paul1966 Posted March 24, 2019 Report Share Posted March 24, 2019 Anyone really into laptops on here?, basically i am not sure to spend a bit on the one i have upgrading it or buy a new budget one between £300-400 . Laptop at the minute is a dell e6410 ,i5-M560 processor, 4 gig ram and 230 gig hdd, it is running win10 OK even though its not officially supported and i like the build quality, its a good solid business laptop. I use it for mainly web surfing and office type work, no games at all. it does struggle a bit when i have several windows open and it is getting on a bit. Now i have been looking at budget machines and most of them seem to have i3 and i5 processors and comparing there performance details against mine there is not a lot in it, plus some of the reviews on build quality are poor so is there any other reasons for buying new i am missing? . This brings me to upgrading mine, i can upgrade the cpu in mine to a i7 but again the difference between the two is marginal, i have read to get the best performance improvement its best to upgrade the hdd to a ssd drive so i plan on getting a 500gb ssd drive and upgrade the ram to 8gig, total cost between £80-100. If i went this route would i see a big improvement? plus i would still have a 6 year old laptop. Any thoughts? at the minute i am leaning towards upgrading the one i have. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
figgy Posted March 24, 2019 Report Share Posted March 24, 2019 Dell are one of the best laptops. If you want pure power a gaming laptop will have lots more ram and good video graphics card fitted. SSD only give quick boot time, the time saving when up and running would be minimal. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul1966 Posted March 24, 2019 Author Report Share Posted March 24, 2019 I would think the extra ram would help though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stonepark Posted March 24, 2019 Report Share Posted March 24, 2019 New computer time, not worth upgrading old laptop. Cpubenchmark is the site to look at what your going to replace with. Your old cpu is rated at 2500, my similar aged gaming dell alienware laptop 4700mq is 7687. A new £500 dell inspiron 5570 with 512 ssd etc is 7676. No matter the ssd upgrade, memory upgrade or even if you replace cpu you are still going to be 3 times slower than a modern mid range win 10 laptop. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul1966 Posted March 24, 2019 Author Report Share Posted March 24, 2019 (edited) is this one any good, only 4gig ram but i could upgrade later, £500 is out of budget. https://www.amazon.co.uk/Dell-Inspiron-Intel®-Portable-Graphics/dp/B07D79K82P just googled and found this one, is this the same spec but cheaper? https://www.pcworld.co.uk/gbuk/computing/laptops/laptops/dell-inspiron-15-5000-15-6-intel-pentium-gold-laptop-1-tb-hdd-black-10169754-pdt.html Edited March 24, 2019 by paul1966 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wb123 Posted March 24, 2019 Report Share Posted March 24, 2019 I’ve always stuck with apple hardware as it seems to last forever. I bought my MacBook in 2006 and it still does everything I need of it. In the same time period my brother as lost count of the number of cheaper laptops he has gone through. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stonepark Posted March 24, 2019 Report Share Posted March 24, 2019 4 hours ago, paul1966 said: is this one any good, only 4gig ram but i could upgrade later, £500 is out of budget. https://www.amazon.co.uk/Dell-Inspiron-Intel®-Portable-Graphics/dp/B07D79K82P just googled and found this one, is this the same spec but cheaper? https://www.pcworld.co.uk/gbuk/computing/laptops/laptops/dell-inspiron-15-5000-15-6-intel-pentium-gold-laptop-1-tb-hdd-black-10169754-pdt.html I appreciate that you have budget constraints, however if you could stetch to the mid range, the laptop itself will be more usefuk forlonger. Both the above would be about 3412, so a only a modest improvement over your current laptop but the screen and battery may be better (less power used). Dell in their deals are doing a i5-7200 fir £429 which wouldbench at 4612. If i was going to replace my laptop new equivilent it would be rated about 12500 and in 6 years, i would fully expect this to be the mid range laptop which is what software designers tend to aim for when producing software and operating systems. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hedge Posted March 24, 2019 Report Share Posted March 24, 2019 Buying laptops is not as simple as it used to be. As has been said. CPU benchmark is a good guide. https://www.cpubenchmark.net/ I've bought a couple recently for work and some of the newer i3's are faster that last years i5's (this years i5's are obviously still quicker). So buying last years i5 doesn't mean it's better than this years i3. You aren't doing anything too intensive - our work laptops are much the same. We do find that they bog down when we have 40+ browser tabs open, Excel, Word, Mail and Dropbox. For them to even function sensibly, we need a minimum of 8mb RAM. 16mb is better. If you want to see what resources are sucking up your RAM, ctrl+alt+delete and look at the Task Manager. Ideally, you want c.50% of your RAM free for it to function quite sensibly. For me, 4mb RAM just isn't enough. As you've noticed, too many windows open slows it down and lack of RAM will do that. Most laptops just need 4mb RAM to function (as in turn on the do nothing), let alone actually do stuff. Not saying they won't do stuff but they will struggle when multi-tasking. RAM was always considered the most cost effective way to make a PC/laptop go quicker. My recent personal purchase (that I'm typing this on) was a 2nd hand Lenovo E530 Thinkpad, albeit almost new. Has a i3 3110 processor - so fairly `old` a cpubenchmark of 3079. Nothing special but it works fine and more importantly, I've stuck extra RAM in it. For yourself - a new i3 should be plenty quick enough but you might need to either ask for more RAM or fit it yourself. 8mb should be a minimum (in my opinion). SSD's only really improve boot/start up times and it's not worth trying to stick a newer processor in what you have. I like Lenovo's and recently bought a couple of new one's for work: https://www.pcworld.co.uk/gbuk/computing/laptops/laptops/lenovo-ideapad-330s-15-6-intel-core-i3-laptop-1-tb-hdd-blue-10180838-pdt.html i3 8130 scores 5062 as it is a newer i3. Only 4mb RAM (can be upgraded) but they have their new funky 16mb Optane memory that is meant to make your hard drive more like an SSD and support your RAM. The guy at work says it's plenty good enough without a RAM upgrade. Buying laptops can be a right b@ll ache. Knowledge is power but the tech changes all of the time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eyefor Posted March 24, 2019 Report Share Posted March 24, 2019 5 hours ago, Wb123 said: I’ve always stuck with apple hardware as it seems to last forever. I bought my MacBook in 2006 and it still does everything I need of it. In the same time period my brother as lost count of the number of cheaper laptops he has gone through. +1 I have a 2011 MacBook pro. Upgraded to 16Gb Ram. Still brilliant and owes me nothing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WinchesterDave Posted March 24, 2019 Report Share Posted March 24, 2019 21 minutes ago, Eyefor said: +1 I have a 2011 MacBook pro. Upgraded to 16Gb Ram. Still brilliant and owes me nothing. Just bought a 2018 13 inch MacBook Pro. I hope I will say the say in a few years. I love it, my first Macbook and its ace! Plus, it is a rather nice looking piece of hardware I think... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul1966 Posted March 24, 2019 Author Report Share Posted March 24, 2019 1 hour ago, hedge said: Buying laptops is not as simple as it used to be. As has been said. CPU benchmark is a good guide. https://www.cpubenchmark.net/ I've bought a couple recently for work and some of the newer i3's are faster that last years i5's (this years i5's are obviously still quicker). So buying last years i5 doesn't mean it's better than this years i3. You aren't doing anything too intensive - our work laptops are much the same. We do find that they bog down when we have 40+ browser tabs open, Excel, Word, Mail and Dropbox. For them to even function sensibly, we need a minimum of 8mb RAM. 16mb is better. If you want to see what resources are sucking up your RAM, ctrl+alt+delete and look at the Task Manager. Ideally, you want c.50% of your RAM free for it to function quite sensibly. For me, 4mb RAM just isn't enough. As you've noticed, too many windows open slows it down and lack of RAM will do that. Most laptops just need 4mb RAM to function (as in turn on the do nothing), let alone actually do stuff. Not saying they won't do stuff but they will struggle when multi-tasking. RAM was always considered the most cost effective way to make a PC/laptop go quicker. My recent personal purchase (that I'm typing this on) was a 2nd hand Lenovo E530 Thinkpad, albeit almost new. Has a i3 3110 processor - so fairly `old` a cpubenchmark of 3079. Nothing special but it works fine and more importantly, I've stuck extra RAM in it. For yourself - a new i3 should be plenty quick enough but you might need to either ask for more RAM or fit it yourself. 8mb should be a minimum (in my opinion). SSD's only really improve boot/start up times and it's not worth trying to stick a newer processor in what you have. I like Lenovo's and recently bought a couple of new one's for work: https://www.pcworld.co.uk/gbuk/computing/laptops/laptops/lenovo-ideapad-330s-15-6-intel-core-i3-laptop-1-tb-hdd-blue-10180838-pdt.html i3 8130 scores 5062 as it is a newer i3. Only 4mb RAM (can be upgraded) but they have their new funky 16mb Optane memory that is meant to make your hard drive more like an SSD and support your RAM. The guy at work says it's plenty good enough without a RAM upgrade. Buying laptops can be a right b@ll ache. Knowledge is power but the tech changes all of the time. very tempted by the lenovo you linked, the dell i was looking at has mixed reviews on amazon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hedge Posted March 24, 2019 Report Share Posted March 24, 2019 You'll get mixed reviews for anything nowadays! Ultimately, it's all similar parts in different wrappers. Build quality is important and a fairly future proof spec. Happy shopping! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul1966 Posted March 24, 2019 Author Report Share Posted March 24, 2019 thanks, i have just spent the last two hours looking at laptops and still not decided!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scully Posted March 24, 2019 Report Share Posted March 24, 2019 3 hours ago, Eyefor said: +1 I have a 2011 MacBook pro. Upgraded to 16Gb Ram. Still brilliant and owes me nothing. 👍 Bought mine around the same time. Cost almost a thousand pound back then but worth every penny. Most of the letters have now worn off the keys but it’s never missed a beat and have just had it upgraded. Cracking work tools. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Davyo Posted March 24, 2019 Report Share Posted March 24, 2019 (edited) Work supplied Surface Pro, takes 9 seconds to boot.Lightening quick applications, has a pen to make notes or draw on it.Don't know how much they cost but very impressive. Works a a tablet as keyboard comes off. Edited March 24, 2019 by Davyo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eyefor Posted March 25, 2019 Report Share Posted March 25, 2019 10 hours ago, Scully said: 👍 Bought mine around the same time. Cost almost a thousand pound back then but worth every penny. Most of the letters have now worn off the keys but it’s never missed a beat and have just had it upgraded. Cracking work tools. You can buy replacement keys very cheap of T'Interweb? Relatively easy to fit. I'm a heavy (two fingered) typer and I've replaced several - although the keys seller told me it's cheaper to trim your nails twice a week!. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scully Posted March 25, 2019 Report Share Posted March 25, 2019 23 minutes ago, Eyefor said: You can buy replacement keys very cheap of T'Interweb? Relatively easy to fit. I'm a heavy (two fingered) typer and I've replaced several - although the keys seller told me it's cheaper to trim your nails twice a week!. Worth knowing. Cheers. 👍 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hedge Posted March 25, 2019 Report Share Posted March 25, 2019 12 hours ago, paul1966 said: thanks, i have just spent the last two hours looking at laptops and still not decided!!! Give me a shortlist and I'll offer an opinion. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul1966 Posted March 25, 2019 Author Report Share Posted March 25, 2019 8 hours ago, hedge said: Give me a shortlist and I'll offer an opinion. i think i have got it down to 4, in order of preference https://www.pcworld.co.uk/gbuk/computing/laptops/laptops/lenovo-ideapad-330s-15-6-intel-core-i3-laptop-1-tb-hdd-blue-10180838-pdt.html https://www.pcworld.co.uk/gbuk/computing/laptops/laptops/dell-inspiron-15-5000-15-6-intel-core-i3-laptop-1-tb-hdd-silver-10182139-pdt.html https://www.currys.co.uk/gbuk/computing/laptops/laptops/lenovo-ideapad-330s-14-intel-core-i5-laptop-128-gb-ssd-blue-10180844-pdt.html?store=2849&&istCompanyId=bec25c7e-cbcd-460d-81d5-a25372d2e3d7&istItemId=-xwplxtxlrq&istBid=t&srcid=198&cmpid=ppc~gg~1011 (PLA) Windows Laptops and Convertibles - Adaptive~1011 (PLA) Windows Laptops And Convertibles ad group~Exact&mctag=gg_goog_7904&kwid=GOOGLE&device=c&ds_kids=92700042082096833&tgtid=1011 (PLA) Windows Laptops and Convertibles - Adaptive&&gclid=CjwKCAjw-OHkBRBkEiwAoOZql8WHIoAIKr90dUkfN-tUoSOuGEJqVHfxYYGmomRTpv2V5FvuGxW9DxoCxugQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds https://www.pcworld.co.uk/gbuk/computing/laptops/laptops/hp-pavilion-14-ce0504sa-14-intel-core-i3-laptop-128-gb-ssd-silver-10180946-pdt.html I like the first lenovo the best, but the other one does have a faster cpu but a trade off in screen size. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hedge Posted March 25, 2019 Report Share Posted March 25, 2019 Yeah - agree with your thoughts. The i5 (3rd option) has the fastest CPU but depends on desired screen size. I prefer 15.6" but some are happy with 14". The first option is the one that we recently purchased for the office. Either of them would be more than capable. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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