My Acer died, need a solid laptop to last long but under $450

[lappylap]

Hi everyone. Recently my Acer laptop died, I had to replace the ram and harddrive and thought everything was fixed but it still freezes and crashes...I'm pretty sure it's my graphic card

Anyway, now I'm looking to buy a new laptop but my budget is limited at only around $450. To be honest I want to stay far away from HP and Acer because my Acer's failure has scared me and I have had 2 different friends have their HPs fail on them (one was lower end, another was higher end).

Basically, I want a laptop that is serviceable but most importantly can last me a long time. I want to be able to replace my future laptop because it is outdated and not because it stopped working. I've heard good things about Lenovo, Sony, Samsung and although Dell is mixed, I think it can be solid. However does my limited budget prevent me from getting a solid laptop? I had a bestbuy employee tell me that lower end laptops die the same regardless of brand...is that true??

Any suggestions in terms of brands or just specific laptops? I was thinking of this: The Dell Online Store: Build Your System but the form (What Laptop Should I Buy) suggested that for portable I go for under 15", is that a good rule-of-thumb? I will be transporting it often.

Here is my info:

What is your budget?
$450

What country will you be buying this in?
Canada

What size notebook do you prefer?
Thin and Light (13 - 14-inch screen) 
 Mainstream (15 - 16-inch screen)

What brands do you like or dislike?
Like: Open to anything other than the dislikes under:Dislike: Acer, HP

Would you consider a refurbished laptop?
No

What are the primary tasks you need this notebook for?
Web Surfing, Office and Productivity Software, Listening to Music, Photo Editing, Movie Streaming and Viewing, 3D CAD Design, Casual Gaming

I"m an architecture student so I would need a pretty heavy duty laptop but for now my budget is limited so anything under 450 will do.

Where will you be using this laptop?
Will be used different places

How many hours of battery life do you need?
(average)

Will you be buying online or in store?
online or in store

Which OS do you prefer?
Windows 7

List the screen resolutions that interest you:
Standard Resolution (1366 x 768) 
 High Resolution (1600 x 900) 
 Max Resolution (1920 x 1080)

Do you prefer a glossy or matte screen?
Glossy or Matte is fine

Is the laptops design important to you?
No

Approximately what date will you be buying this laptop?
Around 09/14/2012

How long do you want this laptop to last?
4+ years

How much storage capacity do you need?
320 GB

Are you interested in SSD for storage?
Maybe

Do you want a built-in optical drive, what type?
DVD Burner

[Andrew Baxter]

If you have a big concern with quality but a limited budget, my recommendation is usually to look for a budget friendly business oriented laptop. Something like the Lenovo ThinkPad Edge E430 (14" screen) that starts at $460 or E530 (15" screen, same pricing) are solid notebooks for the price. I also like the Dell Vostro series, the Vostro 3560 and 3460 are worth a look. I know you said you weren't interested in refurbished, but you can find high quality laptop via Dell Business Outlet for really cheap prices, and often the refurbs can simply be laptops customers ordered and then immediately returned, sometimes without opening. You can find a coupon thread for the Dell Business Outlet here: Dell 2012 Outlet Coupons for extra savings on top of the already 20 - 30% off pricing.

[lappylap]

Thanks for the reply. The Lenovo's you suggested is very similar in specs to the Dell I linked to that I am considering, though it is more expensive. I guess it depends on whether Lenovo is a lot better than Dell to justify paying a bit extra but I don't think so.

I did look at DFSDirect.ca, the Canadian outlet for Dell, but I didn't really see any good deals. Again, the Dell I linked to was a better deal and is brand new.

Overall, thanks for all the information and suggestions. I am leaning towards a Dell, but I keep hearing horror stories from people even with Dell laptops so I will continue searching for now.