In our Wandering Pro Discord server, the community comes across new people, mostly early university students, who are often asking for recommendations for buying a laptop under a 100K PKR.
As students like me are mostly broke, they don’t have huge budgets they can spend on a laptop. They need something cheap but reliable that gets them through their classes and work. So that is what inspired me to create a comprehensive buying guide and sort-of write down some of the stuff I think people especially in Pakistan should consider when going out to buy their laptop on a tight budget.
Every house needs a computer. Laptops are a balance between portability and performance but not everyone knows what they should look for when going for a new laptop. This lack of knowledge is what most sellers exploit here to screw their customers.
Most shopkeepers here don’t educate their customers and that’s how a lot of people make bad purchase decisions for themselves without them knowing. The aim with this guide is to simply explain to normal people about some of the things they can look for to make sure they are getting a good laptop for their money.
Why avoid Brand-New laptops?
They cost more – As the above discussed budget is 100K PKR (roughly $358 US at the time of writing), You just can’t buy a respectable new laptop at this price. Usually entry-level laptops start at $500-$800 US which is way over the buying power for the segment of people who would be buying the most laptops in Pakistan.
More money & More problems – Even if you somehow purchase a new laptop under a 100K PKR it would probably be an entry-level home laptop and such laptops can have a plethora of problems. Newer entry-level laptops have Cheap build quality, Worse specs and overall a relatively worse experience than a good used laptop. Eventually you’d be spending more on repairs and services.
They are built to break – It’s just the sad state of affairs for most of the laptop manufacturing industry that the entry-level laptops are built to break after some time. They are purposely made that way so companies can make recurring revenues out of their existing customers. So, even if you get a new entry-level laptop. Its days are numbered.
Why go for Used laptops?
Here onwards in this article, When I use the term ‘Used laptops’, I refer to business/executive class laptops that are used or refurbished but in a good condition. It’s true that all used laptops are not the same. The condition varies heavily between the laptop price and the seller you’re getting the laptop from but the basic principle is that the laptop should be completely functional as any new laptop would be.
Ideally it should be in pristine condition but minor cosmetic faults are acceptable as long as they don’t affect the functionality of the laptop or its components in any way.
Generally, the case is that used business class laptops are better than entry level laptops and here’s why:
Cheaper price – In most cases, Used laptops are cheaper because they can be bought for cheap. That is because of how businesses buy and resell their laptops. Bigger businesses have multiple-year contracts with laptop manufacturers. As their contracts end, These laptops are then sold for way less than their original price thus being cheaper for end-customers like us.
Built to Last – Business laptops use better components and more premium materials. Many business laptops have additional features and certifications to pass the business standards. High-End business laptops like Thinkpads even use military grade materials for their laptop’s bodies.
Better Performance – For the price you’d pay for an entry-level laptop, A used laptop at the same price would provide you better features because entry level laptops have cut-down features. You get a more powerful computer with sometimes more features, one with better specs like more RAM, Storage, Better thermals, etc at the cost of an older generation.
Research for Used Laptops
Doing your own research is absolutely essential if you want to make a better decision. You get a laptop once and then have to stick with it for a long time so paying some time with the research would only help you in the long run.
Don’t just take someone’s word. Do research yourself. Use Google, Youtube, ChatGPT or whatever you like and put some time and effort into educating yourself. The truth is no one would do the research for you, The seller isn’t there to educate you so you are on your own.
Search for things like the repairability of the laptop you choose. Look if repair shops around you support your selected laptops. Try to find out if there were any specific problems with this specific model that you are choosing. Make a realistic list of features you want from a laptop and then use that across different brands and models.
The good thing is that there isn’t a lot of overwhelming stuff to research about. There are less than a dozen main factors when buying a laptop. Just take some of the advice below but form your own opinion and then make a decision.
Budget
So budget is the important factor when one considers to buy a new laptop especially in a country like ours where wages don’t allow us much flexibility in budgeting for Tech.
In our Discord community (which you should check out if you haven’t). when people ask about advice on buying a new laptop, that audience is mostly University students who are just starting out. Based on the amount of queries we get from our community members we can create three budget segments to talk about:
1. 40-50K PKR Max (Laptops for Basic Web browsing and Light Work)
2. 50-100K PKR Max (Laptops for Browsing and Medium Work)
3. 150k and beyond (Laptops for Heavier Workloads)
In reality, more segments do exist but I think people with higher budgets are already better equipped to make their buying decisions. Because most of the people we come across have a budget under 100K PKR I’ll talk about this segment specifically.
Trusted Sellers for Buying Used Laptops
Once you have set down a budget the next most important thing you should consider is the seller you’re getting the laptop from. The seller needs to be trusted and not some random reddit guy you never met. You should visit the seller and inspect the laptop in-person.
Ideally one should prioritize a seller they can go to in-person if things go south. If the seller knows that you can reach them in-person there is a lesser chance that they are going to screw you over.
One can also survey major Tech Markets in big cities to get data on prices for the laptop they’re going to buy and then go to their trusted sellers and negotiate based on that data.
Good sellers generally offer some days’ warranty and maintain good return policies. Such sellers also invite customers to check and test the laptop themselves. These generally are good signs that the seller places trust in his product. You should try to negotiate a warranty from the seller if the seller doesn’t do that by himself. Run away from a seller who says “Kareeda hua maal wapis nahi ho ga”.
If you’re someone like me who doesn’t like leaving his blanket or hates touching grass, You can look for some online sellers that have a good reputation among the local community. You can ask in local online communities (like the Wandering Pro Discord) or other online Tech groups like Pakistan PC Gamers or PakGamers subreddit.
Price & Specs
The specs you get depend on the price you are paying for. The more the merrier is generally the case. Running a Web Browser is the minimum requirement for a laptop these days. A lot of people can get 90% of their stuff done just through their web browsers these days.
Since Intel based computers are popular in these price segments. As an overview we can generalize Intel’s core series CPU into three segments that would be available in our three-tier price segments:
1. i3 – Dual Core processors focused for the basic tasks
2. i5 – Dual & Quad Core processors for a mix of basic and moderate tasks
3. i7 – Quad & Hexa Core processors for power users
Furthermore, A laptop’s generation is what tells which year it is from. A higher generation generally means a faster and efficient processor.
For modern applications and Operating Systems like Windows 11 to work, the laptop has to have an 8th Generation Intel processor. 8 GB of RAM is the minimum industry standard but 16 GB of RAM is recommended for modern applications to work smoothly.
Based on the rough secs overview above. Let’s again discuss our three tiers in a bit more detail and what specs one could expect for each tier:
40-50K PKR Max (Lightweight tasks capable laptops)
In this price-range you’d get a laptop that barely works. It won’t be viable for heavy workloads though it would get you through Basic Web Browsing, Word Processing and other light-weight tasks. These laptops would have processors older than Intel 8th Generation. These would mostly not support modern applications and Operating Systems like Windows 11. Screens and batteries in these laptops would not be good but they might be functional or not depending upon the condition and how old the laptop is.
50-100K PKR Max (Moderate Work supporting laptops)
50-100K PKR is a good price range for people who are looking to do some moderate workload tasks on their laptops which can be Web Browsing, Full HD Video playback, Coding and University Programming projects. This is the most popular price-segment. Buyers in this price-range can expect processors up to Intel 8th Generation and higher, 8-16 GB of RAM, Moderate screens and good enough batteries for the most part.
150k PKR and beyond (Even faster laptops for Moderate & Higher Workloads)
100K PKR does give you the ability to do moderate work and anything above that provides you more speed, performance and battery life on top of that. Here you can expect Intel 10th gen and higher processors with 16GB and up RAM with better screens and longer-lasting batteries. Ultralight laptops also are a viable option in this price range.
Condition
So, the 100K PKR budget doesn’t allow us to buy Brand New laptops but the good thing is that used or refurbished laptops are widely available in this budget. And such laptops are good for the most part.
When you go for a laptop in this budget and ask the condition for the laptop, most shopkeepers would mention ‘Mint Condition’ or ‘Slightly Used’. In Fact, most of these laptops are refurbished or used. These mostly come in lots from other countries that sell these for way less prices to the shopkeepers in bulk.
A laptop’s condition is the biggest indicator of how it has been treated. There are a few ways you can get a good idea of the laptop’s condition:
Laptop’s Surface
Use your hand to check for any spills, water damage, adhesive or general stickiness in all the outer body of the laptop including the dust covers and spaces among keys of the keyboard. Test every key for any dust or erratic behavior.
Screen
Screens are a delicate part of a laptop and they can get damaged easily. First give a careful Sherlock style look to the screen and check if there is even a needle-sized spot or anything out of the ordinary. Dead pixels aren’t uncommon and you can use online screen test tools to confirm if you screen has one or not
Other than that, you should run comprehensive screen tests using multiple online tools that test the Color, Refresh rate and Dead pixels for your screen.
Keyboard
Keyboards are probably the most susceptible to wear and damage because they are directly in use by the person using the laptop. For keyboards you need to make sure that all the keys work fine. Double-check the keyboard layout. A lot of laptops from different regions can have different symbols on keys that can make your life miserable, especially those of programmers who live by the curly braces.
Ports
Ports serve as the Input Output interface of a computer and they can get worn down with time because of constant plugging. Most laptops now come with Type-C ports that can be broken easily and they are very hard to replace. In most cases, a broken Type-C charging port means replacing the entire motherboard so double check that if you have a power capable Type-C port and if it is working as expected.
As you get hold of the laptop, Double-check each and every port and make sure it works fine. For ports, you need to check how firm and strong are the physical connectors. That can give you an idea about its health. Make sure that the ports deliver the speeds they advertise like USB-3 or newer Thunderbolt ports.
Other Peripherals
Touchpads, Trackpads and Trackpoints are sensitive devices and you should spend some time making sure that the laptop you’re buying has them completely functional. Speakers, Coolers should also be checked at max performance to see if they still hold up or not. Also make sure the charger is the original one and not an off-the shelf clone from China.
Battery
Batteries degrade with time and that degradation is reflected in the battery’s health. The older the laptop, the worse the health would be. Generally 80-90% health is really good but rare. 60-70% is just acceptable and anything below that is not.
You can look for ‘Battery’ in Windows Search to check battery health. If you’re having trouble you can look for third-party software online to make sure the battery is healthy.
As batteries degrade overtime you’d be replacing them and it’s rare that you’d find original batteries here in Pakistan. You’d have to go for Chinese clones of the original batteries. You might not have to change the battery immediately but know that it would need replacement down the road as you use the laptop.
Thermals
With time laptops can produce more heat. This could be due to a number of factors such as dust build-up inside the laptop, clogged fan intakes, Deteriorated thermal paste or some other issue.
Use freely available stress-test software to check how well the laptop’s thermals perform under sustained load for a specific amount of time. If there isn’t much fluctuation, that is a good sign. If the temps are high, ask the seller when was the last time that the thermal place got replaced and make sure that there is no visible dust inside or outside the laptop.
Weird Noises
Closely pay attention to the laptop’s fans and make sure that they are not producing any weird noises similar to what an unoiled ball bearing makes.
Weak Hinges
Hinges are the most physically used part of a laptop. These are the joints that allow you to open and close a laptop. Hinges are also the easiest thing to break because they are heavily used and the physical wear and tear does take a toll on these mechanical components.
Open and close the laptop’s hinges repeatedly and hear for any cracking sounds in the hinges or other parts of the body. Use varying amounts of force and speed to completely make sure that the hinges are in good shape.
Broken Parts
Give the laptop a gentle shake and see if you hear a loose screw dangling somewhere inside the laptop. If you hear a screw or the fan being a bit noisy, something’s fishy.
Internal Condition
You can ask the seller to open up the laptop to inspect how well the motherboard is. You can use this to check if the laptop has had any repairs before. Ideally the motherboard should not have visible dust. A clean inner body shows that the laptop is well kept.
Technical condition
Make sure that the laptop has all the features that the shopkeeper has quoted you. Many laptops between the same models can have varying specs like a Thinkpad T480 laptop can have a different resolution and brightness screen and still be called a Thinkpad T480.
You can use built-in windows tools like This PC Properties, Device Manager or even Third-Party tools to get more visibility into the system’s specs. Make sure to go deep in technical details by verifying each feature you need yourself. Make sure to do proper research between different variants of your preferred laptop beforehand.
Upgradeability & Repairability
Upgradeability is a big concern these days, especially in the laptop industry. The newer laptops, in pursuit of trying to be more lightweight and portable are resulting in tightly integrated devices that are not upgradeable by anyone except the manufacturer.
Traditionally users were able to replace things like Storage, RAM, Coolers, Keyboards, Trackpads easily but most laptops nowadays are adhesively sealed instead of having removable screws that technicians can use to open up and repair/upgrade a laptop. Across all the major laptop manufacturers, Newer ultrabooks now have soldered RAM where users can’t even upgrade it by themselves.
If you get an upgradeable laptop you could spend less on the initial config of the laptop and configure RAM, Storage down the road. There are some elements of a laptop that can still be upgraded to some extent. Most Windows laptops allow users to upgrade their M.2 SSD. Some have additional SSD bays for another drive. Many Business Class laptops like Thinkpads still allow one to replace RAM modules but that trend is slowly starting to die out.
Repairability is mostly dependent on parts and that’s a big issue in Pakistan where original parts are very hard to locate. Still there are some brands that are easier to repair and source Chinese clone components for that work OK. When going for a laptop double-check that repair-services for that brand do exist near you.
Brands
If you are going for any popular brand like DELL, HP, Lenovo you are fine as long as you have the fundamentals in mind that you need a Business Class laptop that is repair friendly, has parts availability at your local repairmen and has all the features that you need.
A brand doesn’t instantly mean a good laptop. Most well-established brands have a lineup of Business Class laptops that we want and the Entry-Level lineup of laptops that we want to avoid. So, Instead of the brand name the focus should be on the fundamental principles of a good used laptop.
If you’re looking for an inexpert opinion, your author recommends Thinkpads over other used laptops. (If you’re curious why, you can Google ‘why Thinkpads are better than other used laptops’) But take it with a grain of salt.
As I mentioned earlier, Do your research and find out what works best for you based on the principles discussed above.
Bonus bit: Chromebooks
If your budget is even below 30k PKR then you may want to look for a chromebook. It is not as featureful as the rest of the laptops. It runs a special OS called Chrome OS instead of Windows but it can be an option for some.
ChromeOS is a low-spec line of laptops developed by major laptop manufacturers like DELL, Lenovo and others for school students. It is targeted at people who don’t use specific software and can work through their browser. It can be an option for people who just use their browser for most of their tasks. It has the Chrome browser and the Google Tools like Sheets, Docs, Drive, etc. along with support for Android and Linux apps depending upon the model of the Chromebook.
The cons for Chromebooks are that they don’t have any resale value and they are low powered so users can’t expect them to handle heavy tasks.
Realistic Expectations
When buying used one has to be realistic about the potential challenges that come with this approach. Follow expectations should be clear in the buyer’s mind:
- You have to put more effort – All the way from research on Repairability, Parts, Condition, Seller, Laptop testing, the buyer has to do his due diligence in buying a good used laptop.
- Original repairs are rare in Pakistan – If some component like a battery dies out after some time the person has to make use of Chineses clones because original laptop parts are either very rare to find in Pakistan or don’t make much financial sense to use in repair of a used laptop.
- Likelier that you’d be ripped off – When buying used you have to be extra careful to ensure that the decision you’re making is the best one and the seller isn’t trying to rip you off. Good thing is that you have this guide to help you with this.
- Meh resale value – When selling something in Pakistan the market decides that resale value and is mostly very low. Even if your laptop is in good condition, the used market doesn’t care much and would have its own rates.
Resale
The resale of a used laptop depends on a number of factors including Brand, Specs, Laptop’s Age and the Current Condition of the laptop. Generally newer products have OK resale value but the same shouldn’t be expected of used products.
As long as the laptop is from a well-established manufacturer you can expect it to sell at an OK price as decided by the local market but it can be challenging to get the right price for a used laptop here in Pakistan. As long as you don’t get the laptop from a no-name manufacturer and just stick with any large laptop manufacturer like DELL, HP, Lenovo, then most of you would be fine.
Conclusion
To conclude, a used Business class laptop is better than an Entry-Level laptop that is Brand-New especially under the 100K PKR budget. It’s not possible to get a respectable brand new laptop in this budget, so going used is a better option though it has its own caveats.
Discussing the three basic price segments I focused on the most popular one – the 50-100K PKR budget audience which is mostly early university students trying to look for a laptop that won’t break the bank but still let them study and do moderate work.
The content for this piece is mostly my own experience and knowledge-base developed through the experiences of others close to me and watching related content online.
I myself use a refurbished Thinkpad T480. Back when I got my laptop, I had to do a lot of research before buying the very first laptop. There wasn’t a guide like this which not only talks about the fundamental buying principles but also discusses the local Pakistani context and challenges.
If you think you found any value in this, I encourage you to join the Wandering Pro Discord server. If you found any error or have any feedback, please share it at admin@sknexus.com
Further Learning –
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NsTobnTfsYw
Note: The article is from the POV of a Pakistani citizen. Please consider other online sources with a grain of regional salt.
A guy trying his hardest to not end up as a Writer. Alternatively someone who has deep passion for the field of CyberSecurity and overlapping ideologies. I am the one and only researcher for Tech Made Fun Tech Podcast – patent pending.
