Laptop Deals Master Thread

[Moshe Green]

Someone asked me to buy them a laptop. They plan on using it for very basic tasks; typing, basic browsing etc. They obviously don't need anything to fancy and I am looking at this deal here: https://www.dell.com/en-us/shop/dell-laptops/inspiron-15-laptop/spd/inspiron-15-3520-laptop

I am just trying to decide if it's worth upgrading to the i5 or just stick with the cheapest option at the i3. Any advice?

i5 is overkill. i3 is fine.

[mevinyavin]

Someone asked me to buy them a laptop. They plan on using it for very basic tasks; typing, basic browsing etc. They obviously don't need anything to fancy and I am looking at this deal here: https://www.dell.com/en-us/shop/dell-laptops/inspiron-15-laptop/spd/inspiron-15-3520-laptop

I am just trying to decide if it's worth upgrading to the i5 or just stick with the cheapest option at the i3. Any advice?

The i3 is fine, especially because the RAM is upgradeable if you need more. I can hear spending $70 for four more e-cores, but it is entirely unnecessary.
Best value is the Ryzen 7 both for the extra storage and RAM (which, to be fair, would cost you about $70 more to upgrade the i3 to) and for the better battery life and performance (8 "P"-cores in the Ryzen 7 should outperform 2 P-cores and 8 E-cores in the i5/i7). However, as @Moshe Green said, unless you care about the battery life, there is almost no reason to move past the $260 i3 unless you think you might be doing something in the future that may need the cores. Agav, the graphics in the Ryzen 7 performs better than the Intel flavor, but is still weak for anything that needs those things.
If performance alone mattered (it doesn't), there are better $450 computers.

[sguitarist18]

Is this a good value for $769? (Not sure how much difference the fact that the processor is 12th gen makes)

https://www.dell.com/en-us/shop/dell-laptops/latitude-7330-laptop/spd/latitude-13-7330-2-in-1-laptop/gctol7330usvp?redirectTo=SOC

[Nowhat]

Hi.  Is this a deal?

https://www.lenovo.com/us/en/p/laptops/thinkpad/thinkpadt/thinkpad-t14-gen-4-(14-inch-intel)/21hd0073us?cid=us:sem|se|google|pmax_push_sale|||21HD0073US|18337311350|||shopping|mix|consumercommercial&gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQiA6vaqBhCbARIsACF9M6lBfQAGY8q4OnE74TcBWpRLFj_YHlER11TPOA0__1AjiOtJ_0H9crIaAnCIEALw_wcB

[Nowhat]

Or this?  https://www.hp.com/us-en/shop/pdp/hp-elitebook-840-g8-notebook-pc-wolf-pro-security-edition-p-9a9x8ua-aba-1?intel=11gi7&jumpid=cs_com_nc_ns&utm_medium=cs&utm_source=ga&utm_campaign=HP-Store_US_All_PS_BPS_Hgm_Intel_CCF_Google_All_Smart-PLA_UNBR&utm_content=sp&adid=&addisttype=xpla_with_promotion&9A9X8UA%23ABA&cq_src=google_ads&cq_cmp=20551016532&cq_con=&cq_term=&cq_med=pla_with_promotion&cq_plac=&cq_net=x&cq_pos=&cq_plt=gp&gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQiA6vaqBhCbARIsACF9M6l8IzBKn8hPxciixZ4LjW428roPF_c2e1YrtUg65PeDRL3XAYX-UzYaApIYEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds

[Nowhat]

One more, sorry for being a nudge.

https://www.lenovo.com/us/en/p/laptops/ideapad/ideapad-flex-series/ideapad-flex-5i-gen-8-(16-inch-intel)/82y10004us?orgRef=https%253A%252F%252Fwww.cnn.com%252F&clickid=zkAXCGUCgxyPWlp1-A0WDRQYUkFXmF0FwU1m3c0&irgwc=1&PID=1442537&acid=ww%3Aaffiliate%3Abv0as6&cid=us%3Aaffiliate%3Acxsaam

[Chuchum Ainer]

https://www.hp.com/us-en/shop/ConfigureView?langId=-1&storeId=10151&catalogId=10051&catEntryId=3074457345620810821&urlLangId=&quantity=1&color=natural%20silver
$700, but needs the upgrade to 400 nit screen, so $760
i7-1355U 16 GB ram
15.6" FHD touch IPS 400 nits
512 GB SSD
55 Wh battery
backlit keyboard
Includes Pen

What says the oilom? better coming out this weekend, in this sort of upper midrange?

[mevinyavin]

Ouch.
Consider this post to be my opinion - other users weigh in too, please.
@sguitarist18 Don't spend more than $500 on a computer with 8GB of RAM that is not upgradeable. https://uk.crucial.com/compatible-upgrade-for/dell/latitude-13-(7330) Even though the price is stellar but you will get limited future proofing unless you never touch the internet.

@Nowhat These all seem to be regular price. The best of the three if you want an indestructible computer with stellar battery and basic office work is the Elitebook. But the processor is from 2019.

@Chuchum Ainer The computer is nice (barring my opinion on 2-in-1s) but prepare to be underwhelmed in the battery life department, probably. Having read the Envy review at some point, I remember wondering what the advantage was over the competition. Once spending that much, I would get a Galaxy Book3 Pro 2-in-1 or an LG Gram 2-in-1 instead, even if it costs a bit more.

[mevinyavin]

Budget laptop deals roundup. One 14" set, one 15" set, one 17" set. The list is not comprehensive, it is based on searching for three people over the last day and they each wanted different things. A few of these are listed above and reappear here for the sake of comparisons. These are all good deals, the differences may be subtle but real, and I'm describing them in shorthand. PM if you have questions but I'm on IL time and will be online for short periods through Sunday morning.

14"
$450 Aspire 5, 13th gen i5, 8GB non-upgradeable RAM and 512GB SSD. Metal. https://www.newegg.com/steel-gray-acer-aspire-5-a514-56m-576d-home-personal/p/N82E16834360275?Item=N82E16834360275&SoldByNewegg=1

$430/$470 MSI Modern, Ryzen 5 7530/Ryzen 7 7730U (Zen 3) respectively, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD. Well-built but plastic, excellent battery life.
R5: https://www.newegg.com/classic-black-msi-modern-14-c7m-049us-work-business/p/N82E16834156445?Item=N82E16834156445&SoldByNewegg=1
R7: https://www.newegg.com/classic-black-msi-modern-14-c7m-048us-work-business/p/N82E16834156444?Item=N82E16834156444&SoldByNewegg=1

$600: HP Elitebook 645 G9, Ryzen 7 5875U, 16GB RAM and 512GB SSD. HP's Thinkpad T equivalent.
https://www.microcenter.com/product/667439/hp-elitebook-645-g9-14-commercial-laptop-computer-silver

15.6"/16"
$260 before AMEX discounts, as featured on DansDeals^TM: Inspiron with i3-1215U, 8GB RAM and 256GB SSD. Great budget option. https://www.dell.com/en-us/shop/dell-laptops/inspiron-15-laptop/spd/inspiron-15-3520-laptop/nn3520gmxph

$330 before AMEX discounts. Inspiron with Ryzen 5 7530U (Zen 3), 8GB RAM and 512GB SSD. Performs roughly equal to above but better battery life. https://www.dell.com/en-us/shop/dell-laptops/new-inspiron-15-laptop/spd/inspiron-15-3535-laptop/useichbts3535gndc

$370 HP, Ryzen 5 7520U (Zen 2), 16GB of RAM and 256GB RAM. Cheapest model for office work that can do all those Chrome tabs. These processors are underpowered but were hyperoptimized for battery life (codename Mendocino - look it up). Note that the previous model has a better processor and you can upgrade the RAM yourself - so this model is for people who won't.
https://www.bestbuy.com/site/hp-15-6-full-hd-laptop-amd-ryzen-5-7520u-16gb-memory-256gb-ssd-natural-silver/6554442.p?skuId=6554442

$385 Aspire 5, 35W i5-12450H, 8GB RAM (upgradeable) and 512GB SSD. Due to the weird way Intel appropriated core counts, this processor outperforms the regular (15W) 12th gen i7 because it has both more cores and a higher wattage (not sure about 13th gen, but it should be competitive). Plus this is metal, not plastic. Reviews even say it has good battery life (something has to give, but I'm not sure what - bad colors on the screen, maybe?). Plus Costco so extra warranty. https://www.costco.com/acer-aspire-5-15.6%22-laptop---12th-gen-intel-core-i5-12450h---1080p---windows-11.product.4000210217.html

$450 before AMEX discount: the best of the plastic Dells, Ryzen 7 5700U, 16GB RAM, TB SSD.
https://www.dell.com/en-us/shop/dell-laptops/inspiron-15-laptop/spd/inspiron-15-3525-laptop/nn3525ghhvs

$529 Ideapad Slim 5i 16, i5-1335U, 16GB RAM and 512GB SSD. Metal and also 16 inches (taller, better for most people). https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1772712-REG/lenovo_82xf0065us_16_ideapad_slim_5i.html/specs
For the AMEX people, this Dell is the same idea but costs $550 - but you people should get it cheaper, right? https://www.dell.com/en-us/shop/dell-laptops/inspiron-16-laptop/spd/inspiron-16-5630-laptop/usichbts5630gkgh

$550 HP Probook 455 G10, Ryzen 5 7530, 16GB RAM and 256GB SSD. No cheap Elitebooks for this size, but the Probook is pretty well built too and great value, battery life. https://www.hp.com/us-en/shop/pdp/hp-probook-455-156-inch-g10-notebook-pc-wolf-pro-security-edition-p-8l088ua-aba-1

17
$470 Aspire 5 17, i5 12th gen, 16GB of RAM and 512GB SSD. People, 17" computers at this price usually have i3s and are made of plastic. This one is metal, has an i5 and 16GB of RAM. https://store.acer.com/en-us/aspire-5-laptop-a517-53-58xa

[mevinyavin]

Here's another. $250
Acer Aspire 3 A315-24P-R7VH Slim Laptop | 15.6" Full HD IPS Display | AMD Ryzen 3 7320U Quad-Core Processor | AMD Radeon Graphics | 8GB LPDDR5 | 128GB NVMe SSD | Wi-Fi 6 | Windows 11 Home in S Mode ($1,099.98 )



If you don't get any AMEX discounts at Dell, this is a better buy assuming you don't need that much space.

[mevinyavin]

MSI GF63, 35W 12th gen i5-12450H and RTX 4050 for $600. Note that the 4050 runs at a low wattage.
https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1765285-REG/msi_thin_gf63_12ve_437us_15_6_thin_gf63_gaming.html

[sguitarist18]

Ouch.
Consider this post to be my opinion - other users weigh in too, please.
@sguitarist18 Don't spend more than $500 on a computer with 8GB of RAM that is not upgradeable. https://uk.crucial.com/compatible-upgrade-for/dell/latitude-13-(7330) Even though the price is stellar but you will get limited future proofing unless you never touch the internet.

When you say "future proofing," how long would you anticipate a laptop lasting before needing upgrades? Especially if it's being used for relatively basic tasks?

How would you compare this Lattitude with the Probook you mentioned in your roundup - in terms of performance and (more importantly) durability?

[mevinyavin]

When you say "future proofing," how long would you anticipate a laptop lasting before needing upgrades? Especially if it's being used for relatively basic tasks?

How would you compare this Lattitude with the Probook you mentioned in your roundup - in terms of performance and (more importantly) durability?

Until yesterday, if you plan on using the web. I have numerous reports from NON-power users saying their computers were too slow, and upon investigation, saw that they were maxing out 8GB of RAM. You can buy a computer with 8GB, maybe even it will be okay, but if you are connected to the world you must be able to upgrade to 16GB.

The Probook is not equal to a 7xxx series Latitude. But yours was 13" in any case, and the Probook was 15.6".
You might be happy with the Elitebook in the 14" section. The processor should be better and the battery life too. But it isn't a 2-in-1 like yours. (Not that I like those.)
Or, this is a downgrade on the processor, RAM but is one of the best-built laptops you can buy today. (14")
https://www.newegg.com/p/2WC-000J-018C7?Item=2WC-000J-018C7&SoldByNewegg=1

[nafnaf12]

https://www.costco.com/asus-14%22-vivobook-laptop---amd-ryzen-5-7520u---1080p---windows-11-.product.4000151187.html?qid=1f13ee1589ee11ee82c805230a18b8f7&cjevent=1f13ee1589ee11ee82c805230a18b8f7

[sguitarist18]

Sorry, I had the sizes off - I'm looking for a 15" laptop.

What are the disadvantages of a probook?

And how bad are an i3/Ryzen3?

https://www.hp.com/us-en/shop/pdp/hp-elitebook-655-g10-notebook-pc-customizable-75g66av-mb

[mevinyavin]

https://www.costco.com/asus-14%22-vivobook-laptop---amd-ryzen-5-7520u---1080p---windows-11-.product.4000151187.html?qid=1f13ee1589ee11ee82c805230a18b8f7&cjevent=1f13ee1589ee11ee82c805230a18b8f7

Too expensive. The processor is a 4-core Zen 2 (similar to the 4xxx series Ryzens but with DDR5 support). You can do better for $400.
EDIT: Though I posted one above from HP that was a bit cheaper - the 16GB of RAM is an advantage only to those who can't upgrade themselves.

[mevinyavin]

Sorry, I had the sizes off - I'm looking for a 15" laptop.

What are the disadvantages of a probook?

And how bad are an i3/Ryzen3?

https://www.hp.com/us-en/shop/pdp/hp-elitebook-655-g10-notebook-pc-customizable-75g66av-mb

If you are looking to save money but still want a quality build, get the $385 Aspire 5 I listed. Over that, the Probook is probably slightly better build wise and battery wise and has extra RAM (but you can upgrade the Aspire 5).
If you are really on a tight budget, for office work the i3 (12th gen+) or Ryzen 3 (5xxx or 7x3x or 7x4x) are also fine. Just make sure you have the option to add more RAM. Or it has 16GB already.

[sguitarist18]

Trying to save money, but get something that will stand up to use in a commercial/healthcare environment.

So based on that, would I be better off with the Ryzen 5 probook, or the Ryzen 3 Elitebook?

[mevinyavin]

Trying to save money, but get something that will stand up to use in a commercial/healthcare environment.

So based on that, would I be better off with the Ryzen 5 probook, or the Ryzen 3 Elitebook?

Get the Elitebook. That Ryzen 3 is Zen 3 so sufficient for your needs and the build quality is better.
If you really want to save money, though, the Aspire 5 is also built very well. (Not as well as the Elitebook.)

[Nowhat]

What's the round up for one level up?

quote author=mevinyavin link=topic=11287.msg2771040#msg2771040 date=1700754853]
Budget laptop deals roundup. One 14" set, one 15" set, one 17" set. The list is not comprehensive, it is based on searching for three people over the last day and they each wanted different things. A few of these are listed above and reappear here for the sake of comparisons. These are all good deals, the differences may be subtle but real, and I'm describing them in shorthand. PM if you have questions but I'm on IL time and will be online for short periods through Sunday morning.

14"
$450 Aspire 5, 13th gen i5, 8GB non-upgradeable RAM and 512GB SSD. Metal. https://www.newegg.com/steel-gray-acer-aspire-5-a514-56m-576d-home-personal/p/N82E16834360275?Item=N82E16834360275&SoldByNewegg=1

$430/$470 MSI Modern, Ryzen 5 7530/Ryzen 7 7730U (Zen 3) respectively, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD. Well-built but plastic, excellent battery life.
R5: https://www.newegg.com/classic-black-msi-modern-14-c7m-049us-work-business/p/N82E16834156445?Item=N82E16834156445&SoldByNewegg=1
R7: https://www.newegg.com/classic-black-msi-modern-14-c7m-048us-work-business/p/N82E16834156444?Item=N82E16834156444&SoldByNewegg=1

$600: HP Elitebook 645 G9, Ryzen 7 5875U, 16GB RAM and 512GB SSD. HP's Thinkpad T equivalent.
https://www.microcenter.com/product/667439/hp-elitebook-645-g9-14-commercial-laptop-computer-silver

15.6"/16"
$260 before AMEX discounts, as featured on DansDeals^TM: Inspiron with i3-1215U, 8GB RAM and 256GB SSD. Great budget option. https://www.dell.com/en-us/shop/dell-laptops/inspiron-15-laptop/spd/inspiron-15-3520-laptop/nn3520gmxph

$330 before AMEX discounts. Inspiron with Ryzen 5 7530U (Zen 3), 8GB RAM and 512GB SSD. Performs roughly equal to above but better battery life. https://www.dell.com/en-us/shop/dell-laptops/new-inspiron-15-laptop/spd/inspiron-15-3535-laptop/useichbts3535gndc

$370 HP, Ryzen 5 7520U (Zen 2), 16GB of RAM and 256GB RAM. Cheapest model for office work that can do all those Chrome tabs. These processors are underpowered but were hyperoptimized for battery life (codename Mendocino - look it up). Note that the previous model has a better processor and you can upgrade the RAM yourself - so this model is for people who won't.
https://www.bestbuy.com/site/hp-15-6-full-hd-laptop-amd-ryzen-5-7520u-16gb-memory-256gb-ssd-natural-silver/6554442.p?skuId=6554442

$385 Aspire 5, 35W i5-12450H, 8GB RAM (upgradeable) and 512GB SSD. Due to the weird way Intel appropriated core counts, this processor outperforms the regular (15W) 12th gen i7 because it has both more cores and a higher wattage (not sure about 13th gen, but it should be competitive). Plus this is metal, not plastic. Reviews even say it has good battery life (something has to give, but I'm not sure what - bad colors on the screen, maybe?). Plus Costco so extra warranty. https://www.costco.com/acer-aspire-5-15.6%22-laptop---12th-gen-intel-core-i5-12450h---1080p---windows-11.product.4000210217.html

$450 before AMEX discount: the best of the plastic Dells, Ryzen 7 5700U, 16GB RAM, TB SSD.
https://www.dell.com/en-us/shop/dell-laptops/inspiron-15-laptop/spd/inspiron-15-3525-laptop/nn3525ghhvs

$529 Ideapad Slim 5i 16, i5-1335U, 16GB RAM and 512GB SSD. Metal and also 16 inches (taller, better for most people). https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1772712-REG/lenovo_82xf0065us_16_ideapad_slim_5i.html/specs
For the AMEX people, this Dell is the same idea but costs $550 - but you people should get it cheaper, right? https://www.dell.com/en-us/shop/dell-laptops/inspiron-16-laptop/spd/inspiron-16-5630-laptop/usichbts5630gkgh

$550 HP Probook 455 G10, Ryzen 5 7530, 16GB RAM and 256GB SSD. No cheap Elitebooks for this size, but the Probook is pretty well built too and great value, battery life. https://www.hp.com/us-en/shop/pdp/hp-probook-455-156-inch-g10-notebook-pc-wolf-pro-security-edition-p-8l088ua-aba-1

17
$470 Aspire 5 17, i5 12th gen, 16GB of RAM and 512GB SSD. People, 17" computers at this price usually have i3s and are made of plastic. This one is metal, has an i5 and 16GB of RAM. https://store.acer.com/en-us/aspire-5-laptop-a517-53-58xa
[/quote]