Reddit mentions of Lenovo Thinkpad T430 Built Business Laptop Computer (Intel Dual Core i5 Up to 3.3 Ghz Processor, 8GB Memory, 320GB HDD, Webcam, DVD, Windows 10 Professional) (Renewed)

The T430 did come out in 2012, but if you're looking for a well built laptop for under $300, a refurbished T430 is still one of your best options. It's still modern enough that it'll work okay, and any newer options on the market will have terrible build quality.

There are similar options such as a refurbished HP Elitebook for $210 which I can guarantee are better built and will run better than any new laptop for $200. Change the hard drive to a SSD and it'll definitely even run better than any $350 laptop you'll find on the market.

For more suggestions to get a better idea of what you're looking for, you can look at my comprehensive list of recommendations here.

> Anyway, is there any way I can use a student loan to purchase a m a c b o o k?

Probably.

> I really need one for school but don't have the money.

"Need" ???

What will that Macbook do for you that this $260 Refurbished ThinkPad can't do for you?

Depends on what type of engineering you may choose to specialize in in the future (software, mechanical, computer, biomed, civil). For now I'd probably just recommend a cheap but trusted laptop like a lenovo thinkpad (at least for first year).

eg. https://www.amazon.com/Lenovo-T430-Processor-Professional-Refurbished/dp/B01LXCLDRI?ref_=fsclp_pl_dp_1

For mechanical engineering I know that you'll be doing 3d-modelling in MECH 200 which may require a dedicated GPU to run faster. I also know that in later years you may learn to run simulations in some of your courses (eg. computational fluid dynamics), so processing power is also pretty important.

However, one thing I kind of neglected was the weight of my laptop. You'll likely be in a lot of courses, and with a heavy laptop (even if you're only walking briefly between classes) plus lots of notebooks, might not be great. To me at least, it felt like it added up a lot over the years.

For software engineering all you really need is something that works . What I mean by that is 4gb ram and runs a common OS like Windows or Linux/Unix. Don't really need a GPU (I think) unless you're planning to play games or do video editing, and if you are doing that, probably just get a desktop setup. If you want to do game development just join the game dev club, they'd probably know more about that. I'm in my third year of csc and I don't think processing power is that important. If I really need extra processing ability, I'd probably just use a campus desktop.

Also, don't forget that each engineering discipline has their own dedicated computer lab with desktop computers with all the needed software programs and powerful specs (eg. MECH lab has desktops with 16gb ram, I think 8gb vram [at least, someone correct me if I'm wrong]).

For me, my dream laptop would probably be this (if I was buying a laptop for my entire degree, but this is pretty pricey):

https://www.dell.com/en-ca/shop/dell-laptops-netbooks-and-tablets/new-xps-13-laptop/spd/xps-13-9380-laptop

Here's someone's review of the laptop as an engineering student (doesn't look like a great review though, I'm typing a lot)

https://www.reddit.com/r/Dell/comments/6ml1pn/one_year_with_the_dell_xps_13_9350_as_an/

Something extremely lightweight and extremely powerful for graphics and processing with decent battery life (around 10 hours) coming off a full charge. also at least 256 gb storage.

In general I'd stick with a 13" laptop of some kind (ideally with a nice screen), since they're generally pretty light. I find that 15" laptops are usually heavy even when they're trying to be light. You'll be staring at that screen for many hours a day during your degree, so try and only strain your brain, not your eyes (although that might strain your wallet, idk).

I hope you're also looking at other subreddits to help you make your choice. Maybe check out r/EngineeringStudents and check if people have given other suggestions.

Hope this helps

I just found this good price on a refurbished one on Amazon

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B01LXCLDRI/ref=psdcmw_13896615011_t1_B01GU28ZSU

What do you think?

As long as it's from a reputable seller, any of those should be perfect for daily use. One like the T430 would work well- the only thing I'd do with this one is swap the hard drive out for an SSD.

Acer Aspire looks very promising. What do you think of the ThinkPad series? I know they are not known for amazing gaming qualities but are they any good at least? This one in particular, system specs kind of make it seem like it can run mmo's and witcher 3 in an alright pace.

I've seen some higher spec stuff on Amazon for much cheaper, but the fact that it's refurbished brings some concern to me. https://www.amazon.com/Lenovo-T430-Processor-Professional-Refurbished/dp/B01LXCLDRI/ref=mp_s_a_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1524929260&sr=8-4&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_FMwebp_QL65&keywords=lenovo+thinkpad+t

Found 3 Laptops on Amazon:
Laptop 1
Laptop 2
Laptop 3