Used older laptop a good deal?

[Bitter]

I've got a older Dell laptop with an i5 580M and no dGPU, maxed out at 8GB RAM with a glossy screen that's like 720P I think. It does what I need it to do well enough.

https://www.dell.com/support/home/en-us/product-support/servicetag/0-TkJYTjdEQUViNVFhRmk4a0FQSlZHZz090/overview

But I can buy this laptop for $165, it's got a newer processor (3rd gen vs 1st gen), Nvidia graphics (sorely dated NVS 5200M, but still better than iGPU?), 4GB RAM which I can upgrade, no HDD (will swap SSD drive from current laptop), and includes the power brick. I'm not sure if I should buy or wait for something newer, thinner, lighter, more power efficient with longer battery life. The price feels right and it's one of their more professional laptops so it should be pretty solid in terms of reliability, but I do get tired of the wimpy battery life with my current laptop (with new high capacity battery) and I'm sure this one won't be any better and I'll still feel chained to the wall with the charger. Otherwise I feel like it ticks all the right boxes. Is it a good deal or should I pass and wait?

 

[aisle9]

The E6X30 was, imo, the last great Dell Latitude family, with the 6X20 being the last truly spectacular one. After that, you get into hardware failures galore, so if you're going to buy a Latitude, those are the two I'd go for.

 

That said, if you're in the US, you can probably get yourself a ThinkPad T440 or T450 for that price or a little less, and you're getting a better built machine with newer components. The iGPU would be a downgrade from the 5200M (which is along the lines of something like a GT 620 imo), but everything else would be better--including size and weight. The 6530 is a boat anchor.

 

If a T440, T540, T450 or T550 were out there, that's the direction I'd go. I don't think the Latitude is worth that price, but you could certainly do a lot worse and it will easily outperform any modern $165 "laptop".

[AMD A10-9600P]

If I were you I'd wait and save up to buy a modern machine. Yes, that laptop will be better in the short term, but it's only 2 generations ahead and still around 8 years behind, so will fall behind rather quickly; you'll only be 2 generations closer to the latest, and you'll still be 8 generations behind. Save up and go for a laptop around the $300-400 range, as you can get modern i3s, Ryzen 3s, 8GB RAM and SSDs for the price. If you value your money, which it seems like you do, you'd avoid that laptop and get a slightly more expensive modern one after saving.

 

Also, you said it has Nvidia graphics, that doesn't mean that it is a good card. That graphics card will be absolutely ruined by a modern day iGPU, even on the lower end Ryzen 3 and i3 CPUs. It is a dated mobile GPU, it will fall behind massively even just watching videos, and will consume a hell of a lot more power than a modern iGPU.

[kelvinhall05]

I wouldn't buy that. If you want a cheap, used laptop, look for a used Thinkpad.

[Bitter]

Great advice, thank you all! I'll pass on it. I think I got suckered in when I saw those 3 sexy words...hard drive caddy.