Advertisement
If you have a new account but are having problems posting or verifying your account, please email us on hello@boards.ie for help. Thanks :)
Hello all! Please ensure that you are posting a new thread or question in the appropriate forum. The Feedback forum is overwhelmed with questions that are having to be moved elsewhere. If you need help to verify your account contact hello@boards.ie
Hi all,
Vanilla are planning an update to the site on April 24th (next Wednesday). It is a major PHP8 update which is expected to boost performance across the site. The site will be down from 7pm and it is expected to take about an hour to complete. We appreciate your patience during the update.
Thanks all.

Second Hand Laptop

  • 21-08-2014 8:04pm
    #1
    MightyMandarin
    Registered Users Posts: 3,723 ✭✭✭


    I'm starting college in a few weeks and was thinking of getting a laptop. I've had a look in the usual places, Currys etc. and found the price vs. quality ratio is pretty poor. I've seen lots of ads on adverts for second hand and refurbished laptops and I'm wondering have people here had experience buying off adverts? And is the risk taken worth the money saved?

    I have a bit of knowledge with computers and would be looking for at least 4gb RAM, min. 250gb Hdd, a decent cpu of at least 2ghz and I'd probably need windows7 and office. I've seen a lot of laptops on adverts with this for about €200 which is good value, I think. Would I be better off paying a little more for the shop vendors which offer guarantees? Or is it safe enough to buy from private vendors, provided you check that it boots up fine etc.?

    Thanks for reading this.


Comments

  • #2
    TerrorFirmer
    Closed Accounts Posts: 29,930 ✭✭✭✭TerrorFirmer


    What about this for €275 delivered? Brand new, perfectly fast for regular use, and a full warranty.


  • #3
    whatawaster
    Registered Users Posts: 12,906 ✭✭✭✭whatawaster


    TerrorFirmer wrote: »
    What about this for €275 delivered? Brand new, perfectly fast for regular use, and a full warranty.

    That's a terrible processor though.

    I'd recommend that anyone buying a laptop go with an Intel Core model.


  • #4
    TerrorFirmer
    Closed Accounts Posts: 29,930 ✭✭✭✭TerrorFirmer


    whatawaster wrote: »
    That's a terrible processor though.

    I'd recommend that anyone buying a laptop go with an Intel Core model.

    That's a ridiculous statement. It's not a terrible processor at all. Yeah, sure, if you're trying to run Crysis 3 or intensive editing software it's not an optimal processor.

    For normal use, web browsing, media, office, and similar, it's no slower than the Core series. Unless you know where you can get an i3 laptop for €275 brand new? He'd be looking at over €100 euro extra at least - and really the ULV models don't count as they're not really any faster than this 'terrible' processor so he's probably really looking at around €399 for a faster i3 laptop.


  • #5
    whatawaster
    Registered Users Posts: 12,906 ✭✭✭✭whatawaster


    TerrorFirmer wrote: »
    That's a ridiculous statement. It's not a terrible processor at all. Yeah, sure, if you're trying to run Crysis 3 or intensive editing software it's not an optimal processor.

    For normal use, web browsing, media, office, and similar, it's no slower than the Core series. Unless you know where you can get an i3 laptop for €275 brand new? He'd be looking at over €100 euro extra at least - and really the ULV models don't count as they're not really any faster than this 'terrible' processor so he's probably really looking at around €399 for a faster i3 laptop.

    That processor has a passmark of 1000.

    Even the Core i3 "Y" models are nearly double that.

    Sure it'll be fine probably for web browsing and word processing - an atom processor will do for that. But imo going second hand and getting a decent processor would be a better course of action.


  • #6
    Chance The Fapper
    Closed Accounts Posts: 628 ✭✭✭Chance The Fapper


    whatawaster wrote: »
    That processor has a passmark of 1000.

    Even the Core i3 "Y" models are nearly double that.

    Sure it'll be fine probably for web browsing and word processing - an atom processor will do for that. But imo going second hand and getting a decent processor would be a better course of action.

    +1


  • Advertisement
  • #7
    MightyMandarin
    Registered Users Posts: 3,723 ✭✭✭MightyMandarin


    whatawaster wrote: »
    That processor has a passmark of 1000.

    Even the Core i3 "Y" models are nearly double that.

    Sure it'll be fine probably for web browsing and word processing - an atom processor will do for that. But imo going second hand and getting a decent processor would be a better course of action.

    Would I be better off looking at 'refurbished' ones, most of which come with a warranty of between 3-12months? or are private sellers ok to go with?

    I would prefer a good core processor, but honestly, I'm only going to use the laptop for college work and a little browsing, I don't need it for gaming etc.


  • #8
    TerrorFirmer
    Closed Accounts Posts: 29,930 ✭✭✭✭TerrorFirmer


    What's the obsession with power around these parts lately? For general college use this laptop is fine, and it has a full warranty and is brand new. There's no reason to have to buy a 2nd hand laptop just 'because' an i3 is faster. Yes, it's faster - but it's not going to make any difference for college type use.


  • #9
    MightyMandarin
    Registered Users Posts: 3,723 ✭✭✭MightyMandarin


    TerrorFirmer wrote: »
    What's the obsession with power around these parts lately? For general college use this laptop is fine, and it has a full warranty and is brand new. There's no reason to have to buy a 2nd hand laptop just 'because' an i3 is faster. Yes, it's faster - but it's not going to make any difference for college type use.

    I'd rather buy 2nd hand in terms of value for money. Some of the laptops on adverts for €200-€300 were around €1000 new, 2-3 years ago. I'd rather have a powerful 2nd hand one for the same price as a less powerful new one.


  • #10
    TerrorFirmer
    Closed Accounts Posts: 29,930 ✭✭✭✭TerrorFirmer


    MightyMandarin wrote: »
    I'd rather buy 2nd hand in terms of value for money. Some of the laptops on adverts for €200-€300 were around €1000 new, 2-3 years ago. I'd rather have a powerful 2nd hand one for the same price as a less powerful new one.

    Well, that is fair enough if that's what you prefer. If you put up a few links to what laptops you were considering, I'd be happy to tell you which one's are better than others or better value. The single best thing you can do is put an SSD into a laptop - it makes the biggest difference.


  • #11
    MightyMandarin
    Registered Users Posts: 3,723 ✭✭✭MightyMandarin


    TerrorFirmer wrote: »
    Well, that is fair enough if that's what you prefer. If you put up a few links to what laptops you were considering, I'd be happy to tell you which one's are better than others or better value. The single best thing you can do is put an SSD into a laptop - it makes the biggest difference.

    An SSD doesn't normally come with a lot of space, unless it's really expensive. I'd rather have a slower HDD with at least 250gb. I'll see if I can find some of the ads I've been looking at, I liked the one on Amazon, the cpu could be better though.


  • Advertisement
  • #12
    Chance The Fapper
    Closed Accounts Posts: 628 ✭✭✭Chance The Fapper


    MightyMandarin wrote: »
    An SSD doesn't normally come with a lot of space, unless it's really expensive. I'd rather have a slower HDD with at least 250gb. I'll see if I can find some of the ads I've been looking at, I liked the one on Amazon, the cpu could be better though.

    Ssds are getting cheaper every day


  • #13
    MightyMandarin
    Registered Users Posts: 3,723 ✭✭✭MightyMandarin


    http://www.adverts.ie/laptops/laptop-lenovo-t410-core-i5-6gb-ram-hdd320-webcam/5910702

    http://www.adverts.ie/laptops/core-i5-dell-latitude-e6410/6143867

    These are 2 of the ads which I've seen. Do the specifications look alright for the price?


  • #14
    MightyMandarin
    Registered Users Posts: 3,723 ✭✭✭MightyMandarin


    Chance The Fapper wrote: »
    Ssds are getting cheaper every day

    Could I buy a SSD from hardwareversand and replace a HD with it myself? I've done some work with desktops before but I've heard Laptops are really complex and can be messed up easily.


  • #15
    Chance The Fapper
    Closed Accounts Posts: 628 ✭✭✭Chance The Fapper


    MightyMandarin wrote: »
    Could I buy a SSD from hardwareversand and replace a HD with it myself? I've done some work with desktops before but I've heard Laptops are really complex and can be messed up easily.

    You could easily. Hard drives and ram are handy to swap out in the majority of laptops


  • #16
    MightyMandarin
    Registered Users Posts: 3,723 ✭✭✭MightyMandarin


    Chance The Fapper wrote: »
    You could easily. Hard drives and ram are handy to swap out in the majority of laptops

    Just out of curiosity, do you know any places that sell parts at similar prices to hardwareversand but don't charge as much for delivery? Or is that how hardwareversand stays competitive?


  • #17
    Chance The Fapper
    Closed Accounts Posts: 628 ✭✭✭Chance The Fapper


    MightyMandarin wrote: »
    Just out of curiosity, do you know any places that sell parts at similar prices to hardwareversand but don't charge as much for delivery? Or is that how hardwareversand stays competitive?

    I wasn't aware that their shipping was very high... Try amazon.co.uk or scan.co.uk, and you can use Parcel Motel with them


  • #18
    MightyMandarin
    Registered Users Posts: 3,723 ✭✭✭MightyMandarin


    Chance The Fapper wrote: »
    I wasn't aware that their shipping was very high... Try amazon.co.uk or scan.co.uk, and you can use Parcel Motel with them

    On the website it says €18.99 to Ireland. I used them once for a desktop and was great but for just 1 or 2 parts, it's a bit much.


  • #19
    MightyMandarin
    Registered Users Posts: 3,723 ✭✭✭MightyMandarin


    http://www.ebay.ie/itm/191298298157
    saw this one on ebay which looks like a good deal, is there anything I should be wary of when buying from ebay?


  • #20
    _Kaiser_
    Registered Users Posts: 28,661 ✭✭✭✭_Kaiser_


    Given the choice of the ones posted above, I'd take the T410 myself. The DELL E6400/E6410 aren't great (I have a load of them in a store room pending recycling) but the Lenovo T-series last forever! :)

    A DELL E6420 would also be a good choice. We have a load of them too and they're a big step up on the earlier model


  • #21
    _Kaiser_
    Registered Users Posts: 28,661 ✭✭✭✭_Kaiser_


    MightyMandarin wrote: »
    On the website it says €18.99 to Ireland. I used them once for a desktop and was great but for just 1 or 2 parts, it's a bit much.

    Setup a Parcel Motel a/c and then ship it via their NI depot. Almost all Amazon/eBay sellers offer free UK shipping so all it'll set you back is the €3.50/€4 from PM.

    Also handy when dealing with sellers who don't want to ship to ROI


  • Advertisement
  • #22
    TerrorFirmer
    Closed Accounts Posts: 29,930 ✭✭✭✭TerrorFirmer


    MightyMandarin wrote: »
    http://www.ebay.ie/itm/191298298157
    saw this one on ebay which looks like a good deal, is there anything I should be wary of when buying from ebay?

    That's taking the obsession with getting a core processor a bit far considering it's a first generation processor from five years ago! Better off buying a new laptop for a similar price in my honest opinion with a full warranty than a laptop from 2010. It might seem like good value on first glance but it's pretty much what you pay for in that case, wouldn't call it any sort of bargain at all.


Advertisement