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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

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 3388259 times)

Offline Moshe Green

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Re: Laptop Deals Master Thread
« Reply #14160 on: November 22, 2023, 02:02:12 AM »
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.

Offline mevinyavin

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Re: Laptop Deals Master Thread
« Reply #14161 on: November 22, 2023, 03:58:39 AM »
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.
Quote from: ExGingi
Echo chambers are boring and don't contribute much to deeper thinking and understanding!

Offline sguitarist18

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Re: Laptop Deals Master Thread
« Reply #14162 on: November 22, 2023, 03:47:23 PM »
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

Offline Nowhat

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Re: Laptop Deals Master Thread
« Reply #14163 on: November 22, 2023, 06:19:23 PM »
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



Offline Chuchum Ainer

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Re: Laptop Deals Master Thread
« Reply #14166 on: November 22, 2023, 10:45:11 PM »
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?

Offline mevinyavin

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Re: Laptop Deals Master Thread
« Reply #14167 on: November 23, 2023, 05:04:20 AM »
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.
Quote from: ExGingi
Echo chambers are boring and don't contribute much to deeper thinking and understanding!

Offline mevinyavin

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Re: Laptop Deals Master Thread
« Reply #14168 on: November 23, 2023, 10:54:13 AM »
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 DansDealsTM: 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 from: ExGingi
Echo chambers are boring and don't contribute much to deeper thinking and understanding!

Offline mevinyavin

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Re: Laptop Deals Master Thread
« Reply #14169 on: November 23, 2023, 11:20:45 AM »
Quote from: ExGingi
Echo chambers are boring and don't contribute much to deeper thinking and understanding!

Offline mevinyavin

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Re: Laptop Deals Master Thread
« Reply #14170 on: November 23, 2023, 11:30:46 AM »
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
Quote from: ExGingi
Echo chambers are boring and don't contribute much to deeper thinking and understanding!

Offline sguitarist18

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Re: Laptop Deals Master Thread
« Reply #14171 on: November 23, 2023, 11:42:12 AM »
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?

Offline mevinyavin

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Re: Laptop Deals Master Thread
« Reply #14172 on: November 23, 2023, 11:53:45 AM »
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
Quote from: ExGingi
Echo chambers are boring and don't contribute much to deeper thinking and understanding!

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A smooth sea never made a skilled sailor.

Offline sguitarist18

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Re: Laptop Deals Master Thread
« Reply #14174 on: November 23, 2023, 12:17:51 PM »
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

Offline mevinyavin

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Re: Laptop Deals Master Thread
« Reply #14175 on: November 23, 2023, 12:26:26 PM »
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.
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 #14176 on: November 23, 2023, 12:31:19 PM »
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.
Quote from: ExGingi
Echo chambers are boring and don't contribute much to deeper thinking and understanding!

Offline sguitarist18

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Re: Laptop Deals Master Thread
« Reply #14177 on: November 23, 2023, 12:36:41 PM »
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?

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Re: Laptop Deals Master Thread
« Reply #14178 on: November 23, 2023, 12:48:20 PM »
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.)
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 #14179 on: November 23, 2023, 12:55:19 PM »
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 DansDealsTM: 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
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