Maybe this isn't the right place to ask, since it's about those standard laptops and not about creating a custom build.
I'm looking to get a new laptop tomorrow, around the $500-800 range, though I would like to keep it as cheap as possible because I'm not the one paying for it. I'll probably be getting it from Best Buy or something local. Can you guys give me some examples of the best laptops at that price range? Ideally, I'd like to run Steam games off it, but I'm not expecting to run taxing games like Dark Souls or Sleeping Dogs obviously... I'd also be using it for programming and possibly Photoshop if I can still get a hold of CS6 since I don't want to be bound by a subscription.
Sorry for the late notice on this, I would've asked earlier if my other computer were working. It shuts down after about 30 seconds to a minute regardless of what's going on, like whether I'm attempting start up repair, checking the disk for consistency, on the log on screen, etc. Sometimes I'll be able to surf the internet for 5 minutes if it boots up fine and gets to desktop okay. It does this whether on battery or on the charger, and I even tried another fully functioning charger to check if this was a power issue. Needless to say, it still happened on the other one, so I figure it's a motherboard failure or something. I was able to borrow a computer now, but I really need my own laptop for school.
So yeah, any help is appreciated.
edit: next time, I should probably read the OP... If anyone can still help with this I'd be grateful though.