One laptop’s battery lasted only a few minutes. Another computer malfunctioned every time I tilted it at a 40-degree angle. The dreaded power button on a third would not bring the laptop to life. I’ve made every possible mistake when buying used laptops.
I’ve wasted a shameful amount of money over the years, so let me help you avoid some of my many failures and hopefully clarify the used laptop buying process.
As the first quarter of the 21st century comes to a close, laptops have become an essential tool in any student’s arsenal — yet buying one on a budget can be stressful.
Prospective buyers are hit with confusing technical terms that may or may not mean anything. And worse, most of the time they won’t know if they even like a laptop until they’ve spent considerable time with it.
According to “The Analysis of Factors Influencing Decisions When Buying Laptop” published in the Cogito scientific journal, students’ highest priority is buying something that just “works.”
This seems logical, perhaps even obvious, but how does the average student who merely wants something that just “works” evaluate a computer’s functionality?
That’s where I’m here to help, starting with the most important limiting factor: price.
Budget of $0
Buying a laptop is a compromise between performance, portability and price. At $0, if the laptop connects to the internet and can open Canvas, consider it a win.
Recycle centers are an option, though your best bet in this price range is to “borrow” one from a relative or friend and hope they never ask for it back.
Of course, there are also many places willing to lend you a laptop for free like the SRJC Library.
Less than $100
If you’re patient and have a reasonable idea of what you want, you can find a decent computer for less than $100. Individuals selling their old laptops on Facebook Marketplace, eBay or a thrift store often undervalue what they have in hopes of getting rid of it quickly, a situation that works to your advantage. These deals are becoming rarer as economic times worsen, but can still be found with patience and luck.
Those who don’t want to make buying a computer their full-time job can find a borderline-usable laptop manufactured within the last decade at this price range. Expect a charge that, at best, holds a few hours, so knowing how to replace a battery will prove beneficial.
Older MacBooks, Chromebooks or maybe even a Windows laptop from one of the major manufacturers — Dell, Lenovo or HP — should be available. Just understand that these laptops are likely not updatable, and they may even struggle with basic tasks like opening more than a few web browser tabs at a time.
$100-$300
This is the sweet spot for people who are tech-savvy. There’s nothing too fancy at this price, but for what most people do, such as keeping a handful of tabs open, watching 1080p YouTube videos, using productivity software like Photoshop or even light gaming in some cases, laptops in this range will suffice.
Newer models of all the brands listed above should be available here. Just make sure the machine isn’t more than six or seven years old. If you’re lucky, the laptop may even support Windows 11 or the newest version of macOS.
More than $300
For a modernish laptop, expect to spend $300 and beyond. Much like a used car, a computer’s value drops dramatically after a few years, sometimes losing two-thirds of its sticker price by the third or fourth year. If you require a faster processor or more RAM, the costs can quickly increase, so it’s worth it to research what you actually need.
Once you reach the $1,000 price point, almost anything you could possibly want is available, though I would still recommend purchasing the previous year’s model refurbished, as it will be a better value overall.
What you actually need
After you’ve figured out your price range, think about what specs you can get within it.
RAM — sometimes referred to as Main Memory — is a computer’s temporary memory. Think of it like a temporary hard drive for storing information in currently open programs, rather than permanent storage for personal files and data. Insufficient RAM can lead to significant slowdowns as the computer will have to use the hard drive to store temporary files, which is significantly slower in most cases.
Eight to 16 gigabytes is usually sufficient, though if you are like me and like to have 60 browser tabs open, or are a video and photo editor, go with at least 16. Bear in mind that prices can rapidly increase with the more RAM you get, sometimes adding $100 or more to the final cost.
Processors on the other hand are a confusing nightmare to evaluate, so I will only go over the most common options. Often referred to as a CPU, the central processing unit is the heart of the computer, managing the speed and responsiveness of the machine and also the number of simultaneous tasks it can perform without lag. For example, whether playing music while you game and talk to someone on Discord causes the computer to lag.
For Intel, the general rule is i7s are faster than i5s, which are faster than i3s; but the generation, or age, of the processor matters equally as much, as well as the
core/thread count.
Google the model number (e.g. i7-1265u) to see how old the processor is, and how many threads it has. Six threads is the minimum one should aim for in this day and age.
For AMD-branded processors like Intel, google the model number to get basic information about the processor. It’s probably only worth looking for Ryzen processors, as anything else will likely be too old and not as useful.
Apple users have a significantly easier time navigating processors, as the M series, starting at M1 and currently at M4, are the superior option that outperform any Mac using an Intel processor. They handle everything but gaming with relative ease. The MacBook Air and Pro models with M1 processors are a very good value right now, if you can find them in stock.
Battery life is often overlooked but equally important. Most manufacturers list the expected battery life of the laptop; however, since lithium batteries naturally degrade over time, expect to get significantly shorter battery life out of your machine if it’s more than a few years old.
The good news is that if you are handy with a screwdriver and reasonably careful, almost all laptop batteries are replaceable. Just be careful, as aftermarket batteries dramatically vary in quality.
The safest but most expensive option are batteries from the same company as the computer, usually found by typing in the “original” keyword into a search engine.
Local or online
Buying a used laptop from a local business or recycle center will always be preferable to buying one online, mainly because you have the opportunity to feel it in your hand before buying it. The only catch is the type of computer you want might not be available. Be on the lookout for businesses or educational institutions that recycle computers in bulk, as they often sell high-end business machines that are only a few years old for a bargain.
Used or refurbished
Refurbished machines are a good choice, as the seller usually guarantees they work for a year, sometimes more. Just expect to pay more than the regular used price for the same laptop for the benefit of being able to return the machine if you don’t like it.
While the information listed in this guide only scratches the surface of this complicated topic, I hope it gives you a solid foundation when it comes to second-hand laptop buying — and the ability to avoid my mistakes.
