Reply to If your tech savvy...

So after a lot of learning in the laptop hardware modification department, I just thought I had to share this.


Okay, so ALL over eBay, you can buy an HP ProBook 4320s for anywhere from $375-$450, basically the difference between a factory refurb, and a new in box.

I personally prefer the referbs, because I have worked in the RMA/Refurb department at a few tech companies, and the refurbs are generally the most tested, and on the latest firmware.


So these 4320s's are cheap because they come with a Celeron processor.


The cool thing about this, is that 4320s can be purchased from HP with that Celeron as the cheapest build, all the way up to a i7 640M (2.6-3.1 Ghz).


The REALLY cool thing, is all the processor options come with the EXACT same part number motherboard.

So you can buy that $375 4320s with a celeron, and buy a $150 i7 chip off eBay, and have yourself an i7 Laptop for just over $500...

Add about $80 for two 4GB DDR3 Modules

Add about $150-$200 for 128GB SSD

And that is $7-800 dollars for some of the fastest kit money can buy right now.


I have been using ProBook's for about a year and a half now, and three different models in the range, and they have all had very stable results with audio processing (I use Traktor, and Ableton). And my experience with these has really influenced my preference for business class laptops for audio processing work.


And on top of that, the 4320s is extremely easy to disassemble (provided you have the right drivers, notably a small (#8) torq driver) to access the processor for replacement.

I personally run a ProBook 5310m with a Core2Duo, cause' it works fine for me, and I dont feel like I need to upgrade...

But I originally built one of the 4320s's for my room mate, and he has been running strong on it for 3 months, with many live shows under its belt, and now I am building two more.

If you have the technical confidence, this is a combo that is VERY difficult to pass up.