What laptop should i buy?

I’m looking for a budget laptop (or pc) to use for learning and reasarching stuff, learning to code, networking, cyber security, etc…
My budget is around 200$
Im not really informed about hardware so sorry if anything is wrong :upside_down_face:

$200 US is a difficult price point.

But if you already have a monitor and keyboard and mouse, I recommend going with any of the affordable mini PCs you can find. You can install Linux on it easily and have it work better/“faster” for what the device is for the purposes you want to use it for.

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I have a keyboard and mouse but no monitor, ill try searching for one but do you have any suggestions?

Suggestions for monitor? You can get full HD monitors on Amazon for less but the overall set up cost with the computer will not be around $200.

Sorry, but there’s very little you can get with $200 these days.

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This is what I found with a quick search:

Plus a mini PC around $200 would mean the entire set up being around 300-350 USD including taxes at best.

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When in this price point I highly reend making a recycle reuse choice. You’ll get a better quality system and lower demand for new computer manufacturing one data point.

There are plenty of helpful humans on ebay and other resell markets. That said youll need to read the details of the purchase and apply critical thinking as opposed to relying on daddy Bezos for brutal refund policies.

Online buying outside of the major commercial retailers is a skill worth building on its own as the wealth gap grows indefinitely.

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I would be very careful using pre-woned laptops. And I would definitely install Linux on it if I ever bought a used or refurbished computer - especially for the purposes OP wants to use it for.

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No i meant pc

Sure, here are some:

Also, simply search on Amazon too for “mini pc” and you should find several options. Realistically, anything you like should be okay. Like I said, you get what you want to pay for at $200 so it makes little difference.

You could get a used Lenovo ThinkPad T14 Gen 1 AMD.

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actually I would be careful of buying mini pcs
especially with:
The AceMagic malware scandal made its way onto Gamers Nexus' news roundup. It's bad. - r/MiniPCs (or old reddit)
edit, oof:
Mini PC maker ships systems with factory-installed spyware — AceMagic says issue was contained to the 'first shipment' | Tom's Hardware
Recent Ace Magic / Ace Magician PCs Infected with Malware - Lon Seidman & Lon.TV Blog
I would just be careful honestly, that’s it

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Yeah I’d use linux ofc

My go to cheap SBC x86 is the HardKernel-H4 Plus. You can keep it in its exposed state. You just need DDR5 SODIMM RAM (laptop RAM) and some NVME drive.

They do release BIOS updates.

Its just 148.40 USD with a power plug (plus delivery plus taxes). Its bare, without a case. You can probably get away with it being fanless.

Its N97 which is weirdly more powerful than the N100s

Hp brand provides budget friendly laptop for daily uses and for learning purpose as well.

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HP is ass. Never buy it. A terrible company with terrible policies and products.

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Try looking at e-waste recyclers and corporate liquidation sellers online. Depending on your location, you might get a sweet deal on an older Lenovo laptop or pc

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