Is this laptop good enough?

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MattW123

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Hi All. I am looking to get a new laptop which will be used as the family computer, but I would like to use it for photo editing and processing. I am a beginner, but I am interested in getting into Astrophotography including deep sky images requiring photostacking. My budget for the laptop is £1k. Would the below be up to the task (can’t post a link as I don’t have 3 posts yet, but this is the John Lewis description if you need to look up further details) or are there better options for the money. I have a decent monitor which I can use to edit the photos on, so laptop screen quality is less of an issue. Thanks I’m advance!
Dell Inspiron 14 5491 Laptop, Intel i7 Processor, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD
 
This is a “convertible” laptop, which required Dell to use a low power version of an i7 due to heat/cooling. Not all i7’s are equal, so make sure you look into the exact processor and it’s relative performance
 
Hi Matt - basic spec to look for is 9th or 10th generation i5 or i7 quad core (not dual core) 16GB RAM, some kind of separate graphic accelerator chip + dedicated RAM and a 500GB NVMe SSD for the system & software. Check the Dell outlet for deals, also HUKD.co.uk can provide some useful links.

A suitable Dell Inspiron:
https://outlet.euro.dell.com/Online/SecondaryInventorySearch.aspx?c=uk&cs=ukdfh1&l=en&s=dfh&sign=PXhcOSHtr1T4IOw/PR7UdbvmOrvKNf/Z6IqotEtdCyCXjpOWPcFbOmR8u0mBhV3ZJ3MYMQPiz7xTguJioK8zAiGUCXkmxwj00KrGH2d0V/ZhmKr9EH4w8Q3qWRDjQNV+u28BIAF2oInb5Ardk9z4+W9tjxWwoT2lQpg+U44V/Y4/+0afP6FAcIKnc9jQeEMJhUpBX9FBRxMdOWzitVadoFaYF6y/30G3cBpdfJ+VllI=
 
I was looking at the inspiron range but opted for the top spec G3 with a 512gb nvme ssd plus room for an additional 2.5 ssd.
Things have certainly come a long way since purchasing my previous laptop and performance is very impressive.
 
Forget John Lewis (as excellent as they are).

For the same price (or very close) you can get a 17.3" Dell G7 from their outlet store or a 15" if you want a smaller screen.

The big advantage of the 17" is the extra ports and dual hard drive; a 256Gb SSD and a 1Tb SATA. The G7 has the six core processor as well.

The Outlet is basically Dell's returns department. As they only build to order any returns get sold there.

What that means for you is a new laptop, at a a good saving and delivered in about a week as opposed to a month and a half (shipped from China).

The downside is that the throughput is pretty fast. Laptops come and go within a day, so you need to know exactly what you want,
Wait for it to turn up and then buy straight away.

They usually have a link on a bar at the top of the screen that offers a further 10-15% discount on the Outlet price titled "Discover the deals of the week"
Click on it, cut and paste the coupon for the relevant model and apply it to your basket at the end.

You'll have to juggle the drop down panels to see the available laptops in the store at the moment:

https://outlet.euro.dell.com/Online...jGk3gwtoQVq51cHzon7KJ7hdpj2vWrRyngal7ZOY/1sZR
 
Thanks for the replies guys! Will probably use the dell outlet. Can anyone see any problems with the below spec?

  • Dell Outlet Inspiron 14 - 7490 Laptop
  • Intel Core 10th Generation i7-10510U Processor (Quad Core, Up to 4.90GHz, 8MB Cache, 15W)
  • Windows 10 Home
  • 16GB Memory
  • 512GB PCIe M.2 NVMe Class 35 Solid State Drive
  • NVIDIA GeForce MX250 2GB GDDR5
  • Software
  • Silver with Solid Resin Bezel - LCD Back Cover (Non-Touch Screen)
  • 4-Cell, 52 WHr Battery
  • 14 inch FHD (1920 x 1080) Wide View Angle TrueLife 300nits 100%sRGB LED Backlit Non-Touch Display
 
Well ordered the above laptop (thanks ancient_mariner). Unfortunately, although it confirmed my order on the screen and gave me an internet receipt number, I haven't received an email confirming the order, my account hasn't been charged and when I search my order on the Dell site, it doesn't recognise the number. The item is not longer in stock though, so i have no idea what is happening. Tried calling, but they aren't open.
 
MattW123 said:
Well ordered the above laptop (thanks ancient_mariner). Unfortunately, although it confirmed my order on the screen and gave me an internet receipt number, I haven't received an email confirming the order, my account hasn't been charged and when I search my order on the Dell site, it doesn't recognise the number. The item is not longer in stock though, so i have no idea what is happening. Tried calling, but they aren't open.
Click to expand...

I've previously bought from them, and did have to jump through a few hoops regarding CC for the order to go through (details are hazy now, it was 6 years ago). Hope you get it OK and it works well for you.
 
I bought my last laptop from them. No problems, arrived looking like new.
 
Just looked back through my email history. FWIW I got an order confirmation quite quickly, but then had to jump through various hoops to deal with CC being declined & then getting a VAT invoice because it was a business machine. That was April/May 2014, so things might have changed a little.
 
ancient_mariner said:
Just looked back through my email history. FWIW I got an order confirmation quite quickly, but then had to jump through various hoops to deal with CC being declined & then getting a VAT invoice because it was a business machine. That was April/May 2014, so things might have changed a little.
Click to expand...

You mean because it was a business spec laptop Dell required you to prove that it would be used for work? Or do you mean you needed them to supply a VAT receipt to be able to claim the VAT back on your tax return?
 
MattW123 said:
Or do you mean you needed them to supply a VAT receipt to be able to claim the VAT back on your tax return?
Click to expand...

I needed a VAT receipt for my business, which was VAT registered.
 
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