Was looking for a decent sub 300 laptop with i3 or i5 and came across this one which looks good to me.
Dell Vostro 3546 Laptop Product Description
Processor
Intel® Core i3 (4th Gen) 4005U 1.7GHz
Dual Core
3MB Cache
Memory
4GB DDR3 1600MHz SDRAM
Configuration 1 x 4GB
2 x SODIMM slot 204 pin (1 free)
Hard Drive
500GB 5400rpm SATA HDD
Optical Drive
DVD Writer
Software
Operating System: Windows 7 Pro, downgraded from Windows 8.1 Pro
Display
15.6" WLED backlight, Anti Glare
16:9 Aspect Ratio
Resolution 1366 x 768
Graphics
Intel HD Graphics
Audio
Stereo speakers, microphone
Realtek ALC3234
High Definition Audio
Input Devices
Keyboard and Touchpad
Networking
Wireless: 802.11n
Dell Wireless 1705
Gigabit Ethernet
Bluetooth 4.0
2.4GHz band diversity antenna
Power Supply
AC 120/230 V ( 50/60 Hz )
65 Watt , 19.5 V
Dimensions
Width 346 mm
Depth 246 mm
Height 27.6 mm
Weight 2.2 kg
Interfaces
VGA
USB 3.0
2 x USB 2.0
LAN
Headphone/microphone combo jack
3 in 1 Card reader
Webcam
12 comments
slipd
8 Jan 16#1
Looks good for the price! Anyone had one recently? I had one for Uni in 2008 and the Vostro's then were built like tanks and the batteries were out of this world :smiley:
Awaken to slipd
18 Jan 16#9
Obviously never tried a Thinkpad then if you think Vostro's are that good :smile:
T520 refurb for under £200 is a better bet. And stick an SSD in either of em.
smileypete
8 Jan 163#2
Worth checking single thread performance on passmark if that's what you need.
Vostro comes with Windows Pro version. This makes a big difference when you upgrade to Windows 10 (better control of software over updates and privacy + Bitlocker security). The HP's smilypete is suggesting come with Windows Home edition. I would say the Vostro is the better deal.
huangxq2
8 Jan 16#4
Vostro is Dell's business laptop series, we can expect good quality.
Cannot find reviews for the exact model, but the screens are the same between the Lenovo E50-70 and E50-80 or between Dell Vostro ones .
pet2000
10 Jan 16#5
If you buy a laptop with Windows Home, you need to fork out £130 extra for Pro. Home version is full of non-uninstallable controlware (I call it malware), which syphons off your personal data to Microsoft. You will have very little control over that. If you pay extra and if you only need Windows for business and can live without Cortana and Edge, your money spend wiser if you get an Enterprise version of Windows 10. I've exstensively studied all versions and Enterprise LTSB (long term service branch) is the best and least intrusive version.
manjimup1998
17 Jan 16#6
I love my Vostro brought in 2012. It's still going strong, and all thanks to a post on here :laughing: Your text here
J400uk
17 Jan 16#7
Didn't realise they still did the Vostro, I had one back in 2007 in the Vista days! This one looks good although the screen resolution is a little low. Spend another £30-£40 on a cheap SSD and upgrade to Windows 10 then it should make a nice entry machine :smiley:
luvsadealdealdeal
17 Jan 16#8
Good advice, they're miles better in CPU performance
ibnMuhammad_
18 Jan 16#10
Sorry, cold from me.
About the price I'd expect to find a laptop of this spec.
The 5400rpm (sloowww) HDD is a big let-down.
It's worrying consumers get suckered into buying a laptop with the latest super-fast i3/i5/i7 CPU, but don't realise that the biggest let-down for the past 5-8 years has been the hdd. The CPU (single-thread) performance since around 2007 (for Intel processors (Q6600 / E8400)) has been pretty decent for every day use, including some basic video rendering and graphics manipulation.
mushypeas25
19 Jan 16#11
1.7GHz? Why don't you just power it with a Toyota Prius?
raglasher
19 Jan 16#12
I have a Lenovo i3 and it is crap, going to buy this
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Opening post
Dell Vostro 3546 Laptop Product Description
Processor
Intel® Core i3 (4th Gen) 4005U 1.7GHz
Dual Core
3MB Cache
Memory
4GB DDR3 1600MHz SDRAM
Configuration 1 x 4GB
2 x SODIMM slot 204 pin (1 free)
Hard Drive
500GB 5400rpm SATA HDD
Optical Drive
DVD Writer
Software
Operating System: Windows 7 Pro, downgraded from Windows 8.1 Pro
Display
15.6" WLED backlight, Anti Glare
16:9 Aspect Ratio
Resolution 1366 x 768
Graphics
Intel HD Graphics
Audio
Stereo speakers, microphone
Realtek ALC3234
High Definition Audio
Input Devices
Keyboard and Touchpad
Networking
Wireless: 802.11n
Dell Wireless 1705
Gigabit Ethernet
Bluetooth 4.0
2.4GHz band diversity antenna
Power Supply
AC 120/230 V ( 50/60 Hz )
65 Watt , 19.5 V
Dimensions
Width 346 mm
Depth 246 mm
Height 27.6 mm
Weight 2.2 kg
Interfaces
VGA
USB 3.0
2 x USB 2.0
LAN
Headphone/microphone combo jack
3 in 1 Card reader
Webcam
12 comments
T520 refurb for under £200 is a better bet. And stick an SSD in either of em.
Here ya go, i5 for £30 more, reviews look OK...
http://www.ebuyer.com/724984-hp-250-g4-laptop-n1a92ea-abu
ETA another i5 for £40 more, bit better battery, connectivity, reviews~:
http://www.ebuyer.com/724689-hp-probook-450-g2-laptop-p5s40es-abu?gclid=CJDF9O31_ckCFeTnwgodRMsATA
But it is let down by the screen. If google a detailed review, the statistics of the screen is rather bad.
http://www.notebookcheck.net/Review-Dell-Vostro-3550-Notebook.53227.0.html (i7 version review)
http://www.notebookcheck.net/Review-Dell-Vostro-3555-Notebook.62073.0.html (AMD A8 version review)
As an alternative, go for this Lenovo business laptop with i3, 128GB SSD for £280. Better screen if you google detailed review. Only comes with Windows 8.1 Home, not Windows 7 Professional.
http://www.hotukdeals.com/deals/lenovo-e50-70-15-6-laptop-i3-4030u-4gb-ram-win8-1-128gb-ssd-for-260-500gb-hdd-for-2328562
http://www.notebookcheck.net/Lenovo-E50-80-Notebook-Review.149372.0.html (i5 version review)
Cannot find reviews for the exact model, but the screens are the same between the Lenovo E50-70 and E50-80 or between Dell Vostro ones .
Your text here
About the price I'd expect to find a laptop of this spec.
The 5400rpm (sloowww) HDD is a big let-down.
It's worrying consumers get suckered into buying a laptop with the latest super-fast i3/i5/i7 CPU, but don't realise that the biggest let-down for the past 5-8 years has been the hdd. The CPU (single-thread) performance since around 2007 (for Intel processors (Q6600 / E8400)) has been pretty decent for every day use, including some basic video rendering and graphics manipulation.