New laptop uncertainty

[Yrubdarb]

I should replace my AMD A6 5200-based laptop. It has served me well, single-core and multi-core, but it offers me no margin for error and the cooling system has made noises.

I cant find a AMD R3 4300U-based system I like anywhere so I configured this:

Chassis & Display
Initia Series: 15.6" Matte Full HD 60Hz 45% NTSC LED Widescreen (1920x1080)
Processor (CPU)
Intel® Core™ i3 Dual Core Processor i3-10110U (2.1GHz, 4.1GHz Turbo)
Memory (RAM)
8GB Corsair 2133MHz SODIMM DDR4 (1 x 8GB)
Graphics Card
Integrated Intel® HD Graphics
1st Storage Drive
256GB PCS 2.5" SSD, SATA 6 Gb (500MB/R, 400MB/W)

I own an external HDD but it too is elderly and experience tells me I will rarely need it. I also own an external DVD drive.

I have these concerns:

(1) I value USB ports, even if they are USB-A. I use them. The 14-inch case version, which I initially considered because it's cheaper, has fewer of them than my current laptop does. It seems to be a common issue nowadays.

(2) I considered having a i5-10210U instead but I'm concerned about non-turbo CPU core speeds. I have never relied on turbo speeds and I don't really want to.

(3) I've also never relied on any sort of hyper-threading so I'm concerned about that too.

(4) I am used to using track-pad buttons and I don't want to buy a case which doesn't have them. I know that case is described as having them; I'm just making a point.

Do you have any suggestions for me? Might I be fussing too much about something? I won't pay more than £600 for any reason.

 

[DarTon]

I really think what you are buying is a poor choice. It's only a dual core i3 10th gen which is terribly slow. Combine that with just 8GB RAM of slow 2133 MHz RAM and a 256GB SATA SDD and this system is basically obsolete before you buy it.

I'd suggest looking at some prebuilt laptops or some manufacturer refurbished ones (might have a very minor cosmetic blemish but will still have warranty and be functionally perfect). I can't recommend sites for that but as an example you could get this refurb laptop for £600: AMD Ryzen 7 4700U (8 Core), 2.0 GHz (4.1 GHz Turbo), 8 GB DDR 4, 3200 MHz Ram, 512GB M2 NVMe SSD, 15.6 inch 1920 x 1080 FHD, AMD Radeon IGPU. That's still only 8GB but at least it's fast RAM. It's got a 512GB NVMe SDD and the CPU is 3x faster with better integrated GPU. There are plenty of other variations like this across a number of sites.

I know £600 is your max but for £700 you could get an ideal refurb system with i7 11th gen, 16GB fast RAM, 512gb M2 SSD, 1440p screen and even a small 2GB discrete GPU.

 

[mdwh]

Note that you can at least switch the hard drive to a faster 256GB PCS PCIe M2 SSD for only £4 extra. And an extra £8 to get the fastest RAM frequency (2666MHz 8GB).


Switching to the quad core i5 takes it to £596, still within budget. If you want more hard disk space, 512GB isn't too much more.


1. 4 USB at most on a laptop is pretty standard, and many have fewer than that. An issue is that type C eats into some of that count.


4. Beware the photos look to me like it doesn't have physical/separate buttons, rather they're integrated into the touchpad (as seems increasingly common these days)? Although maybe it's hard to tell from the photos. I wasn't sure what you are after.

 

[Yrubdarb]

I know that I could have more from that price. Honestly, I don't really want to buy an Intel-based machine but I am being pushed in that direction.

The configurator mentions a 'INTEGRATED 2-BUTTON TOUCHPAD MOUSE' but the case picture doesn't show anything of the sort. I conclude that something's wrong.

That specification is the minimum I will tolerate. I realise that if I spend more then I can buy more. I'm not keen to get involved in the second hand market. I don't know anything about the 'refurb' market, having never bought a computer which was not brand new.

The laptop I have now has what I think are two USB 3.2 ports and a 2.0 port (what I called type-A) available while the machine is using mains power. I don't want fewer than that. Type-C ports are useless to me but that might change one day. Two 2.0 ports plus one 3.2 port should be adequate.

It seems that unless I raise my budget, I can get a better processor or faster RAM from PC Specialists but not both. I'm being pressured into paying less by someone who doesn't understand the market. The fact that I have already have a desktop computer is not helping my argument.

 

[SpyderTracks]

The configurator mentions a 'INTEGRATED 2-BUTTON TOUCHPAD MOUSE' but the case picture doesn't show anything of the sort. I conclude that something's wrong.

Any laptop has this as a minimum, this is no different.

It seems that unless I raise my budget, I can get a better processor or faster RAM from PC Specialists but not both. I'm being pressured into paying less by someone who doesn't understand the market. The fact that I have already have a desktop computer is not helping my argument.

custom laptops are more expensive than off the shelf at this level, I don’t think you can achieve what you’re after at this budget in a custom laptop.

Something off the shelf would likely get you closer.

 

[DarTon]

I really think you just wait for a sale on a prebuilt system.

I wouldn't worry too much whether the processor is Intel or AMD. In your price range, the margin between the two is not as obvious as it is on the higher end desktop pcs

 

[Yrubdarb]

I, too, think I should wait. I'm responding emotionally to noises I think shouldn't be made. That A6 5200 system still works. Prices change as time passes. This year's products haven't hit the shelves yet.

I will say nothing more here.