Cheap (under $300) Windows Laptops

[sarcasticface]

Does anyone know where I could get a used one that could run Madden and Photoshop? By cheap, I mean under $300.

[RevanFan]

Does anyone know where I could get a used one that could run Madden and Photoshop? By cheap, I mean under $300.

A laptop that cheap? I don't even know if I've ever seen one, haha. Laptops are always more expensive than desktops.

The best thing I can recommend you do is look up the specs required to use Photoshop and Madden, see what is the minimum you need for proper functionality, and start looking. Amazon, Newegg, and Ebay are usually where I'd check. Though Newegg would likely only have new laptops. You'd want something used or refurbished for that price.

[sarcasticface]

Does anyone know where I could get a used one that could run Madden and Photoshop? By cheap, I mean under $300.

A laptop that cheap? I don't even know if I've ever seen one, haha. Laptops are always more expensive than desktops.

The best thing I can recommend you do is look up the specs required to use Photoshop and Madden, see what is the minimum you need for proper functionality, and start looking. Amazon, Newegg, and Ebay are usually where I'd check. Though Newegg would likely only have new laptops. You'd want something used or refurbished for that price.

Okay. Cool. My dad said not to get used or refurbished (or eBay) because he's had to fix a ton of refurbished ones right after he got it. What's unfortunate about this is that I won't be able to do any modding until I get one (sorry, everybody). I hope to get one by my birthday (Veteran's Day, 11/11).

[elguapo]

I got a few laptops from pawn shops for about $100 bucks. I originally was looking to purchase a laptop with the windows key at the bottom of the laptop because a Windows key cost about $100 dollars but I ended buying a Windows key and a good laptop for about $125 bucks. Plus I also got the OEM key so in total at the pawn shop for 2 windows keys and a laptop for $125 bucks.

[sarcasticface]

I got a few laptops from pawn shops for about $100 bucks. I originally was looking to purchase a laptop with the windows key at the bottom of the laptop because a Windows key cost about $100 dollars but I ended buying a Windows key and a good laptop for about $125 bucks. Plus I also got the OEM key so in total at the pawn shop for 2 windows keys and a laptop for $125 bucks.

Good advice. My brother owns (I think) a pawn shop.

[RevanFan]

I got a few laptops from pawn shops for about $100 bucks. I originally was looking to purchase a laptop with the windows key at the bottom of the laptop because a Windows key cost about $100 dollars but I ended buying a Windows key and a good laptop for about $125 bucks. Plus I also got the OEM key so in total at the pawn shop for 2 windows keys and a laptop for $125 bucks.

Good advice. My brother owns (I think) a pawn shop.

You don't need to have a Windows key at the bottom to get the key. Just use a program like Magical Jellybean KeyFinder or ShowKeyPlus to find your product key for Windows.

[elguapo]

I needed an extra key for another computer. I think windows started checking if keys were being used on different computers so I inquired about the price of a key since I already had the installation disk.

[tomkatt]

Photoshop will depend on the version I guess. Older versions will run better on a low end laptop. Madden 08 will run on a toaster at this point though.

You can find good deals but you have to dig into eBay and keep a lookout. I picked up a Dell Latitude E6420 with 4GB RAM last year for $60 and I'm pretty sure it should run Madden 08 just fine, though not sure about Photoshop. Was intended as a low power Plex server but I found it underpowered for that so picked up a cheap Dell T5500 server and decked it out with a ton of RAM instead. Now the 6420 is just a mobile Linux learning machine for my studies.

Windows 7 and 8 keys are also cheap on eBay. I got all my Win8.1 keys for like $8 each, also on eBay.

[RevanFan]

Photoshop will depend on the version I guess. Older versions will run better on a low end laptop. Madden 08 will run on a toaster at this point though.

You can find good deals but you have to dig into eBay and keep a lookout. I picked up a Dell Latitude E6420 with 4GB RAM last year for $60 and I'm pretty sure it should run Madden 08 just fine, though not sure about Photoshop. Was intended as a low power Plex server but I found it underpowered for that so picked up a cheap Dell T5500 server and decked it out with a ton of RAM instead. Now the 6420 is just a mobile Linux learning machine for my studies.

Windows 7 and 8 keys are also cheap on eBay. I got all my Win8.1 keys for like $8 each, also on eBay.

If you get a legit Windows 7 or 8.1 key, you can actually use it on a Windows 10 install if you skip the "enter your product key" part of the install and enter it later once the OS is fully operational and installed. And I find Windows 10 to be slightly better optimized than 7 or 8.1. Especially with newer hardware, but I think it runs slightly better on pretty much anything so long as you have 8 or more gigs of RAM.

NEVER get a computer with fewer than 8 gigs of RAM in 2018 though. Only if you're putting on a very lightweight Linux distro, and even then I wouldn't.

[tomkatt]

Photoshop will depend on the version I guess. Older versions will run better on a low end laptop. Madden 08 will run on a toaster at this point though.

You can find good deals but you have to dig into eBay and keep a lookout. I picked up a Dell Latitude E6420 with 4GB RAM last year for $60 and I'm pretty sure it should run Madden 08 just fine, though not sure about Photoshop. Was intended as a low power Plex server but I found it underpowered for that so picked up a cheap Dell T5500 server and decked it out with a ton of RAM instead. Now the 6420 is just a mobile Linux learning machine for my studies.

Windows 7 and 8 keys are also cheap on eBay. I got all my Win8.1 keys for like $8 each, also on eBay.

If you get a legit Windows 7 or 8.1 key, you can actually use it on a Windows 10 install if you skip the "enter your product key" part of the install and enter it later once the OS is fully operational and installed. And I find Windows 10 to be slightly better optimized than 7 or 8.1. Especially with newer hardware, but I think it runs slightly better on pretty much anything so long as you have 8 or more gigs of RAM.

NEVER get a computer with fewer than 8 gigs of RAM in 2018 though. Only if you're putting on a very lightweight Linux distro, and even then I wouldn't.

Well, RAM is going to depend on what you get. If it's a laptop, just be sure not to get a cheap one with soldered RAM, you're screwed there. Most Dells are good about RAM slots, and older laptop RAM is cheap.

Desktops are another issue. RAM prices have gotten pretty high, but if you get an old workstation/server tower like a Dell T-5500 or T-3500, you can kit it out with like... I dunno, 24GB or something for under $50 because ECC RAM is dirt cheap and there are tons of resellers on eBay. I built both my servers with Xeon hexacore x5650s and 24GB RAM for about $200 each for everything. Those two T5500s have been great learning machines, with one now sidelined and the other running as a super fast transcoding Plex server. But with a cheap GPU either could still be a reasonably decent gaming rig, since those Xeons are hexacores at 2.67GHz, and supposedly can overclock well (though my rigs aren't kitted out with mobos/BIOS or cooling for that).