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nirvana4all

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Posts posted by nirvana4all

    I'm Not Buying a Laptop This Year

    in 2023

    Posted

    2 hours ago, len_mullen said:

    I just refurbished six laptops.  For all but two, simply replacing the disk with an SSD and adding RAM left me with a very serviceable computer.  The other two were fitted with lighter operating systems.  The one I use is a Lenovo Ideapad 310.  i7-6500u @ 2.50 GHz, 12GB of RAM, and a 1TB SSD running Windows 10.  Camera is not great and the keyboard is not backlit.  I paid $390 six and a half years ago plus another $50 for the SSD.

     

    Were I looking for a laptop, I'd want a 15.6/17.3" screen, >8GB of RAM, a 1TB SSD, a camera with a shutter, and a backlit keyboard.  I don't see any of those.

     

    The only laptops I have (reluctantly) recommended this year...

     

     

    Summary: i3/17.3" 8GB plus backlit keyboard vs i5/15.6 16GB of RAM without backlit keyboard

    Per Asus product page each has a 720P shuttered camera and an expansion slot for memory which is probably filled on the 15.6" model.

     

    Is there a case for having more than 8GB of RAM?
    Sure there is, but the bang for the buck starts to trail off.

    The time when more than 8GB of RAM becomes useful and starts paying for itself is when you're running several resource-heavy applications simultaneously -- especially high-end image or 4K+ video processing, CAD, or 3D modeling. 

     

    Happy Shopping!

    I would add that normally the price increase to get a system with more than 8GB ram is much more than just getting a computer and upgrading the RAM.  Make sure to look up the specs to make sure the laptop you are looking for is expandable to a greater RAM size.   Increasing RAM is normally the one easy thing that can be done to a laptop after purchase.  Almost everything else in them is made harder to work on.

    Gaming laptop deals? Best options?

    in 2022

    Posted

    I forgot to mention - most games and software in general is going the way of download only. With that in mind and to save both room and $ most laptops do not have a CD drive.  If you have software you want to load from CD, get an external dvd drive that connects via USB.  You can get a good one from places like newegg for $30.

    Gaming laptop deals? Best options?

    in 2022

    Posted

    Hard drive - 512gb or bigger, SSD is quicker than HDD, but is more expensive.  SSD is becoming the standard in almost all laptops.  RAM - 8gb is the minimum now, 16gb is what I would get for a gaming laptop, but RAM is the one thing that is easiest to upgrade after purchase.  It is sometime the only thing you can upgrade after purchase in a laptop.  Definitely have it checked before purchase to make sure it can handle more RAM.

    Video card - for Minecraft about any videocard will work.  For future gaming though a higher end card would be good idea. 

    Here is an example: https://www.newegg.com/black-msi-gf-series-gf63-thin-11ud-261-gaming/p/N82E16834156089?Item=N82E16834156089&quicklink=true

    • Like 1

    Not as into it this year - anyone else feel this?

    in 2020

    Posted

    I feel as well as if not into it.  I think for me it is not just the lack of crowd, or even the spread out nature of the ads.  I also have both gotten to the point where I doubt I feel I really need much, but also due to the economic and governmental changes that have occurred from March to October this year I feel myself much more cautious with my spending, especially for discretionary items which is mostly what Black Friday is for me.

    • Like 1

    Best deal on Android Tablet (not kindle)

    in 2019

    Posted

    I need to get a tablet for my father in law, he does not need state of the art. 

    Knowing him, he will want a few things only available on google play and not on amazon market, but there is no way I can leave his tablet unlocked or teach him how to do it from afar.

    So, other techies with tablet experience, what is my best bet based on the ads out?

    Thanks!

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