Best laptop under $600?

Hey there,

I'm looking for some advice on picking up a new laptop.
I'm based in Washington, D.C., so I’d prefer to go pick one up in person, though I've had good luck ordering through Amazon before.
I can pay with cash or American Express, depending on if there's a big price difference.
Mainly, I'll be using it for browsing, streaming movies, listening to music, and playing Football Manager.
A 15.6" screen is plenty for me. 1080p would be nice to have, but it's not a dealbreaker. I definitely want an SSD, a processor clocked at least at 2.3 GHz, and at least 8 GB of RAM.
Ideally, I'd like it to come with Windows 10.
I've used a Dell in the past and was pretty happy with it, but I've seen some HP models that look decent too. I'm not strictly loyal to one brand, though...

This HP I found on Amazon looks alright, but I'd love to see some other options:

Hopefully, that's enough info to work with. Thanks in advance for any suggestions.

Hey there, I’d really suggest looking into HP—specifically through their outlet or refurbished programs. You end up getting a basically new laptop that still carries a full warranty, but because it was either a canceled order or just didn't sell at the flagship brand store, you can snag it for about 20-30% off. It's a pretty solid way to save some cash. If you want to dig deeper, you can reach out to the supplier directly via email at info@dobardan.net or just check out the contact number listed on their website www.dobardan.net.
Best,

frozentrucker162 said:Hey, I’d suggest looking at HP, specifically through their outlet or refurbished programs. You basically get a machine that’s essentially brand new—maybe an order was canceled or it just sat in the showroom—but it comes with a full warranty and you save about 20-30%. Check out the supplier directly at info at dobardan.net or grab their number from the site here: www.dobardan.net.
Cheers

Thanks, I'll definitely keep that in mind.

To be perfectly honest, you don't need a laptop in the $5,500–$6,000 range for what you're trying to do.

There are plenty of machines out there that hit almost all of your requirements: some might lack an SSD, others might only have 4GB or 6GB of RAM (both of which are easy upgrades), or they might meet your specs but come with an SSHD instead. Some might miss your specific clock speed target or arrive without an OS pre-installed—or a combination of those factors. All of these options would come in significantly under your current budget...

If you absolutely require everything to be ready right out of the box—keeping in mind that 1080p is really more of a luxury than a necessity—the only thing I managed to dig up within that price bracket is this. However, their online product descriptions can be notoriously unreliable, so I wouldn't bet the farm on it. Make sure you verify every single spec directly with them before pulling the trigger.

Just so you know, we have a master thread with a clear title here that helps people looking for buying advice communicate better with those of us giving it...

RAM and SSD capacity are actual requirements, but the real question is how much you actually need. Resolution isn't really an issue since, based on what you're doing, I don't see why you'd even need 1080p, and this speed thing—I have no idea where you got that from—is just... I don't even know what to say. Seriously, where did "at least 2.3 GHz" come from?

Look, if you want to drop $6,000 on a high-end machine that stays competitive longer because of beefier components, go for it. But like Kimberly Gomez34 mentioned—assuming you listed all your needs—you can definitely get by with a much cheaper machine.

HP isn't exactly a top-tier choice here. Just the name "HP Essentials" tells you everything you need to know, and that pathetic 12-month warranty doesn't promise any quality or longevity. Also, suggesting you look at refurbished laptops is a bit questionable. Refurbished units aren't just "orders that were canceled" or "stock that didn't sell at a Best Buy"; they are machines that were returned due to defects, repaired by the manufacturer, and put back into a "new" state. At that point, they shouldn't be called new; they're refurbished. You get a lower price, sure, but you also get a shorter warranty.

For anyone visiting, we suggest looking beyond just specs and price and checking the warranty. Dell leads the pack with a 3-year warranty, followed by Asus and Toshiba, which offer extra coverage through promos (like Asus promotions or Toshiba - no Matter What). Then you have the rest—Lenovo, Acer, Fujitsu—who mostly stick to two years. HP is at the bottom because, for most of their models, a 2-year warranty is the exception rather than the rule. Only their high-end models really compete with the premium brands.

Most standard configurations don't come with enough SSD space or RAM (which usually ships at a measly 4GB), so people often end up upgrading them manually. While Windows requirements are fine, you can buy licenses separately, which gives you more freedom since very few machines come with it pre-installed.

You need to decide what you actually want and what your real budget is. Right now, your criteria fit about 90% of the laptops in stores, so we could just throw a bunch of options at you and leave you more confused than you already are.

At first glance, some new Dell models would suit you perfectly:

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/example1
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/example2

However, these aren't 1080p, and you'd have to install an SSD yourself by swapping out the DVD drive:

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/example3
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/example4

If you want one that comes with an SSD, try this:

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/example5

And for $6,000, you could get absolute beasts that we recommend to gamers, but you definitely don't need them:

Or maybe step up a notch to an Asus N series:

If you want to actually check off everything on your list, look at this new Asus P. It hits all your specs, plus the battery life is insane (they claim over 15 hours), and it comes with a 3-year warranty—which even covers the battery, which is pretty unheard of. That said, it’ll cost you:

The Toshiba L series has some decent options too, but honestly, Asus wins here.

Then again, you could probably find an Acer or this Fujitsu if you want to save a good chunk of change:

Once you settle on a model, check Best Buy for the best deals, or if you actually care about reading a real review before buying, Notebookcheck has some solid, unbiased breakdowns for most laptops out there...

darkowl72 and Kimberly Gomez34, thanks for putting in the work. 🙂
I know I don't strictly need a beast of a machine, but like darkowl72 mentioned, I’d rather have more horsepower than I actually need just to make sure this thing stays relevant for a while.
Looking over your suggestions, there are definitely some solid options out there if I want to save some cash...
I caught up with a former business partner of mine who deals in laptops, and he pointed me toward this one for $1.75: >
The specs look decent for the price, so I think I’m probably going to pull the trigger on this one. 🙂

There’s actually a pretty significant difference between that mediocre 1366x768 resolution and true 1080p. I guess it's pretty obvious once you see them side-by-side, but if you're planning on watching movies, you really ought to make sure you go with 1080p. It just makes sense.

Look, if that’s what you’re going after—fine. The price for a laptop with a Hard Drive and macOS is what it is. You’re getting a solid discount here, so just grab it...

It’s pretty much exactly what you asked for. Aside from the resolution, but hey, you can't have everything...