Pages in topic:   [1 2] >
Need a new laptop - suggestions?
Thread poster: Inez Ulrich
Inez Ulrich
Inez Ulrich  Identity Verified
Germany
Local time: 20:12
Member (2016)
English to German
+ ...
Apr 4, 2020

Hi there,

my laptop is breaking down and it lookos as if I need another one. I cannot afford a new one so it will have to be a used one. My current one is a Dell Latitude E6430 and it was really slow. Before that I had a ThinkPad T430 which was better. So, as I'm not expert, what processor do I need (Someone said it should be a QuadCore with 8 GB RAM and SSD, but I don't have € 500 or more for that, as we had major repairs to do in our house and now with Corona...). I only need to
... See more
Hi there,

my laptop is breaking down and it lookos as if I need another one. I cannot afford a new one so it will have to be a used one. My current one is a Dell Latitude E6430 and it was really slow. Before that I had a ThinkPad T430 which was better. So, as I'm not expert, what processor do I need (Someone said it should be a QuadCore with 8 GB RAM and SSD, but I don't have € 500 or more for that, as we had major repairs to do in our house and now with Corona...). I only need to work in Office and with my online CATS. Can you help, please?
Collapse


 
Sadek_A
Sadek_A  Identity Verified
Local time: 23:12
English to Arabic
+ ...
Simply... Apr 4, 2020

... figure out the "minimum requirements" for your current versions of Office and CATs; then, via internet, look for the cheapest machine that meets such minimum, and buy it from a trusted online supplier.

This way you may be able to secure a brand new one.

Don't bother about the "8 GB RAM and SSD" unless they're minimum requirements for your current programs, which I doubt.


 
Samuel Murray
Samuel Murray  Identity Verified
Netherlands
Local time: 20:12
Member (2006)
English to Afrikaans
+ ...
@Inez Apr 4, 2020

Note: I am not a computer technician.

Inez Ulrich wrote:
My laptop is breaking down. I cannot afford a new one, so it will have to be a used one.

Refurbished, in other words. It doesn't look like you're going to get something much better for under €400:
https://www.refurbed.de/c/laptops/?n7=14-17.3&price=222-400

It is, of course, difficult to compare laptops from just the specifications, because how fast or slow a laptop is can depend on a combination of factors and not just one element. But, having said that, what I did is to compare the CPU score of your current laptop against the CPU scores of the laptops on the list linked to above. If you're going to compare CPU scores, you have to compare all of them on the same web site (different sites "score" them differently). Also, a laptop's maximum RAM can be an indicator of how old it truly is.

My current one is a Dell Latitude E6430...

So, presumably with an i5-3320M processor, which on cpubenchmark.net is scored at about 2600. Similar Latitudes on the site above cost about €350. However, there is a Latitude E6440, whose CPU score is 3000, which is a little better, and what's also positive is that its maximum RAM is 16 GB. Price: €390 (with 8 GB RAM and 250 GB SSD).

Someone said it should be a [four core processor] with 8 GB RAM and SSD, but I don't have € 500 or more for that...


In a test a few years ago (granted, using Windows 7 instead of 10) I found that most CAT tools do not use more than one core. The most recent version of Microsoft Office can, sometimes, use more than one core, but you'll only need that if you run extensive macros. More cores isn't generally going to make e.g. MS Word faster. More cores will make web browsing faster, if you use a lot of tabs. I don't think you need four cores. Four, six or eight cores would be nice if you have the money, but you don't *need* it.

Sure, RAM is relatively cheap these days, so get 8 GB instead of 4. SSDs are also getting cheaper, but whether the computer will be a lot faster using the SSD depends on whether the computer's motherboard supports higher speeds.



[Edited at 2020-04-04 15:14 GMT]


 
Endre Both
Endre Both  Identity Verified
Germany
Local time: 20:12
English to German
Buy a used pro-grade laptop Apr 4, 2020

My standing recommendation is to buy a used enterprise laptop (instead of a new consumer-grade one). You can get a fairly recent one for far less than 500 €, so you'd even have money for an upgrade or two (RAM and SSDs have rightly been recommended as crucial elements of the user experience).

What gives me pause however is that your penultimate machine (the one *before* the current *slow* one) is the same generation I have been happily using for 5 years, and I'm still not planning
... See more
My standing recommendation is to buy a used enterprise laptop (instead of a new consumer-grade one). You can get a fairly recent one for far less than 500 €, so you'd even have money for an upgrade or two (RAM and SSDs have rightly been recommended as crucial elements of the user experience).

What gives me pause however is that your penultimate machine (the one *before* the current *slow* one) is the same generation I have been happily using for 5 years, and I'm still not planning on upgrading it as getting a perceptible improvement would mean an investment of up to 1000 €.

So I'm wondering what happened to your T430 (a computer that should still be up there with the best of them), why you switched to the 6430 and why that one is so slow. Simply switching to the next one could just postpone rather than cure your underlying problem.

Endre
Collapse


 
Inez Ulrich
Inez Ulrich  Identity Verified
Germany
Local time: 20:12
Member (2016)
English to German
+ ...
TOPIC STARTER
... Apr 4, 2020

Endre Both wrote:

My standing recommendation is to buy a used enterprise laptop (instead of a new consumer-grade one). You can get a fairly recent one for far less than 500 €, so you'd even have money for an upgrade or two (RAM and SSDs have rightly been recommended as crucial elements of the user experience).



Hi Endre,

it was done in the end (I already bought it used), that's all. The Dell was just an interims solution, but as we had so many expenses lately, I had to continue working with it.

I reseted my notebook and now it is working again, so for now I don't have to buy another one, but I'm thankful for your recs!

[Edited at 2020-04-04 15:26 GMT]


 
Inez Ulrich
Inez Ulrich  Identity Verified
Germany
Local time: 20:12
Member (2016)
English to German
+ ...
TOPIC STARTER
Thanks a lot! Apr 4, 2020

Samuel Murray wrote:

Note: I am not a computer technician.



Thanks a lot, Murray! That makes absolute sense to me and now I understand much better! As I don't have to work on this Dell forever, it is good to know what to focus on.


 
Aline Amorim
Aline Amorim  Identity Verified
Brazil
Local time: 16:12
English to Portuguese
+ ...
Acer and/or Lenovo Apr 4, 2020

I work with Acer and Lenovo no problem. I like them.

Yurim Jung
Daryo
 
Aline Amorim
Aline Amorim  Identity Verified
Brazil
Local time: 16:12
English to Portuguese
+ ...
Acer and/or Lenovo Apr 4, 2020

Aline Amorim wrote:

@Inez

Note: I am not a computer technician.

I work with Acer and Lenovo no problem. I like them.


 
Lincoln Hui
Lincoln Hui  Identity Verified
Hong Kong
Local time: 03:12
Member
Chinese to English
+ ...
Just for reference Apr 6, 2020

The minimum configuration that I would be willing to recommend to someone would be the rightmost configuration on this page:
https://www.dell.com/de-de/shop/laptops-2-in-1-pcs/inspiron-15-3585-laptop/spd/inspiron-15-3585-laptop
4 core CPU, 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD...but the really important thing here is the 1920 x1080 screen whi
... See more
The minimum configuration that I would be willing to recommend to someone would be the rightmost configuration on this page:
https://www.dell.com/de-de/shop/laptops-2-in-1-pcs/inspiron-15-3585-laptop/spd/inspiron-15-3585-laptop
4 core CPU, 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD...but the really important thing here is the 1920 x1080 screen which makes a huge difference for a work computer, especially with CAT tools, and that's not something you can easily find on refurbished computers. The 100 Euro between 400 and 500 really goes a long way towards improving the quality of life.

For people who simply must stay below 400 EUR, I would actually say try to get your hands on a cheap Chinese laptop like a Chuwi Lapbook or Herobook (https://www.amazon.de/dp/B07PM1ZHB3), and add a 50 EUR SSD so that you'll have adequate storage and speed. Yes, it will be slow, but that's not much different from any refurbished laptop in this range, and if I were doing only light office work, I would rather live with slow CPU and RAM than having to work on a 1366x768 monitor.

[Edited at 2020-04-06 06:16 GMT]
Collapse


 
CAN LIU
CAN LIU
Australia
Local time: 06:12
English to Chinese
depending on your budget Apr 6, 2020

Hi There,

It's really depending on your budget and what're you gonna used it for?


 
Samuel Murray
Samuel Murray  Identity Verified
Netherlands
Local time: 20:12
Member (2006)
English to Afrikaans
+ ...
@Lincoln Apr 6, 2020

Lincoln Hui wrote:
The really important thing here is the 1920x1080 screen...


I suppose one has to ask "what is the laptop for". If it is meant to be your main computer *and* be portable, then a big screen is preferable. If it is to be your main computer, but doesn't have to be portable, one or two external monitors can be had for very cheaply at thrift stores. And if you're looking for a temporary or "holiday" or on-the-bus-and-train laptop, battery life and reduced height are more important (which can mean a lower resolution screen).


 
Lincoln Hui
Lincoln Hui  Identity Verified
Hong Kong
Local time: 03:12
Member
Chinese to English
+ ...
What? Apr 6, 2020

Samuel Murray wrote:

Lincoln Hui wrote:
The really important thing here is the 1920x1080 screen...


I suppose one has to ask "what is the laptop for". If it is meant to be your main computer *and* be portable, then a big screen is preferable. If it is to be your main computer, but doesn't have to be portable, one or two external monitors can be had for very cheaply at thrift stores. And if you're looking for a temporary or "holiday" or on-the-bus-and-train laptop, battery life and reduced height are more important (which can mean a lower resolution screen).

You want somebody who has trouble coming up with another 100 EUR, to come up with extra money to buy an external monitor? Why not actually spend that money on a 500 EUR laptop that doesn't have to make major sacrifices?

I have not recommended any laptop that isn't thinner or lighter than the Latitude E6430. All the Chuwi laptops are considered ultramobile options.


Kaspars Melkis
 
Inez Ulrich
Inez Ulrich  Identity Verified
Germany
Local time: 20:12
Member (2016)
English to German
+ ...
TOPIC STARTER
... Apr 6, 2020

Lincoln Hui wrote:

Samuel Murray wrote:

Lincoln Hui wrote:
The really important thing here is the 1920x1080 screen...


I suppose one has to ask "what is the laptop for". If it is meant to be your main computer *and* be portable, then a big screen is preferable. If it is to be your main computer, but doesn't have to be portable, one or two external monitors can be had for very cheaply at thrift stores. And if you're looking for a temporary or "holiday" or on-the-bus-and-train laptop, battery life and reduced height are more important (which can mean a lower resolution screen).

You want somebody who has trouble coming up with another 100 EUR, to come up with extra money to buy an external monitor? Why not actually spend that money on a 500 EUR laptop that doesn't have to make major sacrifices?

I have not recommended any laptop that isn't thinner or lighter than the Latitude E6430. All the Chuwi laptops are considered ultramobile options.


Hi all, I'm really grateful for all your input, but as I said, I cannot afford spending € 500 or more right now, asn as I have been working on those lpatops I mentioned for the last few years, I can absolutely continue working on devices liek that for another while. A big screen or additional monitors are just no option right now. Also, I have managed to repair my Dell now and that will hoepfully do for another while.


 
gmarton22gma
gmarton22gma
Bangladesh
Which brand? Jun 17, 2020

Sorry to hear about that you laptop has breakdown. Which brand are you going to buy this time? And what's your budget?

 
Tom in London
Tom in London
United Kingdom
Local time: 19:12
Member (2008)
Italian to English
Thrift Jun 17, 2020

Inez Ulrich wrote:

.... now it is working again, so for now I don't have to buy another one....


One of the good things about this crisis is that we spend time fixing things instead of buying new ones.


Inez Ulrich
Beatriz Ramírez de Haro
Susan Murphy Lamprecht
 
Pages in topic:   [1 2] >


To report site rules violations or get help, contact a site moderator:


You can also contact site staff by submitting a support request »

Need a new laptop - suggestions?






Trados Studio 2022 Freelance
The leading translation software used by over 270,000 translators.

Designed with your feedback in mind, Trados Studio 2022 delivers an unrivalled, powerful desktop and cloud solution, empowering you to work in the most efficient and cost-effective way.

More info »
Protemos translation business management system
Create your account in minutes, and start working! 3-month trial for agencies, and free for freelancers!

The system lets you keep client/vendor database, with contacts and rates, manage projects and assign jobs to vendors, issue invoices, track payments, store and manage project files, generate business reports on turnover profit per client/manager etc.

More info »