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Please, when posting a link to a laptop listing, make sure to include the price at time of posting. It helps.
Requesting help with a purchase? Please post here: https://forums.dansdeals.com/index.php?topic=135662.msg2794782#msg2794782
Warning: most of the wiki that follows was written a very long time ago and the information on it can be outdated.

Dell:
Precision - Very powerful desktop replacements - great warranty, ridiculously expensive - Usually overpriced or overkill

Latitude - Good Laptops - Great warranty! Highly recommended for any Business environment - Sometimes expensive.

Vostro  - Lower end Business Machines - Better Priced - still durable - Usually 1 Year warranty.

XPS - The nicer looking dell machines, Some are better than others...

Inspiron - YMMV Every model is different

(Plain) Insprion Series - Dells lowest end laptop
(R) Insprion Series - Perfect Home use, dependable, decent build quality, recommended
(Z) Insprion Series - A little slimmer than the R series, Some are Ultrabooks (Very often don't include Optical Drives)

HP:

Spectre - Top of the line personal (dragonfly is the top of the line for business) - lightest laptops, and beautiful!

Pavilion - YMMV (Some better than others)

Probook - Stable durable business systems - Usually a little on the heavy side.

Elitebook - Business Higher end systems, usually pretty expensive

ENVY - Used to be the HP sleek and nicer systems, they pretty much replaced most of the standard pavilions now and call them either ENVY or sleekbooks

Sleekbook - like it sounds slimmer line of laptops

Lenovo:

Thinkpad Series - Very Dependable Business Machine, Expensive (Not Pretty but Durable)

IdeaPad Series -

S Series
U Series - Usually the slimmer line Ultrabooks, Doesn't always include DVD Drive
Y Series - Nice machines with good specs and features (Cool Backlit Keyboards)
Z Series - Step up from the G Series, all around decent build, priced nicely, great home use laptop
G Series - Lower end

Samsung:

Series 3
Series 5
Series 7
Series 9 - The nicest, sleekest looking laptops I've seen in a long time - Can pass for a Macbook!!


HT: Dh Data Recovery & Name Changed


A great post by caliheat:
I believe that there are many factors when deciding what laptop to purchase.
1) What is your intended use and necessary features. e.g. light use vs. heavy use & optical drive, computer speed etc.
2) As mentioned several times in this thread, RAM itself is very easy to upgrade after you purchase.
3) Brand - IMHO this is pretty important as well - which do your prefer vs. which brand do people recommend.
4) Price - you should decide a price range that best suits your needs.
5) Operating System - Many people like myself prefer Windows 7 vs. 8.1, so this would be another consideration.
6) Warranty - does it include 1 year or more, cost for extending warranty.
7) Detailed Specs:
  Processor  - model and speed i3, i5, & i7 2.0 Ghz, 3.0 Ghz etc.
  RAM - This IMHO should be minimum 8GB, especially if running 8.1, however can be added easily.
  Hard Drive - SATA vs. SSD, the latter being much faster. SATA itself offers 5400 RPM vs. 7200 RPM again, the latter being faster.
  Screen Size - this is a personal preference as you can always attach a larger screen in an office setting.
  Battery & Weight - overall laptop weight preference & battery life.
  Graphics - Integrated graphics vs. dedicated graphics, e.g. Intel 4400 vs. Nvidia GTX etc.

In summary, you have to decide what are you priorities, what can be upgraded and what you are flexible on.



Excellent article about the differences between the Intel processor suffixes.

Excellent "Laptop Buying Guide" by @dailykasha, written for Black Friday 2021, updated for holidays 2023

Author Topic: Laptop Deals Master Thread  (Read 3527157 times)

Offline mevinyavin

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Re: Laptop Deals Master Thread
« Reply #13960 on: August 01, 2023, 03:12:38 AM »
Quote from: ExGingi
Echo chambers are boring and don't contribute much to deeper thinking and understanding!

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« Last Edit: August 02, 2023, 11:29:11 AM by MosheE »

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Re: Laptop Deals Master Thread
« Reply #13962 on: August 02, 2023, 12:02:26 PM »
https://www.target.com/p/lenovo-15-6-34-touchscreen-ideapad-3i-laptop-intel-core-i5-processor-8gb-ram-256gb-ssd-storage-windows-11-home-gray-82rk00beus/-/A-86976508

There are many more laptops on sale on target circle I don't begin to know what's a good deal. Maybe @mevinyavin can post the good ones.
Save additional 5% when using Target red card
This first one is pretty good.
I don't have Target on my radar anymore - I don't bother checking places that statistically are a waste of time, and Target is included.
Quote from: ExGingi
Echo chambers are boring and don't contribute much to deeper thinking and understanding!

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Re: Laptop Deals Master Thread
« Reply #13963 on: August 02, 2023, 01:22:51 PM »
https://www.newegg.com/p/N82E16834156468?Item=N82E16834156468
$849 for MSI Bravo gaming laptop with Ryzen 7 7735HS (35W) and RTX 4060 (105W). You'll need to upgrade the RAM to maximize the potential.
Quote from: ExGingi
Echo chambers are boring and don't contribute much to deeper thinking and understanding!

Offline Miracle

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Re: Laptop Deals Master Thread
« Reply #13964 on: August 03, 2023, 04:12:19 PM »
1. I have not found the Black Friday savings to be worth waiting for.
I will explain: It is true that there are (some) big ticket items with huge savings. For example, there will be a $500 laptop for $250, or a $1000 one for $600.
However, anyone who pays attention to the prices will know that this same $500 is almost always available somewhere for, say, $315. Ditto on the $1000 one for $650. Is that kind of savings worth waiting for? Only if you don't have the money in the first place or you don't really need the computer (at least yet). My opinion, for what it is worth.

2. Is the laptop you are looking for going to be a work computer on which you do graphics stuff all day, or is it one for the occasional edit but mostly office work? Is portability a factor? Screen size? Battery life?

Hi, thanks for your response. It's going to be used for both work and personal. I hope to upload youtube videos after editing. Screen size 15.6" is nice. Battery life, prefer long. As I also plan on working offline.

thanks.

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Re: Laptop Deals Master Thread
« Reply #13965 on: August 04, 2023, 01:51:17 AM »
Hi, thanks for your response. It's going to be used for both work and personal. I hope to upload youtube videos after editing. Screen size 15.6" is nice. Battery life, prefer long. As I also plan on working offline.

thanks.
What program will you be using for video editing? If you need something intense like Premiere, and you also want 15.6" and battery life, it will cost you a pretty penny.
Quote from: ExGingi
Echo chambers are boring and don't contribute much to deeper thinking and understanding!

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Re: Laptop Deals Master Thread
« Reply #13966 on: August 04, 2023, 02:02:00 AM »
What program will you be using for video editing? If you need something intense like Premiere, and you also want 15.6" and battery life, it will cost you a pretty penny.
Not sure what program.
What does a pretty penny mean? $600? or $1000?

Offline mevinyavin

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Re: Laptop Deals Master Thread
« Reply #13967 on: August 04, 2023, 02:05:21 AM »
Not sure what program.
What does a pretty penny mean? $600? or $1000?
$1000 if you are lucky.
Forgo the battery life and portability and $600 is easy.
I posted this upthread, for example: https://www.bestbuy.com/site/hp-victus-15-6-full-hd-144hz-gaming-laptop-amd-ryzen-5-7535hs-8gb-ddr5-memory-nvidia-geforce-rtx-2050-512gb-ssd-mica-silver/6541840.p?skuId=6541840&intl=nosplash
Quote from: ExGingi
Echo chambers are boring and don't contribute much to deeper thinking and understanding!

Offline NTorch

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Re: Laptop Deals Master Thread
« Reply #13968 on: August 07, 2023, 11:55:59 AM »
Target - HP 15.6" Laptop with Windows Home in S Mode – Intel Pentium Processor - 8GB RAM - 256GB SSD Storage - $249

Highlights
15.6-inch diagonal HD micro-edge BrightView display
Windows 11 Home (S mode) operating system, Microsoft 365 compatible
Intel® Pentium® Silver N5030 with Intel® UHD Graphics 605
8 GB DDR4-2400 memory and 256 GB PCIe® NVMe™ M.2 SSD internal storage
HP Fast Charge, HP True Vision HD Camera
Up to 11 hours of battery life
1 SuperSpeed USB Type-C®, 2 SuperSpeed USB Type-A, 1 Headphone/microphone combo, 1 AC Smart pin, 1 HDMI 1.4b, 1 Multi-format SD media card reader

https://www.target.com/p/hp-15-6-laptop-with-windows-home-in-s-mode-intel-pentium-processor-8gb-ram-256gb-ssd-storage/-/A-86911963?

Does seem a bit slow, though.

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Re: Laptop Deals Master Thread
« Reply #13969 on: August 07, 2023, 12:12:01 PM »
Probably been asked before, but looking for computer that'll not slow down if i have 20 links open, will pay up to 1k.
Any suggestions? TIA

Offline mevinyavin

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Re: Laptop Deals Master Thread
« Reply #13970 on: August 07, 2023, 12:59:33 PM »
Probably been asked before, but looking for computer that'll not slow down if i have 20 links open, will pay up to 1k.
Any suggestions? TIA
You don't need to spend that much. You should get 16GB of RAM (that's most important) and a decent processor - i5/i7 12th/13th gen or Ryzen 5/7 5xxx,6xxxx, 7x3x or 7x4x. Make sure it has enough space to suit your needs and enough battery life to suit your needs. Without the battery life guarantee you shouldn't spend more than $600, and even with it you should find for not much more.
If you tell me if a certain amount of space matters, if battery life matters, if weight matters, if build quality matters, and what screen sizes would work, I'll find you something specific.
Quote from: ExGingi
Echo chambers are boring and don't contribute much to deeper thinking and understanding!

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Re: Laptop Deals Master Thread
« Reply #13971 on: August 07, 2023, 01:59:32 PM »
You don't need to spend that much. You should get 16GB of RAM (that's most important) and a decent processor - i5/i7 12th/13th gen or Ryzen 5/7 5xxx,6xxxx, 7x3x or 7x4x. Make sure it has enough space to suit your needs and enough battery life to suit your needs. Without the battery life guarantee you shouldn't spend more than $600, and even with it you should find for not much more.
If you tell me if a certain amount of space matters, if battery life matters, if weight matters, if build quality matters, and what screen sizes would work, I'll find you something specific.

ok awesome, space doesnt matter, battery life-im fine having it plugged in all day if need be, weight and build quality i dont think matters, i think for screen sizes anything 14 inch or bigger should be good. have macbook now but am open to any type.

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Re: Laptop Deals Master Thread
« Reply #13972 on: August 08, 2023, 02:56:55 AM »
ok awesome, space doesnt matter, battery life-im fine having it plugged in all day if need be, weight and build quality i dont think matters, i think for screen sizes anything 14 inch or bigger should be good. have macbook now but am open to any type.
Took a quick look around.
$515 - Ideapad Slim 3 15.6". Plastic, probably not so bright screen. https://www.costco.com/lenovo-ideapad-slim-3-15.6%22-touchscreen-laptop---amd-ryzen-5-7530u---1080p---windows-11---abyss-blue.product.4000154162.html
$519 - Flex 3 14". A 14" 2-in-1 with the above chesronos but better processor. https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1737072-REG/lenovo_82hu0158us_ideapad_flex_5_full.html
$530 - 15.6" Asus Vivobook 15.6". Usually a brighter screen. Processor better than first but not as good as second. https://www.newegg.com/quiet-blue-asus-m1502qa-nb54-home-personal/p/N82E16834236468?Item=N82E16834236468&SoldByNewegg=1
$565 - Acer Aspire 5 - metal build (should be), 13th gen processor, and extra storage space. https://www.costco.com/acer-aspire-5-15.6%e2%80%9d-touchscreen-laptop-%e2%80%93-13th-gen-intel-core-i5-1335u-%e2%80%93-1080p-%e2%80%93-windows-11.product.4000154466.html

Quote from: ExGingi
Echo chambers are boring and don't contribute much to deeper thinking and understanding!

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Re: Laptop Deals Master Thread
« Reply #13973 on: August 08, 2023, 12:32:25 PM »
Thinkpad X13 with Ryzen 5, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD and 3-yr warranty for $550. (Use the code on the page.)
https://www.lenovo.com/us/en/p/laptops/thinkpad/thinkpadx/x13-amd-g2/20xhs06a00

This is an okay price for any 13.3" laptop. Make it an X13 which is built very well and has extra RAM, and you have yourself a deal. It also has decent battery life for the weight.


Review here: https://www.notebookcheck.net/Lenovo-ThinkPad-X13-Gen-2-review-AMD-Ryzen-Pro-makes-the-compact-business-laptop-fast.580644.0.html
Quote from: ExGingi
Echo chambers are boring and don't contribute much to deeper thinking and understanding!

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Re: Laptop Deals Master Thread
« Reply #13974 on: August 13, 2023, 03:10:00 AM »
https://computers.woot.com/offers/new-microsoft-15-i7-surface-book-3z-4?ref=w_cnt_wp_0_9
Woot: Old Surface 15 with 15W 10th gen i7 and 1660TI graphics for $1030 with standard 1 yr warranty.
Pros: 4.4lbs, 6GB dedicated video card, excellent battery life
Cons: You are taking a huge hit on processor power, so make sure your workload is primarily graphics-heavy.

Don't buy this just for office work.
Quote from: ExGingi
Echo chambers are boring and don't contribute much to deeper thinking and understanding!

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Re: Laptop Deals Master Thread
« Reply #13975 on: August 13, 2023, 10:14:07 AM »
What program will you be using for video editing? If you need something intense like Premiere, and you also want 15.6" and battery life, it will cost you a pretty penny.
You think it's better to buy a mac book?
https://www.apple.com/us-edu/shop/bag/shared_bag/9ecc9ecd-f7f6-4cc2-91eb-fea86d23ca78

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Re: Laptop Deals Master Thread
« Reply #13977 on: August 13, 2023, 11:38:26 AM »
Looking for a computer on the cheaper end (dont want to spend more then $500), to be used for college work and web browsing, and occasional streaming. Any ideas?

Offline mevinyavin

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Re: Laptop Deals Master Thread
« Reply #13978 on: August 13, 2023, 12:32:39 PM »
And what do you think about this for what I need?

Powerful plus good price?

https://www.bestbuy.com/site/lenovo-legion-slim-7i-16-wuxga-gaming-laptop-core-i7-12700h-16gb-memory-nvidia-geforce-rtx-3060-512gb-ssd-onyx-grey/6504420.p?skuId=6504420&irclickid=TJUSv1zqvxyPUI1TytTFhxBiUkF17a1RI2q-zA0&irgwc=1&ref=198&loc=Slickdeals_LLC&acampID=0&mpid=10451
The price is okay (not too bad, not too great), but that model has terrible battery life.
A Macbook would work, but there are other options if you don't like the Apple ecosystem.
If you are saying you want decent portability and battery life, I can find you something. I was waiting for your answer.

EDIT: Don't get an M2 Macbook with only 8GB RAM. You'll regret it.
« Last Edit: August 13, 2023, 12:38:27 PM by mevinyavin »
Quote from: ExGingi
Echo chambers are boring and don't contribute much to deeper thinking and understanding!

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Re: Laptop Deals Master Thread
« Reply #13979 on: August 13, 2023, 12:41:23 PM »
Looking for a computer on the cheaper end (dont want to spend more then $500), to be used for college work and web browsing, and occasional streaming. Any ideas?
$350 is a decent price for this, if you don't mind the 2-in-1. https://www.bestbuy.com/site/hp-pavilion-2-in-1-14-fhd-laptop-intel-core-i3-8gb-memory-256gb-ssd-space-blue/6502263.p?skuId=6502263
You'll get similar performance from this 15.6" model but you would not be able to upgrade the RAM. $380.
https://www.bestbuy.com/site/acer-aspire-3-laptop-15-6-full-hd-ips-amd-ryzen-5-7520u-8gb-lpddr5-512gb-nvme-ssd-steam-blue/6530235.p?skuId=6530235
Quote from: ExGingi
Echo chambers are boring and don't contribute much to deeper thinking and understanding!