Cheap Windows Laptop

[EACarlson]

Looking to upgrade my 4 year old Chromebook to a somewhat newer and more relevant Windows Laptop. Only real requirements are an Intel i level or AMD Ryzen level processor. As cheap as possible. Does anyone have any insights on where to go for business lease return laptops?

 

[simonsayz]

I would just go with a ThinkPad refurb via Amazon. I got one and it works great. Only downside is that the 2nd battery dies quick.

 

[reddog21]

Dell has a off lease website that has pretty good deals. I have gotten a few laptops from them thru the years and never had an issue.
Dell

 

[AprilLizbeth]

Got super durable dell IdeaPad used on Amazon. Same kind they use for school kids so it travels great and has a lot of storage.

 

[_19disnA]

I would make sure to read the warranty being offered on any used or refurbished PC. Computers aren't really designed to be repaired and someone without the proper experience/training can damage other sensitive electronic components that may cause issues in the future.

Why do you need a specific processor?

 

[EACarlson]

For business lease return laptops, checking out sites like Dell Outlet, eBay, or refurbishers like BackMarket or Newegg can help you find solid deals on models with Intel i-series or AMD Ryzen processors.

I’ve picked up a couple of business-class laptops this way, and they’ve held up really well—often, they’re lightly used and just need a fresh OS install.

If the laptop doesn’t come with Windows, you can save on the setup by grabbing a windows 11 key cheap through third-party sellers.

Thank you for the BackMarket recommendation. I did find some things there. I think I'm going to be buying new at this point. I can't justify spending 90% of new for a three year old machine.
I'll stay away from the questionable legality third party resellers of Enterprise keys. Used them before and learned my lesson.

Why do you need a specific processor?

Because I want an upgrade. My complaint on my Chromebook is that it can be slow to respond. Why would I want to use the same processor on a much more resource intensive OS?

 

[SteveH]

The difference between the Chromebook and Windows machine is the OS of the Chromebook is designed to be lightweight, Windows is a resource hog and IMHO bloated. So you’re trading “up” to a different OS but unless you get a minimum of 16GB of RAM you are dooming yourself to the same slow to respond behavior.

As you shop, also assume you’ll be replacing the battery and price out the replacement battery so you know what to expect.

The biggest question is what are you doing with it? Word, Excel or surfing the web?

 

[peabody58]

Acer!

 

[DisneyHardin]

I know this is a little bit older thread, but I bought an HP laptop yesterday from Costco.com for $349

 

[_19disnA]

I think you have to buy the type of PC that matches what you intend to do with it. A wide variety of configurations are now available (i.e. processors, memory, OS, RAM, etc.) optimized around their intended use and generally the 'higher end' machines are also more expensive. If you want something cheap, you will have to make some trade-offs along the way.