Sub-£350 powerful laptops discussion

NiftyDigits

mattjimbob wrote: »

Ok so I've had a hunt today and came up with the following by pushing the budget up around £50 although still flexible if there's something I've missed or and unreal bargain

1. w.simplyasus.com/Open_Box_-_ASUS_K55A-SX376H_red_1366871.html

2. w.ebuyer.com/515125-exdisplay-toshiba-satellite-pro-c850-1h8-laptop-intel-core-i5-3230m-2-6ghz-4gb-ram-ebr1-pscbxe-01l00een

3. direct.asda.com/Samsung-NP355V5C-15.6ins-Laptop---AMD-A6---500GB-Hard-Drive/000553434,default,pd.html?cm_mmc=ad-ppc-_-ggle-pla-_-Computers-and-Software-_-000553434&utm_source=ggle-pla&utm_medium=ppc&utm_term=000553434&utm_content=Computers-and-Software&utm_campaign=ad

Any help is appreciated. I do have a basic understanding of what to look for but when faced with the whole picture I crumble with uncertainty

Regards,

Matt

See nothing there worth an increase in the budget. If you wanted i5 3rd Gen/HD 4000, this Fujitsu on the same page as your original choice is cheaper anyway.
No need to go down the 'open box' route.

NiftyDigits

These things are getting cheaper and cheaper... a sign of the times.

Toshiba Satellite C850-19Z £169.99

JDPower

caoimhin wrote: »

Hi, looking for opinions on two laptops. They both look pretty good

http://www.laptopsdirect.co.uk/A1-Samsung_15.6_Core_i5_6GB_750GB_Win7_A1-NP300E5C-A05UK/version.asp

£360 with 1 year warranty

http://www.saveonlaptops.co.uk/Acer_Aspire_V3-571_1289838.html

£400 with 1 year warranty

They have the same processor, but the later one has 2GB more RAM and also has a USB 3 port. The first is also a factory refurb but since they both have a 1 year warranty is this a big deal?
The samsung has better battery life and comes with win 7 not 8.

I would use it mainly for surfing the web (firefox, 20+ tabs often) but do some (light-ish I think gaming) and some video editing (not very often maybe less than once per month).


Do these look worth it for the money? Which one would be best?

Well you've already summed up the differences - do you need a USB3 port? Is battery life important to you? Do you prefer Win7 over Win8? Both are perfectly capable of your suggested usage. Only possible think to add is that Acer generally have a pretty poor rep for build and component quality and on that basis alone I'd be swayed towards the Samsung refurb over an Acer (though they are both pretty bog standardly priced)

Arne_2

Which Fujitsu Siemens 15.6 inch laptop on Amazon for about £350 or less represents best value?

I have a very old Fujitsu Siemens laptop which cant cope any more nor can it have any more RAM etc added. I have tried to use SKYPE to contact relatives abroad and it cant do it. I have taken it to a computer person who said I basically need a modern laptop.

I am not a gamer at present but I do photo editing etc and store a lot information and photos as I do a lot of family tree research. I use microsoft office, social media, watch DVDs, catch up TV etc. I also use a wireless mouse and I often take the the laptop with me when I visit relatives.

I know sometimes there are good buys on the Argos Outlet on Ebay but they dont post to the Scottish Islands so I wish to use Amazon so similar reputable company.

Thank you for your help.

Arne

HereAgain_2

Arne wrote: »

Which Fujitsu Siemens 15.6 inch laptop on Amazon for about £350 or less represents best value?

I have a very old Fujitsu Siemens laptop which cant cope any more nor can it have any more RAM etc added. I have tried to use SKYPE to contact relatives abroad and it cant do it. I have taken it to a computer person who said I basically need a modern laptop.

I am not a gamer at present but I do photo editing etc and store a lot information and photos as I do a lot of family tree research. I use microsoft office, social media, watch DVDs, catch up TV etc. I also use a wireless mouse and I often take the the laptop with me when I visit relatives.

I know sometimes there are good buys on the Argos Outlet on Ebay but they dont post to the Scottish Islands so I wish to use Amazon so similar reputable company.

Thank you for your help.

Arne

The answer is four posts above yours.

There is also an i3 option which is less expensive, at £289.99.

Arne_2

Thank you very much. These were the ones I had thought about but I dont understand much about the difference once it comes to processors. Ram and Hard drive make sense, more the better, but processors seem to have conflicting reviews.

Arne

HereAgain_2

Arne wrote: »

Thank you very much. These were the ones I had thought about but I dont understand much about the difference once it comes to processors. Ram and Hard drive make sense, more the better, but processors seem to have conflicting reviews.

Arne

There are no conflicting reviews. They are both fine and both will be adequate for your purpose.
Choose according to your purse.

brummymummy

Although I am a proficient computer user it's been a long time since I had to buy one and I'm a bit lost. I need to replacing a very old laptop. I'm looking for something for the whole family to use for homework, email, internet, MS Office for work. We don't watch movies or use it for gaming etc. I 'd appreciate some advice on minimum spec please. I'm looking to spend under £500 including software (MS office and anti-virus). I found this and thought it looked pretty okay.

amazon.co.uk/Toshiba-Satellite-C855-2F7-15-6-inch-Notebook/dp/B00B9AXDOA/ref=sr_1_24?s=computers&ie=UTF8&qid=1375446698&sr=1-24&keywords=i5#productDetails


Thoughts?

Also where is the best place to get software?

cheers

NiftyDigits

brummymummy wrote: »

Although I am a proficient computer user it's been a long time since I had to buy one and I'm a bit lost. I need to replacing a very old laptop. I'm looking for something for the whole family to use for homework, email, internet, MS Office for work. We don't watch movies or use it for gaming etc. I 'd appreciate some advice on minimum spec please. I'm looking to spend under £500 including software (MS office and anti-virus). I found this and thought it looked pretty okay.

amazon.co.uk/Toshiba-Satellite-C855-2F7-15-6-inch-Notebook/dp/B00B9AXDOA/ref=sr_1_24?s=computers&ie=UTF8&qid=1375446698&sr=1-24&keywords=i5#productDetails


Thoughts?

Also where is the best place to get software?

cheers

Nothing wrong with it, though a bit much for a second Gen i3 processor.

Since your needs are so basic and you are considering purchasing for a family, I would consider getting two cheaper laptops as opposed to one expensive one.

They do appear for as little as £180. Examples here and here

Since you can often install Microsoft Office on two to three machines, one licence would be enough.

Pkat3

Hi all!

Looking for a Laptop for under £400. Anyone know any good deals?

Will be used for general browsing, office applications and storage of films, TV series etc. (rules out a tablet). Keen on getting something reliable and that can withstand pretty much constant usage.

Thanks for any advice.