Refurb Samsung 7 Series, i7 Quad Core, 6GB RAM, HD6490M, 1600x900 - 670$

needs higher res

Off topic but I like your nick

Quote from zhopa : He is looking for a portable desktop, not a laptop.

Quote from sleepybubba : Off topic but I like your nick

"Zhopa" in my language means 'Sleep'

In my language it has multiple meanings. none of them remotely related to the computers. Again - sorry for the off-topic.

Quote from baggy : "Zhopa" in my language means 'Sleep'

Since we are comparing refurbs, what's a "great deal" price for a refurb thinkpad or samsung or lattitude with this spec:

Intel Core i7
At least 4GB memory
Some 7200rpm HDD (or SSD)
Dedicated video card (1GB)
14.1" screen, 1600x900 res

I am thinking $550. Anyone else has an input?

Newegg has been selling this for $699 for months... would have bought already if it were not lacking the backlit keyboard like most series 7s.

Quote from baggy : These days people are so used to Lenovo Outlet Pricing that such deals are not even warm

Lenovo refurbs are usually pre-owned though.

Quote from RaptorHunter : That makes the text too small. 1600x900 is the sweet spot for these lappy. You want about 120 ppi so anything smaller than 17.3 is too small for 1080p. Retina displays are the exception of course, but only mac users get that right now.

Just picked up a Dell 15z last week for $640. I can assure you the 1080p screen is gorgeous.

I own one of these laptops and it's absolutely phenomenal... I use it pretty exclusively for work, but that's 8-10 hrs a day so I've had plenty of hands-on time with it...

Please note that there are many model-variants of this computer. This particular model is the model # that Best Buy started carrying FIRST, which lacked the backlit keyboard, had a smaller hard drive, and the 6490M graphics instead of a higher-grade card on the $1200 models. However, this bestbuy model cost $999 when it launched.

Then they launched a newer model #, the one I picked up, which packed on a larger 1TB hard drive (I removed this anyway and dropped in an SSD -- even the thicker ones should work for you so don't worry about dimension, as long as its a regular 2.5"), and added in the backlit keyboard. The price of this model above dropped to 849, then the new one sold for 999.

This computer DOES have:
Bluetooth 3
HDMI
Wireless N
2 USB 3.0 ports, 1 USB 2.0 port (on right side; I use this for my wireless mouse dongle- bluetooth mouse is an option, but decent models are very few out there...)
Numeric Keypad

Regarding the number pad, the 14" version does NOT have the numpad, the 15" DOES have it.

Key backlighting (on models where available) is excellent, screen is a nice and bright 300 nits, the resolution is great, coming from a 1280x800 laptop previously.

The processor IS a quad core, and hyperthreaded, so Task Manager shows 8 logical cores.

If keyboard backlighting is important to you (it was to me), then hold off --- otherwise this is a solid machine.


RE: battery replacement, if your battery outright DIES, and you can find a replacement online, then opening this laptop up is VERY simple in order to replace --- then it's just a few wires with simple connectors that you need to undo.
One kinda nice thing, the BIOS has a feature which charges the battery up to only 80%, then keeps it trickle-charged at that level, which prevents the deeper cycling of the battery from 100-0%, which means less wear on the battery cells, which means significantly extended battery life. Samsung estimates the battery to last for something like 800 charges using this?? I read a big scientific paper (not related to Samsung) about battery discharging and it does seem to hold up ---- reducing the depth of discharge has an effect on many aspects of the battery health.

Quote from jaslam : Lol - the whinings never stop. People usually cry over; - no hdmi - little ram - no dedicated graphics - no backlit keyboards - resolutions of or below 1366 x 768 - battery life - windows not being 64bit - and the list goes on. When this one comes to satisfy most of the concerns, you're crying over 15" of screen - which is generally the most popular screen size in laptops. I didn't see this coming.

why ? You are on SD.. price is always a point here bro

I pulled the trigger on this little guy for a pseudo-desktop replacement. Seemed like a good deal and Sandy's are going to be harder to come by pretty soon. I will give a full review when it comes

$723 with tax and shipping for me.

I'm guessing there are better deals out there if you plan on gaming with this, since the processor is amazing but the graphics card is a bit weak, which is far more important for games.

Anyone care to share their thoughts on that?

Quote from matthewf01 : I own one of these laptops and it's absolutely phenomenal... I use it pretty exclusively for work, but that's 8-10 hrs a day so I've had plenty of hands-on time with it... Please note that there are many model-variants of this computer. This particular model is the model # that Best Buy started carrying FIRST, which lacked the backlit keyboard, had a smaller hard drive, and the 6490M graphics instead of a higher-grade card on the $1200 models. However, this bestbuy model cost $999 when it launched. Then they launched a newer model #, the one I picked up, which packed on a larger 1TB hard drive (I removed this anyway and dropped in an SSD -- even the thicker ones should work for you so don't worry about dimension, as long as its a regular 2.5"), and added in the backlit keyboard. The price of this model above dropped to 849, then the new one sold for 999. This computer DOES have: Bluetooth 3 HDMI Wireless N 2 USB 3.0 ports, 1 USB 2.0 port (on right side; I use this for my wireless mouse dongle- bluetooth mouse is an option, but decent models are very few out there...) Numeric Keypad Regarding the number pad, the 14" version does NOT have the numpad, the 15" DOES have it. Key backlighting (on models where available) is excellent, screen is a nice and bright 300 nits, the resolution is great, coming from a 1280x800 laptop previously. The processor IS a quad core, and hyperthreaded, so Task Manager shows 8 logical cores. If keyboard backlighting is important to you (it was to me), then hold off --- otherwise this is a solid machine. RE: battery replacement, if your battery outright DIES, and you can find a replacement online, then opening this laptop up is VERY simple in order to replace --- then it's just a few wires with simple connectors that you need to undo. One kinda nice thing, the BIOS has a feature which charges the battery up to only 80%, then keeps it trickle-charged at that level, which prevents the deeper cycling of the battery from 100-0%, which means less wear on the battery cells, which means significantly extended battery life. Samsung estimates the battery to last for something like 800 charges using this?? I read a big scientific paper (not related to Samsung) about battery discharging and it does seem to hold up ---- reducing the depth of discharge has an effect on many aspects of the battery health.

Since you have this model, would you be able to confirm if this has widi. Thanks for your help.