Quote:
Originally Posted by 81MC
I’ve wondered about this. My current laptop (one that’s crapped out) was the cheapest thing in WalMart at the time, and has lasted a decade with nothing more than AVG Free for protection, all the while being subjected to Torrents and Porn. What exactly makes an inferior machine less enduring, for basic users?
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Two main aspects.
1. If the heat dissipation is inferior, you'll have a higher chance to "hot box" the laptop which causes the unit to fail when electrical components are exposed to excessive heat.
2. If the components are cheaper and/or weaker, it means that it has to work harder to maintain basic performance (ie: Red lining all the time in a car destroys your engine faster).
You could get lucky and it lasts for a while, but cheap laptops I find often do not last beyond 2-3 years and I find they are a chore to use (especially if the keyboard sucks). One thing that might help your budget is if you go buy a laptop at Shoppers Drug mart and see if you have access to bonus PC points, redemption etc. on a laptop purchase. Another I've found is to go to Bestbuy and look into open box deals.
The best combination of future proofing and making sure your laptop doesn't prematurely die because it's working at load all the time likely would be an i5 with SSD combo. Most of the other specs of the laptop are likely beyond what you need based on what you're describing.