u/ElectricalSystem5196

I'm looking for a laptop for basic everyday tasks with some multitasking, with the possibility of light gaming (not a requirement, but a nice bonus).

Requirements:

• Location: Canada
• Budget: Up to $500 CAD (about $360 USD)
• Operating System: Windows 11
• Memory: Minimum 8GB RAM
• Condition: Brand new
• Screen Size: Any reasonable size
• Weight: Not a major concern, but nothing excessively heavy
• Priority: Performance and responsiveness are more important than looks, thinness, or premium materials

Typical Use:

• Web browsing with multiple tabs open
• Google Docs, Microsoft Office, and schoolwork
• YouTube, Netflix, and other media
• Light multitasking (running several applications at once)
• Occasional light gaming

I'm mostly interested in the best overall performance and value for this budget. Thanks!

I currently have the HP Chromebook 14a (14a-na0010ca), and recently, while working on a project, I noticed the microphone on my Chromebook wasn’t working at all. It was working fine about a month ago and I haven't done any damage to it so I am really not sure what changed or why it just stopped.

I also noticed that the camera started acting up some time ago. The first time, I didn't use my camera that much or at all, but I randomly noticed this problem when I tried to open the camera for a quick silly picture, and it wouldn't show anything. I thought it was just a glitch, so i brushed it off, but when I checked again, it wouldn't work. If I reset the Chromebook the camera would work for a while as normal, but then after it would just go blank after a while. I was so confused by this, because what looked like a hardware problem was fixed with a reset, but I didn't worry too much, as I don't use the camera a lot.

On top of this I've had problems with the USB-C port and USB-A port. They don’t always detect the devices, but when I restart the Chromebook they work! Then they'll not work again after a while, just like the camera. It’s like the reset temporarily fixes everything, but the problems always come back after a while.

I mostly just use this Chromebook for schoolwork like Google Docs, assignments, and occasionally watching videos, so nothing that should really be stressing the hardware or ports. I also haven’t dropped it, hit it, or damaged it in any way that I know of, so it doesn’t really make sense for these issues to show up.

I’ve made sure it’s fully updated, and I've tried basic troubleshooting steps, but none of that has permanently fixed anything. The problems didn’t all happen at once either, they started showing up gradually over time, with the first signs (camera issue) appearing about five months ago and slowly getting worse since then.

(note: the microphone does not work after a reset and it seems like the camera has started to not work either after a reset.)

It honestly feels like it’s deteriorating over time. At this point I’m wondering if it’s even worth trying to repair or if I should just consider it e-waste and scrap it. Is there actually a real fix for something like this, or is it basically done?