Laptop Value Dilemma: buy cheap now and better later? Or buy something good right now?

[LongHotSummer]

My current laptop is breaking down and I'm going abroad for a year in July so I need a new one.

During this year I just need my laptop for MS word, internet, youtube, 5 hrs video editing a week. Dilemma: after that year I also want to play games.

If I buy a gaming laptop now it would be something around 750 euro with Nvidia 960m.

Option 1 buy a 330 euro, good-enough laptop. After one year buy a ~750 euro laptop (probably with something better than 960m by then, and try to sell the old one for 200, but no guarantees that selling will be easy)

Option 2 buy a 750 euro laptop with the 960m, but I will only start really using the GPU after a year.

What would you do? What's value-wise the better decision?

 

[spooky2th]

Of the two laptops I've had, I always wished that I had gotten a better one. So, I would go on and get the best you can get now.

 

[Barty1884]

Valuewise, I'd suggest a basic laptop (should be able to pick something decent up for less than 330EUR I would assume).

No sense investing in a 960M that's not quite 'top of the line' today, only to intend to use it in a years time - there will be better mobile GPU's available at a decent price by then.

 

[LongHotSummer]

Valuewise, I'd suggest a basic laptop (should be able to pick something decent up for less than 330EUR I would assume).

No sense investing in a 960M that's not quite 'top of the line' today, only to intend to use it in a years time - there will be better mobile GPU's available at a decent price by then.

The very cheapest laptop I could find is 265 euro but comes with superfish and therefore I don't want to buy from that company for a long time
2nd cheapest is 290 euro with AMD E1-6010 @ 1.35 Ghz
So 330 euro for Intel Celeron N2840 @2.16 Ghz makes enough sense

I don't intend to invest in a top of the line GPU for laptops... way to expensive. Something around the 960m price point is right for me.

 

[Barty1884]

Where are you located?

All I meant by the 'top of the line' comment is the 960M isn't close to top today. Add 12 months & it'll be even further down the 'chain'. 750EUR in a years time (when you'll actually need it) should get you much better quality hardware that spending the 750EUR now and hoping it's still viable.

Some pretty decent 'basic' laptops available on Amazon.de...
https://www.amazon.de/Asus-VivoBook-Netbook-Intel-Touchscreen/dp/B00D42J6R4/ref=sr_1_9?s=computers&ie=UTF8&qid=1464295884&sr=1-9&keywords=laptop

https://www.amazon.de/Dell-Latitude-E5420-Core-i3-2310M/dp/B0179P9AAO/ref=sr_1_16?s=computers&ie=UTF8&qid=1464295884&sr=1-16&keywords=laptop

 

[LongHotSummer]

Located in Amsterdam. I understand your point. One the one hand I worry about losing ~300, (1050 euro total), on the other hand 1x 750 can be a waste... either option doesn't feel good, I need to somehow be able to justify either course of action.

I forgot to mention I also will do 5 hrs of video editing a week.

 

[Barty1884]

1x 750EUR could be a waste
2x 750EUR could also be a waste (assuming you bought a 'decent' laptop now, and it didn't hold up too well by next year)

If it were me (assuming I understand you situation correctly), I would pick the one that works for me now, and invest in a decent gaming laptop when I need it. Only you can decide though.

Video editing is an entirely different situation though. Avoid strict 'dual core' laptops (like the Celeron you mentioned). You'll feel the benefit if you go for at least an i3 (dual + hyper-threading). An i7 would be ideal, but would change your necessary budget dramatically.