Help Buying New Laptop

-MRS_T-

Hi

I am looking for some advice from you techie folks for buying a new laptop for my small craft business as my sister now helps me. I currently have a Dell XPS Spec Below, which I am not looking to replace this one as its only a year old, but just want to give you an idea of the type of machine I am used to.

Windows 10 Intel (R) Core (TM) i7-6700HQ CPU @ 2.60GHz RAM 16GB 64 Bit operating system backlit keyboard

Previously before this I also had a dell xps which is now 7 years old this is the one my sister is using and the one I am looking to replace dont have spec to hand but it did cost £1300 at the time, but its now so slow missing a few keys, fan runs overtime that I am looking to pick up a new laptop. Dont need it as singing and dancing as mine above as she wont be designing and using Adobe Illustrator etc.

She will be using Office 365, and mainly processing via internet from an online software package. would like it to be a decent speed and decent graphics on monitor.

I am not sure what else to say or if you need any more info, but would be really grateful for some advice as I really need to make sure I choose right first time as wont have money to replace if its rubbish.

Dont want to pay anywhere near the money I paid for mine but not sure how much realistically a decent one is going to set me back.

markrush

if you want a super cheap option try the Lenovo IdeaPad 320S just make sure you get the fhd screen (1080p) i specked it up for my in laws and even with an i3 processor (others available) its pretty decent with a great battery life and slim profile.

EveryWhere

What's the Service Tag/Express Code on the old one?

If the spec is good enough, have you considered just getting it serviced?

New keyboard, clean up inside and reapply thermal paste on CPU, update BIOS, increase RAM if necessary, add SSD then clean install of OS.

Perhaps £200 all in including labour cost.

But let's see what machine it is before jumping the gun.

EveryWhere

https://mcscom.co.uk/product/dell-inspiron-15-3567-black-i5-7200u-2-5ghz-12gb-500gb-dvd-rw-radeon-r5-m430-15-6-fhd-win-10-1yrs-rtb-wty-mln124/

No backlit keyboard, HDD instead of SSD and Windows 10 Home as opposed to Pro. But the performance will be more than adequate.

EveryWhere

https://mcscom.co.uk/product/dell-latitude-14-e7470-i7-6600u-2-60ghz-8gb-128gb-m-2-ssd-14-fhd-win-10-pro-1yr-rtb-wty-mll105/

Backlit keyboard, SSD, Windows 10 Pro

https://mcscom.co.uk/product/dell-latitude-5480-i5-7440hq-2-80ghz-16gb-256gb-m-2-ssd-14-fhd-win-10-pro-1yr-rtb-wty-mll120/

Closer to your spec for £580

-MRS_T-

Thanks for all your replies. I had thought maybe it might be worth salvaging if you think its still a decent spec, but I am always weary of where to take it for repair as never know if they are reputable and would not rip you off.

Dell Studio XPS 1645
Intel (R) Core (TM) i7 CPU Q 820 @ 1.73GHz
RAM 4GB
Windows 7 home premium
Service Tag - 542H8M1

debitcardmayhem

-MRS_T- wrote: »

Thanks for all your replies. I had thought maybe it might be worth salvaging if you think its still a decent spec, but I am always weary of where to take it for repair as never know if they are reputable and would not rip you off.

Dell Studio XPS 1645
Intel (R) Core (TM) i7 CPU Q 820 @ 1.73GHz
RAM 4GB
Windows 7 home premium
Service Tag - 542H8M1

that is a fair spec for its age? keyboard should be fairly easy to replace (you tube probably will help) clean out the vents/fans , re-install windows and it should be good to go. Someone more familiar with dells will advise further later

-MRS_T-

I actually have a new back lit keyboard I purchased from ebay about a year ago and was going to get it fixed by a friend but then when he watched a you tube video its not straight forward you have to take the whole laptop apart so he was a bit scared to attempt it.

debitcardmayhem

Have you got local repair outfits that friends have used? [STRIKE]Ring them up[/STRIKE]Visit them and ask for a price for the repair using your ebay keyboard, you can re-install windows yourself at no cost with help on here

-MRS_T-

I could ask around. The fan goes on it ten to dozen too. I will look into that too. I dont have a windows 7 disc do you buy that?

Should this not be possible or too expensive, is their much difference in the spec to one of the latitude ones that everywhere posted today do you know, as there are so many to choose from

ConsumerMatt

The fan could be going crazy because of dust buildup (some canned air can help that) - spray into the vents to dislodge dust. Although my well maintained 7 year old XPS started going fan crazy due to working harder, albeit because I installed Windows 10.

Latitude laptops are business oriented (normally made of stronger materials, designed to deal with taking a bit more of a beating). Inspiron laptops are everyday consumer and XPS are high end consumer. You can get great deals on refurbished business laptops as companies get through 100s of them. Just another avenue.

Intel use a numbering system for their processors (i3, i5, i7) - i3 being entry, i7 high performance. But; that system has been in place for nearly 9 years and current i3 processors will likely out perform older i7s for example. So thankfully there's no need to replace it with a new Core i7.

My general rule of thumb for most people (your average user who hasn't got a specific demanding requirement but wants value) is to budget around £500. That's where you'll find the goldilocks machines. No overly fancy designs or gimmicks pushing up the price and not a cheap piece of plastic designed solely to get you through the door but it'll be of good spec, have a modern lightweight design and should last you 5 years at least if your needs remain similar and there are no issues with hardware.