I need a basic laptop for basic stuff and I don't really know what to do to find the right one. If anyone knows of any good deals on something they can recommend please let me know!
Not many good deals out there now.
https://www.walmart.com/ip/Gateway-15-6-FHD-Ultra-Slim-Notebook-Intel-Core-i5-1035G1-16GB-RAM-256GB-SSD-Tuned-THX-Audio-Webcam-HDMI-Fingerprint-Scanner-Cortana-Windows-10-Home-/225790553 $400, basic computer. Under the hood its got a 10th gen i5 and 16gb ram. Screen seems decent too, FHD IPS.
Fingerprint reader, non backlit keyboard
What makes it basic and not a sizzling deal is the build quality. It's a new (or refreshed, depends on your age

) line, and the jury is still out if it'll hold up well. That said, reviews I got from some friends say it's a low quality build. (weight is also not great) So for "basic", today, at $400 it's fine.
One specific issue to look out for is the trackpad reportedly has some wacky stuff happen. if that happens, and updating the drivers doesn't help, return and forget about it.
If your budget is higher, wait a bit, $500-$650 range should have better ones within the next few weeks.
(all IMHO)