I’m starting college in a couple of weeks and taking a program with a decent amount of programming.
My budget is $600 to $700.
The requirements provided by my school are 16GB of RAM, at least 500GB of storage, and preferably a laptop with upgradable RAM and storage.
Look for something with good single-core/thread performance and higher clock speeds. It’ll make a difference in programming tasks.
Ren said:
Look for something with good single-core/thread performance and higher clock speeds. It’ll make a difference in programming tasks.
When I did programming and some Blender work, my i7-10750H handled it well except for the GPU and RAM.
A gaming laptop might be a good option if it fits your budget.
Consider a refurbished Framework 13. It’s the most repairable and upgradeable laptop on the market, though new ones can be pricey.
Most full-stack developers I know, including myself, use ThinkPads.
The most important thing for programming is a good keyboard since you’ll be typing a lot. Beyond that, 16GB RAM is a good start, and upgradeability is a nice bonus.
Upgradeable RAM is becoming rare, as more manufacturers are soldering it in place. Look into laptops like the Lenovo Slim 7 or Asus 14 OLED. They’re solid choices for your budget.
Eli said:
Upgradeable RAM is becoming rare, as more manufacturers are soldering it in place. Look into laptops like the Lenovo Slim 7 or Asus 14 OLED. They’re solid choices for your budget.
I like Lenovo, but my 2021 Lenovo that cost $900 slowed down after a year, and the camera stopped working. I currently have an Asus G16, and I love it.
You might be able to find an M1 MacBook in your budget if you go refurbished.
Any laptop with an i5 should work.
Jaden said:
Any laptop with an i5 should work.
That’s a bad suggestion. Are you seriously recommending an i5-8400?
Jaden said:
Any laptop with an i5 should work.
That’s a bad suggestion. Are you seriously recommending an i5-8400?
No one should spend $700-$800 on an 8th-gen i5.
Jaden said:
Any laptop with an i5 should work.
That’s a bad suggestion. Are you seriously recommending an i5-8400?
I assumed the budget would be for a 10th-gen or newer i5, not 8th-gen. Got it?
@Jaden
Finding a laptop with an i5-8400 for $700 is harder than finding a good laptop at that price!
Jaden said:
Any laptop with an i5 should work.
An i5 is pretty slow. It’s the bare minimum for most tasks.
Jaden said:
Any laptop with an i5 should work.
An i5 is pretty slow. It’s the bare minimum for most tasks.
It depends on which i5 you’re talking about. The i5-3470 is slow, but the i5-13450HX isn’t.