How should I use my $385.76 on a laptop?

[ANsDROID]

First off, if you are wondering why I have this weird budget of exactly $385.76, well that's what I get after converting my Rs 25,000 to dollars. Anyways, I urgently need a laptop for Gaming and Video editing. So 8GB RAM is already a bottom line, now I have 2 options with me. I can upgrade an old existing laptop of mine with that money, or buy a new laptop. I have the same budget for both of them.

So here is a deep look into my first option:
Existing laptop: Dell Inspiron 15R n5110 (~6years old)
Quick Specs:

• 
  Intel Core i3 2330M @2.2GHz
  3GB DDR3 RAM(2+1GB Sticks)
  Intel Integrated Graphics (1518MB)
  500GB HDD
  Forcefully installed Windows 10
  A keyboard whose BACK key doesn't work

What I can do with this laptop is:

• 
  Install 8GB RAM (2x4GB Sticks)
  Fix an external GeForce GTX 760 that would always be hanging out of the case
  Get an entirely new shell
  Buy a new keyboard

And yes all this will take around $385.. Cons are very clear, it will be made by a noob, all custom so highly vulnerable to damages, hence let's see my second option.

Lenovo Ideapad 110 80TJ00BNIH
Quick Specs:

• 
  AMD A8-7410 @2.5GHz
  8GB DDR3L RAM
  AMD R16M-M1-30 Graphics (2000MB)
  1 TB HDD

Still $385.. Cons? Maybe the graphics.

I am highly confused regarding this. I live in India so if you know about any other dangerous laptop that maybe in my budget, please do tell me.

 

[DSzymborski]

It's very difficult at this budget to find a laptop suitable for gaming. And eGPU options that aren't Thunderbolt are awkward at best.

 

[ANsDROID]

It's very difficult at this budget to find a laptop suitable for gaming. And eGPU options that aren't Thunderbolt are awkward at best.

What I did forget to mention was that I have absolutely no intentions of playing games in Max settings. I can handle little lag at lowest settings as well, I only focus at the story line of the game.

 

[DSzymborski]

It's very difficult at this budget to find a laptop suitable for gaming. And eGPU options that aren't Thunderbolt are awkward at best.

What I did forget to mention was that I have absolutely no intentions of playing games in Max settings. I can handle little lag at lowest settings as well, I only focus at the story line of the game.

It's much more awkward than just poor performance. It essentially ends its usage as an actual laptop that can use the internet given how you have to jury rig it. At the price, you may find a used desktop that makes a lot more sense than converting a laptop into a bad desktop.

 

[ANsDROID]

It's very difficult at this budget to find a laptop suitable for gaming. And eGPU options that aren't Thunderbolt are awkward at best.

What I did forget to mention was that I have absolutely no intentions of playing games in Max settings. I can handle little lag at lowest settings as well, I only focus at the story line of the game.

It's much more awkward than just poor performance. It essentially ends its usage as an actual laptop that can use the internet given how you have to jury rig it. At the price, you may find a used desktop that makes a lot more sense than converting a laptop into a bad desktop.

Damn I think I forgot to mention something important as well. I will be going to college and desktops are not allowed there. So basically you're saying instead of wasting my money on upgrading the old one, it will be better to buy the Lenevo?

 

[DSzymborski]

It's very difficult at this budget to find a laptop suitable for gaming. And eGPU options that aren't Thunderbolt are awkward at best.

What I did forget to mention was that I have absolutely no intentions of playing games in Max settings. I can handle little lag at lowest settings as well, I only focus at the story line of the game.

It's much more awkward than just poor performance. It essentially ends its usage as an actual laptop that can use the internet given how you have to jury rig it. At the price, you may find a used desktop that makes a lot more sense than converting a laptop into a bad desktop.

Damn I think I forgot to mention something important as well. I will be going to college and desktops are not allowed there. So basically you're saying instead of wasting my money on upgrading the old one, it will be better to buy the Lenevo?

Yeah, without a Thunderbolt or an Express Card slot, your way of using an external GPU is to open up the laptop and use the wireless card's mini PCIE slot. With an external GPU and an additional power supply, you essentially have a desktop at this point. A desktop with extremely poor performance.

The second laptop will work for day-to-day use, but anything other than very light gaming is, unfortunately, out.