Need a new notebook late April deals - $1,000 to $1500 - probably i7

davedrastic on 26/04/2017 - 15:21

My 5 year old i7, 8gb is being repaired, but I think i'll be told it's best to buy a new notebook.

I use it mainly for MS Office, but netflix, youtube. I tend to have a lot of chrome tabs open at once, so I want something capable. I plug the notebook into a monitor and don't actually use it as a notebook per se - so I don't need a particular screen size or battery size - but want plenty of USB ports and things like that. Probably will get 15.6"

I've had an SSD installed in my notebook which is a nice luxury but I don't need it.

I normally spend around $1200 on a new notebook.

Are there any particularly good deals?

I've seen this HP for $800 at Harvey Norman. Looks pretty good to me, well in terms of being able to do the job and being well priced. Should be roughly as good as a 5 year old i7 8gb Dell Inspiron?

http://www.harveynorman.com.au/computers-tablets/computers/l…

and this one isn't an i7, but has 16gb RAM and an SSD, but only integrated graphics. If the AMD one will perform well, with 16gb and SSD then I think that might be great for me - but I don't know if it will be hampered by the processor. I have a PS4 so I really don't need the notebook for games but will use it for video (youtube mostly)

http://www.harveynorman.com.au/computers-tablets/computers/l…

Computing

Comments

  • phungineer on 26/04/2017 - 16:02

    That $800 one seems like a good deal. You should probably check out the Ebay 20% tech deal happening now though.

  • StickMan on 26/04/2017 - 16:28
    +1

    I've had an SSD installed in my notebook which is a nice luxury but I don't need it.

    You need it. If you buy any computer and it doesn't have SSD, it'll be slower than your 7yo.

    Maybe look at i7 quad-cores as your old one likely was a dual-core; plus 8GB RAM (can always upgrade) - anything else in your case is irrelevant. You can add an SSD. GPU won't help you too much unless you're really hitting Netflix/Youtube hard at the same time.

    • KitchenSink on 26/04/2017 - 16:34

      Agreed.

      Also OP, if you're not using it as a laptop, why bother getting a laptop? You're better off getting desktop or mini PC - for one they will have more than 3-4 USBs. Most laptops have around 2-4 at the most.

      But if you really want a laptop someone posted the Lenovo ThinkPad E570p which may suit you
      https://www.ozbargain.com.au/node/304008

      • davedrastic on 26/04/2017 - 17:51

        I've done the whole notebook plugged into a monitor thing for years, so it's kind of normal for me. I prefer a notebook just for travel reasons - if I go on holiday or such. I'd be interested in a desktop if they were considerably better priced, but when i've previously researched they've not been that much cheaper.

        I think a 128GB SSD would be a bit too small for me. Maybe not. I do use an external harddrive

        • KitchenSink on 26/04/2017 - 19:44

          The link shows a coupon with a 256GB SSD laptop configuration.

    • davedrastic on 26/04/2017 - 17:47

      I don't do Netflix and Youtube at the same time, but I do often have several youtubes open at the same time.

      I don't really want to add an SSD, I'd rather not fiddle too much with it once it's bought. Same with the RAM. In my experience an 8GB will have 2 x 4GB which means upgrading requires 2 x 8GB which can be expensive. If it was just one 8GB it would be easier to justify.

      But yeah, I think I'll try to stick with the SSD. I had some problems with my non SSD harddrive and getting the SSD was such a godsend, i've probably not given it its rightful credit.

      • CodeXD on 27/04/2017 - 16:32

        The e570p i7 preset configuration comes with 256gb SSD and you can choose to have 1x8gb or 2x4gb in the config.

        If you're planning to have a lot of tabs open in Chrome (especially with youtube videos) you can also choose the 16gb RAM option

  • Diji1 on 26/04/2017 - 17:35

    Integrated graphics are perfect for what you want, a discrete card would be a waste.

    You're likely not going to find anything with more than 2 USB ports however you can buy a USB hub.

    I'm surprised to see your ambivalence towards SSD's, I consider this just about essential in any system.

    Also if you never use it as a mobile device it's a waste of money: buy a desktop system of some description instead. But if you want a portable computer at all then it makes sense.

  • davedrastic on 26/04/2017 - 17:44

    Yeah I do like my SSD a lot. But there's only a handful of notebooks that have them, and they're normally only 256GB, which is ok.

    Maybe I should give the SSD more of a focus.

    Yes I think I shouldn't worry about a discrete card, although I know I will to an extent. I play games, and have a huge steam collection, but I only ever use my PS4. So I half like the idea of being able to play games on PC, but really only if they're a match for PS4 quality, which I think they won't be at the price range i'm looking. So yeah, best to forget about games I think.

    I don't want a desktop for several reasons - size, lack of portability. I've had a few notebooks that I use as desktops essentially, and they just give me benefits that a desktop can't. Mainly in the event that I travel and want to have my PC with me, which will happen a few times over the lifetime of the notebook. Also, whenever i've looked at desktops there's no real cost savings.

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