[wanted] Laptop - cheap but 'high' spec

[Novalee]

So my younger sister is wanting a new laptop. She only has £200 though - I think she is better buying used than new for this price.

She wants to be able to play The Sims on it so it needs to be reasonably decently spec'ed. Desktop isn't really an option for her currently due to her current living arrangements.

 

Thought I'd ask here if anyone is selling anything?

[xenonive]

How about something like this ? Lenovo T410 Intel i5 2.40Ghz Laptop - 4Gb - 320Gb - Wi Fi Webcam W

[Novalee]

How about something like this ? Lenovo T410 Intel i5 2.40Ghz Laptop - 4Gb - 320Gb - Wi Fi Webcam W

 

That actually looks pretty good! I hadn't thought about refurbished - is more secure than second hand but without spending a fortune. Thanks!

[witch]

@Novalee

ICT-Direct is well known to edugeek and provide many of us with robust, cheap, high-spec refurb laptops that last very well.

It would be worth talking to them, definitely.

 

http://www.ict-direct.co.uk

Edited October 19, 2014 by witch

[3s-gtech]

Is it to play The Sims (1 2 or 3) or The Sims (4)? The graphics processor in the T410 (X4500) is at the minimum required for The Sims 4, so may be passable. No worries on the older games. Good laptop otherwise.

[MkII]

A friend got that Lenovo. She's very happy with it. Typical Lenovo/ IBM quirkyness. I thought it was very worn. I've bought a lot better 2nd hand locally for half the price & in better condition. Mixed feelings I guess. There are choices in screen sizes that they sell at different price points... i'd watch out for that when ordering.

[Novalee]

@Novalee

ICT-Direct is well known to edugeek and provide many of us with robust, cheap, high-spec refurb laptops that last very well.

It would be worth talking to them, definitely.

 

Do they sell to anyone or do you have to be a business?

Is it to play The Sims (1 2 or 3) or The Sims (4)? The graphics processor in the T410 (X4500) is at the minimum required for The Sims 4, so may be passable. No worries on the older games. Good laptop otherwise.

She is wanting the Sims 4 yes.

 

A friend got that Lenovo. She's very happy with it. Typical Lenovo/ IBM quirkyness. I thought it was very worn. I've bought a lot better 2nd hand locally for half the price & in better condition. Mixed feelings I guess. There are choices in screen sizes that they sell at different price points... i'd watch out for that when ordering.

 

Actually, I forgot to factor into the equation that she is a 20 year old girl. The Lenovo isn't aesthetically pleasing enough for her... I told her if she wants a decent laptop for £200 she'll probably have to compromise either on performance or appearance but...

[witch]

They sell to anyone - you would have to pay VAT though

[localzuk]

£200 is a tad low. There's an i3 Asus for £260 at Dabs though - ASUS Refurb Asus X502CA 15.6" Intel Core i3 4GB RAM, 320GB HDMI USB3 Win8 White (X502CA-XX152H-refurb) - dabs.com

 

Or £300 (£250 after cashback deal) for a new Lenovo (a friend bought one of these recently. They're not bad laptops!) Lenovo Thinkpad B50-70 Laptop - Laptops at Ebuyer

[3s-gtech]

We have a large number of Lenovo B series (570, 580 and 590) laptops like the above and they're great for the price. They even withstand kids (for the most part)! The performance is excellent too, especially with an SSD. I'd go for @localzuk 's suggestion.

[chazzy2501]

how about a 2nd user probook? I get them for work they're great. I can't vouch for the graphics but it's a 2nd gen i5 with 4gb RAM:

 

HP Probook 6460b 2.5GHz 320GB 4GB

 

They're scuffed and sometimes dented but 100% working. screen and keyboard will be fine.

 

EDIT: oh it's £199 INC btw has HD3000 gfx and will boost to 3.2GHz. Also these models usually come with a 1600x900 screen.

Edited October 20, 2014 by chazzy2501