laptop 500 approx.

mickdw

I'm looking to buy a laptop around €500.
I need it for work which involves autocad but handling very small drawing files. I would usually have 5 or 6 separate drawing files open together. I would have a whole pile of small pdf files open also at same time and Web browser. I would like a 17 inch screen.
Other than that, I will be using Microsoft office basically.
It will never really leave home so lightweight is not an issue however it should look fairly slick.
I've had an Asus k53e which was 450 a number of years ago and has been fine for my work until it recently started to hang very often.
I imagine a new machine will be far ahead of my current one anyway but specs are beyond me.
Any suggestions?
Not too bothered re where I would buy it.

17 inch screen is not so common on budget range laptops.


there is this dell
http://www.dell.com/en-ie/shop/laptops/inspiron-17-5000-laptop/spd/inspiron-17-5770-laptop?view=configurations

save50 coupon that expires today feb 7 will get you to 500 on the basic i3 model (older 6th gen i3 chip)
It really would be worth extra to the get the core i5 which is way faster due to 4 core chip and an ssd
that would be 649 after discount. you'd get a laptop that would last longer in terms of being peformant.

cpu way over twice as powerful
https://www.cpubenchmark.net/cpu.php?cpu=Intel+Core+i5-8250U+%40+1.60GHz
https://www.cpubenchmark.net/cpu.php?id=2912



other options - 14 inch in currys
http://www.currys.ie/Product/lenovo-.../346520/401.10

probably the best deal out there at the moment.

ticks all the boxes
1080p screen
good quad-core i5 cpu
ssd (although small). has mem card reader so could use that for extra file storage.
8gb ram
good balance between size and usabiilty
good value at 580

over your 500 budget but it's worth the money.

there is this just under 500, 15.6 inch but only 4gb ram and no ssd. also good bit heavier. could add 4gb ram yourself as it has 2 ram slots
http://www.currys.ie/Product/hp-15bs158sa-156-laptop-silver/346511/409.21

mickdw

Thanks for that.

17" clearly limits choice. I was looking at a hp 17" but the processor was crap.
For using autocad, I find the larger screen a big help.
might have to look at 15.6" again.

srsly78

A desktop is more appropriate for your use case. Any cheap laptop you get will be painful for CAD (no graphics/slow graphics).

Laptops with big screens are very heavy, kinda defeats the whole point of a laptop. You will likely use it plugged into a big external monitor anyway - so just get a desktop.

Alternatively, buy a small gaming laptop (good graphics card) - then plug into big monitor. Gaming laptops are expensive is problem, desktops are much cheaper.

PMBC

How would desktops compare pricewise? I have an (old) iMac with a big screen- perhaps trade in or do an upgrade; what would you think?

srsly78

Macs are no use in this situation. Look at the pc building forum here and copy one of the cheap gaming builds - this would serve you well for CAD.

It seems you need to allocate some money for buying a decent monitor tho (for both laptop and desktop).

Gaming pc: e500
27" monitor: e200

Should be doable. You can of course save money by skimping on components etc, but then you will have a crap system.

mickdw

srsly78 wrote: »

A desktop is more appropriate for your use case. Any cheap laptop you get will be painful for CAD (no graphics/slow graphics).

Laptops with big screens are very heavy, kinda defeats the whole point of a laptop. You will likely use it plugged into a big external monitor anyway - so just get a desktop.

Alternatively, buy a small gaming laptop (good graphics card) - then plug into big monitor. Gaming laptops are expensive is problem, desktops are much cheaper.

It has to be a laptop unfortunately however as I say, its small cad files re house design and I have not found any issues with current laptop only that its now fecked.

srsly78

Ok so not very intensive cad. What graphics card does old laptop have? I'm just not sure if intel integrated graphics is enough for what you want.

Definitely think about using an external monitor, then you can have a nice small laptop.

You need laptop because you show customers drawings on it? Viewing and editing are 2 different use cases. For viewing only laptop is fine, but for editing surely you don't want to use small screen and touchpad?

TerrorFirmer

mickdw wrote: »

Thanks for that.

17" clearly limits choice. I was looking at a hp 17" but the processor was crap.
For using autocad, I find the larger screen a big help.
might have to look at 15.6" again.

That 14" Curry's laptop is very good. I would think the only 17" laptop you'll get for that budget new would be on the very lower end.

Your old laptop was an i5 and would still be reasonably OK by modern standards for casual use.

However, the last few years in particular, low-end, low performance parts have flooded the market in a race to bottom in offering budget laptops.

Result is that you can now get a laptop for as little as €200 brand new, but the problem is that between €200 and €500, a lot of laptops share the same super low-end processors - and would be a downgrade for you.

Something like this would also be a good compromise.

If it absolutely has to be 17", I would say you need to up the budget considerably to get something worthwhile.

the dell 17 (mid model for 650), currys lenovo 14 and hp 15.6 all have the quad-core i5 8250u chip which will work for his uses.
this is far superior to the old 7200u i5 which is dual-core
dell and currys have ssd
hp only has 4gb.

so I would say

if it has to be 17 dell for 650 (order today b4 50 euro discount runs out)
if ok with 14 inch - get lenovo for 580
if hp one - get it and buy extra ram - 4gb stick

mickdw

TerrorFirmer wrote: »

Your old laptop was an i5 and would still be reasonably OK by modern standards for casual use.

I just checked the current laptop there. Celeron B815 @ 1.6 GHz so far from an i5

goose06

Have you tried just re-installing the OS or buying an ssd and install a fresh OS on it? I've a laptop thats 12 years old and still perfect for casual use, hardrives are the only things changed on it. Not a gaming machine.

mickdw

I wouldn't know how to do that.
I'm handy enough doing any physical bits. I opened current laptop and replaced power connector but how does one go about installing fresh OS?

goose06

Depends on what windows your running and if you have the installation CD & windows product key. If you do pop it in and follow the instructions. Just make sure to backup any files you need to keep.

mickdw wrote: »

I wouldn't know how to do that.
I'm handy enough doing any physical bits. I opened current laptop and replaced power connector but how does one go about installing fresh OS?

beauf

The is no one is making a decent 17" mid range laptop.
Also a lot of the mid to low range screens are quite poor.

srsly78 wrote: »

A desktop is more appropriate for your use case. Any cheap laptop you get will be painful for CAD (no graphics/slow graphics).

Laptops with big screens are very heavy, kinda defeats the whole point of a laptop. You will likely use it plugged into a big external monitor anyway - so just get a desktop.

Alternatively, buy a small gaming laptop (good graphics card) - then plug into big monitor. Gaming laptops are expensive is problem, desktops are much cheaper.

Lots of us need a laptop with a big screen. You can move to anywhere in an office or house then put it away when you are done.