[Death_Block]

Hello all,ive haven't bought a computer in over 10 years so im I bit out of touch with all the jargon, i3? I5? I7? I9? What happened to pentium?? Anywho I'm in the UK and looking for a laptop, it's nothing for graphic design or anything, just mundane interweb crap that can play tarreria and command and conquer 3 during lunch breaks I tried to ask reddit but holy **** the crap to even post a simple question is impossible. Budget is around £350-500. Any thoughts would be fantastic

 

[mannnu81]

Go to Costco and buy whatever they sell for £ 500 on sale. I don't think there's a lot of options to choose from at that price

 

[Death_Block]

I figured not, but was wondering if there were any diamonds in the rough

 

[mariopepper]

I am a gamer and here is my choice for the gaming keyboard - Asus ROG Strix Scope Deluxe TKL. In recent years, mechanical TKL keyboards - i.e. keyboards without a number pad - have become increasingly popular. They are much more compact and take up less space on your desk. Of course, you have to put up with minor drawbacks, such as no programmable keys. But that's not a biggest problem. People think if they buy a gaming keyboard - they are full-stacked gamers No way. That's why I want to take Asus rog strix GeForce RTX 2060 https://techcompact.com/best-graphics-card-under-400-dollars/ after buying asus keyboard. Awesome combination

 

[pbui44]

Cheapest that I could find in the UK...and you have to look for an OS on eBay or wherever else on the internet:

https://www.box.co.uk/FX505DT-HN450...22&utm_medium=webgains&utm_campaign=affiliate

 

[taffy2207]

I'd try to find a local independent shop if I was you. Chances are if you go to Currys, Argos etc. you'll end up with something that'll either be an old model or something that doesn't meet your needs.

I'd go to a local independent shop, tell them what you've told us and they'll probably come up with something that meets your needs.

Geeks love a challenge in my experience.

Either that or google laptop sales or look for B-Stock.

I bought my D3 (B-Stock) for £100 less than RRP just because someone opened it, didn't like it and returned it. It was Mint.

It shouldn't be much different for Laptops. Look up on grading with Laptops.

Laptops Direct may be worth a gander :-

https://www.laptopsdirect.co.uk/

Look out for Bank Holiday deals too.

 

[dankthropod]

A pinebook is my favourite low-end laptop. Don't think of using windows with it, because windows loves hoarding memory and such, but it is the best for linux. The pinebook pro is a more spruced up pinebook. Here are both of them:
pinebook (99 usd 11.6 inch screen)
pinebook (219 usd 14 inch screen)

 

[dunring]

For used, the best deal is a place that sells executive off lease laptops and is Microsoft certified to get one that's really checked out. Gaming laptops like MSI or a Dell with Optane drives are really fast. Gaming ones are going to be heavier but better performance per dollar usually. People upgrade all the time so on eBay something with an I5 chip and Nvidia graphics (the integrated Intel video isn't that good for gaming and share memory with the system).
Onboard vs integrated video is going to make the biggest difference, along with an SSD drive of course, and 12-16gb RAM. 8 would be really dicey if it's using 2 of that or more for integrated video.

 

[Trihexagonal]

I'm using one of two Lenovo Thinkpad W520 I bought used off ebay for between $200-$300 each delivered. Described in the ThinkWiki as:

"High-end mobile workstations for CAD and digital art, supersedes the entire T series 'p' variants."
https://www.thinkwiki.org/wiki/Category:W520

Price tag new (In the Win 7 era) approx. $3000
https://www.notebookcheck.net/Review-Lenovo-ThinkPad-W520-Notebook.53220.0.html

Stats for mine:

Lenovo Thinkpad W520
Intel Quad Core 1st Gen i7-2760QM @ 2.40GHz
8 GB RAM PC3-10600
Hitachi Travelstar 500GB HDD @ 7200 RPM
NVIDIA Quadro 1000M with 2GB DDR3, 96 CUDA cores and Optimus Technology
15.6" TFT display with 1920x1080 (FHD) resolution with LED backlight
Intel HD Audio with a CX20585 codec
Serial UltraBay Enhanced DVD Burner II
Intel 82579LM Gigabit Network Connection
170W AC adapter

The other is a 2nd Gen i7-2760QM @ 2.40GHz.


I purchased both as Business Lease Returns that appear in the listings in bulk lots of several machines from one seller. It's the luck of the draw in this instance, where you get to look at a picture of one machine that represent them all and the one they pick up off the pile is yours.

I got a good deal both times. The first time the Win10Pro key sent for that installed OS didn't work and he asked me to send a screenshot to his personal email address because ebay not displaying them very well.

That is normally considered to be against the Rules for a Seller, but I recognized it as code for wanting to talk to me privately. He was going to give me another key but didn't want ebay to see it, which is exactly what he did and that key worked. Long enough for me to download FreeBSD and install it on that machine.

I've paid as little as $50 for a Lenovo T61 on two occasions.

"Portable high-end laptops for business trips and programming, supersedes the entire 6xx series."
https://www.thinkwiki.org/wiki/Category:T61

 

[dankthropod]

Wow those are some impressive finds for the price, 50 dollars for a laptop? I can only find bad deals when I search for things on ebay. Also that thinkpad is impressive for 300 USD, where did you get it from?

 

[Trihexagonal]

I don't have names handy for any of the Sellers. If it's a private Seller and they're selling their personal laptop you may never see anything else from them.

You never know what is going to appear from day-to-day and have to be ready to buy when you see it or it may be gone tomorrow. Always check the Sellers Reputation first. If it looks like people have complained about buying for them don't make yourself one of them. Something for a few $$$ more make be worth more than going through the potential hassle.

Always look for sings of damage but also signs of wear that may not be so obvious. Check photos that are supposed to represent that machine for shiny spots on the touchpad or keys. That's a sing somebody has used it a lot and might want to keep looking.

If the stickers that originally came on the palm rest are still present that's a good sign and it hasn't been heavily used.

If you bid on something do it right or save your $$$, because if I want it, it's mine. I saw how that game was played after one try.

Bidding before the last few seconds of the sale window is a fools game that only drives the price up. A seller might even biid on their own item to get you in a bidding war to drive up the price. Sucker if they do, sucker if you let them.

I know by the price set, the maximum amount and how many seconds it takes my bid to go through so that not even a bot can outbid me. That's how it's done. You'll have to find out the particulars yourself.

I'm not much or a Salesman and forgot to mention the Thinkpad Torture Trials. There are many more:

​

I once conducted a surprise improvised test where I myself participated in the test as a subject. We both past the test.

I'm just as durable at 65 years old as I was in my 30's.and am typing on that machine that flew 6 feet in the air and landed top-down-lid-closed-still-running when I picked myself, and it, up off the floor. After I crashed back first through that table. The way I landed you would have thought i meant to do it.