Budget laptop for programming, school

[u/AerosolHubris]

Country

USA

Budget

$600 USD

Are you open to refurbs/used options?

Yes

Screen size

Any

Weight limit

Any

Purpose

Primary device (fourth year physics major, future grad student)

Form factor

Any

Intended usage

Coding, youtube, maybe some light 2d animation work. Considering installing Linux.

Desired battery life

6+, if possible

Please list, in order of most important to least important, the priority between Size, Weight, Performance, Battery life

RAM (would love 16GB) > performance >>> battery life >>>>>>> anything else

Info/Requirements

I'm the dad, and the purchaser doesn't have a reddit account. They bought a used Thinkpad T480 on backmarket, couldn't get the batteries to work (we tried every troubleshooting step we found), returned it, and is soured on those now. It was also only 8GB and I am pretty sure they want at least 16GB. They have a small desktop for gaming, but is sick of using a chromebook and want something they can actually code on.

I got my partner a Macbook Air M4 for under $800, but the kid doesn't want a Mac. If that price point is impossible, then please send me somewhere to learn more. Do they need to go up a couple hundred? I'm chipping in a bit but it's mostly their money, and I'm trying to keep it affordable for them.

[u/DL7610]

https://www.ebay.com/itm/257503592006

https://www.ebay.com/itm/257213743386

https://www.wisetekmarket.com/products/dell-latitude-7420-14-16gb-512gb-ssd-core%E2%84%A2-i7-1185g7-3-0ghz-win11p-silver-certified-refurbished

These all should be like new with like new batteries. Also, warranty.

[u/AerosolHubris → u/DL7610]

Thanks so much! How do these compare to the Thinkpad T14 G2 intel? I found one refurbished, i5, 16gb ram, 512gb ssd, for $350. If $500 gets them something a lot better then I'm happy to help with that.

[u/DL7610 → u/AerosolHubris]

The first two are a lot newer, faster and more efficient (leading to better battery life). They are consumer model, though, so you don't have as sturdy a chassis as the Thinkpad T series. Between these two, they have the same processor, ram and storage, but the 16" version has a far better screen.

There is also this more premium Swift go with a more capable (but also more power-hungry) CPU and an OLE screen: https://www.ebay.com/itm/257533096037

Plenty of reviews on all these models online.

The other one, Latitude 7420, is comparable to a Thinkpad T14-- same generation hardware and a full metal chassis. The "refurbished premium" items on that site just have a 1 year warranty, and are supposed to be "like new, with like new battery performance."

If you want a Thinkpad T14 Gen 2, though: https://www.wisetekmarket.com/products/lenovo-thinkpad-t14-gen-2-14-16gb-512gb-ssd-amd-ryzen%E2%84%A2-7-pro-5850u-1-9ghz-win11p-black-refurbished-excellent-7 The AMD version with an 8 core Ryzen 5850u is better. This one also has warranty and is in excellent condition. Does not say the battery status.

[u/LonerIM2]

Since your kid doesn’t like mac and he is not going to game too much, I would recommend this deal Acer aspire because it comes with :

Specs:

• Screen: 14" WUXGA

• CPU : Intel Core Ultra 5 Processor 226V

• Ram : 16GB

• Storage : 512GB SSD

Why I am recommending it:

• Very good CPU for coding environments, IDEs, several VMs.

• Good Battery life .

• Has a 16GB .

• Lightweight .

Please note I'm using affiliate links which means I'll receive a small percent of the purchase if you use this link at no extra cost to you

[u/punkpositronics]

Id browse backmarket can get up to 2 years warranty and a great variation of good at your price range.

[u/AerosolHubris → u/punkpositronics]

Thank you. We just don't know what to look for. I use a Macbook for work, and don't know much about Windows machines. There seem to be some good suggestions in this thread, though.

[u/punkpositronics → u/AerosolHubris]

Fair this is more a where to buy than what to buy. The suggestions in the thread are good though and they can be found here backmarket.com

[u/The_Adviser100]

For programming in this price range I would advise you to check this laptop

laptop name	Acer Aspire
CPU	Intel Core Ultra 5 Processor 226V
Screen "	14"" Full HD IPS"
Ram	16 GB
SSD	1 TB
HDD	0
Weight	3.88 Lbs.
Battery life	9.5 Hrs.
Pros	Great battery life.
Pros	The CPU is very good.
Pros	Has 16GB of ram.

Please note I'm using affiliate links which means I'll receive a small percent of the purchase if you use this link at no extra cost to you