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Starting a new position in the new year and need to purchase my own laptop for it. Looking at £600-700 ideally, and 16GB and i7, Windows, Office etc.
Where is best to get one from, and what sort of things are people recommending?
Dell outlet, you'll get one with a scratch so small you'll struggle to find it for a decent % less than the normal price.
Smidge over budget, but has a proper graphics card for after work zwifting.
I have used this for home for years and for my business, when we needed cheap, good laptops fast (online travel business during Covid). Quite a lot of A1 condition units have never been used, still with the protective covering, or have been re-cased/new screens
https://www.dell.com/en-uk/dfh/shop/dell-refurbished/cp/outlet
Are you working on the move or from a (home) office? Does your employer use virtual desktop or is the software running locally? If virtual desktop your own PC performance is irrelevant as all the apps, OS and computer doing the work are in some data centre. If you're in a fixed location a multi monitor setup with matching screens will be better than using the laptop one.
Are you doing something that needs the power of an i7? (autocad/media manipulation)
If not an i5 will be fine, or even a ryzen 5.
The bargains at PC world, are normally the last gen processor, this is absolutely fine. The performance increase between CPU is negligible normally, so the last gen or 3 will still do the same job
The cost in laptops normally is fueled by:
1) latest CPU
2) Reasonable spec 8-16Gb and SSD
3) Metal cases
4) Smaller form factor
5) Touch screen
6) more fluff..etc
So the same CPU (low to mid level) can be bought in a more basic plastic case, as a more top end laptop. They tend to offer the higher end cpu into 'better' models, as obviously a CEO watching youtube needs the latest i9.
You do also find offers, on the latest hardware, to promote it's sales. I bought the g/f a HP ryzen 7, with 3 years free warranty, for only a couple of hundred more than the ryzen 5 version. A week later there was a £500 difference and £99 for the extended warranty.
Dell outlet is ok, but you need to search though the options, to see if it is actually a bargain (I've never actually found any..). Look everywhere, even PC world, as they need to clear stock to get the next years (CPU) in...
not got one myself, yet. I probably will next time i need to buy a computer though.
Are you doing something that needs the power of an i7? (autocad/media manipulation)
<span style="font-size: 0.8rem;">If not an i5 will be fine, or even a ryzen 5</span>
That. I would only add the extra for the i7 if I could identify what I needed it for. It adds a fair bit to the price.
Your lappie won't come with office, maybe a years sub to office365 so remember to add that in for later