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Laptop question, old vs. new


Scott P

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I know this forum is mainly focused on desktops, but it's the only computer forum I am on. I am starting my MS150 training and need a laptop for my indoor trainer. I need to attach a USB dongle for speed/cadence data, wifi, bluetooth and the ability to connect via HDMI to my 13 year old Sony TV (720p/1080i). I would also like to use it for regular browsing, Office 365 and maybe, some light Photoshop Elements. And by light, I mean autocorrect and crop. Yes, I am that guy. 

 

I don't know how much I would honestly use it, so I am looking at the used market. I am thinking i5 or i7. How much have these chips changed over the years? Would I notice a huge difference in performance for my needs with a processor that is three or four generations old? Is it worth it to upgrade to an SSD and boost in RAM to help performance or is that money better spent on a new machine? I think a new laptop would be in the $700 range while my used price target is $100-$200. 

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I still use an old I-3 sandy bridge cpu  on my laptop and it would have no problem doing what you want. It only had 2gb of ram so I upgraded to 8 gb and made a major performance difference. If you go used just make sure it has a hdmi port as some of the older ones don't .

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My focus would be on 8gb ram, an ssd, and hopefully an OS reinstall disk.  If you get used, and you don't know for sure that its wiped clean and a fresh install, do that.  The little extra amount of ram and an ssd will get you further than the difference between cpu's

Edited by Fight Game

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Amazon has an Asus with an i5-8250, 8 GB of RAM, 1920x1080 14.9" display, USB type C, HDMI and a 1 TB 5,400 RPM drive. It just lacks an SSD, which can be added easily. It's $500 new, plus the cost of an SSD. SO about $600 I get a nicely equipped system for my needs. If I go used, I think I would target about half that price or less.

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