget. If you go to 15.6 you can get some more power. If the ten-key is the thing you want, some 15.6's have 10-keys available.
I would never buy an HP laptop. We had two, and both mine and my wifes had the motherboard crap out after a couple of years. hers got sent back in, and they replaced it but then it did it again. Their customer service was bullshit and it took forever that there was actually a problem let alone getting them to do anything about it
Mine lasted about 2 years before crapping out.
Edit: I like the ASUS rig in this thread. I'm a big fan of Asus products. I'm a little gunshy about reconditioned/recertified rigs though.
My sister has an ASUS that's at least very similar to that one. It's very nice.
As for HPs, if you get their top of the line models, they're nice and can last a long time. Their cheap stuff is crap though.
As others have already suggested, you might consider a more powerful laptop with a smaller screen and supplement it with an external monitor later.