Looking for a Relatively Affordable Laptop for Uni

Lhalcyon1498 on 12/03/2019 - 20:07

Hi guys I just started uni this month and was looking for a laptop just to take notes, watch lectures, R studio, etc. It doesn't need to have giga storage or insane specs as I already have a pc which I use at home for gaming, entertainment etc. , and I'm only looking for something I can use outside of home.

My budget is around max $800, and I know there are heaps of laptops that fit my criteria just doing a quick browse on JB and Officeworks, but as I don't have any experience with laptops I just wanted to know if there were any specific models that Ozbargainers could recommend me, and where to buy said models.

Thanks a lot :)

Computing Computer Laptop

Comments

  • scrimshaw on 12/03/2019 - 20:13
    +3

    Buying directly from Lenovo.com.au or via their eBay shops whenever they are coupon deals.

    https://www.ozbargain.com.au/product/lenovo-thinkpad-e485
    https://www.ozbargain.com.au/product/lenovo-thinkpad-e490
    https://www.ozbargain.com.au/product/lenovo-thinkpad-e480

    Microsoft is also clearing out their Surface Laptop. It only has a fairly small amount of RAM, but has good reviews.
    https://www.ozbargain.com.au/node/443601

    • IVI on 12/03/2019 - 22:38
      +2

      Beware of Hardware Glitches in some Surface gear…
      I don't follow such things (Who'd buy H/W fr Microsoft?),
      but I stumbled upon some articles bemoaning issues &
      botched fixes (later)…?

      "Cheap or Good… Pick One"

      (Surface never seemed to be good Value to me, FWIW.

    • kizzerato on 12/03/2019 - 23:07

      From my experience, I'd avoid the e485 however tempting it can be during sales. The sound of the fan is excessive and leaves me often feeling embarassed during lectorials simply because it's damn near the equivalent of a whippersnipper. I've used tpFanControl, but it's lead to the software causing it to reach max rpm regardless of settings and temperature ocassionally, possibly due to the Ryzen platform not being directly supported.

    • halcyon1498 on 13/03/2019 - 15:41

      Not really a tech guy, but would I really need a whole lot of ram/ssd size if I'm only using it for uni?

      Also the first deal looks really good but I'm afraid that 15.6 might be too big especially in lectures where the desks are really small. I think I'd rather go with one thats 14inch or smaller, especially since I see alot of students around me using macbooks, most of which are 13 inches. Sorry for not mentioning it earlier.

      The 14inch E485 looks great too and I'm seriously considering it but people have suggested upgrading ram/ssd which are customisable. It comes at 8gb ram and 128gb ssd. Is that enough for what I'm using the laptop for or should I increase.

  • crentist on 12/03/2019 - 21:34
    +2

    If it's not your main system, make it a light and portable one. Something you can just toss in your bag just in case you need it and not really notice the weight if you don't.

    That Surface mentioned might be a good choice.

  • BewareOfThe Dog on 13/03/2019 - 08:50
    +1

    SSD is a must, but is more expensive.

  • Quantumcat on 13/03/2019 - 08:50

    Surface Pro 3 should be in your budget and is great for carrying around as it weighs very little

  • Typical16-bitEnjoyer on 13/03/2019 - 09:46

    I'm a huge fan of the Lenovo 720s models. Super light (~1.1kg) and have a premium feel. Great display. Battery lasts a day easy as long as you aren't gaming or watching MKVs.

    GraysOnline regularly have deals
    https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Lenovo-IdeaPad-720s-13-3-FHD-AMD…

    Should be able to get 5/10/15% off depending on code.

    • Yarra Warrior on 13/03/2019 - 10:26

      Hi,

      Just want to set the expectation right here that the above link is not a brand new laptop. Cheers.

      • Typical16-bitEnjoyer on 14/03/2019 - 09:27

        Hi,

        Just want to set the expectation right here that the above link clearly says in bold Manufacturer refurbished.

        Also OP has not specified for or against refurbished or second hand - considering this is a category where a lot of bargain "Relatively Affordable" laptops fall into, this is likely a category OP would be interested in. Cheers.

  • BrewerHaHa on 13/03/2019 - 09:56
    +1

    R studio can become very intensive on your computer while it's running your code. SSDs are a must but so is a decent amount of RAM. If you're in first year this shouldn't be a problem, but as you get to other years it may become an issue.

    • halcyon1498 on 13/03/2019 - 15:35

      I'm doing a bachelor of science and have to take 2 math courses for my first year, one of which is statistics which requires R studio so after this semester I doubt I'll be using it anymore.

      Alot of people have discussed SSD and ram but how much is necessary for me? Besides taking notes/making presentations on word/pp and maybe doing assignments I probably won't be using the laptop for much more than that.

      • BrewerHaHa on 13/03/2019 - 21:42

        Ok neither a lot of RAM or an SSD are necessities, but they'll save you a lot of frustration. SSD in particular will make boot times very short ~10 seconds. A HDD on the other hand can take minutes to boot. Turning your computer on from sleep can also be pretty painful. I would say at least an SSD. If you can manage your open programs well, I think RAM is less of an issue.

        Also you can do R in the computer labs at your uni (I assume they have R studio there) and the statistics labs are very easy in first year for R.

      • Geekomatic on 13/03/2019 - 23:40

        My son completed a dual of CS/software engineering (Feb 2018). His was 13.3-14"/250-256GB SSD/16 GB RAM (preferably slots & not soldered on). He started out with a standard laptop, and soon regretted it. Once he had the new rig, life was rosy once more. The brand/model is up to you/the deal you find. His was Lenovo— can't recall which one now.

        It'll be lightning fast, light to carry, much better battery life w/o the rotating HDD, cooler w/o the HDD. Bonus if you can have the card slot for extra storage. Ditto USB-C.

        Honestly, anything else is such a huge step backwards when you're buying new. Find a deal & then check reviews online. Amazon US & Newegg have lots of reviews to help guide your decision.

      • Geekomatic on 13/03/2019 - 23:47

        https://www.lenovo.com/au/en/laptops/lenovo/lenovo-v-series/…

        $849 w/512GB SSD, 8GB RAM (4GB soldered + 4 slotted), backlit KB.

        As a for instance…

        • BrewerHaHa on 18/03/2019 - 21:03

          This guy isn't doing CS/software eng though, he's just on R studio and lectures.

  • sal78 on 14/03/2019 - 12:58

    Does anyone know the link the ebay.co.uk 15% off gift cards?

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