Is there a budget laptop that is superior mechanically, ie Hinges?

dugt

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May 18, 2021
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I'm looking for a lower performance laptop that doesn't have fragile hinges etc. I'll just use it for web browsing and playing freecell. (I have a desktop for everything else.) My old Surface Pro 4 was fine for this but it stopped turning on and is almost impossible to take apart without breaking the LCD. So, I would like to get a somewhat serviceable laptop but it seems the hinges fail eventually on most of them. Any suggestions?
 
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dugt

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May 18, 2021
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What's your budget and which country/region are you buying from?

If you want something very serviceable, the only option you have there is something from Framework, but they're not what you'd call "budget"

I rather buy something more common because of resale value. My best prospect so far is an HP Envy or an HP Sceptre. The Sceptre has a metal shell which should be sturdy. A problem with lots of laptops is they have metal hinges that are screwed into plastic shells. While researching this I found some extremely rugged notebooks but they are way overkill for me. For example, Panasonic and Dell make expensive ruggedized laptops.
 

dugt

Prominent
May 18, 2021
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The HP Elitebook has sturdy hinges and they are easy to repair but I couldn't find a used one with a touchscreen for a good price. I ended up getting an HP Envy x360 2 in 1. They are not too difficult to repair and HP has a video on how to replace the hinges. Since I know hinges are weak. I will be gentle with it. By the way, laptop hinges themselves are strong but they often rip away from their plastic case.
 
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