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Get a quad-core 15.6-inch HP laptop for $339.99

This HP Pavilion is refurbished, but it's also loaded. And it sells new for $600.

Rick Broida Senior Editor
Rick Broida is the author of numerous books and thousands of reviews, features and blog posts. He writes CNET's popular Cheapskate blog and co-hosts Protocol 1: A Travelers Podcast (about the TV show Travelers). He lives in Michigan, where he previously owned two escape rooms (chronicled in the ebook "I Was a Middle-Aged Zombie").
Rick Broida
2 min read
The HP Pavilion dv6-6c48us.
The HP Pavilion dv6-6c48us. HP

Quick housekeeping note: I'm taking a rare vacation day tomorrow, so this is it until Monday. Have a great weekend, and I'll see you then!

Apple's new MacBooks are getting lots of attention right now, but it'll cost you a minimum of $999 to get one. For that kind of money, you could literally buy three of today's deal.

While supplies last, Newegg has the refurbished HP Pavilion dv6-6c48us 15.6-inch laptop for $339.99 shipped. How good a deal is that? The same model sells new at Office Depot for $599.99.

The Pavilion packs way, way more power than you'd expect in a system in this price category. For starters, it has a quad-core AMD A8-3520M 1.6GHz processor, which has ample muscle for things like video editing, HD movies, and visually complex games. Based on some quick research, I'd say it's roughly on par with an Intel i5 processor.

The system also includes 6GB of RAM, a 500GB hard drive, an AMD Radeon HD 6620G graphics processor, and a Super-Multi DVD drive. Plus, it comes with four USB ports, two of which support USB 3.0. And HP stocks it with Beats Audio, for those who care about such things.

The Pavilion's 15.6-inch screen has a native resolution of 1,366 x 768 pixels, which I think is sufficient for a screen of that size -- though some would no doubt prefer a higher pixel count.

Another potential dealbreaker: this laptop weighs 6 pounds -- not a big deal if it's going to spend most of its time on a desk, but definitely on the heavy side for heavy travelers.

CNET hasn't reviewed the Pavilion dv6-6c48us, but check out the fairly detailed user reviews on the aforementioned Office Depot page. They average out to 4.8 stars out of 5.

Like most refurbished laptops, this one has a 90-day warranty. If you can live with that, this HP offers considerably more bang for the buck than most of the systems I've seen at this price. Definitely worth a look.

Bonus deal: Want a waterproof camcorder you can bring to the pool, beach, or walkabout? Today only, 1SaleADay has the Kodak PlaySport Zx3 1080p pocket camcorder for $49.99, plus $4.99 for shipping. It's available in your choice of five colors, and it comes with a 90-day warranty. I have one of these, and it can survive a full dunk in the mud, let alone a few splashes of sand and surf.

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