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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 3184224 times)

Offline Chuchum Ainer

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Re: Laptop Deals Master Thread
« Reply #12820 on: February 09, 2021, 07:10:55 PM »
At the current price of $450 vs $600, you just take the cheaper one, assuming you can find it in stock.

The intel one is the 10th gen processor, here is the link to the version with the new processor https://www.staples.com/lenovo-ideapad-5-15itl05-15-6-notebook-intel-i5-8gb-memory-512gb-ssd-windows-10-82fg000rus/product_24465739

All three have been $500 over the last few weeks, good price for any of them, but no reason to get the 10th gen i5, as the AMD or 11th gen are better. if its between AMD/256 and 10th gen i5/512, I'd go with AMD.

I also like the dark grey color better.


the same 10th gen i5/512 currently in stock for $530 https://www.staples.com/lenovo-ideapad-5-15iil05-81yk-15-6-notebook-intel-i5-8gb-memory-512gb-ssd-windows-10-81yk000tus/product_24435796

and the 10th gen i7 with 16gb ram currently for $650, though you likely have better options at that price https://www.staples.com/lenovo-ideapad-5-15iil05-81yk-15-6-notebook-intel-i7-16gb-memory-512gb-ssd-windows-10-81yk000lus/product_24435794

Offline sol19

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Re: Laptop Deals Master Thread
« Reply #12821 on: February 09, 2021, 08:37:33 PM »
Lenovo IdeaPad 3 14" FHD Laptop i5-1035G1, 8GB, 512GB SSD $399
Windows 10 Home
10th Generation Intel Core i5-1035G1 Quad Core Processor
14.0" FHD (1920 x 1080) LED Backlit Anti-Glare Display
Intel UHD Graphics
8GB 2666MHz DDR4 RAM
512GB NVMe M.2 SSD

Offline Chuchum Ainer

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Re: Laptop Deals Master Thread
« Reply #12822 on: February 10, 2021, 12:47:03 AM »
Lenovo IdeaPad 3 14" FHD Laptop i5-1035G1, 8GB, 512GB SSD $399
Windows 10 Home
10th Generation Intel Core i5-1035G1 Quad Core Processor
14.0" FHD (1920 x 1080) LED Backlit Anti-Glare Display
Intel UHD Graphics
8GB 2666MHz DDR4 RAM
512GB NVMe M.2 SSD

not bad for $400.
I'd suggest anyone who can afford to pay $100 more for a better machine. This one has a 220nit TN screen (translation: dim and washed out) and an overall cheaper build (the Ideapad 3 is a lower end product). 

Offline nirc

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Re: Laptop Deals Master Thread
« Reply #12823 on: February 14, 2021, 10:34:34 PM »
ISO of decent chrome book for $100-200 that my kids can use only for school purposes.

Thinking about this one:
https://www.amazon.com/Acer-14inch-Chromebook-Quad-Core-Processor/dp/B07ZR6S3YN/ref=sr_1_18?crid=31RCVEZDS2V8U&dchild=1&keywords=acer+chromebook&qid=1613359821&sprefix=Acer+c%2Caps%2C226&sr=8-18

This is what they had until yesterday when it suddenly died. Bought it 3 yrs ago for $100 and they loved it.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B019G7VPTC/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
« Last Edit: February 14, 2021, 10:38:18 PM by nirc »

Offline Yo ssi

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Re: Laptop Deals Master Thread
« Reply #12824 on: February 14, 2021, 10:41:22 PM »
This is what they had until yesterday when it suddenly died.
Did you try the plug? :P

On a serious note, you can post details on the Computer Troubleshooting/Help Master Thread
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Offline drosenberg88429

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Offline nirc

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Offline nirc

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Re: Laptop Deals Master Thread
« Reply #12827 on: February 14, 2021, 11:04:24 PM »
Did you try the plug? :P

On a serious note, you can post details on the Computer Troubleshooting/Help Master Thread

Yep. Actually replaced the plug about a yr ago.

Will try to post there. Didn’t really think about repair since assumed that 3 yrs of use is plenty for a $100 device and it’s time to die.

Offline Yo ssi

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Re: Laptop Deals Master Thread
« Reply #12828 on: February 14, 2021, 11:15:42 PM »
Yep. Actually replaced the plug about a yr ago.

Will try to post there. Didn’t really think about repair since assumed that 3 yrs of use is plenty for a $100 device and it’s time to die.
I don't believe in that ;)
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Offline Sowhat

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Re: Laptop Deals Master Thread
« Reply #12829 on: February 15, 2021, 09:45:36 AM »

Offline Chuchum Ainer

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Re: Laptop Deals Master Thread
« Reply #12830 on: February 15, 2021, 08:36:53 PM »
These are both cheaper now, FYI.

Any deals on a 14 inch model?

didn't realize when I posted that they both have 250 nit TN screens. (some of the others have 300 nit IPS screens).


Offline sol19

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Re: Laptop Deals Master Thread
« Reply #12831 on: February 16, 2021, 01:04:20 PM »
Lenovo IdeaPad 5 15.6" FHD Laptop i7-1065G7 16GB 512GB SSD $600
10th Generation Intel Core i7-1065G7 Processor (up to 3.9GHz speed, 4 Cores, 8 MB Cache)
Windows 10 Home
Intel Iris Plus Graphics
15.6" FHD (1920 x 1080)
16GB DDR4
512 GB SSD
Backlit keyboard

Offline Mushkie10

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Re: Laptop Deals Master Thread
« Reply #12832 on: February 16, 2021, 02:39:36 PM »
I see that the Gateway on Dansdeals from Walmart https://www.dansdeals.com/shopping-deals/electronics/notebooks/gateway-14-1-fhd-core-i5-256gb-ssd-ultra-slim-laptop-449-shipped-walmart/ has pretty similar specs to this deal  https://www.edealinfo.com/d/00020201128304/Dell-Vostro-15-5502-15-6-inch-FHD-Laptop-with-Intel-Quad-Core, with the ten percent amex deal and ten percent from Rakuten, the price is very similar as well. The primary difference I see is Gen 11 vs 10, anything else? Any and all advice is greatly appreciated.

Offline Chuchum Ainer

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Re: Laptop Deals Master Thread
« Reply #12833 on: February 16, 2021, 07:00:42 PM »
Lenovo IdeaPad 5 15.6" FHD Laptop i7-1065G7 16GB 512GB SSD $600
10th Generation Intel Core i7-1065G7 Processor (up to 3.9GHz speed, 4 Cores, 8 MB Cache)
Windows 10 Home
Intel Iris Plus Graphics
15.6" FHD (1920 x 1080)
16GB DDR4
512 GB SSD
Backlit keyboard


TN 250nits 45% NTSC

at $600 I'd look for something with a slightly better screen, unless you plan on usually using it hooked up to an external display.
the rest of the specs are good

Offline sol19

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Re: Laptop Deals Master Thread
« Reply #12834 on: February 16, 2021, 07:08:36 PM »
HP 15t-dy200 15.6" FHD Touch Laptop i7-1165G7, 16GB, 256GB + 16GB Optane, Wifi 6 $608 or $1152 ($576 each)
5% Off With Code: 5PDS2021 Or Buy 2 & get 10% Off With Code: 10PDS2021
    Upgrade
    • HD to FHD Screen for +$10
    • 256GB PCIe NVMe M.2 SSD or 256GB+16GB Optane for free
    • Wifi to Wifi 6 for free
    Windows 10 Home
    11th Gen Intel Core i7-1165G7 (up to 4.7 GHz, 12 MB L3 cache, 4 cores)
    Intel Iris Xe Graphics
    16GB DDR4 2666MHz
      Upgrade +$10.00 15.6" diagonal FHD IPS BrightView micro-edge WLED-backlit touch screen (1920 x 1080)
    256GB PCIe NVMe M.2 SSD
      256 GB Intel SSD + 16 GB Intel Optane memory (Upgrade free)

    Offline Chuchum Ainer

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    Re: Laptop Deals Master Thread
    « Reply #12835 on: February 16, 2021, 07:14:37 PM »
    I see that the Gateway on Dansdeals from Walmart https://www.dansdeals.com/shopping-deals/electronics/notebooks/gateway-14-1-fhd-core-i5-256gb-ssd-ultra-slim-laptop-449-shipped-walmart/ has pretty similar specs to this deal  https://www.edealinfo.com/d/00020201128304/Dell-Vostro-15-5502-15-6-inch-FHD-Laptop-with-Intel-Quad-Core, with the ten percent amex deal and ten percent from Rakuten, the price is very similar as well. The primary difference I see is Gen 11 vs 10, anything else? Any and all advice is greatly appreciated.

    Good find.

    The gateways have 16gb ram, the vostro 8.
    Proper full info on both these laptops is not so easy to find (if anyone has a simple way of figuring out the full specs for a vostro, including materials, displays, etc. feel free to correct me)

    I'd take the vostro The reviews I've seen (online and from friends) on the gateway say its a low end device, with cheaper construction and short battery life. The screen is pretty dim, though it supposedly has an IPS.

    The vostro, besides for the better processor, is most likely a better built device. Dell has three general vostro lines, 3000/5000/7000, so this is a midrange according to them.

    I don't know by how much, but I'd wager it has longer battery, brighter screen, better functioning keypad, weighs less, will last longer. the 8gb ram is a bit concerning, but for the vast majority of tasks it will be fine, at least for the next few years.

    All IMHO

    Just make sure you know which size laptop you want. A 15.6 inch and a 14 inch are not the same thing at all.

    Offline grodnoking

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    Re: Laptop Deals Master Thread
    « Reply #12836 on: February 16, 2021, 08:12:12 PM »
    ISO of decent chrome book for $100-200 that my kids can use only for school purposes.

    Thinking about this one:
    https://www.amazon.com/Acer-14inch-Chromebook-Quad-Core-Processor/dp/B07ZR6S3YN/ref=sr_1_18?crid=31RCVEZDS2V8U&dchild=1&keywords=acer+chromebook&qid=1613359821&sprefix=Acer+c%2Caps%2C226&sr=8-18

    This is what they had until yesterday when it suddenly died. Bought it 3 yrs ago for $100 and they loved it.
    https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B019G7VPTC/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
    I like this chromebook: https://www.walmart.com/ip/HP-X360-14-Celeron-2-in-1-Touch-4GB-64GB-Chromebook-Teal-Intel-Celeron-N4000-4GB-RAM-64-GB-eMMC-Teal-14a-ca0030wm/853816774

    Costs 299 (more than your looking for) but I got it for 220 cyber Monday (black friday it was 179 for about a billionth of a second but I'm sure no human actually managed to buy it at that price).
    I'm not who you think I am.

    Offline Mushkie10

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    Re: Laptop Deals Master Thread
    « Reply #12837 on: February 19, 2021, 03:47:15 PM »
    Just make sure you know which size laptop you want. A 15.6 inch and a 14 inch are not the same thing at all.

    Thanks! I actually was looking at the 15.6 gateway thats $20 more. I felt similarly that Dell is better than Gateway, but dansdeals shared the gateway not the Dell, so I wasn't sure :). I bought both and we'll see which one sticks.


    Offline Yo ssi

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    Re: Laptop Deals Master Thread
    « Reply #12838 on: February 19, 2021, 04:59:42 PM »
    Thanks! I actually was looking at the 15.6 gateway thats $20 more. I felt similarly that Dell is better than Gateway, but dansdeals shared the gateway not the Dell, so I wasn't sure :). I bought both and we'll see which one sticks.
    Didn't check out the specs but I'd stay away from gateway
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    Offline yos9694

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    Re: Laptop Deals Master Thread
    « Reply #12839 on: February 22, 2021, 02:19:57 PM »
    https://www.walmart.com/ip/EVOO-15-6-FHD-Ultra-Thin-Intel-Core-i7-8GB-Memory-256GB-SSD-Windows-10-Home-Black/980142444

    Anyone have opinions on this machine? Obviously cons are EVOO and Walmart, but on the plus side it's cheap and has enough specs to do Zoom, run Excel, play games. Assuming this is good enough for normal home use, can I do better at this price point (or for slightly more)?