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Black 'Week' - Laptop Bargains

  • 26-11-2019 09:52AM
    #1
    cherryghost
    Moderators, Technology & Internet Moderators Posts: 17,150 Mod ✭✭✭✭


    I posted in Laptops forum (shameless plug but there's some really good guys there giving amazing feedback for laptop requests), but posting here too. There's a lot of 'dud' sales about but there are genuine good deals around from shock horror Argos and Littlewoods

    Entry Level (browsing/streaming) 250-350 eur:
    Laptops strictly for web browsing, online streaming and some light office work.
    Under 15 inch:

    Over 15 inch:
    Currys has a decent entry machine Lenovo at 280
    For 330 euro, you get an entry level better in all departments.
    Hard to get better deals than the 2 above to be honest, the Argos one is a belter for the specs. There's online deals a bit cheaper but also requires PM/Parcel Wizard etc, and in the end you're saving about a tenner against the Argos model.

    Light, thin and sleek recommendations:


    Mid Level (entry level gaming/light photo editing) 350-500 eur:
    Entry level gaming such as Fortnite/Minecraft/Roblox, and light photo editing (ie not raw editing)
    Under 15 inch:
    Less for gaming and more for productivity, the Acer Spin 3 at 370 pounds looks good for the price with touch adjustable screen.
    Over 15 inch:
    Never thought I'd be recommending something from Argos, but 430 euro from a B&M store is excellent value.

    Light, thin and sleek recommendations:


    Mid-High level (good gaming perf/photo editing/video editing) 500-900 eur:
    Good level quality and performance for modern games, heavy photo editing, light video editing, also good for VMs etc.
    Under 15 inch:

    Over 15 inch:
    Just under 600 pound for a GTX 1650 laptop is decent enough. 120hz effectively useless modern games for a 1650 though.
    500 pound on Currys UK ebay site or their own site for a laptop with RX 560. Its slower than 1650 but for 500 pound its good value. Delivery via PM/Parcelwizard. If interested keep an eye on this, eBay UK normally have a 10% off everything during Black week, so you could pick it up for 450 pound.
    Acer AMD laptop for 470 after coupon applied. Not as sleek as the above AMD laptop but still does the job.

    Light, thin and sleek recommendations:
    The Asus Zenbook has a slick finish, weighs just over 1kg at a decent 660 euro, would work nice as a productivity machine on the go

    High Level (top gaming perf/photo ed/video ed + more)1000 eur+:
    No expenses spared. Fly through any tasks seamlessly.
    Under 15 inch:

    Over 15 inch:
    Littlewoods of all places has a well specc'd Lenovo laptop with a top GPU for 1000 euro. Cheaper than the Lenovo website itself after discount!
    Light, thin and sleek recommendations:


    Netbooks:


    Will post more as I find them but many of the sites price reductions are barely worthy of a 'sale' tag.

    NOTE: Some laptops come with Windows 10 'S' installed by means as a 'security feature' that basically limits what you can install. To install regular programs a simple switch to the regular Windows 10 is required. No extra purchase is neccessary. The upgrade is free.


«1345678

Comments

  • #2
    mumo3
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,854 ✭✭✭mumo3


    My 12yr old is looking for a laptop, mostly will be browsing and gaming any recommendations in the sales, I'm not spending a fortune but I dont want one that wont work in a couple of months because he's managed to download some crap thats wrecked the machine


  • #3
    GeneralC
    Closed Accounts Posts: 754 ✭✭✭GeneralC


    cherryghost wrote: »
    I posted in Laptops forum (shameless plug but there's some really good guys there giving amazing feedback for laptop requests), but posting here too. There's a lot of 'dud' sales about but there are genuine good deals around from shock horror Argos and Littlewoods

    Entry Level (browsing/streaming) 250-350 eur:
    Laptops strictly for web browsing, online streaming and some light office work.
    Under 15 inch:

    Over 15 inch:
    Currys has a decent entry machine Lenovo at 280
    For 330 euro, you get an entry level better in all departments.
    Hard to get better deals than the 2 above to be honest, the Argos one is a belter for the specs. There's online deals a bit cheaper but also requires PM/Parcel Wizard etc, and in the end you're saving about a tenner against the Argos model.

    Light, thin and sleek recommendations:


    Mid Level (entry level gaming/light photo editing) 350-500 eur:
    Entry level gaming such as Fortnite/Minecraft/Roblox, and light photo editing (ie not raw editing)
    Under 15 inch:
    Less for gaming and more for productivity, the Acer Spin 3 at 370 pounds looks good for the price with touch adjustable screen.
    Over 15 inch:
    Never thought I'd be recommending something from Argos, but 430 euro from a B&M store is excellent value.

    Light, thin and sleek recommendations:


    Mid-High level (good gaming perf/photo editing/video editing) 500-900 eur:
    Good level quality and performance for modern games, heavy photo editing, light video editing, also good for VMs etc.
    Under 15 inch:

    Over 15 inch:
    Just under 600 pound for a GTX 1650 laptop is decent enough. 120hz effectively useless modern games for a 1650 though.
    500 pound on Currys UK ebay site or their own site for a laptop with RX 560. Its slower than 1650 but for 500 pound its good value. Delivery via PM/Parcelwizard. If interested keep an eye on this, eBay UK normally have a 10% off everything during Black week, so you could pick it up for 450 pound.
    Acer AMD laptop for 470 after coupon applied. Not as sleek as the above AMD laptop but still does the job.

    Light, thin and sleek recommendations:
    The Asus Zenbook has a slick finish, weighs just over 1kg at a decent 660 euro, would work nice as a productivity machine on the go

    High Level (top gaming perf/photo ed/video ed + more)1000 eur+:
    No expenses spared. Fly through any tasks seamlessly.
    Under 15 inch:

    Over 15 inch:
    Littlewoods of all places has a well specc'd Lenovo laptop with a top GPU for 1000 euro. Cheaper than the Lenovo website itself after discount!
    Light, thin and sleek recommendations:


    Netbooks:


    Will post more as I find them but many of the sites price reductions are barely worthy of a 'sale' tag.

    What's thedifference between an Intel i5/i7 etc vs. AMD Reyzen?


  • #4
    cherryghost
    Moderators, Technology & Internet Moderators Posts: 17,150 Mod ✭✭✭✭cherryghost


    mumo3 wrote: »
    My 12yr old is looking for a laptop, mostly will be browsing and gaming any recommendations in the sales, I'm not spending a fortune but I dont want one that wont work in a couple of months because he's managed to download some crap thats wrecked the machine

    If its strictly Roblox/Fortnite/Minecraft then the 430 euro one on Argos is fine. If its anything more demaning such as new Call of Duty game etc, the 500 pound one from Currys is minimum you need


  • #5
    cherryghost
    Moderators, Technology & Internet Moderators Posts: 17,150 Mod ✭✭✭✭cherryghost


    GeneralC wrote: »
    What's thedifference between an Intel i5/i7 etc vs. AMD Reyzen?

    Ryzen processors perform more or less identically to counter parts (except for Ryzen 7, its a deal slower than i7 counterparts), but the integrated graphics on Ryzen processors is far superior to Intel, meaning low end Ryzen laptops are suitable for light photo editing/gaming without any real issue. With Intel integrated you're going to have a bad time.

    Battery life etc is also about on par with each other too.


  • #6
    GeneralC
    Closed Accounts Posts: 754 ✭✭✭GeneralC


    I've been looking for something for college. I went to PC World last night with a top end budget of €700 and I couldn't decide on one. Staff wasn't very helpful.

    I wanted a full metal body, SSD and something under 15inch.


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  • #7
    cherryghost
    Moderators, Technology & Internet Moderators Posts: 17,150 Mod ✭✭✭✭cherryghost


    GeneralC wrote: »
    I've been looking for something for college. I went to PC World last night with a top end budget of €700 and I couldn't decide on one. Staff wasn't very helpful.

    I wanted a full metal body, SSD and something under 15inch.

    I would say not easy for under 700 euro but the Zenbook at 660 seems best bet. It's an all metal chassis with mid level processor + int graphics. Screen is almost 100% sRGB too which is great. Keyboard is backlit too.

    Personally I think it looks amazing asthetically too. If I find something better though I'll post it.


  • #8
    GeneralC
    Closed Accounts Posts: 754 ✭✭✭GeneralC


    cherryghost wrote: »
    I would say not easy for under 700 euro but the Zenbook at 660 seems best bet. It's an all metal chassis with mid level processor + int graphics. Screen is almost 100% sRGB too which is great. Keyboard is backlit too.

    Personally I think it looks amazing asthetically too. If I find something better though I'll post it.

    Thank you sir!

    Is the Zenbook full metal? The staff were recommending an Apple MacBook Pro but I wasn't willing to finance a laptop. I had €700 on me and that was my budget for a college laptop. I won't be using it for gaming or editing. Everyone in my course has an Apple but I'm not taking out a loan to buy a laptop because everyone else owns one in my class.


  • #9
    mydiscworld
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 830 ✭✭✭mydiscworld


    Any recommendation for a good 17 inch laptop? Under say 700 euro


  • #10
    cherryghost
    Moderators, Technology & Internet Moderators Posts: 17,150 Mod ✭✭✭✭cherryghost


    GeneralC wrote: »
    Thank you sir!

    Is the Zenbook full metal? The staff were recommending an Apple MacBook Pro but I wasn't willing to finance a laptop. I had €700 on me and that was my budget for a college laptop. I won't be using it for gaming or editing. Everyone in my course has an Apple but I'm not taking out a loan to buy a laptop because everyone else owns one in my class.

    The Zenbook manual says its full metal body, as does Amazon US and IN, did they not have any in Currys to have a gander at?


  • #11
    cmssjone
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 363 ✭✭cmssjone


    Any decent 13 inch laptops c 800 that you would recommend. Wife wants a relatively light one. Cheers


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  • #12
    cherryghost
    Moderators, Technology & Internet Moderators Posts: 17,150 Mod ✭✭✭✭cherryghost


    mydiscworld wrote: »
    Any recommendation for a good 17 inch laptop? Under say 700 euro

    Depends on usage. What for mainly?
    cmssjone wrote: »
    Any decent 13 inch laptops c 800 that you would recommend. Wife wants a relatively light one. Cheers

    Again whats the main use?


  • #13
    DelBoy Trotter
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,494 ✭✭✭DelBoy Trotter


    GeneralC wrote: »
    I've been looking for something for college. I went to PC World last night with a top end budget of €700 and I couldn't decide on one. Staff wasn't very helpful.

    I wanted a full metal body, SSD and something under 15inch.
    cherryghost wrote: »
    I would say not easy for under 700 euro but the Zenbook at 660 seems best bet. It's an all metal chassis with mid level processor + int graphics. Screen is almost 100% sRGB too which is great. Keyboard is backlit too.

    Personally I think it looks amazing asthetically too. If I find something better though I'll post it.

    I ordered the Zenbook yesterday. I ideally wanted a laptop with a minimum of 8GB of RAM and 256GB SSD, a metal body, backlit keyboard and a maximum of 14" screen. It had to be a Windows device also, I'd no interest in a Macbook. I had a similar budget to you and until I spotted the Zenbook, nothing ticked all the boxes. There were a few laptops that came close which I nearly pulled the trigger on, but the Zenbook was the best I could find after a lot of looking


  • #14
    Atlantic Dawn
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 86,113 ✭✭✭✭Atlantic Dawn
    GDY151


    Anyone got ownership experience of the Zenbook? The hinged system it uses means it doesn't sit totally flat on the base when opened but overhangs to rise laptop at back. This would be fine on a desk but might be uncomfortable or unsteady if using on your lap, anyone know if this is the case?


  • #15
    [Deleted User]
    Posts: 18,962 ✭✭✭✭ [Deleted User]


    cherryghost wrote: »
    The Zenbook manual says its full metal body, as does Amazon US and IN, did they not have any in Currys to have a gander at?

    I'm pretty sure that it's full metal yes as all zenbooks usually are.

    reviews don't clearly mention this but I would be pretty sure.

    as you said - the person should go in and check


  • #16
    cmssjone
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 363 ✭✭cmssjone


    cherryghost wrote:
    Again whats the main use?

    Mostly web browsing and teacher related stuff. She likes to keep her laptops for around 5 years before replacing them. Probably a decent screen and battery life would be her main criteria.


  • #17
    [Deleted User]
    Posts: 18,962 ✭✭✭✭ [Deleted User]


    cmssjone wrote: »
    Any decent 13 inch laptops c 800 that you would recommend. Wife wants a relatively light one. Cheers

    the zenbook in pc world on this thread for 669. get it before it's out of stock imo.

    it's 14 inch. great deal.

    14 inch vs 13.3 measured on the diagonal is not noticeable.

    it's very very light also.


  • #18
    [Deleted User]
    Posts: 18,962 ✭✭✭✭ [Deleted User]


    reports say real-world 9 hours battery life possible.


  • #19
    Standman
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,681 ✭✭✭Standman


    GeneralC wrote: »
    I've been looking for something for college. I went to PC World last night with a top end budget of €700 and I couldn't decide on one. Staff wasn't very helpful.

    I wanted a full metal body, SSD and something under 15inch.


    I got myself this 14-inch Acer Swift 3 last year, (quad-core i5, full-aluminium body, 256GB SSD) for £580 delivered from saveonlaptops (now box.co.uk). Tried to check if they still sell it but looks like they only sell the 15.6-inch version now (for cheaper I might add :mad:).

    They also now have an i7 version for £600, argh.


  • #20
    [Deleted User]
    Posts: 8,717 ✭ [Deleted User]


    This ~€320 "like new" Amazon warehouse laptop is better than those entry laptops listed but I believe there's only one left. I got the second last one delivered earlier in the week - my package was unopened and the packaging wasn't even damaged, there was just a sticker on the outside box slightly torn. If you're looking for something in that price range I'd pick that one up before it's gone! :)


  • #21
    [Deleted User]
    Posts: 18,962 ✭✭✭✭ [Deleted User]


    Standman wrote: »
    I got myself this 14-inch Acer Swift 3 last year, (quad-core i5, full-aluminium body, 256GB SSD) for £580 delivered from saveonlaptops (now box.co.uk). Tried to check if they still sell it but looks like they only sell the 15.6-inch version now (for cheaper I might add :mad:).

    They also now have an i7 version for £600, argh.

    zenbook is a segment above the swift 3.


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  • #22
    [Deleted User]
    Posts: 18,962 ✭✭✭✭ [Deleted User]


    Deleted User wrote: »
    This ~€320 "like new" Amazon warehouse laptop is better than those entry laptops listed but I believe there's only one left. I got the second last one delivered earlier in the week - my package was unopened and the packaging wasn't even damaged, there was just a sticker on the outside box slightly torn. If you're looking for something in that price range I'd pick that one up before it's gone! :)

    ok deal but the op is looking for a lightweight option.


  • #23
    GeneralC
    Closed Accounts Posts: 754 ✭✭✭GeneralC


    cherryghost wrote: »
    The Zenbook manual says its full metal body, as does Amazon US and IN, did they not have any in Currys to have a gander at?

    Any thoughts on this 14inch HP laptop?


  • #24
    [Deleted User]
    Posts: 18,962 ✭✭✭✭ [Deleted User]


    GeneralC wrote: »
    Any thoughts on this 14inch HP laptop?

    build not as good as zenbook. a good bit heavier. it's plastic.

    i7 has more cpu power (but not noticable over ryzen 5 which is also a 4-core cpu in 90% of task usage) and worse integrated graphics.


  • #25
    XsApollo
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,567 ✭✭✭XsApollo


    cherryghost wrote: »
    If its strictly Roblox/Fortnite/Minecraft then the 430 euro one on Argos is fine. If its anything more demaning such as new Call of Duty game etc, the 500 pound one from Currys is minimum you need

    So is that laptop good for the above?
    10 year old daughter wants one
    For Christmas.


  • #26
    GeneralC
    Closed Accounts Posts: 754 ✭✭✭GeneralC


    glasso wrote: »
    build not as good as zenbook. a good bit heavier. it's plastic.

    i7 has more cpu power (but not noticable over ryzen 5 which is also a 4-core cpu in 90% of task usage) and worse integrated graphics.


    Thank you sir!

    I will go out later so and purchase the Zenbook.

    I'll be the odd one out in my class without an Apple product :o


  • #27
    [Deleted User]
    Posts: 8,717 ✭ [Deleted User]


    glasso wrote: »
    ok deal but the op is looking for a lightweight option.

    The OP isn't looking for a laptop. :pac:


  • #28
    [Deleted User]
    Posts: 18,962 ✭✭✭✭ [Deleted User]


    GeneralC wrote: »
    Thank you sir!

    I will go out later so and purchase the Zenbook.

    I'll be the odd one out in my class without an Apple product :o

    the zenbook looks cool. a macbook pro is €2k+ . not worth it unless you are flush in cash. personally I don't like the restrictions of the apple ecosystem also.

    the zenbook will peform all college tasks with ease.

    the lightness will be very handy when carrying it around a lot.


  • #29
    [Deleted User]
    Posts: 18,962 ✭✭✭✭ [Deleted User]


    Deleted User wrote: »
    The OP isn't looking for a laptop. :pac:

    duh. you know what I mean. the OP asking about buying a laptop in this thread. not the thread OP.


  • #30
    [Deleted User]
    Posts: 8,717 ✭ [Deleted User]


    glasso wrote: »
    duh. you know what I mean. the OP asking about buying a laptop in this thread. not the thread OP.

    Nope I have no idea what you mean. The first person who asked about buying laptop in this thread is mumo3 who didn't specify that the laptop had to be lightweight, don't know why you would assume I am addressing you or the messages you are replying to. :pac:


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  • #31
    [Deleted User]
    Posts: 18,962 ✭✭✭✭ [Deleted User]


    cmssjone wrote: »
    Mostly web browsing and teacher related stuff. She likes to keep her laptops for around 5 years before replacing them. Probably a decent screen and battery life would be her main criteria.
    cmssjone wrote: »
    Any decent 13 inch laptops c 800 that you would recommend. Wife wants a relatively light one. Cheers

    this one. it's pretty obvious what is being addressed as this was the active question being dealt with there.

    contribute something maybe?


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