Choosing a laptop

[Trouble Kelp]

I am getting a laptop for school and I've narrowed it down to two. I am mostly using this laptop for notes, web browsing, league of legends/SC2 and coding. I want to dual boot windows and linux because I will be coding C++. I have been borrowing my cousin's alienware M14x which has an I7 2720QM, nvidia 555m, 16 GB of ram, 160 GB SSD and a 500 GB HDD. I have also found a Asus Q550LM which has a I7 4500u, nvidia 745M, 8GB of ram, and 500 GB HDD. Both come with a case and mouse. So far the Alienware has worked well for me but I'm thinking I might buy the asus instead. The SSD and extra RAM on the alienware are nice but I don't really need more than 8GB of ram, the keyboard is also quite nice for a laptop but the trackpad buttons are just bad. The main draw for the asus is the batter life, I'm assuming that it would be much better because of the newer parts and less battery deterioration (the alienware is almost 5 years old where as the asus is 1). I think the graphics card on the asus is better and the processor is comparable (maybe slightly weaker) from what I've read. Right now I'm leaning towards getting the Asus but I'm still undecided. What is your recommendation? Which one should I choose and why? Has anyone had experience with the Q550LM, if so what did you think about it (how good is the keyboard, trackpad and gaming performance)?

Thanks for any recommendations.

[Windows2000]

IMPORTANT QUESTION:

BUDGET AND LOCATION?

[Trouble Kelp]

IMPORTANT QUESTION:

BUDGET AND LOCATION?

My budget is $500 but both laptops are $450. And I'm in the US.

[Windows2000]

My budget is $500 but both laptops are $450. And I'm in the US.

I'd go with the Asus then. Guessing that you're buying a used PC, make sure it's in good condition. 

(Also, it can be stolen so be careful of that also. I don't see how the laptop can be sold at $450.)

If you're looking for new, you can't get anything better at $450.

[Trouble Kelp]

I'd go with the Asus then. Guessing that you're buying a used PC, make sure it's in good condition. 

(Also, it can be stolen so be careful of that also. I don't see how the laptop can be sold at $450.)

If you're looking for new, you can't get anything better at $450.

The nice thing about the Alienware is I don't really have to worry about it being stolen or broken cause I've been using it for a while and I can trust my cousin but I'm definitely going to check out the Asus. What are some good red flags to look for to avoid buying a broken or stolen laptop? I'll obviously turn it on and test it out a bit but are there any specific things I should look out for?

[Windows2000]

The nice thing about the Alienware is I don't really have to worry about it being stolen or broken cause I've been using it for a while and I can trust my cousin but I'm definitely going to check out the Asus. What are some good red flags to look for to avoid buying a broken or stolen laptop? I'll obviously turn it on and test it out a bit but are there any specific things I should look out for?

If the seller is black. (bad racist joke... sorry... )

You should be able to tell. Especially if you're going to Craigslist and see that the seller is shady, it can be suspected. (NEVER EVER MEET THE PERSON AT HIS HOUSE. MEET AT A POLICE STATION OR SOMEWHERE PUBLIC LIKE STARBUCKS)

Unfortunately, checking if a laptop is stolen isn't as simple as searching up an IMEI for a smartphone.

You can see if the warranty is still under the dude's name though. If it's not, something might be up. (if it's unregistered, it's a different story)

I don't endorse going against the law, but stealing OR POSSESSING STOLEN PROPERTY in the US is AGAINST THE LAW, AND IS PUNISHABLE.

Even if it's stolen though, I don't see how you can really get caught.

 

Broken? Ask for how long he had the laptop and what he used it for. 

Look for dents and scratches. 

Ask if you can run some stress tests like AIDA64 and 3DMark. 

CrystalDiskInfo does a good job of showing how many times the HDD has turned on/ how many hours it has ran.

^ hdd might've been swapped, but its still good enough.

 

Hope this helped, and good luck!

 

 

 

[Trouble Kelp]

If the seller is black. (bad racist joke... sorry... )

You should be able to tell. Especially if you're going to Craigslist and see that the seller is shady, it can be suspected. (NEVER EVER MEET THE PERSON AT HIS HOUSE. MEET AT A POLICE STATION OR SOMEWHERE PUBLIC LIKE STARBUCKS)

Unfortunately, checking if a laptop is stolen isn't as simple as searching up an IMEI for a smartphone.

You can see if the warranty is still under the dude's name though. If it's not, something might be up. (if it's unregistered, it's a different story)

I don't endorse going against the law, but stealing OR POSSESSING STOLEN PROPERTY in the US is AGAINST THE LAW, AND IS PUNISHABLE.

Even if it's stolen though, I don't see how you can really get caught.

 

Broken? Ask for how long he had the laptop and what he used it for. 

Look for dents and scratches. 

Ask if you can run some stress tests like AIDA64 and 3DMark. 

CrystalDiskInfo does a good job of showing how many times the HDD has turned on/ how many hours it has ran.

^ hdd might've been swapped, but its still good enough.

 

Hope this helped, and good luck!

Awesome! Thanks for all the advice.