Are you thinking of buying a new computer? If so, you might want a laptop, or perhaps a desktop PC, but whatever your preference, there are a couple of great options from HP which are powered by AMD processors on offer at John Lewis right now.
These machines represent a good buy not simply because of the quality of the hardware, but also the affordable price tags of the HP Slim desktop PC and HP Chromebook 14 laptop, which are made all the more enticing by the discounts John Lewis is currently offering in its Winter sale.
Of course, it’s all well and good to say these are high-quality PCs, but let’s explore in-depth exactly why this is the case, and why you might want to take the plunge with either device, starting with that desktop model.
HP Slim DT: A compact AMD Ryzen™ 3 desktop PC
The HP Slim DT S01-aF0010na, to give the PC its full product name, is a slim and compact desktop tower which measures just 27 x 9.5 x 30.3cm (H x W x D). It’s powered by an AMD Ryzen™ 3 3250U Mobile Processor, which is a dual-core CPU (with 4-threads) offering boost speeds of up to 3.5GHz.
This Processor is highly power-efficient and has 4MB of L3 cache, which simply means it will be able to easily deal with any of your day-to-day computing tasks, such as web browsing, emails, watching videos. Plus it's even capable of handling a little light gaming courtesy of the integrated AMD Radeon™ Graphics.
The processor is backed up by 8GB of DDR4 system RAM and a hard drive with 1TB of space, giving you plenty of storage to fit in all your photos and videos, or music files, with lots of space left over to install apps (and maybe the odd game).
The compact and slim design of this PC means it can easily fit in anywhere, whatever room you want to use the device in, without looking bulky and out of place (the geometric pattern on the front of the device helps this jet-black computer to look pleasingly smart and more modern, too).
It’s a quiet-running machine as well, which always helps in terms of the PC being unobtrusive.
An added convenience is that the ports are all located on the front of the PC, for easy access, meaning this is a highly functional as well as nifty-looking device.
You get six USB ports, HDMI 1.4 as well as legacy VGA, plus an Ethernet connector. Oh, and this PC comes complete with a bundled full-size keyboard and mouse.
A final noteworthy point is that while this HP Slim desktop comes with Windows 10 installed, you’ll get a free upgrade to Windows 11 when that becomes available (Microsoft is in the process of rolling out its newest operating system to more and more devices).
HP 14" Chromebook Laptop: Created with an AMD Athlon™ Processor
If it’s a laptop you’re after, then look no further than the AMD Chromebook 14b-na0005na, although one thing to bear in mind upfront is that this is a Chrome OS notebook, meaning it doesn’t run Windows.
Google’s Chrome OS is a very easy to use operating system, capable of doing everything you need, but with a different (and more streamlined) way of working compared to Windows.
It’s also fast – quick to boot, and performant when running apps – plus this notebook is very secure, as Chrome OS is designed with security in mind from the ground-up. Furthermore, this Chromebook gives you access to Google’s famous Play Store which is crammed with popular Android apps that you can run and enjoy on this laptop.
The engine of this Chromebook is an AMD Athlon™ Silver 3050C Processor, which is a dual-core chip capable of boosting up to 3.2GHz. This processor, combined with the streamlined Chrome OS, will deliver plenty of oomph for whatever computing tasks you need to accomplish with this laptop, whether that’s browsing the web, doing homework, or streaming movies and TV shows.
Speaking of streaming films and the like, this Chromebook has a 14-inch screen with a Full HD resolution which benefits from very thin bezels on the left and right, so nothing distracts you from watching the movie.
The display is also anti-glare and an IPS panel which offers wide viewing angles, meaning the colours don’t fade badly when viewed from the side (if multiple people are gathered around watching).
Further bolstering this laptop’s strengths on the entertainment front is the fact that the audio is delivered via speakers tuned by Bang & Olufsen.
The AMD Athlon™ Processor is partnered with 4GB of system RAM and 64GB of storage, and a beefy battery which offers up to 10 hours and 45 minutes of (claimed) battery life.
Other bonuses include support for the latest wireless tech (Wi-Fi 6) and a privacy shutter for the webcam, which slides over the lens when the camera isn’t in use (that’s a much neater fix than a piece of sticky tape, naturally).
Head over to John Lewis for impressive discounts on these PCs now
Now that you have a good sense of what you’re getting with either this desktop PC or Chromebook laptop, as we mentioned at the outset, the great thing is that these affordable devices are now even cheaper in the John Lewis Winter sale.
That means if you’re thinking about replacing an old PC which is just feeling slower and slower these days, but you’ve not got the money to splash out on something high-end or premium, then these machines are perfect – representing seriously good value for money while providing all the power you need to accomplish everyday tasks (and a great screen for watching your favourite streaming content in the case of the Chromebook).
You can grab the HP Slim DT S01-aF0010na or the AMD Chromebook 14b-na0005na from John Lewis with not just cheaper pricing thanks to the discounts the retailer is offering, but you also get the benefit of a two-year guarantee and top-notch customer service.
