so i was wondering if anyone knew how good dell outlet computers were. I want a new computer but the prices on the ones in the outlet are amazing. They have all the specs I want for my price range, plus the shipping is free. My dell I had was great. It was built new for me though. For the prices of these laptops that I am looking at, I can't even get close to the specs. If you get what I'm saying.

I googled and from the things I've heard, I feel better about getting one from the outlet. They go through more testing than a new computer to ensure them working properly. And they said that since they were cheaper you can get better specs for your money, which is true. So I'm glad I googled. But any input you guys have I'll still take.

I don't really have a professional opinion but let me tell you although I've never had a refurbished dell, I've had 4 refurbished laptops before this one. They all would overheat, be fine for a few days then crash, or something else dumb. They were all refurbished laptops and I never liked the idea of it. I was a little wary about getting the last one before this one but I decided to go ahead and try it, after 4 months of having it, it turned off one day never to turn back on, regardless of what my dad did to fix it. I'm not trying to scare you out of it but I'm just telling you my experience with refurbished computers have not been good ones. In Feb, I will have had this one for a year bought brand new with a slight issue of just having to make sure it turns off so it doesn't overheat, because if it overheats then it does silly things.

Almost all refurbished machines are fine, dell do check them a lot, so you can be sure if it goes tits up you can return it.

My brand new compaq I got last fall did the same thing, don't think only referbs are subject to that. Dell practically has better warentys on their referbs than new ones.

I think I have decided on a dell at walmart. It is in the price range I want, with a 500 gb hdd and 4 gigs of memory. If I decide I don't like it, I have 2 weeks to figure that out. I can return it and get one from dell outlet. The compaq I have now likes to overheat now and then. I don't really like the processor in it. It has a amd sempron SI-42 Processor. I can tell, it sucks.

Out of curiousity. I checked my task manager and my cpu usage is at 100%. I'm guessing that isn't good. I only have ie open and avg running in the background. Probably other crap that hp put on. Who knows. But it is also using up half my memory.

100% CPU usage when just using IE and AVG is running a scan in the backround? That's normal. When AVG is running a scan (which it does not do all time time) your CPU usage will go up.

Now if AVG isn't running a scan and your CPU is still at 100%, something else is eating up your processing power. It's not the cpu that's the problem then, it's something else. Usually caused by PEBKAC.

Eric had to get on me before about restarting once in a while so months (literally) of firefox being open can back it up a bit. Usually after a good restart my compaq CPU usage goes back down (like Holli's, mine goes WAY up randomly, but mine is completely broken with the monitor shot, and a bad tendency to overheat....) Also getting a new laptop next month.

I simply hate this thing. It's a cheap piece of trash. However I'm passing it to my dad. I'm going to clean it up the best I can. I'm working on that now actually. He just wants it to surf the internet and write emails. He doesn't have the money to buy his own, so he gets free. 2 more days!

Avg was on, but it wasn't doing a scan. If I sit here and just watch it, one second its 3% then jumps to 100. It is all over the place. Without me touching a thing. Not even the mouse.