Is this laptop a good buy?

[bconway]

Hi. I'm using a dinosaur desktop at the moment. I'm surprised I've gotten such a good life out of it, I've been considering upgrading for the past two years now, but it keeps chugging along. I don't do any intense gaming, but I did throw in an extra 1gb of ram and an AMD Radeon HD 7700 card. Wasn't too expensive to do and I think it helped extend the life and enabled me to play battlefield play4free back when I was into that game. My computer is growing progressively slower and is having issues running much of anything, so it's time to upgrade, I think.

Nowadays all I really use it for is streaming videos, doing schoolwork, and just browsing basically, but it's becoming slow to even watch an NFL stream or watch movie streams or whatever. I'd like to be able to play some games occasionally, but definitely nothing too intense. I don't have enough time for gaming to justify spending money on games. I was looking at some low end laptops and came across this. It seems like a pretty good buy. Think it might be something I should go for? Thanks.

 

[fabianoa]

What is your budget? This laptop would get you by, but I would consider putting down a little more in exchange for a big jump in performance. This laptop has a decent amount of RAM if you aren't looking into any hardware-intense games. However, with a 1.5 gHz processor, don't expect much out of this device. I would look into a Dell Inspiron, which comes with an i5 processor, and 8GB of RAM on the low end of the line.

 

[bconway]

What is your budget? This laptop would get you by, but I would consider putting down a little more in exchange for a big jump in performance. This laptop has a decent amount of RAM if you aren't looking into any hardware-intense games. However, with a 1.5 gHz processor, don't expect much out of this device. I would look into a Dell Inspiron, which comes with an i5 processor, and 8GB of RAM on the low end of the line.

I definitely prefer to keep it under $600. Just because I understand that you can get a perfectly good machine for that range, and I don't need anything spectacular by any means. I don't do any video editing, high graphics gaming, anything like that. That said, I will definitely want better than a 1.5gHz processor, I don't know how I managed to overlook that. As for the Inspiron, would you happen to know if there's an option to go without the touchscreen? If there is, would it reduce the price? Also, can you give me an idea of the performace difference between one with i5 vs AMD A6 series? Could you give me an example of when I'd be wishing I had the i5 over the A6? Thanks for your help.

 

[fabianoa]

Yes, you can certainly get a great machine for around $600 and I think that it is a good budget, for what you want it for. I can't really say the exact difference between those two models, especially because no processor model is given. Also, the clock frequency is not necessarily the end all be all for performance. In general, the A6 and the i5 are both mid range processors with integrated graphics (AMD calls it an "APU") so they do have similar specs. i5 will generally perform better in terms of CPU tasks, and AMD generally better with graphics. Without a specific model its hard to tell but I would recommend Intel unless you need to save money. They are both strong, Intel is most likely better, that's all. I would also take a look at Lenovo. I used one for many years, after it was handed down to me, and it still preformed pretty good. They are built well and can be inexpensive the ThinkPad E440 (http/shop.lenovo.com/us/en/laptops/thinkpad/e-series/e440) is probably (spec and price wise) what you are looking for? Also, what is stopping you from building a new desktop? You could probably get better performance and a longer, upgradable life, with a homebuilt system, for around the same price.

 

[bconway]

Yes, you can certainly get a great machine for around $600 and I think that it is a good budget, for what you want it for. I can't really say the exact difference between those two models, especially because no processor model is given. Also, the clock frequency is not necessarily the end all be all for performance. In general, the A6 and the i5 are both mid range processors with integrated graphics (AMD calls it an "APU") so they do have similar specs. i5 will generally perform better in terms of CPU tasks, and AMD generally better with graphics. Without a specific model its hard to tell but I would recommend Intel unless you need to save money. They are both strong, Intel is most likely better, that's all. I would also take a look at Lenovo. I used one for many years, after it was handed down to me, and it still preformed pretty good. They are built well and can be inexpensive the ThinkPad E440 (http/shop.lenovo.com/us/en/laptops/thinkpad/e-series/e440) is probably (spec and price wise) what you are looking for? Also, what is stopping you from building a new desktop? You could probably get better performance and a longer, upgradable life, with a homebuilt system, for around the same price.

I considered building my own pc a year ago or so but the main reason why I've decided to go with a laptop is because I'll probably end up going away for school next year. I've commuted the first two years but I likely won't be able to do that next year. I'll probably build my next computer. Another factor is that I really don't have a good place in my house to keep a desktop. I'm miserable where I am now. I'd much rather be able to bring a laptop to my room or living room.

Also that model that you're recommending looks pretty good. My only issue would be that I stream a lot of sports/tv shows/movies and the 14" screen is a bit of a turnoff. I browsed a bit and came across this, (the model on sale for $539) which seems to be the same performance-wise with a bigger screen on sale for $10 less than the one you suggested. Also there's the $569 model with the 1TB hard drive.

Basically, do those seems like good options for me (compared to the one that you just suggested) and if they're good options, I think I already know the answer, but the $30 for a better hard drive: worth it or no? I really appreciate that you're taking the time to help me.

 

[fabianoa]

Yea that definitely looks like a good option. Obviously when you are shopping on a tight budget, it is near impossible to find something that has everything you want. This laptop has some parts that can give tip offs to it's performance, like the 'u' series processor (the Intel mobile variant, so slightly less performance than a regular i5) or the 'DDR3L' ram (low power ram for less heat, but also a slight hit in performance). It really comes down to personal preference. Check out this review of the processor and even better this extremely thorough review of the laptop itself . It compares it to other laptops in the same class. That website has a lot of resources to help you out, whether you know the tech or not. Good luck, post any other questions you have!