Hi all,
I am planning to buy 2 of my nephews a laptop for each of them for them to start their uni.
Both of them will do engineering, but I dont think that they need to do any CAD drawings.
My budget is a bit tight. I am expecting to spend $500 max each.
My option is to get used Dell Latitude 5320 (or similar, as I got one from my work, but which I dont think they will appreciate to much as it's used) or brand new ones.
I hope I can get it in this black friday session.
Thanks in advance.
Buying a Laptop for 2 Uni Students - Budget $500 Each
sudodik on 27/11/2024 - 07:22
Comments
What kind of engineering are they doing? Their needs may be different depending on what they're doing.
I think they'd prefer $500 in cash or gift cards.
Thank you for the response.
I believe they are studying agricultural or food tech.
They’re currently using very old laptops.
I dont think that they have enough money to top it up.
Their parents are in a strap of cash as well.
Btw, they live somewhere in south east asia.In saying that, a refurbished laptop makes sense. Plenty on eBay - a 5320 wouldn't be a bad idea, I'd be worried about the battery health though.
You could always replace the battery and give it a good clean prior to shipping it.
For someone in SE Asia strapped for cash, a $500 laptop would be pretty baller.
Perhaps best to discuss with them and involve them in the discussion, would they prefer something new albeit slower, or something used with more power? Young people appreciate when their opinion is heard.
Very generous of you mate, good on you
Get a used Lenovo ThinkPad T14 gen 2
Get refurbished or good used Lenovo ThinkPads off eBay. Here eBay ThinkPad search filter for $138-$323
I am planning to buy 2 of my nephews a laptop for each of them for them to start their uni.
Will they be happy with $500 laptops for Uni?
I wouldn't be…
I currently use an old Elitebook, 3rd Gen i5 for uni. Post Grad technical.
i5, 16Gb 500SSD, Win 11 (not what it came with!)But I would recommend
8th Gen i5 - This is when USB C power came in. Some models do not support it, so ensure that it is USB C powered
16Gb RAM - Less can be a problem, more? budget spend elsewhere (unless you use multiple VMs or containers)
~500GB NMVE - NMVE was around for a few generations of CPU so an 8th Gen CPU with spinning disk is a hard avoid for many reasons.10th Gen - but of a leap in battery life
11th Gen - finally, battery charging can be always on without damage.If you can see the laptop, look for if it has 'a smile' . Gap under the track pad, or the same in the rear. This indicates battery swelling, and imminant replacement.
You could as an alternative, ask them what kind laptops could they buy for the $500 AUD budgeted in local currency. Having them buy laptops locally would be easier if they in future needed to repair or upgrade the laptops.
They would also be better able to match the laptops to the requirements of their university courses.
Very generous of you however I don't know if $500 for a laptop will get them anything better than what they already have?…maybe overseas is different? otherwise I would suggest offering to cover $500 towards a laptop and when they have saved the other portion buy one they will use then.
I don't know a lot but recently purchase a laptop and didn't bother looking at anything under 16 GB ram.
Note, specific laptop models are often country specific.
A local supplier of ex Govt laptops may be the best option. Lookup Aust Computer Traders to get a comparison.
Also, 15.6 FHD, matt screen is my preference in this range.
Have you asked them?
They are the internet generation. If you have to ask us, they probably know better than you. And they certainly have a better idea of what they need.
An alternate solution would be you let them make your own choice, but offer to assist with $500 each. That way they get what they want, and they're happy. They're smart enough to get into engineering, let THEM make their own decision, rather than you imposing your choice on them when you don't know what they need or want or can get.