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Need help finding a laptop.

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  • 05-10-2013 12:16pm
    #1
    johnryan465
    Closed Accounts Posts: 21 ✭


    Hello, I have a Hp Compaq 6715b, it is fine for browsing the internet and word processing but not much else. Its battery is all but dead and since I bought this laptop for €100, I would be better off to get a new laptop.

    I was hoping to get an i5 with a dedicated graphics card for under €300. I know this is a big ask. I don't mind if it is second-hand which is probably the only way I could get it at that price. I was looking at this one but the seller hasn,t been online in three weeks http://www.adverts.ie/laptops/dell-inspiron-n5010/3640555 any help is appreciated :).


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    #2
    Torqay
    Closed Accounts Posts: 5,835 ✭✭✭Torqay


    The laptop is three years old and the condition of the battery is probably not the best anymore.

    The Mobility Radeon HD 5470, although dedicated, is a very poor GPU by today's standard, Intel's on-chip HD 4000 is faster.

    The performance of the 1st gen Core i5-430M is comparable to that of a current generation Pentium processor.

    The Inspiron n5010 is not particularly maintenance friendly, if you want to replace the HDD, you'll have to take the case apart.

    €260 is way too much. Even if the screen wasn't scratched I wouldn't pay 200 yoyos for it.


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    #3
    johnryan465
    Closed Accounts Posts: 21 ✭johnryan465


    Thanks for your input. Have you any ideas where i could get a laptop with good specs for less than €300?:)


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    #4
    Torqay
    Closed Accounts Posts: 5,835 ✭✭✭Torqay


    Hard to find anything under €300.

    HarveyNorman is selling a ASUS X501 with an Ivy Bridge Celeron 1000M, Intel HD Graphics, 4 GB RAM and a 320 GB HDD for €299. CPU performance (CPUMark 1815) is not too far from that old Core i5 (2099). It also has USB 3.0 and HDMI out. The laptop is light (2 kg) and the case is pretty slim (ASUS calls it an ultrabook, it doesn't have an optical drive).

    When I look at the gaming benchmarks at notebookcheck, there isn't much between the Intel HD 2500 and the HD 5470, Intel is faster at Starcraft 2 and close to the Radeon at Counterstrike 2. Needless to say, neither GPU is really suitable for gaming.

    I had one of these here yesterday, certainly good enough for surfing the interwebs and word processing.


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    #5
    johnryan465
    Closed Accounts Posts: 21 ✭johnryan465


    Any good for gaming(Minecraft,Skyrim)?


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    #6
    Torqay
    Closed Accounts Posts: 5,835 ✭✭✭Torqay


    Skyrim??? No way, José! :D

    And neither the HD 5470.

    Minecraft might be possible on low detail settings.


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    #7
    johnryan465
    Closed Accounts Posts: 21 ✭johnryan465


    Any second hand laptops that could?(I'm clutching at straws :))


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    #8
    johnryan465
    Closed Accounts Posts: 21 ✭johnryan465


    I'd be running linux so if there is any place that would give you a discount for no windows that would be an option as-well.


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    #9
    Torqay
    Closed Accounts Posts: 5,835 ✭✭✭Torqay


    Smaller system builders offer computers without operating system, for example PC Specialist in the UK, but they don't sell anything matching your budget. ;)

    And you wouldn't get a 2nd hand gaming laptop able to play Skyrim for 300 yoyos. You are really clutching at straws here. Surfing the web and word processing is all you get. You'll have to pay a lot more for a powerful laptop than for a comparable desktop PC, especially if you build your own.


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    #10
    johnryan465
    Closed Accounts Posts: 21 ✭johnryan465


    I will have to try an just find a good laptop for cheap, but my gaming hopes are gone :( .


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    #11
    Torqay
    Closed Accounts Posts: 5,835 ✭✭✭Torqay


    With a budget of €300 I wouldn't buy 2nd hand. Buy a new laptop with a new battery and warranty. If you can stretch you budget somewhat, you'll get a Core i3.


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    #12
    johnryan465
    Closed Accounts Posts: 21 ✭johnryan465


    I was looking and I found that an A6, A8 or A10 might be more in my price range.


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    #13
    Torqay
    Closed Accounts Posts: 5,835 ✭✭✭Torqay


    If you can find an A10 fo that money... anything below isn't really worth considering.


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    #14
    Harps
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3,548 ✭✭✭Harps


    I finally took the plunge and ordered an Optimus V from pcspecialist last night, over €1000 so hopefully it'll live up to expectations.

    One thing I noticed is that there's i3 and i5 Haswell processors available for it now whereas when I first put together my build there were only quad core i7s available. I went with the 4700MQ in the end but a few of the dual cores were similarly priced and I couldn't find much performance info on them, anyone know if there'd be much difference between the 4700MQ and the 4330M for example? In happy enough with my build either way but probably should have asked for opinions before I went ahead with it


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    #15
    Torqay
    Closed Accounts Posts: 5,835 ✭✭✭Torqay


    Harps wrote: »
    I went with the 4700MQ in the end but a few of the dual cores were similarly priced and I couldn't find much performance info on them, anyone know if there'd be much difference between the 4700MQ and the 4330M for example?

    Still a massive gap between them, the i5-4330M is comparable to the old dual Core i7-3450M. They're no match for their quad-core cousins.


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    #16
    Harps
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3,548 ✭✭✭Harps


    Hmm, meant to post that in the Buying a Laptop Sticky, not sure what happened there..

    The 4700MQ is a better processor then? I assumed it would be but the 4330M is more expensive so I wasn't sure what to think, likewise the 4600M is €80 more expensive than the 4700MQ.


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    #17
    Torqay
    Closed Accounts Posts: 5,835 ✭✭✭Torqay


    The dual Core i7 processors are alsways very expensive. Not that is does make much sense to me. And the Core i5 4330M is only marginally cheaper, it's a no brainer really. Unless you're looking for very good battery life, then a 47W max TDP quad-core processor is out of the question. (But there's also the i7 4702MQ, drawing the same power as the regular dual-core processors)


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    #18
    johnryan465
    Closed Accounts Posts: 21 ✭johnryan465


    Is this laptop good for the price.
    http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/ACER-Aspire-5560-83524G50MNKK-Notebook-AMD-A8-3520M-4GB-500GB-15-6-Handler-/121153085685?pt=DE_Technik_Computer_Peripherieger%C3%A4te_Notebooks&hash=item1c354960f5#shpCntId


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    #19
    Torqay
    Closed Accounts Posts: 5,835 ✭✭✭Torqay


    johnryan465 wrote: »
    Is this laptop good for the price.
    http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/ACER-Aspire-5560-83524G50MNKK-Notebook-AMD-A8-3520M-4GB-500GB-15-6-Handler-/121153085685?pt=DE_Technik_Computer_Peripherieger%C3%A4te_Notebooks&hash=item1c354960f5#shpCntId

    Not really. The AMD A8-3520M compares to a current mobile Pentium processor, the on-chip Radeon HD 6620G is pretty much on par with Intel's HD 4000. Bottom line, an Ivy Bridge Core i3 laptop is the better choice and you'll get them for less than 420 yoyos.


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    #20
    johnryan465
    Closed Accounts Posts: 21 ✭johnryan465


    Torqay wrote: »
    Not really. The AMD A8-3520M compares to a current mobile Pentium processor, the on-chip Radeon HD 6620G is pretty much on par with Intel's HD 4000. Bottom line, an Ivy Bridge Core i3 laptop is the better choice and you'll get them for less than 420 yoyos.

    How much would you add to the price if you were buying from amazon.com


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    #21
    abceire
    Closed Accounts Posts: 734 ✭✭✭abceire


    I need a laptop too. I really only need it to do microsoft office the newest one and surf the net. It'll be coming to college with my on my bike most days. So battery life would be good if were long but not overly important. Also I'll want to get a cheap printer too.
    I may want to use it for spread sheets using excel for doing research. I don't game at all.
    I'd prefer if it came with lastest windows already on it.
    I'm a poor mature student to cheaper is better.
    Any suggestions?
    Are ther any laptop/printer combi deals out there?


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    #22
    johnryan465
    Closed Accounts Posts: 21 ✭johnryan465


    You could use Google Docs and a Chromebook http://www.argos.ie/static/Product/partNumber/1019612/c_1/1%7Ccategory_root%7COffice%2C+PCs+and+phones%7C14418968/c_2/3%7Ccat_19780850%7CLaptops+and+netbooks%7C14419039.htm
    This laptop is cheaper(3.5 hours)
    http://www.argos.ie/static/Product/partNumber/1036640/c_1/1%7Ccategory_root%7COffice%2C+PCs+and+phones%7C14418968/c_2/3%7Ccat_19780850%7CLaptops+and+netbooks%7C14419039.htm
    This laptop is more expensive but it has a 10 hour battery. It also has an SSD so it boots up in less than 10 seconds.
    Google Docs is free so it will save you over €100 and no windows saves another €100. If you don't need anything else other than Docs and internet it will be fine. It has a small screen so it is easy to carry.


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    #23
    johnryan465
    Closed Accounts Posts: 21 ✭johnryan465


    I found a laptop that I would like (Acer Aspire V5-552). In the USA it is €325 http://www.amazon.com/Acer-Aspire-V5-552-8404-15-6-Inch-Laptop/dp/B00DDFEXWA and in the UK €456 http://www.amazon.co.uk/Acer-Aspire-V5-552-15-6-inch-Notebook/dp/B00DVKJYU8/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1381436813&sr=8-1&keywords=Acer+Aspire+V5-552&tag=fczbkkcom04-21


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    #24
    Torqay
    Closed Accounts Posts: 5,835 ✭✭✭Torqay


    johnryan465 wrote: »
    I found a laptop that I would like

    What is there to like? The processor is slower than an Intel Core i3, the graphics slower than Intel's HD 4600.


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    #25
    abceire
    Closed Accounts Posts: 734 ✭✭✭abceire


    I'd like windows and mirco, just makes it really easy to reference stuff and do bibliogrpagy, plus having a laptop that works same as computers in college would be good for someone like me.


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    #26
    Torqay
    Closed Accounts Posts: 5,835 ✭✭✭Torqay


    abceire wrote: »
    I need a laptop too. I really only need it to do microsoft office the newest one and surf the net. It'll be coming to college with my on my bike most days. So battery life would be good if were long but not overly important. Also I'll want to get a cheap printer too.
    I may want to use it for spread sheets using excel for doing research. I don't game at all.
    I'd prefer if it came with lastest windows already on it.
    I'm a poor mature student to cheaper is better.
    Any suggestions?
    Are ther any laptop/printer combi deals out there?

    Harvey Norman selling a 15.6" ASUS X501A with a Celeron 100M, 4 GB RAM and a 320 GB HDD, USB 3.0 and HDMI (no optical drive) for €299. Should do what you want it for. Pretty slim and rather lightweight.


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    #27
    abceire
    Closed Accounts Posts: 734 ✭✭✭abceire


    A very nice friend gave me his old viso sony note book, so now I just need a printer.


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    #28
    lak
    Registered Users Posts: 37 ✭lak


    Torqay wrote: »
    Harvey Norman selling a 15.6" ASUS X501A with a Celeron 100M, 4 GB RAM and a 320 GB HDD, USB 3.0 and HDMI (no optical drive) for €299. Should do what you want it for. Pretty slim and rather lightweight.

    Hi,i was just thinking of buying this(http://www.harveynorman.ie/toshiba-15.6-laptop-c55-14x.html) for general home use,no gaming,and i was wondering would it be a wise choice,ie Is it a decent machine.


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    #29
    Torqay
    Closed Accounts Posts: 5,835 ✭✭✭Torqay


    lak wrote: »
    Hi,i was just thinking of buying this(http://www.harveynorman.ie/toshiba-15.6-laptop-c55-14x.html) for general home use,no gaming,and i was wondering would it be a wise choice,ie Is it a decent machine.

    Link not working, if you mean this Toshiba C55, it's a decent machine alright but €680 is way too expensive.

    A Lenovo G580 with identical specs costs €555 @ LD


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    #30
    lak
    Registered Users Posts: 37 ✭lak


    Torqay wrote: »
    Link not working, if you mean this Toshiba C55, it's a decent machine alright but €680 is way too expensive.

    A Lenovo G580 with identical specs costs €555 @ LD

    Cheers mate


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    #31
    johnryan465
    Closed Accounts Posts: 21 ✭johnryan465


    Could any of ye suggest a second hand laptop that could play skyrim. My budget at max is 300. This thread has kinda got side tracked :p (Don't really mind). I would like to play with better graphics than a Xbox 360. I would buy off ebay, advert, donedeal etc. I could only go about 75km max from Templemore in Tipperary (basically not to Dublin)


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