Hi.after looking for a used laptop ive decieded to spend a bit more.looking at the websites for a refurbished or new is overwhelming.theres too much choice its confusing.could anyone recommend anything around £300 thats decent for general use.14 inch screen be fine.your help would be grea thanks.

My current go-to spec for ‘Web Browsing and Office Suite stuff’ is an i3 with 4GB RAM and a suitably sized SSD (8GB ram is better but it’s usually easy to upgrade).

One thing to consider ‘standard’ is cheaper than ‘non standard’ when it comes to computers so a ‘standard’ 15.6” laptop is usually cheaper than a 13-14” or indeed a 20”.

https://www.gigarefurb.co.uk

Great service from them. I7, 8GB, 320GB HDD for £290. Looks like new.

Like any good IT consultant I’ve got a solution that’s 20% over budget.

https://www.laptopsdirect.co.uk/refurbished-hp-pavilion-14-bk052sa-14-intel-core-i3-7100u-8gb-128gb-ssd-wi-a2-1tv50ea/version.asp

At that price pick one in a nice colour you like…. they will all be much the same

HP @ Very

AMD processer, 4GB RAM, 128GB SSD, Full HD 15.6 screen for £280 after cashback

Here you go – add 4GB RAM gets you to £239.

https://www.gigarefurb.co.uk/hp-elitebook-2570p-intel-core-i7-3520m-2-90ghz-4gb-ddr3-memory-320gb-hdd-12-5-windows-10-refurbished-laptops.html

Thanks for the help.this any good?
https://www.gigarefurb.co.uk/dell-latitude-e7440-intel-core-i5-4300u-1-9ghz-8gb-ddr3-ram-128gb-ssd-14-hd-windows-10.html

Looks good. the i5 not as strong for graphics as the i7, but if that (e.g. Zwift) isn’t an issue, crack on.

I bought a HDD, wish I’d gone for an SSD now, so much faster.

Just bear in mind that despite the new cases, 3rd and 4th gen I series machines are quite old – 4-5 years.

We’re currently scraping machines of that era (amongst older ones) admittedly our clients pretty much demand reliability, but personally I’d take a current Gen machine of a lower spec that will comfortably last 4 years or so over a machine that’s already that age.

Would this be better? https://www.laptopsdirect.co.uk/-1wy96ea/version.asp

Possibly, I’d get something current, but I don’t really know AMD machines as we don’t sell ‘em.

You can bench mark them just google “7100U v A6-9220” and there will probably be a score for them on Benchmark, I’m on my phone at the mo.

I really need to learn AMD stuff, I just don’t see it on Pro machines so much.

Get an SSD. Then see what else your budget allows but RAM easiest to upgrade in the future.

Pips recommendation can be ‘collected from Huddersfield’. Clincher!

Stand Up If You Love The Town!

One son here has AMD (A10) and it’s faster than brothers old gen i7, noticeably so.
Middle one has new i3 and it’s less quick on a couple of the graphic heavy games, but fastest of the lot on office, browsing etc.

All on 8gb and SSD’s of same spec.

I would take lower processor to get SSD every time.

Pips choice certainly isn’t a bad one, it’s a little let down as it’s a dual core processor rather than a quad, and 4gb ram is really the minimum these days, but the SSD is a boon.

For general desktop /Internet duties it’s fine.

I’d take that spec over one with 6 or 8 gb ram and a better cpu if it meant sacrificing the SSD.

And at that price point you’ll be struggling to get something better with an SSD drive. And the SSD does make a BIG difference.

This ok ? https://www.europc.co.uk/dell-latitude-3480-windows-10-pro-64-bit-intel-celeron-3865u-1-8ghz-8gb-ram-128gb-m-2-ssd-14-1920×1080-fhd-dell-1-year-nbd-warranty-123055.html

I’ve not clicked on the link, but friends don’t let friends buy Celerons. I nicknamed it the Pantium in the mid 90s and have never had cause to revise that opinion.

1920×1080 is a good screen resolution, mind. It’s what I’ve got here in a 17″ laptop.

Guess it boils down to how you define general use. How would you recommend a bike for general use? A full sus if general use is a daily commuter? A carbon road bike if general use is trail centres?

This ok ? https://www.europc.co.uk/dell-latitude-3480-windows-10-pro-64-bit-intel-celeron-3865u-1-8ghz-8gb-ram-128gb-m-2-ssd-14-1920×1080-fhd-dell-1-year-nbd-warranty-123055.html

Garbage processor… Think I’d still take your first choice and add another stick of ram if you feel the need.

I’ve not clicked on the link, but friends don’t let friends buy Celerons. I nicknamed it the Pantium in the mid 90s and have never had cause to revise that opinion.

Me and my friends call them ‘celery processors’. 🙂

Take that as a no then lol.laptop direct looking favourite atm

Or my first link ?

Well a 1080 screen is a ‘nice to have’ but a 720 screen is fine, and better for the battery.

You can’t have the moon on a stick for that budget, so you’ll have to make a compromise somewhere.

SSD is essential
Don’t get the celery

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Lenovo-Thinkpad-T440s-i5-4300U-256GB-SSD-4GB-RAM-Win-8-1-Professional-Laptop/152796563573?hash=item2393628875:g:WucAAOSwevlZ6dXA

Price is good on the tier1 laptop
But grade c? What you think?