GeneinChi Loc: Chicago, IL

I’ll never tell anyone how to spend their money but I always spend more than I want to then pay it off over time. Usually internet free. In the end it gets you a better machine that will last much longer and in the end actually cost less over time. If you can handle it you may want to think about this.

Craig Rothgery Loc: Bradenton, Fla

Hi,

Check out "Micro Center" (www.microcenter.com). The one I go to is in Denver, Co even though I live in Sunny Florida. :-)

Buy the most you can afford and just be happy. You should be able to get an i5 or Rysen processor that covers your needs. They have refurbished units as well as new ones. I just purchased an i7 Lenovo refurbished for around $800.

The BEST thing about Micro Center is the sales staff is fantastic. Very knowledgeable!

Enjoy your new toy!

photoman022 Loc: Manchester CT USA

go to your local (not big box) computer store and tell them your needs and price point; they will be more than glad to hook you up with a laptop that meets your needs. My local computer store has never steered me wrong and are always there with knowledgeable advice when I need it.

rlscholl Loc: California

Check your local Costco. This one might meet your needs, and is on sale: https://www.costco.com/hp-17.3%22-laptop---11th-intel-core-i5--1155g7---1080p---windows-11.product.100947148.html

sabfish

If saving money is important, the general thinking of most experts I read is that Windows built in anti-virus, Windows Defender is adequate. There are also a number of free antivirus programs that are well considered.

delder Loc: Maryland

To KindaSpikey:

Most modern laptops are NON expandable. Years past we could add/upgrade memory modules.
With W10/11, memory is king.
Most ~$500 machines only offer 8 gb of ram. For smooth and rapid response 16 GB is recommended.
A dedicated Video processor is desirable but costly. Remember, a lot of processing takes place in the GPU.
Processor: I 7 desirable I 5 OK.
Big question: Screen Size?
17" is Great for viewing BUT not as portable as a smaller screen.
My thoughts go large if you keep the laptop @ home, 13/14" ideal for travel, using ON a train/plane.
15" OK for lugging around.
You choice is more permanent with a laptop than a desktop.

Good luck & try to get your budget aligned with your needs/expectations.

lagunamike

Ray,
I do computer work for folks since I retired. Amazon has several new laptops around the $500 mark that have i7 level processors, 16gb of ram, and 500gb or 1TB hard disks. I also use Amazon's "Renewed" section to purchase PCs for customers with low budgets. I have never been disappointed with their refurbs. I'm installing a new PC for an elderly lady tomorrow from Amazon renewed - Dell tower, 16 gb, i7 processor, 500gb SSD drive that I got for $190. It works fine. I think you will be surprised at what level laptop you will be able to get for the $500 mark. PM me if you want to discuss further.
Mike

chikid68 Loc: Tennesse USA

Everyone else is saying to give equal preference for CPU processor and RAM at the time of purchase.
I say get the best CPU you can afford at the time without major regard to ram.
RAM is easy to replace on most laptops now days and it's usually less expensive than having it installed when you buy the PC.

niteman3d Loc: South Central Pennsylvania, USA

woot.com usually has pretty good supply of refurbs. I've been looking at an HP 17" i5 with 16gb ram, 256gb SSD, 1tb 2nd storage drive, 90 day HP warranty plus you can buy Assurion extended warranties on top of that. Woot is owned by Amazon and you can get free shipping if you have Amazon Prime. This one is $449 and they have many other models for more or less. (Make sure you get one that is Windows 11 ready as Win 10 support ends in two years) Any thoughts?

delder Loc: Maryland

Note:
Please do NOT assume that the RAM in any given laptop can be Upgraded/replaced UNTIL you verify in the Equipment Manual.
Some Current Production Laptops have soldered in RAM, others have both slots filled and you have to REPLACE both with new larger RAM chips.

chikid68 Loc: Tennesse USA

The majority of the ones in his price range have upgrade slots as they are mid grade Dell HP and Acer models all of which have slotted ram.
BTW I am the proprietor and tech for gc&c computers in middle TN.
We build and repair both laptops and desktop machines for our clients.
Here's a simple way to tell without taking it apart though .
Check the model for upgrade here.

https://www.crucial.com/store/advisor?cm_re=homepage-_-hero-_-combobox-selector-btn

delder Loc: Maryland

Yes. The Crucial lookup is a GREAT idea! They provide a fairly definitive answer to the upgrade path availability.

olemikey Loc: 6 mile creek, Spacecoast Florida

I just looked at Wallyworld.com saw these: I see both Desktop and Laptop models that would work well for most applications, including Post Processing. Many are windows "Home", but most (maybe all) can be switched from "the limitations of the "Home" models to "open" when you initialize the unit. Windows 10 and 11 models, either should be fine for your needs. Couple examples listed this morning, 1 minute search:

HP 17.3" FHD, Intel Core i5-1135G7, 8GB RAM, 512GB SSD, Natural Silver, Windows 11 Home, 17-by4061nr (4.3) 4.3 stars out of 198 reviews, 198 reviews Now $549.00 Was $679.00 $679.00

HP All-in-One Desktop 22", Touch, Ryzen 3 3250U, 8GB RAM, 1TB HDD, White, Windows 11 Home, 22-df0023w (4.4) 4.4 stars out of 710 reviews 710 reviews $539.00

HP 15.6" Laptop, Intel Core i3-1115G4, 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD, Windows 10 Home, Natural Silver, 15-dy2091wm (4.1) 4.1 stars out of 1524 reviews 1524 reviews $279.00Was $399.00

HP 15.6" Laptop, Intel Pentium Silver N5000, 4GB RAM, 128GB SSD, Windows 10 Home with Office , Scarlet Red, 15-dw0083wm (3.9) 3.9 stars out of 2857 reviews 2857 reviews
$248.00Was $309.00

AND many many others listed. Staples, Office Depot, Best Buy, B&H, Adorama, and others will have deals as well, and July 12-13 is PRIME DAY, may be some specials on Amazon as well.

They also sell "refurbs" of various capability, my current desktop is one of those, bought cheap and been a trooper for 4 yrs, now. My current laptop is a semi-custom ordered HP, ordered from HP during a sale, it rocks. There are a lot of ways to go, direct from mfg. or asny of the discound houses..... Remember the sale prices are generally straight from the manufacturer, as they all set the prices on these things, just like they do with cameras, with the exception of the refurbs/used, those may/may not be manufacturer set prices, depending on who.

You can do a lot with the 4 gig RAM models, multi-tasking and heavy processing of any kind will be slower, so I'd say go for at least 8 GB Ram and up, more recent processor, etc....as others have stated, you can add all the storage you need via external drives. I'd also say go for a FHD - Full HD model at minimum, as the models listed as HD are usually "less than" 1080 (720 to 900) and won't look as "sharp", especially if a larger screen, like a 17". Have fun!!

bnsf

Think of the processors as an engine in a vehicle. The lower the i number is the speed is also lower. Any i5 would be equal to a GM 350cc engine, i7 equal to a GM 400cc engine, i9 equal a GM 455cc engine. In other words, the larger the i number the faster the machine will operate. Same thing with the RAM in a laptop. The more RAM you have in a laptop the faster it is when you want to open a program. The same also goes with a SATA hard drive vs a SSD drive. The SSD drives are fast when you download, save or open a program. These drives are all solid state with no moving parts vs a SATA hard drive which has moving parts inside.

If you can find a Laptop with a SSD drive, 16 megs of RAM memory with expandable slots to add more memory along with a 15 t0 17-inch screen under $500 would be worth it.

Let us know what you find for this price. You make want to look a refurbished or factory rebuilt computer with a factory warranty cheaper than a new one or an open box. You save money but still have the same values you are looking for. It pays to shop around before you buy. Good hunting!

sb Loc: Florida's East Coast

Seen just now on Amazon: Latitude 7480 14 Business Notebook, 14 HD Anti-Glare, Intel Core i5-6300U 2.4GHz Dual-Core, 16GB DDR4, 256GB Solid State Drive, Webcam, Bluetooth, Windows 10Pro (Renewed) for less than $250.