Laptop recommendations under $1k

Lrustandstardust on 27/12/2017 - 14:36

Looking for advice on which laptop to get or any good deals going at the moment. I have looked at JB, The Good Guys and Harvey Norman locally but there's nothing that really meets my exact requirements (I realise I may have to compromise, but figured I'd ask here first!).

I'm after a 15.6", i5, 8GB, preferably 256GB SSD (is it really that much of a difference if I instead went with a HDD?). DVD drive preferred, but not essential if everything else matches. How big if a difference is there between i3 and i5? I don't do anything too demanding (have a lot open at once and multi-task, but nothing like photo editing or gaming). I feel like if I'm purchasing a new laptop, I want to go "better" and get the i5, but I'm wondering how necessary that is?

I'm after a glossy screen. I recently tried out a Dell Inspiron with 15.6-inch FHD (1920 x 1080) Anti-glare LED-Backlit Display and I don't like the grainy look from a matte on white backgrounds. I felt it was straining my eyes. I currently have a glossy 1336x768 screen which I'm pretty happy with, so I don't mind sticking with something similar.

Price wise, I would prefer to spend between $600-$800. Definitely won't go over $1000.

Computing

Comments

  • scrimshaw on 27/12/2017 - 15:51
    +1

    This ticks all your boxes.

    Not sure about the glossy display — glossy displays are usually found on most consumer laptops, but matte displays are usually the superior option when it comes to outdoor usage. You'll see matte displays on business laptops like Thinkpad series and, HP Probooks, Dell Latitudes, Toshiba Tecras and so on.

    Also try

    HP ProBook 450 G5 15.6" FHD i5-8250U SSD Laptop
    8th Gen CPU | 8GB RAM | 256GB SSD | GF 930MX | Win10 Pro
    $999
    http://www.shoppingexpress.com.au/buy/hp-probook-450-g5-15.6…

  • Cheap Charlie on 27/12/2017 - 17:59

    Good specs at that price point
    7th GEN i7 | 8GB DDR4 RAM | 256GB SSD | AC WIfi | FHD Display | DVD

    DFO-1V52K22IP
    REFURBISHED
    Inspiron 15 (5567) 5000 Series Laptop,
    7th Generation Intel Core i7-7500U Processor (4M Cache, up to 3.50 GHz)
    8GB DDR4 at 2400MHz (1x8GB)
    256GB Solid State Drive
    Windows 10 Home (64bit) English
    Tray load DVD Drive (Reads and Writes to DVD/CD)
    802.11ac + Bluetooth 4.2, Dual Band 2.4&5 GHz, 1x1
    15.6-inch FHD (1920 x 1080) Anti-glare LED-Backlit Display
    AMD Radeon(TM) R7 M445 Graphics 4G GDDR5
    65W AC Adapter 42WHr, 3-Cell Battery (Integrated)
    English Backlit Keyboard
    Fog Gray
    1 Year warranty
    $ 728 inc shipping

    http://www1.ap.dell.com/content/topics/segtopic.aspx/product…

  • hogwarts on 27/12/2017 - 20:16

    E470!!! Can find it on special around $900. Got mine from around $830. i7 7th Gen (can't remember specific model and NVIDIA 940MX (I think) with 8GB of Ram and 256 GB SSD. Not too bad

    Edit: NVM, it has a matte screen

  • rustandstardust on 28/12/2017 - 12:56

    Thanks for the suggestions, but unfortunately all of the above are glossy screens. The Dell Inspiron is the one I tested out and didn't like the graininess on a white background.

    Any opinion on this one? https://www.harveynorman.com.au/hp-15-ay151tx-15-6-laptop.ht…

    • Cheap Charlie on 28/12/2017 - 13:43

      The specs are inline with your requirements.
      The display is low res.
      Head down to your local HN, give the unit a good fingering and see if you can live with it.

      Personally after living with several average displays I am now prepared to pay a premium for a quality display.

      • rustandstardust on 28/12/2017 - 14:36

        Unfortunately it's not in stock at my local Harvey Norman. Was hoping someone might have owned one and could give a thumbs up.

        I was determined to only get a FHD originally, but after comparing the Dell to my current one and finding my current is better on my eyes, I'm less fussed about having the 'best'.

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