Need help – laptop under $650

Hey everyone, I could really use some guidance here; I’m looking to pick up a laptop with a budget of no more than $1400.
My requirements are pretty specific:
Windows 10
An SSD
Wi-Fi
Bluetooth
USB 3.0, though having a USB-C port would be ideal
A webcam
Full HD resolution—assuming that’s even possible at this price point, otherwise just whatever the best option available is
A microphone
Stereo speakers
A standard US keyboard layout

The machine needs to be fast and reliable enough to handle everyday tasks without any hiccups... things like streaming movies, listening to music, browsing the web, or handling work via Microsoft Office.

I don't have any need for high-end graphics, and the physical size of the laptop isn't particularly important to me.
I plan on buying this in Washington, D.C., and honestly, I don't care which retailer I use. As for the warranty, I’m just looking for the standard coverage; I’m not hunting for anything out of the ordinary.
There are so many options flooding the market right now, and I find myself struggling to sift through the endless sea of similar models to find the absolute best value... so I'm turning to you all for help.
Thanks! 🙂

Honestly, any laptop equipped with an SSD is going to breeze through the tasks you're looking to do.
Regarding that specific model at , it's a bummer because it doesn't actually have a Full HD screen.
If you're dead set on getting a Full HD display along with everything else you mentioned, maybe you should consider putting down a little more for $167?
It hits all your requirements and then some.
I actually own that exact laptop and I'm pretty happy with it. I guess the touchpad takes some getting used to, but if you aren't the type to deal with that, you can always just grab a mouse.

Thanks, Grace Edwards!
Unfortunately, this premium model is way out of my budget, though I am definitely keeping the more affordable one on my radar...
I’ve managed to dig up a few other options that check almost every single one of my boxes—everything except for a USB-C port—and they aren't breaking the bank either, such as this one:

https://www.bestbuy.com/site/laptop-deals

Then there is this particular unit, which offers Full HD resolution and actually includes a USB-C port:

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/laptop/deals

But honestly, looking at the whole picture, I haven't the slightest clue which of these would actually be the superior choice overall...🤔

I don't know about this one at that N4200 processor feels a bit sketchy to me, honestly. It's one of those chips designed for passive cooling, which basically means you're trading any semblance of actual speed just to squeeze out a little extra battery life. If I were in your shoes, I’d happily sacrifice 4GB of RAM just to get a decent i3 instead—and look, let's be real, an i3 isn't exactly a powerhouse either, but hey, you get what you pay for, right?

Maybe try this one... you might even score a little dedicated graphics card as a nice little bonus.

Hello,
I’m looking for a little bit of guidance from anyone here who might have more expertise in this area than I do.
My goal is to find a laptop by $1667 at the latest. The most critical factor for me is ensuring it handles Adobe Creative Cloud smoothly; while I'm not a full-time pro designer, I find myself leaning heavily on Photoshop and Illustrator quite frequently.

One specific option caught my eye:

Intel Core i7 (2M Cache, up to 3.6 GHz), 16GB DDR4 RAM (2x8GB), 256GB SSD, 15.6" FHD 1920x1080 Dell UltraSharp display, NVIDIA GeForce GTX graphics, DVD-Super Multi DL drive 8x, USB-C port; 2 xUSB 2.0, 2 xUSB 3.0 ports (one with power-off USB charging), Ethernet (RJ-45) port, HDMI port, VGA port, SD card reader, Dell UltraSharp webcam, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.0, 4-cell battery (8.5h), weight 2.23 kg, Black color, Boots with Linux, 2-year warranty for individuals/1-year for businesses

Since I already own an external hard drive, I can easily supplement any storage limitations if they arise.

Please let me know what you think of this choice or if you have any better suggestions! 🙂

gentlecyclist16 said:That one over at https://www.techradar.com/reviews/laptop-deals-56gb-w10/82705... I have my doubts about that N4200 processor... it’s one of those units with passive cooling, which usually means you get longer battery life at the direct expense of actual speed. If it were me, I’d rather sacrifice 4GB of RAM just to snag a decent i3—not that an i3 is some powerhouse, let’s be honest, but you get what you pay for...

Maybe consider this one... you might even score a little discrete graphics card as a bonus
https://www.bestbuy.com/product-details-black-014650265

Thanks, this one seems like the most well-rounded option out of everything mentioned. Honestly, I don't know the first thing about processors, so I'm terrified of making the wrong call if I buy something on my own 😁

nimbleheron4 said:Hey there,
I’m looking for a bit of advice if anyone here actually knows what they're talking about.
I need a laptop by $1667 at the latest. My main priority is having enough juice to run Adobe Creative Cloud smoothly. I'm not doing high-end professional graphic design, but I find myself jumping into Photoshop and Illustrator pretty frequently.

This specific model caught my eye:
https://www.bestbuy.com/laptop-example-link

Intel Core i7 (2M Cache, up to 3.6 GHz), 16GB DDR4 RAM (2x8GB), 256GB SSD, 15.6" FHD 1920x1080 Dell UltraSharp display, NVIDIA GeForce 2GB VRAM, DVD-Super Multi DL drive 8x, USB 3.1 Gen 1 Type-C port; 2 xUSB 2.0, 2 xUSB 3.0 ports, one with power-off USB charging, Ethernet (RJ-45) port, HDMI port, VGA port, SD card reader, Dell UltraSharp webcam, WiFi 802.11, Bluetooth 4.0, 4-cell battery (8.5h), weight 2.23 kg, Black color, Boot-up Linux, 2-year warranty for individuals/1-year for businesses

I've already got an external hard drive, so I can just plug that in to fix the storage situation.

Plz let me know if this is a good pick or if you have better suggestions.🙂

Honestly, it looks like a decent enough machine for under $500... though I wouldn't be the guy to vouch for how it handles Adobe Creative Cloud; I'm still dragging along with Adobe Creative Suite 3—it's ancient, sure, but it gets the job done for me. I've got an old i7-2630QM in my current laptop that's still somehow about 20% faster than that FX-9800P. With 8GB of RAM, it handles Adobe just fine, but then again, my photos aren't massive resolutions and I don't mess around with dozens of layers. 16GB should be plenty for most amateur projects, and frankly, you aren't going to find much more than that for $500 anyway. You'll obviously have to buy Windows yourself, since I highly doubt Adobe will play nice on Linux—you could probably make it work with some masochistic tinkering through Wine, but I wouldn't touch that with a ten-foot pole.