Topic Wiki

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 3151691 times)

Online Yehudaa

  • Dansdeals Presidential Platinum Elite
  • ********
  • Join Date: Mar 2018
  • Posts: 3604
  • Total likes: 2405
  • DansDeals.com Hat Tips 111
    • View Profile
Re: Laptop Deals Master Thread
« Reply #13320 on: January 03, 2022, 07:48:30 AM »

Great advice. One thing to keep in mind if OP is using it only for Zoom is webcam quality. I imagine the webcam on a cheap refurbished chromebook is very different than the camera on an ipad or a facebook portal. Some people don't mind, but especially if the zoom calls are only going to be 2 people as OP mentioned, OP's video will be full screen on the other person's screen and a grainy camera will show at that size.


Offline Chuchum Ainer

  • Dansdeals Platinum Elite
  • ****
  • Join Date: Apr 2020
  • Posts: 388
  • Total likes: 124
  • DansDeals.com Hat Tips 1
    • View Profile
Re: Laptop Deals Master Thread
« Reply #13322 on: January 03, 2022, 03:27:47 PM »
Great advice. One thing to keep in mind if OP is using it only for Zoom is webcam quality. I imagine the webcam on a cheap refurbished chromebook is very different than the camera on an ipad or a facebook portal. Some people don't mind, but especially if the zoom calls are only going to be 2 people as OP mentioned, OP's video will be full screen on the other person's screen and a grainy camera will show at that size.
IPad or portal camera will definitely be better but many chromebook cameras are better than you'd expect.
Don't let the refurbished on this one scare you.

I cannot understand why windows laptop built-in cameras are so universally bad. Even on higher end machines.

JlmBoi, if you end up getting a laptop or chromebook, consider also a Webcam. They cost under $50 for a decent one.

Offline Chuchum Ainer

  • Dansdeals Platinum Elite
  • ****
  • Join Date: Apr 2020
  • Posts: 388
  • Total likes: 124
  • DansDeals.com Hat Tips 1
    • View Profile
Re: Laptop Deals Master Thread
« Reply #13323 on: January 03, 2022, 03:31:30 PM »
Walmart gateway
https://www.walmart.com/ip/Gateway-15-6-FHD-Ultra-Slim-Notebook-AMD-Ryzen-5-3450U-8GB-RAM-256GB-SSD-Tuned-THX-Audio-Fingerprint-Scanner-1MP-Webcam-HDMI-Cortana-Windows-10-Home-/105156164

I wouldn't get that gateway at $449. Gateway is (currently) a low end manufacturer. And that proccesor is very weak, even compared to the newest i3.

At that price, the pavilion I posted earlier is a much higher quality build, and the ruzen 5 5500u is a much better processor.

Offline Chuchum Ainer

  • Dansdeals Platinum Elite
  • ****
  • Join Date: Apr 2020
  • Posts: 388
  • Total likes: 124
  • DansDeals.com Hat Tips 1
    • View Profile
Re: Laptop Deals Master Thread
« Reply #13324 on: January 03, 2022, 04:58:10 PM »
https://www.newegg.com/lenovo-82hv0040us-home-personal/p/1TS-000E-0VU72

Seems decent at $530. The only reasons not to jump on it is 8gb ram, and 250 nit screen. Both are ok, could be better.

Online Joel

  • Dansdeals Lifetime Presidential Platinum Elite
  • *********
  • Join Date: May 2018
  • Posts: 5120
  • Total likes: 1078
  • DansDeals.com Hat Tips 76
    • View Profile
  • Programs: Hyatt Globalist, Hilton Diamond, Marriott Gold, IHG Platinum, National EE, Hertz PC, Enterprise Platinum, Avis PC
Re: Laptop Deals Master Thread
« Reply #13325 on: January 03, 2022, 09:16:39 PM »
Looks like a well priced laptop @ $550

https://www.costco.com/.product.2222277.html

11th Gen Intel® Core i5-1135G7 Processor
Microsoft® Windows 10 Home (64 bit)
Free Upgrade to Windows 11 When Available¹
512GB NVMe M.2 Solid State Drive
14" LED-Backlit Anti-Glare IPS FHD (1920 x 1080) Display
Integrated Intel® Iris Xe Graphics
Intel® Wi-Fi 6 (2x2/160) Gig+ and Bluetooth 5.1
Integrated 720p Webcam with Privacy Shutter
2x 2W Speakers with Dolby® Audio
Standard Backlit Keyboard
Fingerprint Reader

Ports & Slots:
2x USB 3.2
1x USB 3.2 Type-C (with Display/ Power Delivery)
1x HDMI Out
1x Media Card Reader
1x Combination Audio Jack

Battery:   
3Cell 56.5WH Lithium-Polymer Battery
Up to 11 Hours Mixed Usage

Additional Information:
Dimensions: 12.67" x 8.33" x 0.70"
Approximate Weight: 3.04lbs

Offline av83

  • Dansdeals Platinum Elite
  • ****
  • Join Date: Jul 2014
  • Posts: 453
  • Total likes: 28
  • DansDeals.com Hat Tips 0
    • View Profile
Re: Laptop Deals Master Thread
« Reply #13326 on: January 04, 2022, 01:29:38 PM »
Want to get a laptop for my kids just for typing (hebrew and english) no games, Internet etc. what would be my best/least expensive option? This https://www.bestbuy.com/site/dell-11-3120-11-6-pre-owned-chromebook-intel-celeron-n2840-4gb-memory-16gb-emmc-chrome-os/6463217.p?skuId=6463217 ?

Offline Chuchum Ainer

  • Dansdeals Platinum Elite
  • ****
  • Join Date: Apr 2020
  • Posts: 388
  • Total likes: 124
  • DansDeals.com Hat Tips 1
    • View Profile
Re: Laptop Deals Master Thread
« Reply #13327 on: January 04, 2022, 01:33:49 PM »
Want to get a laptop for my kids just for typing (hebrew and english) no games, Internet etc. what would be my best/least expensive option? This https://www.bestbuy.com/site/dell-11-3120-11-6-pre-owned-chromebook-intel-celeron-n2840-4gb-memory-16gb-emmc-chrome-os/6463217.p?skuId=6463217 ?

Chromebooks are meant to be used connected to the internet. I don't have much experience with this use case, so if anyone disagrees please chime in, but I doubt you could easily use whatever offline options they have.

11 inches is also a pain to type on.

A cheap windows laptop seems to be what you need

Offline gozalim

  • Dansdeals Presidential Platinum Elite
  • ********
  • Join Date: Oct 2008
  • Posts: 4255
  • Total likes: 812
  • DansDeals.com Hat Tips 0
  • Gender: Male
    • View Profile
Re: Laptop Deals Master Thread
« Reply #13328 on: January 04, 2022, 01:34:55 PM »
Chromebooks are meant to be used connected to the internet. I don't have much experience with this use case, so if anyone disagrees please chime in, but I doubt you could easily use whatever offline options they have.

11 inches is also a pain to type on.

A cheap windows laptop seems to be what you need
also, most 11in won't have 'full'/'full size' keyboard
get a cheap/old win machine, and prob at least 13in

Offline YitzyS

  • Dansdeals Lifetime Presidential Platinum Elite
  • *********
  • Join Date: Jan 2015
  • Posts: 5552
  • Total likes: 13696
  • DansDeals.com Hat Tips 34
  • Gender: Male
    • View Profile
  • Location: Lakewood, NJ
Re: Laptop Deals Master Thread
« Reply #13329 on: January 04, 2022, 01:36:06 PM »
What about a really cheap tablet (like Amazon Fire) and a Bluetooth keyboard?

Offline AsherO

  • Global Moderator
  • Dansdeals Lifetime 30K Presidential Platinum Elite
  • **********
  • Join Date: May 2008
  • Posts: 30533
  • Total likes: 7831
  • DansDeals.com Hat Tips 79
    • View Profile
  • Location: NYC
Re: Laptop Deals Master Thread
« Reply #13330 on: January 04, 2022, 01:39:56 PM »
Looks like a well priced laptop @ $550

https://www.costco.com/.product.2222277.html

11th Gen Intel® Core i5-1135G7 Processor
Microsoft® Windows 10 Home (64 bit)
Free Upgrade to Windows 11 When Available¹
512GB NVMe M.2 Solid State Drive
14" LED-Backlit Anti-Glare IPS FHD (1920 x 1080) Display
Integrated Intel® Iris Xe Graphics
Intel® Wi-Fi 6 (2x2/160) Gig+ and Bluetooth 5.1
Integrated 720p Webcam with Privacy Shutter
2x 2W Speakers with Dolby® Audio
Standard Backlit Keyboard
Fingerprint Reader

Ports & Slots:
2x USB 3.2
1x USB 3.2 Type-C (with Display/ Power Delivery)
1x HDMI Out
1x Media Card Reader
1x Combination Audio Jack

Battery:   
3Cell 56.5WH Lithium-Polymer Battery
Up to 11 Hours Mixed Usage

Additional Information:
Dimensions: 12.67" x 8.33" x 0.70"
Approximate Weight: 3.04lbs


Yup, nice bang for your buck
100% of Likes will be donated to support our brothers and sisters in Eretz Yisrael

Online Redbull3

  • Dansdeals Presidential Platinum Elite
  • ********
  • Join Date: Dec 2011
  • Posts: 3492
  • Total likes: 417
  • DansDeals.com Hat Tips 1
    • View Profile
  • Programs: Blocked By @NeriaKraus
Re: Laptop Deals Master Thread
« Reply #13331 on: January 05, 2022, 09:32:37 AM »
My wife is a therapist and needs a laptop for work + some light personal uses. Looking for help figuring out the right laptop for our needs. I don't need the best deal in the world (obviously that would be nice lol) and don't mind paying for quality, but I just don't want to overpay for lots of specs that we don't need.

Key functions include things like:
-zoom/skype with clients
-typing/storing patient notes (microsoft word)
-Internet browsing/shopping
-a place to store our family pics and videos
-watching netflix/hulu in a pinch on the go

Would really appreciate any guidance from the olam

Offline Yo ssi

  • Dansdeals Lifetime Presidential Platinum Elite
  • *********
  • Join Date: Aug 2019
  • Posts: 6657
  • Total likes: 2588
  • DansDeals.com Hat Tips 60
  • Gender: Male
    • View Profile
Re: Laptop Deals Master Thread
« Reply #13332 on: January 05, 2022, 09:38:31 AM »
My wife is a therapist and needs a laptop for work + some light personal uses. Looking for help figuring out the right laptop for our needs. I don't need the best deal in the world (obviously that would be nice lol) and don't mind paying for quality, but I just don't want to overpay for lots of specs that we don't need.

Key functions include things like:
-zoom/skype with clients
-typing/storing patient notes (microsoft word)
-Internet browsing/shopping
-a place to store our family pics and videos
-watching netflix/hulu in a pinch on the go

Would really appreciate any guidance from the olam


Looks like a well priced laptop @ $550
_    ,
' )  /
 /  / __   _   _   o
(__/_(_)  /_)_/_)_<_
 //
(/

Offline YitzyS

  • Dansdeals Lifetime Presidential Platinum Elite
  • *********
  • Join Date: Jan 2015
  • Posts: 5552
  • Total likes: 13696
  • DansDeals.com Hat Tips 34
  • Gender: Male
    • View Profile
  • Location: Lakewood, NJ
Re: Laptop Deals Master Thread
« Reply #13333 on: January 05, 2022, 11:18:53 AM »
My wife is a therapist and needs a laptop for work + some light personal uses. Looking for help figuring out the right laptop for our needs. I don't need the best deal in the world (obviously that would be nice lol) and don't mind paying for quality, but I just don't want to overpay for lots of specs that we don't need.

Key functions include things like:
-zoom/skype with clients
-typing/storing patient notes (microsoft word)
-Internet browsing/shopping
-a place to store our family pics and videos
-watching netflix/hulu in a pinch on the go

Would really appreciate any guidance from the olam
Please excuse me if I answer using my own words, and not with athlete's names...  :P

On a serious note, I had the same idea as Yo ssi, and was going to post it when I saw he did. The only question is if your wife has a preference of screen size. Does she want bigger or more mobile?

Offline Chuchum Ainer

  • Dansdeals Platinum Elite
  • ****
  • Join Date: Apr 2020
  • Posts: 388
  • Total likes: 124
  • DansDeals.com Hat Tips 1
    • View Profile
Re: Laptop Deals Master Thread
« Reply #13334 on: January 05, 2022, 11:43:29 AM »
I third the motion.
A ~$500 metal midrange built sounds right.

Regarding the photos and stuff, I'd suggest a portable hard drive for backups. $50 gets you 2tb

Online Redbull3

  • Dansdeals Presidential Platinum Elite
  • ********
  • Join Date: Dec 2011
  • Posts: 3492
  • Total likes: 417
  • DansDeals.com Hat Tips 1
    • View Profile
  • Programs: Blocked By @NeriaKraus
Re: Laptop Deals Master Thread
« Reply #13335 on: January 06, 2022, 10:46:27 AM »
Please excuse me if I answer using my own words, and not with athlete's names...  :P

On a serious note, I had the same idea as Yo ssi, and was going to post it when I saw he did. The only question is if your wife has a preference of screen size. Does she want bigger or more mobile?
Bigger screen is better.
Appreciate the recommendations!
Last noob question - will she be able to use her airpods via blue tooth with this laptop?

Offline YitzyS

  • Dansdeals Lifetime Presidential Platinum Elite
  • *********
  • Join Date: Jan 2015
  • Posts: 5552
  • Total likes: 13696
  • DansDeals.com Hat Tips 34
  • Gender: Male
    • View Profile
  • Location: Lakewood, NJ
Re: Laptop Deals Master Thread
« Reply #13336 on: January 06, 2022, 12:01:07 PM »
Bigger screen is better.
Appreciate the recommendations!
Last noob question - will she be able to use her airpods via blue tooth with this laptop?
This model has a 14" screen, which is on the smaller side. 15.6" is regular, 13" is considered compact, and 17" is large.

Regarding AirPods, IINM it should be useable on any laptop with Bluetooth, which is standard nowadays. It may not connect automatically like it does with Apple devices, but you can get it to connect through the Bluetooth settings on the laptop. (I use airpods all the time on my laptops.)

ETA: Perhaps this video can help (Note: I didn't watch it)

« Last Edit: January 06, 2022, 12:04:36 PM by YitzyS »

Online Redbull3

  • Dansdeals Presidential Platinum Elite
  • ********
  • Join Date: Dec 2011
  • Posts: 3492
  • Total likes: 417
  • DansDeals.com Hat Tips 1
    • View Profile
  • Programs: Blocked By @NeriaKraus
Re: Laptop Deals Master Thread
« Reply #13337 on: January 06, 2022, 01:34:36 PM »
Cool cool. The screen size was a nice to have not a requirement. Went ahead and ordered it! Thanks for all the insights and help!

Offline YitzyS

  • Dansdeals Lifetime Presidential Platinum Elite
  • *********
  • Join Date: Jan 2015
  • Posts: 5552
  • Total likes: 13696
  • DansDeals.com Hat Tips 34
  • Gender: Male
    • View Profile
  • Location: Lakewood, NJ
Re: Laptop Deals Master Thread
« Reply #13338 on: January 06, 2022, 01:56:33 PM »
Cool cool. The screen size was a nice to have not a requirement. Went ahead and ordered it! Thanks for all the insights and help!
It should be used in good health! I have a similar one which I bought on the advice of the guys on this thread and I'm really happy with it.

Offline AsherO

  • Global Moderator
  • Dansdeals Lifetime 30K Presidential Platinum Elite
  • **********
  • Join Date: May 2008
  • Posts: 30533
  • Total likes: 7831
  • DansDeals.com Hat Tips 79
    • View Profile
  • Location: NYC
Re: Laptop Deals Master Thread
« Reply #13339 on: January 06, 2022, 03:13:34 PM »
I third the motion.
A ~$500 metal midrange built sounds right.

Regarding the photos and stuff, I'd suggest a portable hard drive for backups. $50 gets you 2tb

If it’s photos you can’t afford to lose (sentimental value) then they should be on at least two hard drives (preferably in different geographic locations in case of theft/damage) and online. Also, SSD/nand drives are likely more durable than HDDs, especially if you’re taking the drive with you.
100% of Likes will be donated to support our brothers and sisters in Eretz Yisrael