Laptop under $750 - 17.3'' with an SSD

Why put "SSD" and "17.3-inch" right in the title? Because those are the dealbreakers. 😁

Now... I'll take anything EXCEPT an HP.

What this thing actually needs to do is run Adobe Photoshop & Illustrator alongside everything else without choking.

I'm guessing 8GB of RAM, an SSD, and a mediocre graphics card should get the job done.

But here's the real headache—whenever I check Best Buy to look at $1667, nothing seems to fit. So I was thinking about grabbing something for $1500 that comes with an HDD, an optical drive, and 4GB of RAM, then just slapping in another 4GB and an SSD myself. I don't really need the disc drive or the HDD since I already have a decent external drive.

Is that a smarter play, or what do you guys think? :-)

You’re going to have to upgrade; I can't find any 17" model with a decent factory SSD for under $5,000.

What kind of capacity are we talking about? You can grab a 120GB Patriot Burst for about $117, or maybe a 240GB one for around $600. With 240GB paired with 4GB of RAM, you'll get something like this, whereas sticking with 120GB and 4GB might leave you with this kind of performance.

EDIT

Or you could just spec out this one (it's got the top-tier GPU)

Timothy Kim60 said:You don't have much choice. I can't find any 17" laptop with a decent SSD under $5,000 anywhere.

What size SSD are we talking? You can grab a 120GB Patriot Burst for about $117, or maybe 240GB for around 600. With 240GB and 4GB extra RAM, it might look something like this, but with 120GB and 4GB, it’ll probably be more like this.

EDIT

Or just max out this one (with the top-tier GPU)

Not exactly a genius here. So, you're saying adding another 4GB is the move, right?

And honestly, 128GB is plenty for me. I'm no expert on how SSDs "wear out" when you delete files, but if it lasts two years, that's fine by me. I've got external drives, or I could always ditch the optical drive and swap in an SSD, leaving the HDD inside.

Thanks for the help!

Go with 8GB for sure (meaning you should top it up with an extra 4GB), especially since RAM is pretty cheap these days
Capacity-wise, those 240/250 GB drives offer much better bang for your buck, and the prices on them tend to drop quite rapidly. As for longevity, don't sweat it—these drives are built to last way longer than you'd think

Timothy Kim60 said:Go with 8GB for sure (just grab an extra 4GB stick); RAM is dirt cheap anyway.
Those 240/250GB capacities are usually the sweet spot for value per gig, and prices drop fast enough. Don't sweat the lifespan either—they last way longer than people think.

So, I'm adding a 240-250GB SSD plus 4GB of RAM. Now... which laptop should I spec out? :-)

Needs to be a 17.3'' screen, at least 4GB extra... I don't really care about the GPU or the CPU. :-)

Budgeting around $500 (maybe up to $520).

You’re out of your depth with resolution, too. That’s what happens when you don't bother reading the stickied threads meant for people actually buying a laptop. 😬

And for the record, you'd feel way more at home using Adobe Illustrator on a 1080p screen rather than 1600x900. I know it's pushing your budget, but just take a look at these two builds. The first one lacks an SSD but has a fast hard drive, while the second one has everything you need—it's just pricey. 😬

It’s not perfect. Ideally, you’d want an H or HQ processor and a GTX graphics card, but for this kind of money—you can't expect miracles.