Question Better value to buy decent refurished or budget laptop?

[sponkwig]

I'm actually thinking of getting one myself but I've been tasked with sourcing a budget laptop for a work colleague.

I'm no expert but the first thing I want to know is the spec of the CPU because it doesn't matter how swish the screen etc if the CPU is pants.

That said and an important, useful question is what would you say would the minimum spec of a CPU needs to be to run Windows 10 or even 11 for simple tasks like internet browsing, watching videos and using office applications?

I've found that pretty old CPUs are more than capable of handling the above with minimum RAM.

With refurbished laptops comes the uncertainty of battery life although I think for my colleague, it would be plugged in for most of the time as she needs to take it from A to B and not necessarily on the go.

For example, apart from the fingerprint scanner not working, I wonder if you can get something new at this price that is faster not to mention has a touch screen? Are these worth considering?

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/325512818279

Thanks very much and hope you can help.

 

[Gforce77i]

I would probably get a refurbished over a budget. If the basic specs are decent on the refurb, you can always upgrade most other parts unless cpu is soldered to the board. Batteries, RAM, storage, fans, heat sinks all replacable/upgradable.

Budget laptops tend to have less option in this case and the options that are available for upgrade are limited spec. Go for a decent barebones refurb and upgrade as you go along.

 

[sponkwig]

I would probably get a refurbished over a budget. If the basic specs are decent on the refurb, you can always upgrade most other parts unless cpu is soldered to the board. Batteries, RAM, storage, fans, heat sinks all replacable/upgradable.

Budget laptops tend to have less option in this case and the options that are available for upgrade are limited spec. Go for a decent barebones refurb and upgrade as you go along.

Thanks for your reply, I really appreciate it.

It's interesting what you said about the CPU. I always thought that when you bought a laptop you were stuck with the CPU. Knowing that you can upgrade the CPU that's not soldered down in certain laptops is new to me and almost a game changer when looking for a new one. That said, many old CPUs are still powerful enough to run Windows 10 & 11 when I think there was a time when CPUs would quickly become obsolete because they simply were no longer powerful enough.

Is it possible to find out if certain laptops have upgradable CPUs before you buy it and would it be economically viable to replace the CPU rather than buy another laptop?

Thanks again.

 

[Gforce77i]

Thanks for your reply, I really appreciate it.

It's interesting what you said about the CPU. I always thought that when you bought a laptop you were stuck with the CPU. Knowing that you can upgrade the CPU that's not soldered down in certain laptops is new to me and almost a game changer when looking for a new one. That said, many old CPUs are still powerful enough to run Windows 10 & 11 when I think there was a time when CPUs would quickly become obsolete because they simply were no longer powerful enough.

Is it possible to find out if certain laptops have upgradable CPUs before you buy it and would it be economically viable to replace the CPU rather than buy another laptop?

Thanks again.

Well Win11 does have slightly different CPU requirements so not all old laptops will be supported, in fact many more may not be. I have x2 HP 255 G7, one a 4yr old i7, not supported by win11 and a 3yr old AMD that is.

Use this website below to check if the CPU upgradable, it depends on the socket type and also the CPU's wattage. You need to be sure exactly what socket you have and the wattage of the current CPU, then choose an upgrade that fits both of those.

CPU-Upgrade: motherboard upgrade and processor upgrade resources

 

[Gforce77i]

So CPU-Z by CPUID is a really good bit of software that tells you all about the details, sockets, wattage etc. Also RAM details, slots, graphics and more of any PC or laptop. You can use that to inform your upgrade without opening up the laptop too, but I always prefer a double check.

You can check battery condition on windows using windows powerfully. Type: powercfg/batteryreport/output/ "C:\battery-report.html"
Press enter and the report will be saved in the C drive specified (C:\battery-report.html)

What CPU-Z can't do is tell you the condition of the components or board. I'm not aware of a piece of software that does that, but if there is one, I'd love to know too.

https://www.cpu-upgrade.com/ will provide you with CPU upgrade options as per your socket but you must match that with your current processors wattage, listed on cpu-z as Max TDP.
So if you find an improved CPU that matches your socket and Max TDP, you should be good to go. I have come across some anomalies where they have matched and still not worked, so sometimes a little trial and error.
You will also need to purchase thermal compound that you'll need to apply to any new CPU, "Arctic MX-5" is pretty decent, you can you tube how to apply it.

Hope that helps!

 

[Ameliaaa]

Hi, great question about the CPU - it's definitely necessary to consider when getting a laptop as it affects the overall performance. To answer your query, the minimum spec of a CPU needed to run Windows 10 or 11 for simple tasks such as internet browsing, streaming videos, and using office applications is either an Intel Core i3 or an AMD Ryzen 3 processor. You can still run these functions on older CPUs with minimum RAM, but using a more recent CPU will lead to a better overall experience.

Battery life is one of the main concerns when it comes to refurbished laptops. If your colleague uses the laptop mostly while it's plugged in, then this may not be a significant issue for them. However, it's still worth checking out the battery life before purchasing.

Regarding your colleague's laptop, it's important to note that while it may have a touch screen, the CPU is an Intel Celeron processor which is a lower-end CPU and may not be the best option for more demanding tasks. Exploring other laptops with better CPUs and within your budget is a good idea if you need better performance.