Best deal for a new laptop

[Cowboy Brian]

So this will be my fourth laptop in five years.... pretty angry about it. 1 HP, 2 Lenovos and 1 Acer.

This machine still runs great, but the hinge/plastic is destroyed. Cost of repair - lowest out of 3 estimates - $150... Figure its likely worth getting a new machine, again... Someone could make a killing if they can create a computer repair app that resolves this issue because clearly 3 pieces of plastic doesn't cost anywhere near $150.

Regardless, worth waiting until Black Friday/Cyber Monday? Or any great deals out there? Looking for good battery life, SSD, solid screen, decent specs. I don't game much anymore but do enjoy playing Civilization for a few hours a month, Netflix quite frequently but pretty much most machines can handle that.

 

[maxdogg]

There a lot of good acer gaming laptops on ebay for a fair price.And Amazon.

 

[Cowboy Brian]

There a lot of good acer gaming laptops on ebay for a fair price.And Amazon.

Since the poor construction of my current Acer machine is what scewed me this time I'm trying to stray away, but they seem to be the best priced.

 

[maxdogg]

well mine is 4 years old and is a mid level gaming rig has a fith gen i5 and a dedicated 4 gig graphics card.
It has served me well I have never had a problem with the durability but maybe i'm just lucky.

 

[Cowboy Brian]

well mine is 4 years old and is a mid level gaming rig has a fith gen i5 and a dedicated 4 gig graphics card.
It has served me well I have never had a problem with the durability but maybe i'm just lucky.

I loved this machine until a few weeks ago, it still works but the plastic hinge thing that connects the keyboard to the monitor has broken. On the right side there is nothing holding it together. Poor construction, or overuse, since I tend to use my laptops 5-6 hours a day, it takes its toll.

 

[maxdogg]

Hmm I use mine pretty hard and have not had any problems but I don't blame you for being mad. My brother has an asus rouge and that thing is a beast.

 

[TheCount]

Have you looked at a Mac?

Say what you want about the luxury pricing but the construction is second to none. I have a 2012 Macbook Pro that I do not treat kindly at all, and it's still in pristine condition.

The previous generation (they just announced new ones, but I'm not ready to jump to all USB-C just yet) are cheaper now.

 

[nobody]

With any company, you have a chance to get a decent one, and you have a chance to get a lemon. Some companies have a greater chance of a good one and a lower chance of a lemon and vice versa, but there is always a chance for both.

I have zero experience with laptops of the past few years because I got mine from HP in 2010 and it lasted until this year. It still works, but I upgraded and switched back to a desktop for several reasons. It's predecessor only lasted 3 years before crapping out though and it was an HP. I have heard decent things about Acers, Lenovas,Dell, and Macs. Alienware, by all acounts given to me, were overhyped and overpriced. Two people I knew that had them complained that they spent as much time being repaired as they did being used.

Take that as you will since my experience is outdated. I highly recommend an extended warranty for ANY one you buy. I also recommend a cooling pad and using it whenever you can. Heat is the enemy of longitivity in laptops.

 

[Cowboy Brian]

Have you looked at a Mac?

Say what you want about the luxury pricing but the construction is second to none. I have a 2012 that I do not treat kindly at all, and it's still in pristine condition.

Have seen some refurbished models 2/3 years out that I would consider, I do have an iPhone so maybe I'd enjoy the connectivity between the two, but I'm leaning towards a new Windows computer.