# Best Laptop $500 or under



## JMT74 (Apr 14, 2005)

Hi, My Aunt gave me $500 to get a laptop for my cousin. I have been researching and am still wondering if these 3 I picked out are the better deal for laptops under $500. The first 2 I found at Staples. The last one at Best Buy

1: HP G62-340US 15.6" Laptop

Price:	$549.98
Rebate:	-$50.00
Price after rebate:	$499.98 
Saw it in store for *$399.99* after rebates.

Processor	AMD Athlon II Dual-Core Processor
Memory (RAM)	3GB
Memory Type	DDR3
Memory Expandable to	8GB
Hard Drive Size	320GB
Hard Drive Type	SATA
Optical Drive	LightScribe SuperMulti 8X DVDñR/RW with Double Layer Support
Display Size	15.6"
Display Type	HP BrightView LED Display
Operating System	Genuine Windows 7 Home Premium 64-
Battery Type	6-Cell 47WHr Lithium-Ion
Network Card	Wireless LAN 802.11b/g/n WLAN
Video Graphics	ATI Mobility Radeon HD 4250 Graphics
Other ports	5-in-1 integrated Digital Media Reader
# of USB slots	3
Bluetooth Enabled	No
Dimensions	14.72"(W)x 9.70"(D)x 1.25"(min H)/1.44"(max H)
Weight	5.5lbs
Warranty	1 year
Extra Features	Textured HP Imprint finish with the prism design in charcoal
VGA Connection	Yes
HDMI Port	None

2: HP Pavilion dv6-3122us 15.6" Laptop
Reg:	$649.98
Save:	-$75.00
Now:	$574.98
Instant Savings:	-$75.00
Rebate:	-$50.00
Price after rebate:	*$449.98*

Processor	AMD Turion II Dual-Core Mobile P540 processor
Memory (RAM)	4GB
Memory Type	DDR3
Memory Expandable to	8GB
Hard Drive Size	500GB
Hard Drive Type	SATA
Optical Drive	SuperMulti 8X DVDñR/RW with Double Layer Support
Display Size	15.6"
Display Type	High-Definition HP BrightView LED Display
Operating System	Genuine Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit
Battery Type	6-Cell 55WHr Lithium-Ion
Network Card	Wireless LAN 802.11b/g/n WLAN
Video Graphics	ATI Mobility Radeon HD 4250 Graphics
Other ports	5-in-1 integrated Digital Media Reader
# of USB slots	4
Bluetooth Enabled	No
Dimensions	14.88" (L) x 9.65" (D) x 1.21" (min H) -1.37" (max H)
Weight	5.46lbs
Warranty	1 year
Extra Features	HP Imprint finish with the link design in champagne
VGA Connection	Yes
HDMI Port	None

3: Toshiba - Satellite Laptop / Intel® Core™ i3 Processor / 15.6" Display / 4GB Memory / 500GB Hard Drive - Black

Model: C655-S5061
*$449.99*
Warranty Terms - Parts1 year limited
Warranty Terms - Labor1 year limited
Product Height1.5"
Product Width15.1"
Product Weight5.5 lbs.
Product Depth11"
Processor BrandIntel®
ProcessorIntel® Core™ i3
Processor Speed2.4GHz
Battery Type6-cell lithium-ion
Display TypeHigh-definition widescreen TFT-LCD with TruBrite technology (1366 x 768)
Screen Size (Measured Diagonally)15.6"
Cache Memory3MB
System Memory (RAM)4GB
System Memory (RAM) Expandable To8GB
Type of Memory (RAM)DDR3
Hard Drive TypeSATA (5400 rpm)
Computer Hard Drive Size500GB
Optical DriveDouble-layer DVD±RW/CD-RW
Optical Drive Speeds6x DVD+R DL; 6x DVD-R DL; 8x8x8 DVD+RW; 8x6x8 DVD-RW; 5x DVD-RAM; 24x24x24 CD-RW
Direct-Disc LabelingNo
Digital Media Reader or SlotsYes, digital media card reader
GraphicsMobile Intel® HD
Video Memory64-1696MB dynamically allocated shared
TV TunerNo
MPEGYes
Built-in WebcamYes
ModemNone
NetworkingBuilt-in 10/100 Ethernet LAN (RJ-45 connector)
Wireless NetworkingWireless-B+G+N
Bluetooth-EnabledNo
S-Video OutputsNone
SpeakersInternal
PCMCIA SlotsNone
USB 2.0 Ports2
IEEE 1394 FireWire PortsNone
Parallel PortsNone
Game PortsNone
Laptop WeightUltraportable (5.5 lbs. or less)
Battery LifeUp to 3 hours and 51 minutes
Pointing DeviceTouchPad with multitouch control and enable/disable
HDMI OutputNo
Blu-ray PlayerNo
Operating System PlatformWindows
Operating SystemWindows 7 Home Premium 64-bit
Included SoftwareAdobe Acrobat Reader; Microsoft Silverlight and more
ENERGY STAR QualifiedYes
Best Buy PC AppNo
Drive Capacity500GB
Graphics CardMobile Intel® HD

Which one of these laptops is the better deal? Thanks.
If anyone sees a better deal for $500 or under from either Staples or BestBuy let me know. Thanks.


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## calvin-c (May 17, 2006)

IMO the HP dv6 is the better buy. I'm not wild about the graphics on any of them but I think the Radeon HD 4250 is definitely better than the Intel graphics, and the Turion II CPU is much better than the Athlon II. I've never quite decided whether or not it's better than the i3. I think it's fairly comparable to the i5, which would make it slightly better, but I'm not all that sure about it and in any case I'd rather have the Turion II with the Radeon than the i3 with Intel.


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## JMT74 (Apr 14, 2005)

calvin-c said:


> IMO the HP dv6 is the better buy. I'm not wild about the graphics on any of them but I think the Radeon HD 4250 is definitely better than the Intel graphics, and the Turion II CPU is much better than the Athlon II. I've never quite decided whether or not it's better than the i3. I think it's fairly comparable to the i5, which would make it slightly better, but I'm not all that sure about it and in any case I'd rather have the Turion II with the Radeon than the i3 with Intel.


What about this one I just saw on the Staples site.

Dell® Inspiron 15" Laptop (Black)

Price:	*$399.90*

Processor	Intel Pentium Dual Core T4400 Processor(2.2GHz)
Memory (RAM)	4GB
Memory Type	DDR2
Memory Expandable to	4GB
Hard Drive Size	320GB
Hard Drive Type	SATA
Optical Drive	CD/DVD Writer (DVD+/-RW) - Plays and creates CDs and DVDs
Display Size	15"
Display Type	Glossy, widescreen
Operating System	Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium (64-bit)
Battery Type	6-cell Battery
Network Card	Dell 1397 b/g wireless card
Video Graphics	Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 4500MHD integrated graphics
Other ports	7-in-1 Media Card Reader
# of USB slots	3
Bluetooth Enabled	No
Dimensions	9.6"D x 14.7"W x 1.02"H
Weight	6.0lbs
Warranty	1 year
Extra Features	Built-in 1.3MP webcam; 7-in-1 Media Card Reader

I am gonna assume you would still stick with the HP dv6?


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## 1002richards (Jan 29, 2006)

Hi,
Another member spotted this one for $379.99 ($120.00 discount) 
http://www.bestbuy.ca/en-CA/product...spx?path=563fa00894a957340d0453c47d411382en02

This mobile companion is loaded with:
Intel Pentium processor T4500 and 4GB system memory
320GB hard drive
Wireless 802.11b/g/n
Gigabit Ethernet Port
Pre-installed Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit
built-in webcam (1.3mp) and microphone
HDMI, VGA, USB and memory card connectivity options

Discussed here: http://forums.techguy.org/reviews/968123-solved-acer-laptop.html

Richard


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## calvin-c (May 17, 2006)

JMT, you're right-I'd still go with the dv6 over the Dell, primarily for the graphics. The Acer Richard mentions doesn't say what graphics it has & the price is enough cheaper that it's worth considering but I don't think it matters since the ad says it's sold out.


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## 1002richards (Jan 29, 2006)

calvin-c said:


> J The Acer Richard mentions ....... the ad says it's sold out.


Sorry 'bout that!


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## Wino (Dec 1, 2001)

Personally I'd look for one with VGA & HDMI connections. For me, no HDMI, no deal.


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## calvin-c (May 17, 2006)

You've got a point there, Wino-the question being whether or not you can find one with HDMI output for under $500. Not that I've looked, yet, but now that you bring it up I think I will. Thanks.


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## Wino (Dec 1, 2001)

Best Buy shows several in your price range.

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olstemp...id&list=y&iht=n&st=processingtime:>1900-01-01


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## Elvandil (Aug 1, 2003)

Wino said:


> Best Buy shows several in your price range.
> 
> http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olstemp...id&list=y&iht=n&st=processingtime:>1900-01-01


Just came to mention that -- BestBuy sale right now.


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## Wino (Dec 1, 2001)

Was just looking over the BB link site and none show VGA ports. Had to go to manufacturers site to check and the two I checked did, but no mention on BB site (or I missed it). Maybe just accepted it's there?? HDMI and no VGA would be a no go for me, too.


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