Cheap Laptops

[Vince Massi]

CHEAP LAPTOPS Part 1

No, I'm not selling anything.

Two and a half years ago, I started a series on cheap laptops that was well-received on a tech forum and two Christian forums. I have had to upgrade the series for Windows 10, but I'll be making a daily post on this thread. Comments, including courteous disagreements, are welcome.

Before buying any computer, before you put down any money, ask yourself "What do I want to use this machine for?" And the second most important question is "Do I want to play high-end games?"

If your answer is "Yes" to question 2, you should buy a desktop. If your answer is "No," I can give you some good free advice.

 

[BigFeet]

If your answer is "Yes" to question 2, you should buy a desktop.

I don't know how many times I've tried to say this in the Battlefield 3 and 4 forums. They never learn.

The only way I'd modify your statement is I'd say. you should "build" a desktop. You run in to the same issues buying "gaming" PC's.

 

[Vince Massi]

As BigFeet correctly points out, laptops are not good for playing high-end games. And now, on to Part 2:

Drivers are software programs that tell the parts of your computer how to work. When you install an operating system (OS), the installation disk will include lots of drivers, so hopefully, you will be all right. But laptops are very specific; an installation disk usually does not have all the drivers.

The tech forums were full of complaints from people who tried to upgrade their laptops from Windows 7 to Windows 8. Somewhere in the process, their laptop would reject the new OS because it didn't have the necessary drivers. Sometimes you can download the drivers from the manufacturer, but then they still won't work because they're designed for Win 7, not Win 8. Some people upgrade smoothly, but then find that their laptop doesn't run as well. And some people have no problems.

I have successfully upgraded three cheap Windows 8 laptops to Windows 10. But laptops designed for Windows 7 do not upgrade as well. Yes, it can be done, and it has been done--but I advise against it.

 

[Vince Massi]

Part 3

Temperature is one of the great killers of laptops. Generally, the insides won't be destroyed until you hit 170F, but the parts will wear out faster at any high temperature. Merely placing some small object under the back of your laptop will raise the bottom off your desk, and that will drop the temperature about 10 degrees. You can buy a cooling fan that sits under your laptop--it will blow cooler air over the bottom, lowering the temperature about ten degrees. (Some critics point out that raising the laptop will accomplish just as much.)

With about 1/6 the inside space of a desktop, a laptop has to struggle to stay cool. Its one exhaust fan is smaller than the exhaust fans on a desktop. Its vents are smaller, and it has less surface area to radiate heat. Start playing high tech games, and you're heading for even more trouble.

But cheap laptops have an advantage over powerful ones. Their CPU (the computer chip) runs at a much lower temperature. With proper care, a cheap laptop can actually last you more than eight years.

 

[Tim Locke]

If you replace the 2.5" rotating drive in your laptop with a SSD. ( I just did this at the w/e) it will run a lot cooler AND it will increase battery life by quite a bit as well as run faster. My 256Gb Samsung drive was $129 CDN so that means it would be well under $100US. Perhaps the first equal upgrade to a laptop...the other one would be to go to 8GB of memory from 4GB.

 

[BigFeet]

If you replace the 2.5" rotating drive in your laptop with a SSD. ( I just did this at the w/e) it will run a lot cooler AND it will increase battery life by quite a bit as well as run faster. My 256Gb Samsung drive was $129 CDN so that means it would be well under $100US. Perhaps the first equal upgrade to a laptop...the other one would be to go to 8GB of memory from 4GB.

Wow, that's really expensive. It's between $55-60 US on newegg for a 256gb ssd.

 

[Tim Locke]

Yeah but our $ is only worth 77 cents today. On Newegg.com the Samsung 850 is $87 which would be $111 Cdn + tax = $126

 

[Vince Massi]

Besides temperature, another laptop killer is motion. People carry laptops around while they're still running. I've seen people put laptops down roughly, use them on bumpy bus and car trips, and pass them around at all angles. Yes, laptops are designed for this, but they wear out faster if you do it. Try to keep your laptop in one place. If you must move it, either shut it off or at least put it into Sleep mode.

 

[Tim Locke]

^^^^ And this is a very good reason to have an SSD in a laptop

 

[Vince Massi]

Years ago, when RAM was weak and expensive, we were advised to buy as much as we could afford. Today, when RAM is powerful and cheap, we don't need to do that. Only a few graphics-intensive programs (such as high-tech games) require more than 2 gigabytes of RAM. Buying more will not speed up your computer, although it will allow you to multi-task. Even then, it is unusual for a computer to need more than 4 gigs of RAM at the most.

 

[Vince Massi]

How long will a laptop last? Anything is possible, but if you treat your laptop the way most people do, it should last you three years. If you treat it the way I recommend (don't move it while it's on, don't play high-tech games, elevate it or use a cooling fan) it can last you eight years.

The incredible thing is that it doesn't matter how much you paid for the laptop. Cheap laptops last as long as expensive ones. Dell Computer (the only name brand that I recommend you never buy) is notorious for using parts that will wear out shortly after the warranty expires. Off-brands also wear out quickly. But the laptops from reputable companies all last about as long as each other.

The power of computers doubles about every eighteen months. And the cost of computers has been declining for decades. After three years, a cheap laptop is ready to be replaced.

 

[Jake B]

Years ago, when RAM was weak and expensive, we were advised to buy as much as we could afford. Today, when RAM is powerful and cheap, we don't need to do that. Only a few graphics-intensive programs (such as high-tech games) require more than 2 gigabytes of RAM. Buying more will not speed up your computer, although it will allow you to multi-task. Even then, it is unusual for a computer to need more than 4 gigs of RAM at the most.

A laptop with a 64 bit OS will have problems with 2 GB of ram. If you only have 2 GB of ram a 32 bit OS is recommended.

 

[MrEd]

I

As BigFeet correctly points out, laptops are not good for playing high-end games. And now, on to Part 2:

Drivers are software programs that tell the parts of your computer how to work. When you install an operating system (OS), the installation disk will include lots of drivers, so hopefully, you will be all right. But laptops are very specific; an installation disk usually does not have all the drivers.

The tech forums were full of complaints from people who tried to upgrade their laptops from Windows 7 to Windows 8. Somewhere in the process, their laptop would reject the new OS because it didn't have the necessary drivers. Sometimes you can download the drivers from the manufacturer, but then they still won't work because they're designed for Win 7, not Win 8. Some people upgrade smoothly, but then find that their laptop doesn't run as well. And some people have no problems.

I have successfully upgraded three cheap Windows 8 laptops to Windows 10. But laptops designed for Windows 7 do not upgrade as well. Yes, it can be done, and it has been done--but I advise against it.

upgrade

As BigFeet correctly points out, laptops are not good for playing high-end games. And now, on to Part 2:

Drivers are software programs that tell the parts of your computer how to work. When you install an operating system (OS), the installation disk will include lots of drivers, so hopefully, you will be all right. But laptops are very specific; an installation disk usually does not have all the drivers.

The tech forums were full of complaints from people who tried to upgrade their laptops from Windows 7 to Windows 8. Somewhere in the process, their laptop would reject the new OS because it didn't have the necessary drivers. Sometimes you can download the drivers from the manufacturer, but then they still won't work because they're designed for Win 7, not Win 8. Some people upgrade smoothly, but then find that their laptop doesn't run as well. And some people have no problems.

I have successfully upgraded three cheap Windows 8 laptops to Windows 10. But laptops designed for Windows 7 do not upgrade as well. Yes, it can be done, and it has been done--but I advise against it.

As BigFeet correctly points out, laptops are not good for playing high-end games. And now, on to Part 2:

Drivers are software programs that tell the parts of your computer how to work. When you install an operating system (OS), the installation disk will include lots of drivers, so hopefully, you will be all right. But laptops are very specific; an installation disk usually does not have all the drivers.

The tech forums were full of complaints from people who tried to upgrade their laptops from Windows 7 to Windows 8. Somewhere in the process, their laptop would reject the new OS because it didn't have the necessary drivers. Sometimes you can download the drivers from the manufacturer, but then they still won't work because they're designed for Win 7, not Win 8. Some people upgrade smoothly, but then find that their laptop doesn't run as well. And some people have no problems.

I have successfully upgraded three cheap Windows 8 laptops to Windows 10. But laptops designed for Windows 7 do not upgrade as well. Yes, it can be done, and it has been done--but I advise against it.

I upgraded my 3yo Toshiba Satellite C850 running 64bit W7 Pro to W10 Pro and have had not one issue. Runs like a dream.

 

[Trouble]

I upgraded my 3yo Toshiba Satellite C850 running 64bit W7 Pro to W10 Pro and have had not one issue. Runs like a dream.

WOW! I was beginning to think that a satisfied Windows 10 upgrader was like a unicorn and other mythical creatures. Rumored but never actually seen.

 

[MrEd]

WOW! I was beginning to think that a satisfied Windows 10 upgrader was like a unicorn and other mythical creatures. Rumored but never actually seen.

To be strictly correct, the laptop came loaded (OEM) with 64bit W7 Home which I upgraded to W10 Home and all worked well. A month later I then upgraded to W10 Pro as I had a genuine W7 Pro disc.

 

[Vince Massi]

Nothing in the world drives people into a greater rage than warranties. So let me explain how laptop warranties work:

1) Warranties are written by legal experts to protect the company, not the buyer.
2) The company will do everything it can possibly do to get out of the warranty.
3) If the company CAN get out of the warranty, then the company IS out of the warranty.
4) If the company is out of the warranty, then it has no legal or moral obligation to help you.

When you buy a laptop, check on the store's return policy. If there is anything wrong with your new device, return it immediately, because getting the company to honor the warranty is going to be a very difficult experience.

 

[Vince Massi]

And now it's time to talk about money.

Back in the 1990's Windows Magazine advised its readers never to buy a top of the line computer. They advised that you buy a middle of the road machine, and eighteen months later, use the money you saved to buy another middle of the road machine. Your second computer would be more powerful than the top of the line model you had planned to buy. I have always seen this to be true. When you buy a top of the line computer, most software doesn't need it. By the time software catches up with you, your machine is obsolete.

About four years ago, another tech writer advised people not to buy laptops. Use the money to buy an equivalent desktop and a cheap netbook instead. Surprised, I looked at prices and found that he was right. Netbooks are hard to find these days, but cheap laptops are not. Rather than an expensive laptop, but a good desktop and a cheap laptop for the same amount of money.

 

[Jake B]

Nothing in the world drives people into a greater rage than warranties. So let me explain how laptop warranties work:

1) Warranties are written by legal experts to protect the company, not the buyer.
2) The company will do everything it can possibly do to get out of the warranty.
3) If the company CAN get out of the warranty, then the company IS out of the warranty.
4) If the company is out of the warranty, then it has no legal or moral obligation to help you.

When you buy a laptop, check on the store's return policy. If there is anything wrong with your new device, return it immediately, because getting the company to honor the warranty is going to be a very difficult experience.

Well i haven't had any warranty issue at all with any of the PC's I purcahsed. If they broke while under warranty they covered them. The companies want you to buy from them again. Now sometime you get an angry employee in customer service that feels they are under paid and give you a hard time. There are also consumer protection laws that protect the consumer from getting totally ripped. An example if you buy a PC and add a new hard drive warranty is legally still valid for the other parts of the PC. If the HD breaks the the makers warranty would take over for that HD.

 

[MrEd]

The screen on my Toshiba Satellite C850 laptop (referred to above and one of their cheapest models - when I bought it is was in run-out mode so even cheaper) went dark 16 months after purchase ie outside of warranty. Rang their service dept, "no worries" was the reply, they paid the freight both ways (rural to city to rural) and turn-around time was about a week. After its return, they followed up with a phone call to make sure I was happy - and I was, very! BTW the fault was an internal connector coming adrift.

 

[clifford_cooley]

When talking about cheap laptops you shouldn't expect much from warranties anyway. If you get mad from purchasing a cheap laptop, the problem is usually you couldn't or just plain out didn't spend more.

I actually fell into this myself by purchasing cheap off-lease laptops from Newegg. One of the machines has some of the motherboard info erased. But as far as the machine functioning it only a slight hiccup at boot and pressing enter will let it continue normally. The process of putting the information back is called tattooing, and only HP can fix this model because the software is not available to the public. All and all it is a decent laptop that only cost $130 for a machine with a Sandy Bridge CPU that has now been upgraded to Windows 10 Pro. I'm happy with it so I guess that is all that matters.