Need advice on SSD laptop options
 

So my laptop is dying. battery died a few weeks ago, and now it seems the fan is inop, so it runs for a couple three hours then locks up and shuts itself down.

Before things slide even further downhill, I figure I need to get a replacement, so I can at least transfer my data from one to the other. I have some options in mind, but I'm no computer guy, so I thought I'd ask CP if they had any recent experiences that might be helpful.

Looking for a laptop, at least a 14" screen (my eyes ain't so good), SSD because I'm now addicted to the speed. I don't play games, so don't need to have anything geared that way necessarily. But I do need it for work-related stuff, so the speed is helpful. Under $1,000. Under $700 would be ideal.



A couple option I'm going to look at are:

ASUS Vivobook 15

Lenovo FLex 5

Dell Inspiron 3000



Also, need a color printer, decently reliable, not expensive.

Thx in advance for any help.

Get a used 2019 MacBook Pro i-9 8 core, 1 TB ssd with 32 or 64GB ram...16" retina screen. Was a $3000-$4000 laptop at the start of Covid. They released silicone processors so the these intel units (runs windows) can be had for around $550-$700 in new shape on Ebay.

Runs Apple's latest OS too...smoking good computer for the money

Don't know much about the specific computer models you have listed but both ASUS and Lenovo put out solid products. I'm not a big fan of Dell computers.

Regarding configurations, go for max RAM and the biggest SSD that you can get.
32 GB RAM and a minimum of 512GB of SSD storage is a good start. 1TB of storage is better.

For a dependable printer, we have 3 Epsons in our house and have had zero issues with any of them. The most recent one being an ET-2750 with the ink tanks and not cartridges.

GO CHIEFS!!!

Purchased this right before Christmas.

https://www.amazon.com/HP-Business-i...ps%2C72&sr=8-3

Would recommend.

You could go up to 2TB HDD for another hundo.

It's fun to go after specs, but unless you're spinning up VMs or gaming or whatever, you'll just have a bunch of RAM sitting and doing nothing for performance, etc.... 16GB RAM is more than enough for even the shittiest memory hogs of software like Teams and Outlook, much less internet browsing.. an i7 or similar is plenty fast and probably overkill most of the time, get plenty of storage for all that porn I mean Chiefs highlights.

Your biggest bottleneck these days will always be Windows and if 99% of what you do is in Chrome, you're better off just spinning up a Linux distro and then enjoying the 15 seconds to boot up to a usable desktop, as opposed to paying for a bunch of specs and still having a shitty experience because Windows.

Listen, broham. That lappy i posted is super fast with no glitches in the month+ i've been using it. I typically run tabs for here and the mothership, more often than not also have twitch, youtube and youtube TV running at the same time.

Fires up quick and it's smoothe as silk. I have steam but i haven't played anything on it yet, though i did d/l Dayz. Just haven't pulled the trigger on any gaming yet or tried PS/GIMP.

https://media.tenor.com/HS5NAW5GI60A...the-office.gif

I am NOT a HATER! I LOVE high end gaming PCs but, reality is reality. We are down cash after spending so much on playoff tickets, left late to go to Best Buy and we are NOT scoring any Black Friday deals. I do not understand what is going on with our RAM as well as what the hell is going on with the PROCESSORS! Will we be able to easily browse the girly thread, YES! Will we create 4k content? NO! THIS SUCKS!!

My brother got an ASUS vivobook a year ago and within a month the screen was failing. Sent it in for repairs and they just refunded him because they couldn't get parts to fix it. Apparently a bad motherboard.

It's like Groundhog Day with you.

Wanna talk about how you were talking open source last year, then you weren't, then you were again?

Or what about when you were predicting a top 5 operating system in 2021, the return of the nano kernel.

Spoiler!

Dude, you're the biggest hater here after a system failure, or any failure... every ****ing year. And then if the RAM processes well this weekend Stryker will tell us how he never wavered and is the die hardiest fan ever and loves his Slackware!

Get a keyboard and calm the **** down.

Start up a Go Fund Me like Clay did when his computer broke

That CPU is pretty underpowered.

That 2019 model will likely only run the latest MacOS until October of 2025. I have t checked lately but if the schedule holds, it will be slated for depreciation this year.

If EVERYTHING you do is in Chrome, go Chromebook. I have 2 of them. I have a high-end one that cost $500. It's plenty powerful enough to run Windows but if you bought a Windows machine with the same specs, it probably double the price.

I have ChromOS, MacOS, Windows, and Linux running here.

I've had by far the best luck with Asus and Lenovo. HP a little less. And Dell is a non-starter for me. They're crap.

I am going through the same deal looking for something different. I revived an old Lenovo a couple years ago. Couldn’t upgrade the processor so just maxed the memory at 16. New battery and charger. Installed Linux mint then umbuntu before settling on zorin os from Linux because that was the only one I could get my WiFi to work on. Then use Firefox. It’s simple and basic but slow. So as I look into something better I’m exploring what BlackOp mentioned. Another eBay seller I like but haven’t bought one of his computers is:

https://www.ebay.com/str/1530computersllc

He has all refurbished but exclusively Dell. None have the side keypad but his have either windows 10 or 11. Or Linux mint or unbuntu, etc. I’m thinking if I can’t find what I want in a refurbished/used Mac I might try asking this guy if I can get one of his Dell with both windows and Linux installed. eBay has a bunch of sellers hopefully we can get some posts in this thread on any personal experience with eBay or other sellers.

Also be aware that Apple is not going to support Intel at all after the last Intel Macs are EOL. They made it much much harder in recent OS releases to run Windows side by side with MacOS.

You're better off just buying whatever native OS you want to use and be done with it. Unless you're a power user and really know what you're doing.

Acer? You like those?

You probably aren't playing many games, especially not resource intensive ones, with that CPU. Holy shit it's an I3-1215U.

I've only owned two and they were for my kids probably 10 years ago. They didn't have any problems at all and were replaced when they weren't powerful enough to run stuff anymore. Windows is just a shit OS.

Yeah that’s why I used Zorin on the 15-20 year old Lenovo. Just to try it out. You know of any good places for refurbished or used Mac Pros ? Good reputation online places?

Dude whatever - OPEN your eyes (not your wallet)! AMD SUCKS in the GPU ZONE! I have thick RAM, GAME AWAY! This site isn't having load time issues and slowness issues - PLEASE show me proof it is. Alienware, Vengeance are not going to bankrupt us? Convince me otherwise. We lost to the WORTHLESS Lenovos last week for Gods Sake! So things are going to change in 1 week vs. an i5? Whatever.

Only 1 left in stock and its a nice little powerhouse for under $700. Installing an OS is pretty damn easy to do these days if you don't want MAC OS.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0B6GQBLMV...&offsiteFlag=1

EDIT: Those seller reviews aren't too promising. Caveat Emptor



.

I have a somewhat related question I just thought of while reading the OP. My laptop from probably 15 years ago is still in my possession. It was an IBM Lenovo Thinkpad I believe (with the little red button in the middle of the keyboard) and was a beast. Anyhow, it died because the fan went out and I bought something new rather than fix it. That being said, I never trashed it bc I always wanted to get around to trying to get it turned on again and grab whatever old photos/files were on there.

Is there a way to do that without 1)replacing the fan or 2) taking it to some stranger to pull everything off the hard drive for me?

I don't know EXACTLY what's on it but the thought of a random stranger getting to snoop around my laptop from my 20's isn't appealing. Any advice from the technically savvy on here??

I thought it looked underpowered too but i haven't run into any probs yet. Pretty soon i'll put it under some stress and we'll see how she goes.

Running into this issue with my phone. iPhone 8 Plus and I love the damn thing. Only problem it no longer supports updates for the OS. Now there’s some apps I can’t update or use. The last year they used the home button feature. I much prefer the thumbprint option over the facial recognition shit. So much so I’m considering a Samsung Galaxy 24 ultra. Or a iPhone 14 or 15 pro max and I will just have to get used to the facial recognition. I really really am used to the thumbprint and don’t want to switch. Bastard engineers need to bring the home button and thumbprint back to iPhone!!!

I have 6 macs...My 2 2019 laptops run Ventura and my 2019 production tower is staying on Catalina. It runs how I need it to run.

Mac OS updates arent going to be an issue for 98% of casual users...it'll be years before they are obsolete...and the newest OS is littered with AI shit I dont want.

All the M1/M2/M3/M4 models...with the exception of the tower has the SSD soldered to the motherboard...they also wont boot from an external anymore. So when the SSD dies...these units are essentially bricked.

There will no 2nd market for this silicone generation....they are disposable in 6-8 years by design. They want EVERYBODY tethered to AI...no thanks.

The intel MacBook Pro versions are great machines...way more power than your average consumer needs...unless you plan on serious gaming.

I have a 2012 MacBook pro that stills runs 95% of what my newer models do...for casual use it's perfectly fine. It'll run the 2022 version of all Adobe software.

It's pretty easy these days*, they have all kinds of USB adapters for HDD and SSDs... something like this for an HDD...
https://www.amazon.com/SABRENT-SATA-...011M8YACM?th=1

Confirm what kind of hard drive it has, open it up and confirm you can get it out of there, buy the USB converter for it, then plug it into the new device.

*I say this as a Linux user, which easily opens drives from these converters... Windows may complicate things, because Windows..... but, the converters are cheap, at least.

I actually have a bunch of 2019 16inch Macbook pros for sale. I think most have the i7 though.

Word. I bought it for general browsing and watching some vids. I built a gaming PC in Dec 2019 and it still runs like a top. I plan on putting it somewhere in the bsmt right below where i sit, so i can run some long cords to game when i want to. Store the monitor, kb and mouse and table nearby, etc.

I was just getting tired of having my whole setup right in front of me on a tray table and went with a new laptop since most of my time is just spent browsing and watching vids these days. I was a heavy PC gamer from '19-'22.

If it won’t turn on just buy the proper battery and battery charger replacement and buy it from a place that allows returns including the shipping. If it’s something else chances are it’s too expensive or not worth fixing. You can also just pull the hardrive and get a usb adapter to save the information. I have one but just wiped clear old laptop hardrives to use as backup storage. So I have not tried to recover anything like you are. I’m sure plenty of others on CP can give you more advice and suggestions my experience is limited

Thx guys, keep it coming. Going to check out some of these tomorrow morning.


Btw, what’s the story with Dell? Buddy says he’s had good luck with them.

I believe you still can have the PIN option without needing to utilize the Face ID as long as the Face ID is shut off in Settings -> Face ID and Passcode.

The link I posted in post #16 that seller uses model 7490 Dell exclusively. A few years ago when I was asking the seller information he said he chooses those because they were excellent business models he refurbished because of the quality of the specific model. Something about how they were manufactured. But you would need to contact the seller and get your questions answered directly and if it’s going to be used for gaming I would follow someone like htismaque or bearcats advice. That particular eBay seller doesn’t specialize in gaming laptops

You should hook the OP up...there isn't that much performance difference between the i9 and i7.

I think these are the steals right now...the advent of the M1 chip sent the prices spiraling down...overnight. Still capable machines

HP 17 Laptop, 17.3" FHD Display, 64GB RAM, 1TB SSD, AMD Ryzen 5 Processor(Beats i7-1165G7, Up to 4.3GHz), Webcam, Numeric Keypad, Long Battery Life, Windows 11 Home, Alpacatec Accessories, Silver

$559.00



https://www.amazon.com/HP-Processor-...07&sr=8-4&th=1

Yeah I’ve heard that. For passwords though I’m so used to that thumbprint! Always had iPhone so I wonder if I would regret switching to a Samsung

I see your in North Phoenix. Go check out the Best Buy outlet place, off tatum I wanna say near PV. Basically returns in great shape. Can get a warranty still and probably even have Geek squad put everything from your old laptop onto the new one. Got my son a ASUS ROG laptop for a very good price.

Good point on the passwords part. Still think you can do the PIN and scroll and select the one you need though, but I'm not 100% positive on that.

As for regretting on switching, I can't answer that question. I always liked iPhone, always had. I did switch to Android one year, and I regretted it.

So for passwords with the facial recognition is that just as easy for you as the thumbprint was? No glitches or anything?

Yeah, it's pretty simple. When you boot it up first time, it will ask you if you want to do Face ID in the process as well as a PIN when you're with the cellular tech at their store. Then just follow what it wants you to do.

Then when all done and you need your password, you're basically just doing a selfie to prove that it is you when it requests it (similar process on the thumb part). Just got to make sure the lighting is good and all that stuff.

Worst case, if it doesn't work, the back-up option is that it would ask you for your PIN, if it fails. I assume it's similar as how it worked during thumbprint option back then when it was unable to read your thumbprint, but it has been so long.

I just got a Vivo 17, 1tb, ssd. Quite like it. $1200 AUD

Good luck man, let us know how it goes. I'm not saying it's bad or anything and if you have a decent GPU it might do okay. It just performs about the same as an i7 that's three generations older.

Yeah not sure what to tell you there. I'm pretty much separated from Apple after like 3 decades. The clincher for me was that they want $35 a month for 2TB of cloud storage. Google charges $10 a month and the devices are so much cheaper. Paid $300 less for my last phone and bought a nice high end Chromebook (that runs Android apps natively) for literally 1/8 of the cost of my last Mac.

For sure, if you can deal with forced obsolescence, your setup will work. My reason for ditching apple were financial. I just wasn't getting enough unique functionality for the price.

Windows can be kind of finicky with this. Obviously, your machine needs to at least be able to read NTFS volumes in order to access files on the external drive. It's difficult to do more than snatch individual files because the NTFS filesystem is so proprietary. And even with a new windows machine, you can run into Windows permissions issues that can prevent you from using the external drive to its fullest. Have I mentioned I hate Windows?

I think they are too. That's actually why I bought a few when I had the opportunity.

You a fan of Samsung phones? What did you switch to when you gave up on iPhone? Yeah price wise they are getting out of hand

I got a good deal on Asus Vivobook at Sams Club. I've had it nearly a year and it has worked great and a good value. I put it on my AM EX as it doubles manufactures warranty as well.

Yeah, I'm not interested in a gaming laptop, so it might work for me.

I will say this about Apple silicon. Pricey but serious computing power. They're sexy and stout. I just don't want to pay the Apple premium anymore.

My wife is all Samsung and has been for years. She loves them. Coming from Apple I wanted more "Android" native - to me Samsung is like when you used to buy an HP laptop and they replaced all the native apps with 50GBs of bloatware. So I went with the Google Pixel since it pairs perfectly with my Chromebook.

Give it to Jewish Rabbi to test out for a day. See if it can pass the test for heavy heavy porn use.

Not a good idea. Jewish probably got 45 years in federal prison worth of stuff nobody should see.

The only CP I consume is Chiefs Planet!!!

We will stay in. The threads on the CPU is more than your overpriced Google machine can handle. The compiler can not do anything in the source code zone but 8cc - that is NOT going to win this benchmark. Sorry but it is what it is. I am so pissed at our DRAM performance - I just can't believe it. Again, the GPU Zone is a SERIOUS issue for this monitor.

This may sound like a silly suggestion but you better be backing up your entire system in the cloud should your laptop go dead.

I have a large screen Dell Inspiron that is about 18 months old and it is not bad. An occasional Windows bug like every other Windows device but overall happy.

2022 Dell Inspiron 16 7620 Laptop: Core i7-12700H, 40GB DDR5 RAM, 16" 3K (3072x1920) Display, 1TB SSD, Windows 11, Backlit Keyboard, 86WHr Battery

https://a.co/d/gM20OVf

Showing just under $1k on Amazon but you may be able to find cheaper.

Did anybody talk about your need for a printer yet?

Here's a PSA:

Do not buy a cheap inkjet printer.

If you print a lot, the cost of ink will destroy you.

If you don't print a lot, the cartridges will dry up and the cost of ink will destroy you.

A decent laser printer will run you $300 vs. $50 but it will pay for itself in 12-18 months using toner vs. ink.

We abandoned inkjets about 6 years ago and we've saved so much money since switching to laser.

Glad it worked out for you. My brother has had bad luck with every laptop he's purchased though. He's had a macbook pro, ASUS, LG, and now a Dell XPS and each one has had issues. It's unreal. I have had nothing but good luck with everyone I've bought. All have worked well. I keep telling him to stop surfing porn. LMAOLMAOLMAO

Went ahead and loaded up Dayz, Centipede:Recharged, Crash Bandicoot: N Sane Trilogy and Need for Speed Hot Pursuit and they all ran well. Now, none of those are gonna be taxing on a system but they're the only types of games i'd bother trying to play on this laptop to pass the time here or there.

Mega wasn't really interested in gaming, just general browsing, the same reason i went ahead and got this and for what it is, it's been very smooth and has done everything i want it to do with zero problems so far.

Latency is a big deal for me because i'm not the most patient person in the world when it comes to computers and this thing has been click, click, boom.

Of course, you, me or anyone else would advise--if you can get something with a little better specs at around the same price--go for it.

This. Exactly.

I was an early Samsung user when their software footprint was a bit smaller on the phone but their hardware was unrivaled.
I finally got fed up with Samsung when they were loading their own crap version on top of every Google feature.. two log ins, two emails, two AI apps, two calendars, etc. And then the phone had a physical button that would only launch the Samsung assistant. The button was in a prime spot and got hit all the time which then would launch the assistant that I then had to close... And Samsung wouldn't allow the owner of the phone to remap the button assignment. Insane. The extremely expensive phone was put in its box and tossed into a closet as an emergency phone and eventually given to someone in need.

Now I roll Pixel and and am extremely happy. The person I gave the Samsung to? They roll Pixel now too.

Yep, that is exactly what I was talking about. Shes constantly dealing with Bixby and Gemini fighting each other.

This is exactly what to expect with inkjet. The manufacturer sells the printers at a loss knowing they are going to make up for it over and over again buying proprietary cartridges. You are almost better off throwing away the printer and buying a new one every time you need new ink. Seriously, take some time to Google the issues.

The initial cost of laser is hard to justify at the register but you will be way more satisfied in the long run.

Exactly.

ecotank printers are easily the best value

I've used Brother laser printers for years for all the shit I sell online (which is a lot of small stuff and tons of shipping labels/packing slips) They're absolutely rock solid. I can't endorse a product more than I do those. I told my cousin and my parents about them and they've both been using them with no issue for over five years.

Yep. Our Brother is the best printer we've ever owned. It's almost 6 years old now. When the last time you had an inkjet printer for 6 years?

What did you end up getting Megatron?

I bought 2 "well-speced" HP Pro Books from Micro Center, and those are tanks (FAR less plastic). I'm not a gamer or developer, so mostly just a surfer, but I highly recommend...durable, no issues at all.

I’m looking MacBook Pro and possibly a Lenovo to specifically run windows 10 or 11 for use with OEM vehicle software for diagnostic and programming/reprogramming. (Not compatible with Mac) Thought about on of those Panasonic toughbooks. Just need to figure which specific models of Lenovo are the best to buy refurbished. So I don’t buy one where the guts are good but the case won’t fall apart.

Aww dang. I work at a local IT place quoting and selling laptops everyday. Wish I was paying attention, could've helped out with this.

Windows 10 is dead. Don't use it. All support ending soon and I have to buy new personal computer as no upgrade path to 11 on my older Dell. My newer Dell I use solely for work.

Yeah.

It's not "dead", but Windows won't be rolling out any security updates for it starting in October. So if you're getting a new device now, you should get something Windows 11 compatible.

Right now my only laptop is a really old Lenovo G50-45 that I run Linux on. For the automotive stuff I borrowed a laptop with windows 11 from a friend and all the ac delco and GM software worked well with the windows 11 so I know that will work. Didn’t know that info about windows 10 so I will avoid that. Thanks guys!

Not a laptop but I ordered a desktop off ebay(highly rated seller) and it came busted up. Basically nothing salvageable besides the 4080 gpu. Took it to a shop which they said its fixable you should be good. So I ordered parts and put everything together. Come to find out the guy says the gpu is toast and im basically at budget....without a gpu

Forgot all about this thread, lol.


I ended up with a HP 15 FHD (I think. I threw away the box). Anyway, it was on sale at Best Buy so I got it for around $500.

Nice. It was an easy bump for me instead of starting a new thread lol