I’m looking to get another laptop but don’t have a big budget?

Since the start of covid, laptops have been in more demand than ever with the need for home working and learning and over the last 12 months demands have increased, at times supplies have been short and also prices have fluctuated massively.

But if you are looking to purchase a replacement laptop and budget is limited, is it better to buy a lower spec brand new machine or a slightly older, but higher spec refurbished one?

Looking around, it is often possible to find brand new laptops for less than £200 but are they worth it?

Such a price may sound a good deal and you are getting a new machine with full manufacturers warranty, however due to the low cost the main compromises are very often:

• Screen size – these are very often a screen size of around 11″
• Lower specification processors – These are often slower and unable to do anything that requires a lot of processing power
• Very limited storage – Often in the form of 32gb or 64gb eMMC storage – WE ADVISE TO AVOID BUYING ANY LAPTOP WITH THIS TYPE OF STORAGE
• Lesser known brands – Very often unknown brands using cheap components which are also often very hard to obtain replacement parts for too.

However, that is not to say that lower cost brand new laptops are not worth getting, we are just simply saying to avoid any that may have features with restricted specifications such as the above. The biggest culprit are laptops with eMMC storage, we do not know why manufacturers even bother making these as they tend to have less storage than a modern mobile phone and by the time Windows is installed, there is barely any room for anything else and you therefore have a device with less capabilities than a phone.

But, if you do see a laptop that does’nt have eMMC storage (i.e. it has a 128gb SSD or regular HDD better) and of a well known brand and has the ability to be upgraded if need be, then chances are you may have a good deal!

A refurbished laptop is often a very good option too though for a similar price. Although buying second hand from a private seller on a platform such as ebay or Facebook may be a gamble, laptops from a reputable business will have been checked over for faults and usually carry a form of warranty between 3 months and 1 year.

In this case, if you don’t mind having a slightly older machine then you could well benefit from having a machine with a better specification and capabilities than what a new machine of the same price can offer.

Can you help me?

We are always happy to discuss the best options for you as we carry a range of refurbished laptops in stock and also able to supply new ones and can advise on those accordingly.

Please remember that when buying a brand new laptop from us, unlike some places like Currys we do not charge not transferring your data from your old machine to your new one, nor will we try and see you extra accessories or software that you do not need! Please contact us for me information.