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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 3387429 times)

Offline shmiel1429

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Re: Laptop Deals Master Thread
« Reply #14380 on: January 30, 2024, 12:44:12 PM »
Looking for a 13 - 14 inch touch laptop
Any decent deal would be greatly appreciaited

Offline Chuchum Ainer

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Re: Laptop Deals Master Thread
« Reply #14381 on: January 30, 2024, 01:09:37 PM »

A good sale on the LG Gram 17 gets you a mid-wattage i7, 32GB of RAM and a TB SSD in a sub-3 lbs package for $999.

And that is all there is to see under $1200, folks!
Note the 250nit screen on the vivobook

I had written $800 as the lowest you could get a gram, but I think you're right the 17 doesn't really go below $1k

Just to counter your last line, there are gaming laptops, though most people would rather something which weighs less and is better in other areas besides raw power

Eg
ASUS ROG Strix G17 (2022) Gaming Laptop, 17.3” 144Hz IPS FHD Display, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 GPU, AMD Ryzen 7 6800H Processor, 16GB DDR5 RAM, 512GB SSD, RGB Keyboard, Windows 11, G713RC-RS73 https://a.co/d/1MCek52

Offline etech0

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Workflowy. You won't know what you're missing until you try it.

Offline Chuchum Ainer

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Re: Laptop Deals Master Thread
« Reply #14383 on: January 30, 2024, 06:28:27 PM »


Looking for a 13 - 14 inch touch laptop
Any decent deal would be greatly appreciaited
And here it is. TYH
Only available via bestbuy pickup though

Lenovo Yoga 71 14"  i5-1335U 16GB LPDDR5-5200 512gb. 71whr battery. 3.42 lbs
https://www.lenovo.com/us/en/p/laptops/yoga/yoga-2-in-1-series/yoga-7i-gen-8-(14-inch-intel)/82yl0002us

Seems heavier than you'd expect. If 2in1 isn't what you want, the swift is probably marginally better than the pavilion plus. Maybe
$550

Offline mevinyavin

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Re: Laptop Deals Master Thread
« Reply #14384 on: January 31, 2024, 04:40:45 AM »
Note the 250nit screen on the vivobook

I had written $800 as the lowest you could get a gram, but I think you're right the 17 doesn't really go below $1k

Just to counter your last line, there are gaming laptops, though most people would rather something which weighs less and is better in other areas besides raw power

Eg
ASUS ROG Strix G17 (2022) Gaming Laptop, 17.3” 144Hz IPS FHD Display, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 GPU, AMD Ryzen 7 6800H Processor, 16GB DDR5 RAM, 512GB SSD, RGB Keyboard, Windows 11, G713RC-RS73 https://a.co/d/1MCek52
1. You can get a Gram 17 for $830. Not on my list because 8GB non-upgradeable RAM.
2. That laptop was on my shortlist, but isn't worth buying over one of the others for processing power alone (not with a i7-13700H costing less and an i9-13900H for $50 more), and you shouldn't be spending $950 on a 3050 (even 17"), but rather, spend more for a higher-level.
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 #14385 on: January 31, 2024, 04:47:08 AM »
Looking for a 13 - 14 inch touch laptop
Any decent deal would be greatly appreciaited
I like these:
https://www.newegg.com/gray-dell-latitude-5330-home-personal/p/1TS-000A-0ZNK5?Item=9SIA24GK636881
https://www.dell.com/en-us/shop/laptops-ultrabooks-and-tablets/latitude-7430-laptop/spd/latitude-14-7430-2-in-1-laptop/gctol7430usvp?redirectto=SOC&configurationid=b4325fb6-adb2-49dc-aa14-05b0c4bf3c60

The latter is a steal. @jj1000 7000 series 14" Latitude 2-in-1, 12th gen i5, 16GB RAM and 256GB SSD for $587 direct from Dell, before credit card credits. 3 year warranty. Evo certified. Backlit keyboard. 2.86 lbs. 3.8K screen. (Note: this price requires a downgrade to the 256GB SSD.)
Consider adding to the warranty.
Note: if you use lots of USB-C devices, pay the $10 for the 90W charger upgrade.
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 #14386 on: January 31, 2024, 04:49:35 AM »
$1000 : TUF 156 with 12th gen i7-12700H and RTX 4070.
https://www.bestbuy.com/site/asus-tuf-15-6-gaming-laptop-intel-core-i7-with-16gb-memory-nvidia-geforce-rtx-4070-1tb-ssd-mecha-grey/6535503.p?skuId=6535503

My review index has the same laptop with a RTX 3070, and says: 12700H/3070 16/TB MILSPEC 2.2kg 2 M2s, 2 DIMMS 156 FHD 8h battery (office work)
Quote from: ExGingi
Echo chambers are boring and don't contribute much to deeper thinking and understanding!

Offline ye

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Re: Laptop Deals Master Thread
« Reply #14387 on: January 31, 2024, 09:02:43 AM »
I like these:
https://www.newegg.com/gray-dell-latitude-5330-home-personal/p/1TS-000A-0ZNK5?Item=9SIA24GK636881
https://www.dell.com/en-us/shop/laptops-ultrabooks-and-tablets/latitude-7430-laptop/spd/latitude-14-7430-2-in-1-laptop/gctol7430usvp?redirectto=SOC&configurationid=b4325fb6-adb2-49dc-aa14-05b0c4bf3c60

The latter is a steal. @jj1000 7000 series 14" Latitude 2-in-1, 12th gen i5, 16GB RAM and 256GB SSD for $587 direct from Dell, before credit card credits. 3 year warranty. Evo certified. Backlit keyboard. 2.86 lbs. 3.8K screen. (Note: this price requires a downgrade to the 256GB SSD.)
Consider adding to the warranty.
Note: if you use lots of USB-C devices, pay the $10 for the 90W charger upgrade.

For a home office, assuming it will usually be docked and screen size does not matter, is the Dell much better than this, that is  i7 and 1TB?

https://www.dell.com/en-us/shop/dell-laptops/inspiron-15-laptop/spd/inspiron-15-3520-laptop/nn3520gknqs

Offline mevinyavin

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Re: Laptop Deals Master Thread
« Reply #14388 on: January 31, 2024, 11:52:12 AM »
For a home office, assuming it will usually be docked and screen size does not matter, is the Dell much better than this, that is  i7 and 1TB?

https://www.dell.com/en-us/shop/dell-laptops/inspiron-15-laptop/spd/inspiron-15-3520-laptop/nn3520gknqs
Yes, it does matter. 7000 series Latitudes are made to last, and 5000 series are pretty well-built and engineered, too. 3000 series Inspirons may as well be labeled 'planned obsolescence' on them. (Not worse than other plastic models, mind you. But the same.)
The i7 makes no difference in day-to-day work. The TB SSD I can't answer for you.
Quote from: ExGingi
Echo chambers are boring and don't contribute much to deeper thinking and understanding!

Offline ye

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Re: Laptop Deals Master Thread
« Reply #14389 on: January 31, 2024, 12:02:02 PM »
Thank you!

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Re: Laptop Deals Master Thread
« Reply #14390 on: January 31, 2024, 11:35:04 PM »
I like these:
https://www.newegg.com/gray-dell-latitude-5330-home-personal/p/1TS-000A-0ZNK5?Item=9SIA24GK636881

I'm having trouble understanding the specs

Is it the 400 nit screen? Does it have a micro SD slot? Backlit keyboard? Metal chassis?

Thanks

Offline AYHG

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Re: Laptop Deals Master Thread
« Reply #14391 on: January 31, 2024, 11:44:51 PM »

Offline baron

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Re: Laptop Deals Master Thread
« Reply #14392 on: January 31, 2024, 11:58:32 PM »

Offline mevinyavin

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Re: Laptop Deals Master Thread
« Reply #14393 on: February 01, 2024, 12:33:39 AM »
It probably varies by model number. Official specs for this item number lists only aluminum. https://psref.lenovo.com/Detail/ThinkPad/ThinkPad_E14_Gen_3_AMD?M=20Y7006BCA
Could be. But the only reason I knew to look is that it is an E-series Thinkpad, which (like the L-series) is a lower quality than the T or X series. Still, you are probably right.
« Last Edit: February 01, 2024, 12:40:42 AM by mevinyavin »
Quote from: ExGingi
Echo chambers are boring and don't contribute much to deeper thinking and understanding!

Offline mevinyavin

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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 #14395 on: February 01, 2024, 12:40:12 AM »
I'm having trouble understanding the specs

Is it the 400 nit screen? Does it have a micro SD slot? Backlit keyboard? Metal chassis?

Thanks
Antonline is a reliable seller but whoever they pay to list their products does a half-baked job. Based on the info that IS given, this is what you can know for sure:
https://nanoreview.net/en/laptop/dell-latitude-5330?m=c.3_d.2_r.2

Doesn't say which SD card reader it has. The pics seem to show micro... but hard to tell.
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 #14396 on: February 01, 2024, 10:55:56 AM »
https://www.dell.com/en-us/shop/dell-laptops/inspiron-16-plus-laptop/spd/inspiron-16-7630-laptop/usichbts7630gmvd
Insp 16 plus, i7-13620H, 32GB RAM, 2TB SSD, RTX 4060, 2.5K screen, relatively light - $1000

Vivobook Pro 14 OLED 6800H 3050 $900 - for graphics work in a portable package
https://computers.woot.com/offers/new-asus-vivobook-pro-14-oled-laptop-3?ref=w_cnt_wp_0_2
Quote from: ExGingi
Echo chambers are boring and don't contribute much to deeper thinking and understanding!

Offline Jason1

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Re: Laptop Deals Master Thread
« Reply #14397 on: February 01, 2024, 11:40:12 PM »
Hi, was wondering if this Costco deal is worth it.
Lenovo ThinkPad L13 Yoga 13.3" Touchscreen 2-in-1 Laptop - 11th Gen Intel Core i5-1145G7 - 1080p - Windows 11 - 16GBRAM, 1TB SSD. $599.99???

Offline Chuchum Ainer

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Re: Laptop Deals Master Thread
« Reply #14398 on: February 02, 2024, 01:04:58 AM »
Hi, was wondering if this Costco deal is worth it.
Lenovo ThinkPad L13 Yoga 13.3" Touchscreen 2-in-1 Laptop - 11th Gen Intel Core i5-1145G7 - 1080p - Windows 11 - 16GBRAM, 1TB SSD. $599.99???
Link?

But it's probably the one referenced in this post, has gone down to $500 not too long ago
11th gen Intel is old and underpowered. Good battery life, though, to compensate, and it is enough power for office work (at least for now).

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Re: Laptop Deals Master Thread
« Reply #14399 on: February 02, 2024, 11:08:55 AM »


@sky121 Photoshop needs 2GB dedicated VRAM and Premiere needs 4GB. Both do better with 6GB.
Having said that - casual use of these programs is usually okay with less. Most normal computers can do Photoshop for casual use. Premiere needs a bit more. So what do you mean by basic - casual, or no frills but constant?
Also: Are you looking to spend more for the sake of portability / battery life? If not, you can match Premiere's recommended specs for around $800, even $700 if lucky.
You also have to decide if you want to merely match the spec or spend a lot more to "future-proof" the computer. Consider this if you imagine yourself still using the computer full time in five years. Only in this last scenario should you be spending $1200.

Thanks for the response. I'm a bit surprised because everyone I've spoken to said I need at least 16 GB of RAM preferably 32 to run most Photoshop and video editing software.  I have a $800 credit to B&H photo so ideally I would find a laptop there though it seems like I have more options for better deals elsewhere. I don't necessarily need it to be future proof. I would like it to be able to run Premiere if needed. It would be great if it had good battery life but that's not a must. I would prefer it to not be too heavy though.
"Not all who wander are lost"