The Tired Technician

Completely depends on the used market in your area, $200 isn't a lot of money. Going by US ebay, you're not really going to get something newer than a 2012 macbook, maybe 2013 if you're lucky or a 2014ish or older mac mini.
 
Unfortunately when it comes to the used market and machines that old, it's hard to recommend any specific models to lookout for since it depends on how it's been treated by it's previous owner.

well thanks for the beaming positivity, i really appreciate you berating me for an idea i have. And then not even giving a clear or definitive answer on the subject, and just providing a link to a tom's hardware post. Asshole.

Download Crystal Disk Info. If the SMART Status is anything other than good, back up your data and buy a new drive.