Is it just me, or have low-end laptops barely improved in the last few years?

[Spork829]

I got my laptop, which was the first computer I've ever owned, in August 2012. It's a Toshiba Satellite L755D that originally had 4GB RAM, an A6-3420M APU and a 500GB 5400RPM HDD. Before I had a proper gaming desktop I used it very heavily for schoolwork and gaming. Now it's just for school, and it holds up ok with the upgrades I've made (4 more GB RAM and an SSD to replace the miserable 5400RPM drive).

 

However, because of a few reasons, namely:

• The 1366x768 screen is not ideal
• Battery life is not great though I've replaced the battery twice since getting the thing
• It's damn heavy for a notebook

I've been looking into replacing it. 

 

Now, it was below $400 new when I got it back then. When I look at Windows laptops at that price range now, I see... barely any improvements. 

 

• Still basically no touchscreens
• Still APUs (or Pentiums) 
• Still 5400RPM hard drives (Given most are 1TB now)
• Many of the displays are still resolutions below 1080p

 

The only improvements seem to be in the HDD and RAM capacities, and marginal processor improvements. Not to mention many of them are upwards of 4 pounds, bordering on not even being lighter than my own machine!

 

Also after looking at teardowns of the most promising models, many components, such as the wifi module and even RAM sometimes, are soldered in and non-upgradeable! Not to mention the slide-the-battery-right-out-the-back technology on my laptop seems to also have been entirely abandoned.

 

You would think after 4.5 years I would be able to get a lot more for the same amount out of a laptop, but... apparently not. 

 

Am I missing something, or have low end Windows laptops really just not improved? 

 

[The Sloth]

get a old thinkpad from ebay with a 3rd gen i7, it will last longer than any "low end" laptop. 

[GDRRiley]

they haven't much about the best I can find https://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=1TS-000X-00JU6

[Dabombinable]

Considering that only recently my old laptop ($999 AUD) has only recently been surpased in all areas by laptops of the same price.....improvements seem to only really happen with laptops nearing $2000.

[Droidbot]

EliteBook and Thinkpad machines are your go-to value machine. They are from business environments, so they are usually in very good condition. 

A cheap 3rd or 4th gen Thinkpad will absolutely smash any 'BUDGET' acer shitbox into the ground

[Spork829]

4 minutes ago, Dabombinable said:

Considering that only recently my old laptop ($999 AUD) has only recently been surpased in all areas by laptops of the same price.....improvements seem to only really happen with laptops nearing $2000.

Guess that makes sense, they probably think people with this low of a budget will just buy Chromebooks, and the people like me that need Windows are fringe cases.

 

8 minutes ago, GDRRiley said:

they haven't much about the best I can find https://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=1TS-000X-00JU6

That actually looks pretty good, I'll keep an eye on it

 

9 minutes ago, nerdslayer1 said:

get a old thinkpad from ebay with a 3rd gen i7, it will last longer than any "low end" laptop. 

 

2 minutes ago, Droidbot said:

EliteBook and Thinkpad machines are your go-to value machine. They are from business environments, so they are usually in very good condition. 

A cheap 3rd or 4th gen Thinkpad will absolutely smash any 'BUDGET' acer shitbox into the ground

Yeah used in general is looking quite good. I honestly don't need the upgrade right now so I'll wait and see what comes around (AMD please make Zen mobile chips) but I might end up going this route.

 

Thanks for replies guys

[RadiatingLight]

Yeah I've noticed that too. not even an SSD for a $500 laptop.

maybe because of intel's core i7s for laptops still being dual cores.

[Droidbot]

1 minute ago, RadiatingLight said:

Yeah I've noticed that too. not even an SSD for a $500 laptop.

maybe because of intel's core i7s for laptops still being dual cores.

U series is dual-core

HQ, QM, etc are quad-core

XM is quad-core, but 55W extreme parts

 

Not all i processors are made equal

[Spork829]

1 minute ago, Droidbot said:

U series is dual-core

HQ, QM, etc are quad-core

XM is quad-core, but 55W extreme parts

 

Not all i processors are made equal

Lol product naming schemes are so stupid

[The Sloth]

1 minute ago, Droidbot said:

U series is dual-core

HQ, QM, etc are quad-core

XM is quad-core, but 55W extreme parts

 

Not all i processors are made equal

 

most consumers don't know the difference they just know as i7 is better than a i5. 

[RadiatingLight]

2 minutes ago, Droidbot said:

U series is dual-core

HQ, QM, etc are quad-core

XM is quad-core, but 55W extreme parts

 

Not all i processors are made equal

Yes i know, but the HQ and true quadcores are never in laptops under $800.

[Spork829]

1 minute ago, nerdslayer1 said:

most consumers don't know the difference they just know as i7 is better than a i5. 

TBH I didn't even know XM exists

[RadiatingLight]

1 minute ago, nerdslayer1 said:

most consumers don't know the difference they just know as i7 is better than a i5. 

It's legimately stupid.

an HQ model i3 is better than a U model i7.

IMO the HQ models should be called extreme edition mobile i7s, like the HEDT, there should be a HDLT

[Droidbot]

1 minute ago, RadiatingLight said:

Yes i know, but the HQ and true quadcores are never in laptops under $800.

? 

https://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834234476&cm_re=6300hq-_-34-234-476-_-Product

 

[The Sloth]

1 minute ago, RadiatingLight said:

It's legimately stupid.

an HQ model i3 is better than a U model i7.

IMO the HQ models should be called extreme edition mobile i7s, like the HEDT, there should be a HDLT

 

yup, i has a conversation with my dad that a i5 HQ is better than a i7u processor, the intel naming scheme is not helping.   

[Spork829]

1 minute ago, Droidbot said:

? 

https://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834234476&cm_re=6300hq-_-34-234-476-_-Product

 

Wow I didn't know they made HQ series i5's and i3's either

[The Sloth]

1 minute ago, nerdslayer1 said:

yup, i has a conversation with my dad that a i5 HQ is better than a i7u processor, the intel naming scheme is not helping.   

i would go for dell Inspiron on sale, its usually  690 to 700 usd. 

[Phentos]

IMO low end laptops like the sub-$400 machines that you find in your local Walmart are never worth purchasing, unless you plan to give it to your parents/grandparents for Facebook or Netflix. 

 

And at that point, you're still better off just getting an el-cheapo Android tablet or whatever. More portable and cheaper still than low-end laptops.

 

Or a used Thinkpad like above posters said. Thinkpads are built like tanks and they can last forever.

[Droidbot]

1 minute ago, Spork829 said:

Wow I didn't know they made HQ series i5's and i3's either

They don't make i3 HQs, they only make i5 and i7 HQs.

 

Meanwhile a 3rd gen i7 QM kicks the ass of any U series processor

[Spork829]

2 minutes ago, Droidbot said:

They don't make i3 HQs, they only make i5 and i7 HQs.

 

Meanwhile a 3rd gen i7 QM kicks the ass of any U series processor

 

2 minutes ago, Phentos said:

Or a used Thinkpad like above posters said. Thinkpads are built like tanks and they can last forever.

Again looking more and more promising, thanks for introducing me to the used Thinkpad thing.

 

3 minutes ago, Phentos said:

 

IMO low end laptops like the sub-$400 machines that you find in your local Walmart are never worth purchasing, unless your intended uses will only revolve around Facebook or Netflix. 

 

And at that point, you're still better off just getting an el-cheapo Android tablet or whatever. More portable and cheaper still than low-end laptops.

 

Exactly, except that I need it to run Windows and Adobe programs, and for that there are barely any improvements over what I'm already running. 

[Phentos]

1 minute ago, Spork829 said:

Exactly, except that I need it to run Windows and Adobe programs, and for that there are barely any improvements over what I'm already running. 

Oh god, don't even bother then. Do yourself a favor and buy a used Thinkpad with an older i7 from Ebay.

[Spork829]

1 minute ago, Phentos said:

Oh god, don't even bother then. Do yourself a favor and buy a used Thinkpad with an older i7 from Ebay.

Yeah wow, I found one within the price range with an i7 and 24GB RAM. Slap my SSD in there and that'll be awesome. Ebay to the rescue once again it seems

[Brian McKee]

I did get an Acer with an i5 5200U and a 940m for about 350 bucks new. You can get some decent deals sometimes.

 

But I mean if you need something with more horsepower then the used market is always best.

[Droidbot]

3 minutes ago, Spork829 said:

Yeah wow, I found one within the price range with an i7 and 24GB RAM. Slap my SSD in there and that'll be awesome. Ebay to the rescue once again it seems

What i7? Arrandale (1st gen) IPC and iGPU sucks

[RadiatingLight]

27 minutes ago, Droidbot said:

They don't make i3 HQs, they only make i5 and i7 HQs.

 

Meanwhile a 3rd gen i7 QM kicks the ass of any U series processor

Didn't know that.

anyway, an i5 HQ is way better than an i7 U, but people don't think so.