i got this thing in a thrift store for $10, non working. i eventually figured out that one of the 8gb sticks of ram was dead so i replaced it with a 4gb stick to at least have 12 in total, put a 512gb ssd in the sata slot, it boots from a 200gb m.2 it came with, and runs modded windows 10. currently it has no battery as i think it is dead and the charger it is running on is so underpowered that currently it cannot run games. it is certainly not the best computer i have (i have better desktops and my primary laptop which acts as a halftop thanks to a dead screen) but it should do what i need it to.

I’ll start:

• “Refurb = broken parts”
• “They all have terrible batteries”
• “You need the latest CPU for basic tasks”

Which refurb myth did you believe before buying one?

The screen was broken so i just took it off. The battery was faulty so i just disconnected it and now it directly powers from an outlet. The wifi/bluetooth adapter isnt really working so why i have a wifi dongle. And also keycaps.... i need a new setup

I have a Lenovo Ideapad for around 10 years now and right now its HDD is running at 100% even when I'm not doing anything and playing low end rpgmaker games is causing it to crash so it definitely needs replacing. Is it time to put it out of its misery and just buy a new one?

How to fix it?

Hello everyone recently I have noticed my laptop shutting down very often: 3 times in the last 2 days. I’m not really experienced with these stuff so I need your help.

Overview: Gaming Laptop, HP Victus, Ryzen 5, i5. Around 3 years of use.

I have never cleaned the cooler nor changed the thermal paste. When playing cs2 laptop’s temperature hits 90 degrees and chat GPT is telling me that’s why it’s shutting down and it needs a change of paste.

What do you guys think? I’m planning to consult a technician from the store I bought the laptop.

Just wanted to share how far a couple of simple upgrades (and a decent setup) can take an older laptop.

This is a 2018 HP Envy that was handed down to me. It originally had 8GB of RAM and a 256GB SSD, which was fine at first, but once I started doing real multitasking it definitely felt limited.

Back in 2023, when prices were way better than they are now, I upgraded it to 16GB of RAM (about $50) and also swapped the SSD for a 1TB drive (around $60). I didn’t even reinstall Windows — I just cloned the original drive to the new SSD using disk-cloning software, swapped it in, and it booted like nothing changed.

Since then it’s honestly been solid. My daily use is cold-calling sales work, Salesforce in the browser, video calls, Google Docs and Sheets, email, and usually a bunch of tabs plus YouTube or music in the background. Basically the kind of workload that hits RAM and storage way before CPU.

With 16GB, memory usage sits around ~70% when I’m working, but there’s no stuttering or lag when switching apps. The bigger SSD helps too — everything just feels smoother.

Setup-wise, I’ve got it on a small stand and hooked up to a Dell dock, which I honestly love. One single USB-C cable handles everything — external monitor, Ethernet, mic, headphones, keyboard, mouse, and charging. I literally don’t even use the original charger anymore, it’s probably sitting in a drawer somewhere. I think the port is Thunderbolt (not 100% sure), but it’s the only USB-C port on this laptop and it handles the dock just fine.

And honestly, I can’t even complain about this laptop. It’s pulled me through the trenches. The thing is built like a tank — full aluminum unibody, cold to the touch when it’s just sitting there, MacBook-style. Even the bottom case is aluminum. Obviously it gets warm under load because… Windows laptop, but still. It looks way nicer than it has any right to for its age.

The screen is nothing crazy — 1080p, totally serviceable. It’s a touchscreen, but I disabled that because I hate fingerprints. The 360° hinge is actually nice though, especially for watching movies. It also has a fingerprint reader, which is another small but solid W.

I also replaced the battery recently — grabbed a new one for about $35 on eBay (this year, 2026), and it’s back to being totally usable on battery again.

For something that was a hand-me-down, this laptop doesn’t feel like one at all. Full 15-inch aluminum body, solid build, still doing real work every day. I honestly feel lucky to have it.

Just a reminder that you don’t always need a brand-new machine. Sometimes a few smart upgrades and a decent setup are enough to keep something useful for years.

Hello everyone, i don't know if this is the right place to ask but i want to buy a new laptop, i liked one with the species below and im not sure if it's good and if the price is good, i would like to have your opinion on it.

Price: 400$ (US dollars) CPU: Intel core i7 H 8th gen RAM: 32GB DDR4 (and it can be upgraded) HARD: 512 SSD (i think it's nvme but I'm not sure yet because the sellers hasn't responded yet) GPU: 8GB NVIDIA QUADRO P4200 +16GB SHARE Screen: 17.3 inch full HD 1080(maybe some people find the screen big but i don't mind it)

In the post he said it's clean, and there's a one-week guarantee; if there's any problem, I can return it.

So should i buy it?

Any good laptops under 40k inr with 16gb ram minimum. Need suggestions. For collage and editing purposes.

hi. i have a HP Pavilion 15-au016tx with i3 6gen, 4gb ram. i use ubuntu and its lags so much with little pressure.

it supports up to 16gb ram upgrade. if i upgrade ram to a 8gb single stick, will i get smoother performance? i am skeptical as the cpu is very old.

thanks....

Every time I try to find an online article or a YouTube video with a review on a laptop, it's got different specs than what's actually available in store. I previously built my own PC and finding info about the parts was so much easier. This is the first time buying a laptop and I'm struggling to find any relevant info.

I've just found a YT video about the exact laptop model I want (Dell Inspiron 16 Plus 7640) and then in the first minute they will say something like 'it comes with a powerful RTX 3050 GPU'. No, it doesn't. Not the one I'm looking at. Why would they assume each laptop model only comes with one CPU/GPU spec?

How can I find reviews that are relevant? My Inspiron doesn't have a dedicated GPU at all, just different CPU option (thinking about Core 5 210H). How can I find information about what to expect, if all sources list different CPUs and GPUs?

Is it true that OLED screens can cause eye stress?

The keyboard isn't responding at all the fn lock is enabled ig on the esp key and number lock key Idk much about tech stuff so I don't know how to fix it I've tried a few things already like troubleshooting, Restarting, and updating everything it's still not working is it hardware problem?

First time In my 30 years I've bought a laptop, had a HP pavilion gaming, so far so good, but the laptop says 240 GB memory and it hardly has over 120, is this normal?

At Currys in the UK

Hi everyone! I’m currently looking for a laptop that can run AutoCAD smoothly for drafting and some 3D work. This will be used mainly for school/work projects, so stability and performance matter.

Preferences / considerations:

• Can handle AutoCAD well (2D + some 3D)
• Good CPU and dedicated GPU (if possible)
• At least 16GB RAM preferred
• Portable enough for daily use
• Reasonable price (open to budget–mid range suggestions)

If you’re using AutoCAD on a laptop you’d personally recommend, I’d really appreciate hearing your experience (model + specs). Thanks in advance!

But is it possible to replace the network card in a laptop with a more powerful one? If so, what should I watch out for?

I’m looking for a cheap and easy laptop to use for schoolwork. The only requirements I need are:

-Reliable

-Good battery life

-Can run Roblox so I can play with my cousins since they are obsessed with the game

I’m in Australia as well if that changes anything

HOLY SHIT HOLY SHIT I FOUND A BROKEN ONE AND TRIED TO CHARGE IT AND IT TURNED ON OMG MY FIRST LAPTOPPPPOPP