Laptop advice

peccary

peccary

Well-known member
Maybe a bit off a strange question for this place but I know that there are a lot of knowledgeable people on here so I figured it couldn't hurt to ask.

I haven't owned a laptop since graduate school and that was a first gen Macbook. I'm looking online and it feels impossible to tell whether or not I'm getting a good deal or not as the computer models don't seem to line up across stores (they don't have the same specs even though they are called the same thing).

The main reason I want this is because I am currently doing all of my enclosure design on my work computer and I'd prefer to not do that. I want a laptop because, ironically, it is at work when I have the most free time to actually do the design work.

So really all I need is for it to run Illustrator well and I'm hoping to spend no more than $600. That's about all I really care about. If anyone has any suggestions or a starting place that would be helpful.
 
A couple years ago, I bought the cheapest refurbished laptop I could find ($125) by filtering by the system requirements for my DAW on Newegg and it's been going great ever since. I maxed out the RAM and put a solid state drive in it. It's heavy and doesn't look cool and the battery is total ass, but I've been super happy with it
 
Big Monk said:
I mean, my work computer is brand new and lightning fast. It’s also a laptop so it’s easy to bring home.

Is it an ethical concern you have about your work device or an issue with technical limitations?

I personally have no issues, ethically speaking, about using my work device either during downtime at work, or at home, for hobbyist stuff.

I’m topic though, I’ll get the info on our u it’s we are using for work laptops and see if they got your criteria. They are Dell I believe and lightning fast for everything.
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It's not so much that I'm worried about my work being upset, it's more just a personal preference to keep work as separate as possible from real life.

I also don't have access to my work drive at home so I'm not able to work on things at home. A laptop would also be nice in that I can bring it in to the garage with me when I'm building or ordering parts and whatnot.

I get a deal with AMEX for either Dell or Beat Buy so I was hoping to order through either of those sites, so info on Dell is definitely welcome, thanks!
 
Harry Klippton said:
A couple years ago, I bought the cheapest refurbished laptop I could find ($125) by filtering by the system requirements for my DAW on Newegg and it's been going great ever since. I maxed out the RAM and put a solid state drive in it. It's heavy and doesn't look cool and the battery is total ass, but I've been super happy with it
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I really am think of going with a referb, and expandable RAM is a must, for sure. I forgot about NewEgg, I'll give them a look. Thanks!
 
The Microcenter near me is unbeatable for availability and price. I would check their website to see if there’s a location near you.

Their site is also nice for doing comparisons, even if you buy somewhere else.
 
Dan M said:
The Microcenter near me is unbeatable for availability and price. I would check their website to see if there’s a location near you.

Their site is also nice for doing comparisons, even if you buy somewhere else.
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There's a Microcenter right up the freeway from me, not sure why I didn't think of that! Guess that's why we ask questions. Thanks, dude!
 
The last couple of laptops I've bought (one for me, one for a friend) were refurb'ed office-grade machines from NewEgg. Lenovo T430. Solidly built, much better than my HP "consumer grade" POS. These are corporate lease returns. I spent something like $120 ea a few years ago. They're both still running strong. No, they are not the fastest computers, but they get the job done. I could have paid more for a higher perf machine, but I didn't need it. I added RAM, switched over to SSD and that's it. Came with a fresh Win7 install (they come with Win10 now), built-in WIFI & BT, USB-3 ports, Display-Port video, touch-pad. One came with a fingerprint reader. Batteries have been solid. I'll never buy a new laptop again.

Look for discount sales at NewEgg. Many come with a 1 year warranty.
 
peccary said:
I said $600, not six months salary! :ROFLMAO:
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While I’ll agree with you, I’ve only had to buy 2 MacBooks in the last 20 years, they last forever. I’d like a new one, but this one is freaking awesome still. 13” MacBook Pro. I put a 1TB SSD in it last year.
 
jimilee said:
While I’ll agree with you, I’ve only had to buy 2 MacBooks in the last 20 years, they last forever. I’d like a new one, but this one is freaking awesome still. 13” MacBook Pro. I put a 1TB SSD in it last year.
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Very true. I had a 27" iMac that lasted me a good 6 years. Like you, I put an SSD in it and it really extended the life of it. Same applies to every MacBook I've ever owned. So, yeah, you could get an Asus laptop for $600 and it'll likely be a pretty good computer. But it won't likely last. My 8-yr old has already gone through two cheap laptops just in the past two years. They just don't last.
 
jeffwhitfield said:
Very true. I had a 27" iMac that lasted me a good 6 years. Like you, I put an SSD in it and it really extended the life of it. Same applies to every MacBook I've ever owned. So, yeah, you could get an Asus laptop for $600 and it'll likely be a pretty good computer. But it won't likely last. My 8-yr old has already gone through two cheap laptops just in the past two years. They just don't last.
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I agree with the sentiment, generally, but in this instance it's like me buying a Bugatti to drive to work. It's too much computer for me in every single way and would be a complete waste of money for me.
 
peccary said:
I agree with the sentiment, generally, but in this instance it's like me buying a Bugatti to drive to work. It's too much computer for me in every single way and would be a complete waste of money for me.
Click to expand...
Well...it depends. I mean, if you're buying the absolute top of the line then, yeah, kind of like buying a Bugatti. A maxed out 16" MacBook Pro isn't for the faint of heart. Granted, a modest config on the low end for a 16" is still around $3k...not necessarily a Bugatti...maybe a Tesla? If you go down to a 13" though it gets super reasonable. MacBook Air's are pretty nice and don't break the bank. Just depends on your needs. The OS is a big part of that. I personally just don't find Windows machines to be as user friendly or as reliable. But that's me.
 
I ended up stopping in to Micro Center today and got myself an HP gaming laptop that they were having a deal on. I'm currently going through and installing everything.

Thanks again for all of the advice and recommendations, folks. I appreciate it!
 
Keep an eye on the internal temperatures. Get a utility like SpeedFan to read out the temp sensors. My HP, now several years old, was notorious for overheating. Had it "repaired" twice under warranty, but the underlying problem, poor thermal management, was never corrected. Hopefully they fixed it in later models, but I wouldn't count on it. Gaming machines contain high-performance processors, memory and video chips, all of which dissipated copious amounts of heat.
 
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