Looking to buy a new laptop. Help appreciated

[xh1]

Hi,
I'm looking to buy a new laptop mostly for internet browsing (including videos), normally with quite a few windows/tabs open. My price range is $300-$400. I'm not interested in a Chromebook or any other "computer" with similarly imposed limitations.

I have a few questions:

In this price range, what CPUs should I consider and which CPUs am I better off avoiding. I'm looking to maximize performance and minimize wait times.
Also, if you could possibly share the kind o laptop brands/makes that you personally prefer and those which you rather avoid.

I have been limiting my search to Walmart, Amazon and Best Buy. Are there other websites where I could possibly find better deals? I want to take advantage of Black Friday if I can.

Thanks for your help

[chrispop99]

At that price point you will be much better off buying a used Lenovo Thinkpad or Dell Latitude. For web browsing with multiple tabs open, RAM is more important the CPU, and you should be aiming for 16GB or more.

My personal preference is for a Latitude, but I'm probably in the minority here!

Chris

[CharlesV]

+1 on what Chris said. I REALLY dont like Dell... but if your going to buy one than I also agree on a Latitude.

I have had very good luck with these folks - support was very good on two occasions.
https://featuremarketing.com/collections/laptop

[j2mcgreg]

I'll add that a refurbished HP ProBook would be another good option.

[pixie]

I use Ideapad S145 i3-1005G1 with 8G RAM and I'm happy with it.
If battery life matters I'd buy https://www.bestbuy.com/site/acer-aspir ... Id=6530235

[j2mcgreg]

I use Ideapad S145 i3-1005G1 with 8G RAM and I'm happy with it.
If battery life matters I'd buy https://www.bestbuy.com/site/acer-aspir ... Id=6530235

You have to be careful with modern Acers as their UEFI Set Up Utility (BIOS) is quite funky. Have a look at this thread which details @keos's struggles with an Acer Aspire 3:
viewtopic.php?p=771866#p771866

[lars_the_bear]

I've always been amazed at how much better the specifications I can get with refurbished hardware, compared to new hardware of the same price. Also, I've found that older machines have fewer problems with Linux compatibility.

BR, Lars.

[Rodney]

Here in Australia where laptops are much dearer than the US, I purchased a 5 year old ex-government Dell Latitude 7490 with a i7 and 32 gig of ram, for under au$500
It's a fantastic machine and MX 23 runs beautifully on it.

[T3KN05H4M4N]

I always buy refurbed Dell Latitudes and HP Probooks from eBay. I've always gotten way better deals on there than Walmart or Amazon. Temu also has some good deals but I have never bought a computer from Temu before. Other things I have but not electronics....yet. I usually aim for i5 or better with at least 8GB RAM but preferably 16GB RAM or with the option to upgrade your RAM to 16GB+ with a 500GB SSD or less. You can always upgrade your SSD to a higher storage capacity at a later date.

[jeffreyC]

Since 2021 all the laptops I have bought are used ThinkPads, they are built with Linux compatibility in mind from the planning stage.

Get them when they are coming off corporate lease and the price to value is excellent.
Make sure you get an Intel 8th gen or a newer AMD if performance matters.
Look for the best screen available when you buy.
RAM and SSDs are usually easy to upgrade, if you can use a screwdriver.