New high end notebook or second hand notebook? Or a mid-range notebook? What is cost effective?

What do you folks get? A new High end notebook or a used high end notebook? Or do you buy mid-range notebook?

Every once in a while I go buy a new notebook... and usually it is a mid-range $500-$600 notebook, so I don't get all the features I want such as the i7, SSD and dedicated GPU. I just don't want to spend over $1,000 for a notebook. I just sold a Samsung Ultra Series 5 mid-range notebook, i5, no dedicated GPU. Two years ago, I had a used QOSMIO X505-Q830 with all the goodies... before that the mid-range Samsung R580 and before that the Dell XPS M1530... you get the idea... I alternate between high end and mid-range every two years. Another reason for buying a used high end vs new high end notebook is when you walk out the door with it, the value goes down immediately... and a year or two later when technology improves them so much you want a another one, your two year old notebook is now not worth very much. $1,500 plus is a lot of money to spend every two years...

I was missing the good stuff this past year as I do a lot of photography and CS6 Collection Master work... so I started looking a couple weeks ago for a ThinkPad this time around. I'd rather get a two year old workstation than a new one that costs between $1,500-$2,500 for the specs I wanted.
I got one ThinkPad and turned around and sold it as there was too many things wrong with it. Then last week I picked up a 2012 Lenovo ThinkPad W520 4270 for $400, then spent $220 online for more memory, SSD & a new screen, for a total of $620. I also cleaned up the notebook and painted so it looks like new again. I also raised the WEI score up from 5.4 to 6.7 I'm extremely pleased what I ended up with:

15.6" - 1920 x 1080 full HD screen - Core i7 2620M - 16GB DDR3 Memory - 246GB SSD - 500GB 7200rpm HDD - NVIDIA Quadro 1000M with 2GB DDR3 memoryy / Intel HD Graphics - 9 cell battery - Windows 7 Pro 64-bit - PCMark 7 4341 score

This is still better than any system that Best Buy or Frys has right now even though it is two years old. To get a better system you would have to custom order from Lenovo, Dell, HP, Toshiba etc. To get the same specs it have would be in the $1,500-$2,500 range for a new one. Here is a good example:

The best that Best Buy has to offer right now is this one:

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/lenovo-15-6-thinkpad-notebook-8-gb-memory-and-180-gb-solid-state-drive/1310793903.p?id=mp1310793903&skuId=1310793903&st=categoryid$abcat0502000&cp=1&lp=8#tab=
15.6" - 1920 x 1080 full HD screen - Core i7 - 8GB DDR3 Memory - 180GB SSD - HD 4600, Quadro K1100M Graphics Memory Capacity: 2 GB - 9 cell battery - Windows 7 Pro 64-bit $1,820.19

Now mine has all of the above, AND my SSD is bigger @ 246GB, extra 500MB 7200rpm HDD in Ultrabay, 8GB more memory and mine only cost me $620!

Some say, "well it is used and has wear & tear and maybe quit working soon". Nope... these are workstations that are heavy duty and meant for years of use.

So getting a used one is a NOBRAINER!!!

So... how about you? Would you rather spend the cash for a new high end system, or pick up a used one for less money. Or simply pick from the many mid-ranges ones in Best Buy or Frys.

Let's hear your story and input.

*Moderator: Since I was talking about a ThinkPad, I posted here, but this could apply to all makes/brands, so if you want to move it somewhere else, feel free to do so.

 

I'm all in favour of buying a well-kept used machine. With that said, occasionally I do spring out for a brand new system, and it's always a high-end one.

My latest "new" purchase was a Panasonic CF-52 last year, but that machine has already earned its keep, and will continue to do so for the next few years.

It's tough to beat a well-spec'd W520 for under a grand...no doubt about that.

 

really depends on the use, if you need the latest and greatest and you can afford it, sure why not go for it, but for me i rather not take the 1st year of massive depreciation on a notebook and wait to buy it used, i have had good luck buying used products over the years and it has become a habit for me, i mean there are some electronics i won't touch that are used, but laptops for the most part are a safe bet depending on where you buy them, and for the used, 1-2 year of technological generation behind doesn't really hurt me, the 15-25% gains are usually insignificant for me, unless something really revolutionary comes out that effects my work, i may be tempted to buy it, but i would rather wait and let the flaws be worked out even then and buy it later.. to be honest many probably don't need the latest and greatest if the changes aren't that great, but just buy it because they can.. nothing against those people as they lower the price on the older notebook i am hunting for

 

I typically buy same generation Used or Refurb to reduce the significant drop in value while still getting the best bang for buck. CPU wise, the Core i7 2620M in your machine is about equivelent to the i5-4300U which you'll find in way thinner and lighter cases than anything 2012 had to offer. GPU wise, the quadro 1000M is equivlent to the Geforce 820M, a low end graphics card made for ultraportables. What you won't get is the ruggedness and build quality of the thinkpad in this price range. but if thats not important to you your way better off going with something like a midrange refurb/ used gaming machine of this generation for around the same price in my opinion to get the best bang for buck. Depening on your needs, youll probably come out with better performance with the newer technology.

As an example of what newer hardware offers:
I just purchased a thinkpad yoga from the lenovo outlet for $740 after taxes. The model I got was unopened and labeled new. If I held out for a refurb or scratch n dent I could have shaved off a few more bucks but the yoga is hard to grab on the outlet. its an 12.5inch/3.5lb 1080p touch display, i7-4500U, 8 GB ram, 128gb ssd, with digitizer and pen. Could have gone slightly cheaper if i didnt want the digitizer. It also has a slot for an mssd for a second hard drive if needed. Ram is capped out though. I'm still waiting for it to arrive to benchmark, but this lower end model scored a PCMark 7 4769. http://www.laptopmag.com/reviews/laptops/lenovo-thinkpad-yoga-s1.aspx
Mine should outperform this model by a significant margin since i'm bumped up to an i7 and have more ram.

 

I rarely buy new these days as new laptops aren't as cost efficient as picking up a gently used second-hand. Of course I have a work issued laptop so it's not like I buy used Ebay ones for work. For ThinkPads, I have only bought 1 new, and that was my X220t. I feel ThinkPads lose ALOT of value buying new and waiting just a few months, thus I usually pick up 2/3rd hand ones.

 

I don't know why this was moved to the IdeaPad section??? This is a ThinkPad!!!

Anyways, I added this to my first post just now:

The best that Best Buy has to offer right now is this one:

Lenovo 15.6" ThinkPad Notebook 8 GB Memory and 180 GB Solid State Drive 20BG0013US - Best Buy
15.6" - 1920 x 1080 full HD screen - Core i7 - 8GB DDR3 Memory - 180GB SSD - HD 4600, Quadro K1100M Graphics Memory Capacity: 2 GB - 9 cell battery - Windows 7 Pro 64-bit $1,820.19

Now mine has all of the above, AND my SSD is bigger @ 246GB, extra 500MB 7200rpm HDD in Ultrabay, 8GB more memory and mine only cost me $620!

Some say, "well it is used and has wear & tear and maybe quit working soon". Nope... these are workstations that are heavy duty and meant for years of use.

So getting a used one is a NOBRAINER!!!

 

Used purchases are a good idea.

Personally, I buy the highest spec laptop brand-new, and keep it for a good 4-5 years. (Or at least try to). That way the tech doesn't get outdated for quite some time. When I bought my high-end Core 2 Duo laptop (Penryn), it still wasn't much worse than Arrandale when it came out.

 

I shoot for refurb/openbox midrange laptops of the newest generation typically. Especially if your in need of a decent gpu for gaming.

A midrange machine will handle everything most users throw at it for 2-4 years. Most would never use the full potential of the higher specs until the hardware is 4 years or more outdated and by that time you can by another used midrange machine that is day and night better than yesteryears top of the line machines.

Programs are written to perform on the lowest specs possible so having so much power is useless in most situations, even gaming to some extent. My sony s13 with a 640M le can still run every game I throw at it with rarely low/usually med/ sometimes high settings at a 1600/900 resolution. Its now 2 years old. Today, two years later the 820M (lowest class) dGPU outperforms it by a decent margin (before any overclocking).

Id rather spend $6-800 every 2-4 years than $2000 every 3-4 years and still be able to run and play everything.
You come out ahead in price, you don't have to worry failing components or worn out batteries, and you always end up with something newer, lighter, warrantied, and with a better battery life. And you have a machine to resell that only lost 30-50% of its value instead of 80%. High end machines don't hold there value. Go ebay a $800 machine from 2010. Today it'll run you 300-400. Go look at the $2000 machines from 2010, and they'll run you $500.

 

This is why I like to sell notebooks I bought new every two years while it is still worth something. I will not buy an used notebook that is over two years old... My used Ultra Samsung was 9 month old... my current W520 was two years old.

I have a habit of buying a mid-range notebook new every two years, and every other year, buy the best high end used notebook that is not over two years old. This time around worked great for me...

My current used two year old high end W520 blows away any new notebook that Best Buy or Fry's Electronic has in stock now. They're high end notebooks $1,500 and up usually cut corners that cause a bottleneck to save them some money. Rarely does any get a high WEI score of 5.9
You would have to order online to get better specs.

 

Everyone has different wants and needs, if a person is wants to buy high end new that's fine, if you want to buy used that's fine too .
Not everyone has the skills to replace hardware and screen's to make a old laptop almost new.

 

...or to build high end desktops from scratch like this:
Jack's Custom Desktop Build

 

I'd disagree with this.
Everyone has the skills required to swap out a hhd for a ssd. Everyone has the skills to swap out 2gb of ram for 8gb if its user upgradeable to begin with. Its literally just removing a few screws, popping off the bottom cover or panel, and then from there its no different or harder than plugging in a usb drive. Everyone has the skills, they just don't know it and aren't willing to try.
Your not going to be replacing the screen unless it arrived broke, and they only other parts that are even remotely considered user upgradeable is the wireless card. Screens are typically stuck at the resolution it came with or below; high res screens and low res screens use different hook ups for most models of laptops so theres no gain in replacing them unless its broken to begin with; they don't really just wear out.

 

I agree to a degree... Yes most can do it, but many are either too lazy or intimidated to try it. The ones who have more money will simply buy a new one. As for the screen, I replaced mine because I wanted my notebook perfect. My screen had a few smudges that wouldn't come out and one 1/8" white spot that showed up. It wasn't hard at all changing this screen... one tricky spot where I had to make sure I clicked in the display connector just right. Didn't work first time, second time being more diligent, got it.

If you know how to do all this... you end up with a great notebook for a lot less than buying a new one with the same specs. Mine cost me $620 whereas a new one with the same specs cost over $1,500. A no brainer for me! :thumbsup:

 

Doesn't sound like a lot of people fix up/upgrade or tinker with notebooks... they mostly buy it used "as-is". To me it is a great way to save money and get the system you really want and make it different from the other notebooks out there. I really think spending $620 is a lot more cost effective than spending $1,800 plus for the same thing new.

 

Not necessarily...

Those amongst us who have been doing so for decade or more are just tired of writing about it...

I will admit that I've never done any custom painting when it comes to my ThinkPads/FrankenPads, though...

 

Well, it seems that Lenovo likes my paint job. I got this in my inbox last night:

Lenovo really loves your Purple ThinkPad
Hi Jack53,

Your purple thinkpad mod caught the eye of the Lenovo social media team, and they want to ask for permission to use your image for their twitter and facebook account. If you are okay with this, please reply to say yes.

P.S. Your mod is pretty awesome!!!

Regards,

Jin Li

 

Not surprised one bit.

They are actively looking for stuff like that...and your machine DOES look good.

 

A decade or more huh? Well... let's see here, my first notebook in 1985 was a Tandy 600 and I still have it. That is THREE decades!



I also got my first desktop that year.


Info on it:
http://www.obsoletecomputermuseum.org/m600/

 

LOL.

I've never even touched one of those and I'm more than old enough to have done so.

Back in those dim, dead days I was hand-wiring custom output transformers in order to be able to push 900V into EL34s of a standard Marshall 1959 top...computers were about the last thing on this planet that I was interested in.

But life happens...:hi2:

 

Just noticed we're only a couple posts off @ 1,905 & 1,903!