Student looking for a new laptop.

[MauriciusRex]

Since my current laptop is on the verge of a breakdown, I'm considering getting a new one. The problem is, I don't know what to look for. I'm only going to use it for school-related work, like writing and reading, and will also occassionaly use it for music and videos.

The only preference I really have, is that it needs to be light weight, and have a small screen, like 13". Basically a notebook, I guess.

An SSD would be nice too, if possible.

My budget is around $400-500.


Thanks in advance.

 

[MetalSparks]

1. Go to Costco (if you don't have a membership have a friend with one go with you and pay him/her back,)
2. Find ANY laptop there that offers the best Intel CPU for $350
3. Buy a Samsung 850 EVO 250GB off Amazon (or somewhere cheaper) for $125.

Congrats, you now have the perfect school laptop.

 

[MauriciusRex]

Well, I guess what I got from this is that I just need to find a laptop with the best Intel CPU I can find for what I can afford.


Cheers.

 

[MetalSparks]

I'd personally recommend an i3 over any other intel CPU, but for $400 you'd be pushing it - $500 would guarantee you an i3, but no SSD.

Did you end up buying a laptop? If so do you have a link you could post here?

 

[MauriciusRex]

Yeah, I ended up finding one with an i3 within my price range. I was sort of lucky, as I got one for cheaper because it was used as a demo.

It ended up being this one.

There was also another version of that laptop with an SSD, but it wasn't available to me in my country. It is somewhat more expensive, but I would have considered it worth it. But as you said yourself, I can just buy an SSD and install it in my current laptop anyway.

 

[MetalSparks]

You got a really good deal!

LOL, don't worry about that second one - that one has an 8GB SSD; what would you possibly put on there? It also gives you 2GB less RAM on the same laptop for $50 extra, so you were much better off getting the cheaper one with 6GB of RAM and eventually buying something like a 120GB SSD.

 

[MauriciusRex]

LOL, don't worry about that second one - that one has an 8GB SSD; what would you possibly put on there?

Windows!

 

[MetalSparks]

Maybe for XP.