Best bang for buck on basic laptop? (under $400?)

[GoodEnough]

Current laptop may have fried HD, not sure it's worth investing more into it
http://forums.anandtech.com/showthread.php?p=36195053

Best bang for buck on basic laptop?
Basic stuff. No games.
Windows, Email, MS-Office, Internet, Music.

This?
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16834300379

 

[raildogg]

You can get a Dell Inspiron with a Haswell Celeron for $299 at Dell's website. I believe there is a deal for $20 off so you can get the laptop for $279, though it says you have to have a Dell Preferred Account (a loyalty program). Not bad at all. The Pentium-based Inspiron that you linked is cheaper at Newegg than at Dell's site. Not sure if the extra $50 is worth it for you but for the tasks you described the Celeron should be good.

The Celeron is a Haswell based CPU while the Pentium is Ivy Bridge, so battery life might be slightly better with the Celeron. The Pentium has a higher clock speed and slightly better graphics performance though I'm not sure you'd be able to tell the difference in day to day use. Maybe, maybe not.

The Inspirons seem to get good user reviews.

http://www.dell.com/us/p/inspiron-15-3521/pd

 

[pw257008]

better deal: i3 for 350 http://www.bestbuy.com/site/15-6-lap...rive/4196052.p

 

[fire400]

http://www.newegg.com/Store/Recertif...ed-PCs-Laptops

skip the tax/shipping and get an SSD installed with the money saved.

==

if you want dirt cheap;

ebay; t400s: $99
t400s ultrabay: $10
t400s power adapter: $10

128gb ssd: $50

sub $200 and install your own OS and buy office 2010 student edition for less than $70

 

[raildogg]

http://www.newegg.com/Store/Recertif...ed-PCs-Laptops

skip the tax/shipping and get an SSD installed with the money saved.

==

if you want dirt cheap;

ebay; t400s: $99
t400s ultrabay: $10
t400s power adapter: $10

128gb ssd: $50

sub $200 and install your own OS and buy office 2010 student edition for less than $70

Yes but that is quite a bit old laptop. A newer one will have warranty, probably better performance, much better battery life.

pw257008, that's a good looking laptop. Good suggestion.

 

[GoodEnough]

Fire, which laptop in that newegg page were you suggesting?

 

[alkemyst]

Search the hot deals on line. LaptopDeals / etc.

I picked up two $400-600 laptops recently that were great performers.

 

[VirtualLarry]

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16834314055