# $600 to spend on laptop



## Twinbird24 (Aug 17, 2011)

I have $600 to spend on a laptop. Which do you guys think is better?
Toshiba Satellite L750D
OR
HP Pavilion dv6-6110us

Or maybe you know of something better, post the link.


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## tremmor (Aug 17, 2011)

HP, but never had one. specs was better. get a recovery disc now too.


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## Twinbird24 (Aug 17, 2011)

Okay, I was leaning more towards the HP as well, but I just found this laptop which I think is the best.

On a side note, I just found someone selling the above gateway laptop on Kijiji for twice the price :/


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## tremmor (Aug 17, 2011)

from what ive seen, its been Gateway is junk. 
Also look at a Asus. Shop. take your time.


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## tone457 (Aug 18, 2011)

Personally, I like the 6GB Ram on the Gateway. Would be just fine when Windows 8 upgrade comes around


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## Microtomer (Aug 18, 2011)

Are you planning on gaming? Because for around that price (650ish) with no dedicated graphics you can get get an 2nd gen i5 from lenovo. Just useful as a scale of what your money can get you.


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## 1shado1 (Aug 18, 2011)

tremmor said:


> HP, but never had one. specs was better. get a recovery disc now too.



The specs of both the HP and the Toshiba are exactly the same, except for a larger HDD in the HP.


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## Perkomate (Aug 18, 2011)

if you're playing games, don't get the HP. The fans are generally rubbish, and the laptops overheat like there's no tomorrow.


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## daisymtc (Aug 18, 2011)

HP have better spec. But toshiba a better brand.
Go for A6-3400M


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## 1shado1 (Aug 18, 2011)

daisymtc said:


> HP have better spec. But toshiba a better brand.
> Go for A6-3400M



Guess I'm missing something.  They both have the A6-3400M.  The only better spec I saw on the HP was a larger HDD.  I'd get the Tosh too.


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## spynoodle (Aug 18, 2011)

No HP. No Gateway.

I found this study a few weeks ago: http://www.squaretrade.com/htm/pdf/SquareTrade_laptop_reliability_1109.pdf

If you scroll down a few pages, there's a graph showing the reliability of various laptop brands. When it comes to what seem like "good" brands, you've got Asus, Toshiba, Sony, Apple, and Dell, and for bad brands, you've got Lenovo, Gateway, Acer (which is the same as Gateway), and, surprisingly at the bottom of the list, HP. I was kinda disappointed when I saw it, because of the fact that HPs been around for a LONG while. Well, I guess they've kinda lost it, selling too many cheap laptops to Wal-Mart. Of course, their really cheap laptops could have skewed the survey a bit. I don't really have respect for a company that has the stupidity to sell a laptop that they know will die in a few years, though.

So yeah, Gateway and HP are godawful now. Go figure.


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## Twinbird24 (Aug 18, 2011)

Thanks for the suggestions, I think I would have probably chosen the Toshiba over the HP, but since I found that gateway it's probably what I'm going to get (there are 2 gateway laptops in the family already and they are really good). I won't be using it for gaming, it will mostly be used for web browsing and using MS Office a lot for school and streaming videos to my TV.


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## spynoodle (Aug 18, 2011)

Twinbird24 said:


> Thanks for the suggestions, I think I would have probably chosen the Toshiba over the HP, but since I found that gateway it's probably what I'm going to get (there are 2 gateway laptops in the family already and they are really good). I won't be using it for gaming, it will mostly be used for web browsing and using MS Office a lot for school and streaming videos to my TV.


Just saying, though: if you want a laptop that will last a good 6 or 7 years, you should probably go with the Toshiba.


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## naman (Aug 18, 2011)

i guess the Hp is better but if you can go a bit above budget.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834157840


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## SoMeAm (Aug 19, 2011)

Thanks for the HP recommendations.  You can view a new series of HP notebooks at:

http://www.shopping.hp.com/webapp/s...odexp/hhoslp/psg/notebooks/Everyday_computing

You can also view the new DV series at:

http://www.shopping.hp.com/webapp/s...slp/psg/lateralnav_high_performance_notebooks


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## cctech (Aug 20, 2011)

*omar*

well both toshiba and hp pavillion comes from the same manufacture, but from my experience hp has a heat problem due to the design a the cooling system at the bottom, so to me the toshiba is much better were thats concern its at the side. better cooling better pc


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## tylerh102 (Aug 24, 2011)

My budget was half as much as yours, as I only needed one for basic use (I have a $10k Alienware). I did some shopping and found that the best thing I could get for that was this refurbished Asus. 

If I were you I would go refurbished/recertified. They can end up being HALF the price, and usually still run just as well. Dell seems to be very good about refurbishing laptops.

Asus is a good brand. Long life, good bang for your buck, and they make all around good products.

 As to your question about the HP vs. Toshiba...

TOSHIBA. I'm pretty sure someone commented about Toshiba lasting a good 6+ years, and they are absolutely right. 

Here is the cheap one I bought, by the way:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834230061


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## Trance (Aug 24, 2011)

stay away from hp, sh*t computers.

Toshiba, Lenovo (L) or then Gateway.


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## spynoodle (Aug 24, 2011)

tylerh102 said:


> My budget was half as much as yours, as I only needed one for basic use (I have a $10k Alienware). I did some shopping and found that the best thing I could get for that was this refurbished Asus.
> 
> If I were you I would go refurbished/recertified. They can end up being HALF the price, and usually still run just as well. Dell seems to be very good about refurbishing laptops.
> 
> ...


+1 completely.


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## Twinbird24 (Aug 24, 2011)

Thanks for all the input. I would have definitely chosen the Toshiba (If I didn't find that Gateway laptop), I've asked other people as well and they told me Toshiba (over the HP). I know people say Gateway is crap, but I'm typing this message on a 5 year old Gateway laptop (that has even been dropped once) and it's still running really well.


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## spynoodle (Aug 24, 2011)

Twinbird24 said:


> Thanks for all the input. I would have definitely chosen the Toshiba (If I didn't find that Gateway laptop), I've asked other people as well and they told me Toshiba (over the HP). I know people say Gateway is crap, but I'm typing this message on a 5 year old Gateway laptop (that has even been dropped once) and it's still running really well.



Well, Gateway hasn't always been bad. They used to be quite good, in fact, and so was HP. 5 years ago, Gateway was probably one of the more reliable brands, HP was starting to go downhill, and Dell was starting on a downward reliability spiral that they are only just recovering from. Now, however, Gateway is crap, HP is selling off their PC sector, Dell is as reliable as ever, and Toshiba is one of the best brands around. Brands fluctuate greatly, which is why I try to build as many of my own computers as possible. One of my cases is actually an old Gateway case from around ten years ago, and it's a really nice case. The computer it came from was nice, too. I probably couldn't say the same for a newer Gateway, though.

Tl;Dr - you can never trust a computer brand from purchases >5 years back. You never know how they'll change.


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## tylerh102 (Aug 26, 2011)

Well, like I said in my last post, refurbished is the way to go. I just got this delivered today. I payed $300 for a $500 laptop. I've seen and used this laptop brand new, I CANNOT tell the difference. It's in perfect working condition.

I just really like this Asus for some reason 
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834230061


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## spynoodle (Aug 26, 2011)

tylerh102 said:


> Well, like I said in my last post, refurbished is the way to go. I just got this delivered today. I payed $300 for a $500 laptop. I've seen and used this laptop brand new, I CANNOT tell the difference. It's in perfect working condition.
> 
> I just really like this Asus for some reason
> http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834230061



Asus rocks. So far, they've consistently remained awesome. Asus doesn't really seem to make much of anything that could be considered crappy, and I like that about them.


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## Twinbird24 (Aug 30, 2011)

Just if anyone is wondering, I bought this laptop. It was on sale and already had a good price, and it has really nice specs. It's really fast and runs everything fine.


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## DMGrier (Aug 30, 2011)

Here is the reality of it is, if you maintane  your computer by a good security scan, do your disc clean up and disc defrag at least once  month and make sure you never exceed 75% on your Hard drive your computer will go a long way.

Plus as always I recommend you download a copy of the version of Windows it has and do a fresh install and only install the drivers. Gets rid of bloat ware and just make sure you have a Windows product key on the bottom of your computer and it will not cost you a thing.


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## 1shado1 (Aug 30, 2011)

Twinbird24 said:


> Just if anyone is wondering, I bought this laptop. It was on sale and already had a good price, and it has really nice specs. It's really fast and runs everything fine.



So you ask everybody's advice, the majority say to avoid HP.  Then you buy an HP.  So what was the point in asking for advice?


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## Perkomate (Aug 30, 2011)

oh lawd, a HP. And so begins your descent into the black circle of hell, otherwise known as HP's customer service


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## Twinbird24 (Aug 30, 2011)

I asked everyone's advice because at first I was choosing between two laptops that were similar and didn't quite know which one to choose - I would have chosen the Toshiba like everyone said - but when I find a laptop that is more than $100 cheaper and has better specs then I'm just going to have to chose that one - I appreciate all the responses, however. This HP laptop is really good especially for the price I got it at and I don't think I'm going to have any problems with it - if there are any problems I can fix them myself.


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## 1shado1 (Aug 31, 2011)

You get what you pay for.


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## DMGrier (Aug 31, 2011)

1shado1 said:


> So you ask everybody's advice, the majority say to avoid HP.  Then you buy an HP.  So what was the point in asking for advice?



You see that sometimes where people start a huge thread on opinion and then they go against the recommendation.


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## Twinbird24 (Aug 31, 2011)

Okay, well I'm very happy with my HP and I'm sure it will last through university and even past that. I have a 5 year old Gateway that is still in great shape, I bought a Gateway last year that is amazing, my friend bought a Gateway last year and is very happy with it. My other friend has an HP laptop that is really fast, a few years old, and still in very good shape. I don't know if you guys even own the brand of laptop that you say is "shit" or if you just google "best/ worst laptop brand" and then post here. I don't shop solely based on brand but based on the individual build/ specs of the laptop. The HP laptop I bought had 5 star reviews, great specs, and great price. If my apparently "crappy" HP laptop somehow manages to break I will fix it. Just because a few people managed to break their own HP laptop doesn't mean every HP laptop sucks. Also, I started this thread so you guys could compare the two laptops I found or suggest one of lower price and better specs, and I would have chosen the Toshiba like you guys suggested but I found a laptop of lower price and better specs with good reviews and then you guys just continue to suggest to pay more for a laptop with worse specs just because it's a Toshiba.


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## 1shado1 (Sep 1, 2011)

Twinbird24 said:


> Okay, well I'm very happy with my HP and I'm sure it will last through university and even past that. I have a 5 year old Gateway that is still in great shape, I bought a Gateway last year that is amazing, my friend bought a Gateway last year and is very happy with it. My other friend has an HP laptop that is really fast, a few years old, and still in very good shape. I don't know if you guys even own the brand of laptop that you say is "shit" or if you just google "best/ worst laptop brand" and then post here. I don't shop solely based on brand but based on the individual build/ specs of the laptop. The HP laptop I bought had 5 star reviews, great specs, and great price. If my apparently "crappy" HP laptop somehow manages to break I will fix it. Just because a few people managed to break their own HP laptop doesn't mean every HP laptop sucks. Also, I started this thread so you guys could compare the two laptops I found or suggest one of lower price and better specs, and I would have chosen the Toshiba like you guys suggested but I found a laptop of lower price and better specs with good reviews and then you guys just continue to suggest to pay more for a laptop with worse specs just because it's a Toshiba.



You may very well have good luck with your HP, or any other brand of laptop you might have decided to purchase.  But your few examples of folks that are happy with this or that brand is hardly a statistically representative sample.  Laptop track records over the last few years have shown that Toshibas in general have been more reliable than HP.

Wasn't your 1 year old Gateway good enough for college?  Just curious.


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## Twinbird24 (Sep 1, 2011)

The 1 year old Gateway is my dad's, I just used it occasionally, I needed another one for myself.


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## 1shado1 (Sep 1, 2011)

Twinbird24 said:


> The 1 year old Gateway is my dad's, I just used it occasionally, I needed another one for myself.



Fair enough.


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## raza (Sep 1, 2011)

what about dell 5110 i want to buy dell brand what expert opinion or please guide me what model best in dell in i3


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## raza (Feb 25, 2012)

which dell laptop is best i want to buy new laptop in 600$


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## Perkomate (Feb 25, 2012)

inspiron 15r IMO
good price/performance, and they're pretty tough. I sprayed milk all over one and it still worked fine.


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## RichardT (Feb 27, 2012)

I've got the Toshiba Satellite L755 (typing on it as we speak), and is completely blown away by it. For the price it does an exceptional job! HP is great, but I will definitely buy the Toshiba over and over again if I had to choose.  

Hope this helps!
R


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