Any recommendations as to where to buy a laptop?

[Two-Six]

Can anybody recommend a good place to buy a laptop?

My friend wants one, in the £450-£500 region.

I like Lenovo laptops, Toshiba, and possibly Acer.  I don';t like HP, Dell, or Sony, ones.

I am looking for one that has a high end i3, plenty of RAM, and Windows 7.  So a business class machine, not a consumer orientated product.

I used to like Dabs and Misco but Dabs are now taken over by BT (who ever THEY are these days)..

These suppliers used to have a great range and nice web sites to be able to browse and compare the different specs of the machines they have available.

However there might be better places to get laptops from these days, I haven';t looked for a while.

I  wouldn';t discount a refurbished 2nd user laptop either necessarily.   

[Bajadre]

Usually get my pc gear from OCUK they know there stuff and have pretty good prices too 

https://www.overclockers.co.uk/

[insx]

I';ve never had a problem with Ebuyer.

[nate80]

Overclockers, Scan, eBuyer, Misco, Dabs... Even costco, tesco, argos, laptopsdirect, John Lewis and pc world are worth a look.

Prices and specs are so changeable. It just takes patience and a proper good search to find the perfect machine. £500 should be able to net a cheap Intel i5 if you look hard enough.

Dell make some really decent machines these days. Lenovo are mostly cheap and cheerful or great. HP is almost always underpowered or overpriced. Asus make some good stuff. Acer are decent. Toshiba are generally great. Sony is a bit hit or miss.

[Gav]

Laptops direct are good.
I picked up a refurbed (ex demo good as new) Acer Aspire V Nitro i5 with GeForce 860M graphics at a great price. Quick delivery very happy.
http://www.laptopsdirect.co.uk/

[Two-Six]

"Overclockers, Scan, eBuyer, Misco, Dabs... Even costco, tesco, argos, laptopsdirect, John Lewis and pc world are worth a look"

Thanks Nate80, that narrows it down a bit! 

Actually I think you are better off with a high end i3 over a low end i5 you get a much higher clock-speed.  A low end i5 costs less than a high end i3.

[guest325]

A little bit over budget but you';ll struggle to find anything better!!!

https://m.johnlewis.com/lenovo-ideapad-500-laptop-intel-core-i5-12gb-ram-2tb-15-6-full-hd/p/2459655?sku=235536312&s_afcid=af_103504&awc=1203_1472670895_b12a3875bf5e1d36dea36a3ada7187eb#

[nate80]

"Overclockers, Scan, eBuyer, Misco, Dabs... Even costco, tesco, argos, laptopsdirect, John Lewis and pc world are worth a look"

Thanks Nate80, that narrows it down a bit! 

Actually I think you are better off with a high end i3 over a low end i5 you get a much higher clock-speed.  A low end i5 costs less than a high end i3.

You don';t expect us to do all the work for you and your mate, do you!?!     ;D

I buy equipment for friends, family and business every few months and, unfortunately, I find that the best and right deal is usually found after quite a search.  There isn';t really an easy answer or a ';best'; retailer.

It';s usually possible to find a decent low-to-mid end i5 for the £500 mark that will out perform a mid-to-top end i3.  It';s more than just clock speed.  Laptops Direct do refurbished and open stock with a good discount.  Sometimes there';s a bargain or two to be had.

I think the Lenovo Darrell suggests is a good lappy for the price too.

Good luck!