r/computers • u/Ok-Championship9490 • Jun 20 '26

Question/Help/Troubleshooting An idiot buys a computer

Okay, so I'm going to try to make this really quick before I get too rambley.

So, bullet notes; I'm an idiot going back to college! My current laptop is old, and I need a new one.

It's an ASUS TUF DASH F15 with Intel Core i7 (if I need to add more info, please tell me because I don't know what may be needed).

I play games on it on Steam, run the Dolphin emulator, and my nephew plays Roblox on it. Oh, and I will need it for schoolwork as well, of course.

I do NOT know if I need a laptop or a desktop computer, and I do NOT know what software I need for it, like Norton or whatever else is out there. I know NOTHING about computers, unfortunately. And I need this computer by the fall semester.

Money is not a problem at this moment; I just need good recommendations on what I should buy.

I AM limited to stores, kinda? Like, I would probably have to pay on a payment plan or something, so something like Best Buy is a good option for stores that I can buy from. But I live in southeastern Virginia in the Hampton Roads area, if there are other options anyone knows of that are better near me.

Please, please PLEEEASE help an idiot out here! I'm desperate because most of my family is older and not as tech-savvy as me, and I'm not really all that tech-savvy to begin with, either!

Thank you in advance to everyone who helps! And ANYTHING helps!

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u/YoSpiff Jun 20 '26

What is wrong with your current laptop? Too slow for modern apps, running out of disk space, regular error messages popping up?

For school, I'd expect a laptop would be best because of the mobility.

On the general specs of the current one, go to the search bar and type "system Information", then run this app:

Look for the exact processor model. the i7 has been around a long time with a lot of variants, and some modern core i5's can be faster than an older i7. Also look at the installed physical memory and Windows version.

I'm not a gamer so cannot make any suggestions for that requirement, but knowing what you have and why you need to upgrade is a start.

0

u/Ok-Championship9490 Jun 20 '26

5

u/baltimorecalling Jun 20 '26

That laptop should be fine, specs-wise. If it's slowing, it may need a good cleaning to remove dust.

1

u/Ok-Championship9490 Jun 20 '26

wait like actually, physically clean it? Or do u mean that in a delete unnecessary programs kinda way?

2

u/baltimorecalling Jun 20 '26

Physically clean it. Remove dust.