Specific requirements for a Laptop under $700

[TadghsMuffins]

I have a bit of a dilemma in that I need a laptop for university - but no online guide seems to cater for me. I don't want a gaming laptop as I have a custom rig at home. I don't want a sub $400 laptop because I've had plenty of those and come to the conclusion that they're just not worth it. I don't want a chromebook as I want built in storage and plentiful offline capabilities. Really I just want a sturdy, responsive, mid-range laptop. For a respectable price. I have a big bag and will buy a laptop sleeve so 15 inches is fine - as is smaller.

I was thinking of building my own barebones laptop, but it appears that barebone laptop shells are few and far between so here we are.

>I'm looking for a laptop with an SSD at least 250GBs big. But it needn't have any further storage.

>I'd like it to have a decently quick processor. Not for intensive tasks but suitable for light gaming - and occasional video editing

>I'd like a small graphics card - not particularly strong but for those two things up there ^^^

>I'd like it to be well built. Sturdy and not hard on the eyes

>I'd like it to have around 6 hours battery life. Less is okay. More is great

>It doesn't have to be hopped up on RAM like most laptops you see seem to be. 6GBs is plenty - I can supplement it with extra laptop DDR3 I have some lying around.

Any suggestions? Please help!

 

[JobCreator]

I'll solve this right now. You won't find a laptop with those specs under $700. Unless you're a business partner with Lenovo or one of the brands, you're going to pay consumer prices and will basically never find a laptop with a 256GB SSD, solid processor, graphics capable of light gaming, 6cell battery, and 6GB of RAM for under $700.

My suggestion would be to purchase a solid state. Then purchase a halfway decent laptop that meets your requirements, and simply clone the hard drive that comes in it onto the SSD. You'll likely save about $200.

 

[TadghsMuffins]

I'll solve this right now. You won't find a laptop with those specs under $700. Unless you're a business partner with Lenovo or one of the brands, you're going to pay consumer prices and will basically never find a laptop with a 256GB SSD, solid processor, graphics capable of light gaming, 6cell battery, and 6GB of RAM for under $700.

My suggestion would be to purchase a solid state. Then purchase a halfway decent laptop that meets your requirements, and simply clone the hard drive that comes in it onto the SSD. You'll likely save about $200.

Alright then - that makes sense. Could you recommend a decent laptop with spending room for an SSD?

 

[JobCreator]

Are you in the US?

 

[TadghsMuffins]

Are you in the US?

No I just see everyone using the Dollar - I'm in Ireland.

 

[JobCreator]

I'm afraid I don't know enough about the landscape to help you there. I'm a salesman at a computer manufacturer and could help you find one if you were in the US. I don't know where you would look in Ireland, though. Support small business and try to find a brick and mortar that sells laptops?