Consider refurbished options for your new laptop.
Consider refurbished options for your new laptop.
Hi there.
I’d appreciate some general guidance on purchasing a laptop to replace my existing desktop.
The main reason is space—my wife and I both work from home in a very small office. We’re considering alternating use of the shared office while one of us works at a breakfast bar.
My current tower connects to two external monitors and a few speakers. I’m thinking about placing one monitor in the kitchen so both of us could have an external display.
I plan to sell the tower but am unsure what price I might receive (i3-2105 with 8GB RAM).
Would it make sense to look at a refurbished model instead of buying new?
My budget is limited (around £300, though I could stretch it a bit more).
Refurbished is a good option for purchasing used items. If you're prioritizing size over portability, consider a refurbished Lenovo tiny PC. You can find it here: https://www.newegg.com/lenovo-think...-w...klink=true
Make sure to verify the connections so you can use your monitors.
Apologies - I should have mentioned wanting to alternate between my office and kitchen work, so I’m considering Laptops (though the small PC you linked looks quite appealing).
My findings indicate Lenovo Thinkpads are a solid choice because they’re affordable, durable, and there are plenty of spare parts and upgrades available on Ebay. They also perform well with Linux.
But I’ll need to adjust my budget slightly to around £400.00.
What are your thoughts?
My main needs are a 15-inch display and the capacity to upgrade RAM to 16GB. An i5 processor would be nice too.
I’m not a gamer, so I don’t require high-end graphics.
I really enjoy the thinkpads. They offer quality keyboards and are simple to upgrade. Numerous refurbishments will likely come from companies upgrading their laptops. If these refurbishments are handled by a trustworthy company, it’s a positive sign. I wouldn’t be concerned about the RAM; thinkpads should support easy upgrades to 16GB. A single feature I’d demand is a solid SSD that fits your needs. Even a modest i3-2105 system becomes much more efficient with an SSD. Don’t overlook a budget-friendly model that includes an SSD—it’s worth considering. It’s straightforward to clone the HDD onto an SSD.
Thank you for your kind words—really appreciated.
My laptop already has a 1TB Crucial SSD, so I’d consider swapping it for the laptop.
I spotted a Lenovo ThickPad L580 deal: 240GB SSD, 16GB RAM, i5-8350U, Windows 11 Standard for £352.50.
It has some scratches (Grade C) but includes a one-year warranty.
Would you think this is worth looking into?
I’m not very familiar with CPUs, especially mobile ones, but an 8th generation chip still seems solid today.
Appears to be in good condition. Focus on the iPS panel. Verify the SSD types included with that model and their compatibility. It's likely you'll require a M.2 SSD rather than an older 2.5" one. The CPU offers a significant improvement over your i3-2105.