Best laptop under $700?

Hi everyone,
Just a quick one: I’m looking to pick up a laptop by $1500. Ideally, I’d love a 17-inch display. My main use will be streaming movies and shows, browsing the web, and doing a lot of typing—lots of reports and heavy document work. As for gaming, I’d certainly love to play whatever I can reasonably run smoothly, even if my expectations aren't sky-high. I don't need an OS pre-installed, so macOS is fine. Also, if any manufacturers or retailers happen to have deals on extended warranties or similar coverage, please let me know! 😁

Thanks in advance...

Price is the big hurdle here, so you might as well grab this Asus k with a 2-year warranty and try to stack it with some Asus promotions. Between the decent graphics and the 1600 x 900 resolution, it should handle games pretty well, provided they aren't CPU hogs. The screen is standard for the K series—at least it isn't the X series 😬—but the real headache is that if you want to upgrade the RAM, you have to take the whole laptop apart at a repair shop...

This is probably the only mid-range laptop out there with a solid GPU. I don't think you'll find anything better for the money, at least not from what I've seen...

Greetings darkowl72,
How does something like this stack up against the one you posted?

Or maybe this...

I’m looking for something to cover the same needs mentioned in the original post. Which one is the smarter buy?
Furthermore, if we set gaming aside entirely, what would you suggest based on these specs:
An i5 (2.0 GHz or higher), a 500 GB HDD paired with at least an 8 GB SSD, and somewhere between 4 to 8 GB of RAM. Nothing fancy for the graphics card.
I realize finding that kind of hardware under $450 might be a long shot, but if anything comes to mind, I’d appreciate the lead.

P.S. I still have an old Toshiba Satellite A300D. The graphics card finally gave up the ghost, but everything else runs perfectly. Any idea how I could salvage it? It feels wrong to just toss it out when it's just a GPU issue...

Our needs aren't even remotely similar. For compaqlax, gaming is a huge factor, which is why they went for the most powerful graphics card possible in the $1500 price range.

Gaming isn't your priority, and your budget is $167 higher, which automatically means you don't need high-end graphics. You can just shift that money toward the processor and an SSD, which is exactly what you did. And hey, that's fine.

Also, when we talk about quality, the old "you get what you pay for" rule usually applies. That Acer setup with the i5, SSD, and a terabyte hard drive—plus that discrete graphics card—has to compromise on something... Like build quality, the LCD panel... and a manufacturer's warranty that's a measly 12 months.

The Asus he's comparing it to isn't some bottom-tier Asus model; it comes with a 2-year warranty plus a "quality guarantee" for the first year. Plus, there's still the $167 difference in price.

Under $500, you're barely seeing anything with i5 processors; it's mostly just stuff like this:

http://www.bestbuy.com/not...0S-09/product/

It's a solid, reliable configuration with a three-year warranty that actually fits what you need. At that price point, you just won't find one with an SSD...

SSDs have dropped in price quite a bit, so you can find 120 GB models starting around $117, and 240 GB ones for under $200. But honestly, looking at what you need, I don't see a real necessity for an i5 or an SSD either.

Look, if you really like that Acer and the specs and price work for you, I don't see any reason why you shouldn't grab it... The only thing I’d strongly suggest is paying that extra $33 at Best Buy for an additional 2-year protection plan, just so you can protect your investment a little bit...

Much appreciated for the thorough breakdown. You're right, though... what you suggested actually fits my needs much better.

One more thing, though. What’s your take on this one?
Thanks 🙂

Look, he's fine... It comes with a 2-year warranty plus some sort of "quality guarantee." But let's be real, the Asus X series is basically entry-level, which is just code for cheap materials and loose QC.

The main difference between that one and the Acer you linked first is the graphics. That Asus relies on integrated graphics that eat up your RAM (which is why it’s spec'd with 6 GB), whereas the Acer has a discrete GPU that's actually faster and more powerful...

I'm also a bit confused why you're asking about a 15.6" Asus now when your original post was about 17" laptops? If you aren't even sure what screen size you actually need or want, you could pretty much ask for an opinion on every single laptop on the market at this rate... 🤷

Honestly, whether it's a 15.6 or 17-inch screen doesn't move the needle for me. I’m really just hunting for a killer Best Buy deal, so I've been scouring every corner of the internet...
I think I'll just pull the trigger on that Dell you mentioned. You clearly know your stuff better than I do, so there's no point in questioning your judgment. 😉