Need help picking a Laptop for a family member. $400-$450 USD budget

[ushy86]

Hi all, I am currently in the states so i am taking the opportunity to buy a lot of nice components and what not from here . I am going to visit Microcenter.com tomorrow and my mother wanted me to pick out a laptop for her where she can browse the web, watch videos and what not without any slowdowns. I realize that a good amount of laptops can achieve this, but I figured, why not come to the best forum around to get some guidance. Her budget is $400-$450 USD as mentioned in the forum title, but if less can be spent without much of a hinder in performance, so be it!

I was thinking about this one:

http/www.microcenter.com/product/444816/G70_173_Laptop_Computer_-_Black_Textured?ob=1 THOUGHTS?

But please do give me a 2nd and 3rd runner up if they happen to be sold out too

PS. she also prefers to go with the bigger screen this time around, so perhaps 15.9-17.3'' would be ideal,

Thanks ahead of time,

 

[ronintexas]

A core i-3 is on the low end of processors....if you can find an core i-5, you will get better performance, but it may be tough at that price point. I would go with a 15" screen vs. the 17" if you are using it as a portable device - I have both a 15" and a 17.3", and the 15" is much easier to move around....

You wont find one with a GPU, but this one is a bit better....

http/www.microcenter.com/product/451074/Inspiron_15_156_Touch_Laptop_Computer_-_Black

 

[ushy86]

awesome, thanks for chiming in. However, is there any runner ups in case that one if out of stock? thanks again.

 

[velo3100]

I would say that the laptop you have chosen is fine. The i3 will be able to handle normal tasks well. As long as she is not a tabaholic like me it is more than sufficient. You could look for a laptop without a dvd drive to reduce weight and 17 inch laptops can be very heavy so make sure that she is ok with the weight.