Question Suggestions for upgrading from i5 3rd Gen Laptop to i7 (6th / 7th/ 8th) given these needs/ purposes?

[p1tin]

Currently using Lenovo T430s with Samsung EVO 250GB SSD.

Purpose: Browsing ( multiple tabs at a time like ...20-25 tabs), Youtube, streaming movies, document editing ( word, excel ).
and
ability to run my video coaching classes so need a good/decent camera...

Problem: the current T430s... It is slow...meaning: when I open multiple tabs and switch b/w apps and not a fluid, easy experience.
when i stream and switch b/w apps , browsers etc, it is not smooth and stuttering.

Is it worth upgrading to a laptop with i7 6th or 7th or 8th Gen?
or
Is it okay to just go for a laptop with i7 4th or 5th Gen CPU with 16 or 32GB RAM?

I just need a laptop which just is butter smooth for my day-to-day operation which i mentioned above.

I request members here, provide me recommendation. I do not care the laptop is latest; if the purpose gets met with a 4th or 5th gen CPU i will be getting a refurbished business class laptop with 16 or 32 GB RAM ...if that is what is needed.

Please help!

 

[p1tin]

Update to my previous Original Post:

I learned a lot from browsing that AMD Ryzen could be better as of now.
However...
I will narrow down my criteria and my needs/purpose even more so that it is easier for you guys to help me!
I have some options for me:
- I am going to buy used business-class laptops (A grade) only. ( yes, I know the risks involved and consider the risks are covered)
- So, Not going to buy a first-hand laptop.
- Not going to buy AMD due to the above point as used AMD business-class laptops are not available.

I am expecting the laptop to do the following, at least for the next 5 years:

-multiple tabs open in chrome (let's say 20 tabs )
-stream live fitness video instructions and demonstrating via zoom or WebEx or another streaming medium.
- Netflix or amazon prime 720p streaming on TV
- Edit heavy Microsoft Excel files
- Edit Evernote and online storage sync and backup etc...
- Currently, I find the existing T430s with i5 with 8GB running Windows 10 struggles to do the above simultaneously or switch between those activities seamlessly and lag or stuttering.

Having said that:

Q1. Will a Lenovo T440 or T460 running i7 4th or 5th Gen with 16GB RAM suffice my needs?
or
Should I go for i7 6th gen or 7th gen and above with 16 GB to 32GB RAM? ( examples: Dell 7470 and upwards with i7 8th gen etc)
or
Should I get an HP z series laptop with i7 6th gen with 16GB RAM?

I usually find Lenovo's business-class laptop's build quality (heatsink / thermal dissipation designs) are much better than Dell or HP or others.

Requesting your input on the technical aspects of what to choose, given my constraints.

 

[fralexandr]

1) going from 3rd gen to 4th or 5th gen wouldn't be that significant of a CPU upgrade.
It is unlikely that you are using more than 8 GB, however if you are it would make sense to upgrade the RAM in your current laptop. An easy way to check is to have Task Manager (Ctrl + Shift + Esc) and move to the performance Tab. Then open up your typical workload of tabs and streaming/browsing and check how much RAM Windows reports it is using. This will also show you a graph of your recent CPU load, so you can figure out if you need a faster CPU.

I'm guessing you are running 2x4GB DDR3 as 8GB sodimms weren't common back then. One of the RAM slots is easy to reach, so you could replace that one with an 8GB DDR3 sodimm to have 12GB of RAM.

A quick picture guide to upgrading the RAM on a Lenovo ThinkPad T430 : Global Nerdy

The oldest-model computer in my stable is a Lenovo ThinkPad T430 (pictured above). Released in 2012, it’s a business workhorse powered by a dual-core i5-3230M processor running at 2.6 GHz (suitable for writing TPS reports and even playing older 3D games) that’s still issued to worker bees at...

www.globalnerdy.com

2) If you notice that you are reaching 100% CPU load more frequently than you'd like, it's time to consider getting a different laptop.
Most of the business grade laptop parts before the 8th gen are dual core parts unless they have a Q near the end of the processor name.
There are a lot of business grade laptops with i5/i7 U parts, and until the 8th gen those were all dual core parts.
However, the HP Z series you mentioned offers an i7 6700HQ, which is a quad-core part.

It doesn't make much sense upgrading from your 3rd gen i5/i7 to another dual core part as there's maybe a 30% performance difference for most tasks between intel 3rd gen and 6th or 7th gen.

if you're planning on keeping the laptop for 5 years I would recommend a 6 or more core processor as a significant amount of desktop users might be using one by then. however, if that's not in your budget, definitely go with at least a quad-core.

 

[p1tin]

Thanks fralexander.
Additional information:
-I am helping my friend with his laptop.
-He lost the original power adapter and bought a "compatible" adapter the ones which are available on eBay for lesser price. I told him to get an original adapter. from Lenovo; anyways... I think it messed up some things on his laptop (T430s). after about 30-45 minutes of usage, the system becomes VERY hot and crashes / shuts down.
- even before the behavior mentioned above, he felt the laptop is not 'fluid' / smooth in seamlessly switching between various applications.

To address some of your points...
- will check CPU and RAM usage as recommended by you.
- will fix the laptop crashing due to overheating by cleaning it internally + check if any chip related to the power supply I/O got fried or weakened due to usage of the nonbrand charger and fix it + apply a thermal paste on CPU.
- I am using a single 8GB stick DD3 and will add one more 8GB stick after doing above

About your other input...

People ( my friend who is not so tech-savvy) usually have the idea that shifting/upgrading from 3rd gen i5 to 4th or 5th gen i5 or i7 is going to drastically improve performance.
I differ. I think it is just a marketing gimmick and not a 'great' boost to performance.
I think it makes sense to jump multiple levels, as you said from 3rd gen to i7 8th gen or above.

 

[maddogmcgee]

I have been keeping an eye on used laptops for awhile and have actually decided to buy a new one.

A couple of years ago was a great time to buy used PC's and laptops. For a few hundred dollars you could get a computer that was almost as fast as a brand new machine. Today, it is a horrible time to buy a used PC or laptop. Most of the laptops you can find are 2 core crap. These are hopeless for most modern day usages and will not be an upgrade for you.

The new cpu's AMD has released look awesome and will bring the price of intel laptops down as well. You can pick up a swift 3 for about $600 US which seems like amazing value. If you are dead set on Lenovo, maybe grab one of the Ryzen 3000 or Intel based laptops for half price.

In short, if you are not willing to buy a new laptop I would save your money and buy one in a few years when you will see a big boost in performance.

 

[JustMe21]

I think your slow down is in the fact that your laptop is using a dual core /4 thread processor and the T440 and T460 will present the same problem as that is all that is offered on them as well. I'd say buy a laptop with the latest gen 4 core /8 thread processor in it as possible, but checking the Lenovo Outlet site doesn't have much, while the Dell Outlet seems to have the brand new Vostro 3590 (with backlit keyboard) for $764 while other, older gen Latitude refurbs(without backlit keyboard) go for about $740. I generally suggest the latest gen processor possible because you are more likely to get patches and BIOS fixes for the vulnerabilities on newer laptops than on older ones.