Low-cost laptop suggestions

Hello everyone :3

My dad's laptop is getting on in age, and I am looking for a new one for him as a christmas present.

The few requirements would be:

17" or above screen (can go slightly lower if huge price difference)
Able to handle very light picture editing. (He takes a lot of pictures, and sometimes spends a few minutes amateur editing them)
Preferably one that doesn't get too hot, or makes too much noice.
If at all possible, medium to above average speed (Maybe focus on RAM?)

My budget is around 4-500 USD. The lower the better of course, but I would like some decent quality. So I am willing to go a bit higher if THE laptop is a bit more expensive.

He is not in dire need of one yet, so would it be an idea to wait until Windows 9 is out?

I don't know if I have forgotten anything, but if you need more info, don't hesitate to ask

Thank you in advance.

Anything with a i5 and at least HD4000 graphics (which should be anything you can find sold as "new"). It's a solid processor and the video chipset is more then adequate for desktop usage...it can handle light gaming as well.

I would then also allocate ~$100 for a 256GB solid state drive. It will make the feel of the computer MUCH better.

I have an Asus K55A with an Ivy Bridge i5 and it does not get hot, nor is the fan much audible. But I think any other brand will be similar. I did buy a Dell laptop originally, but it would not downgrade to Windows 7 (would not install video drivers), which at the time was a requirement for me.

westrock2000 said:

Anything with a i5 and at least HD4000 graphics (which should be anything you can find sold as "new"). It's a solid processor and the video chipset is more then adequate for desktop usage...it can handle light gaming as well.

I would then also allocate ~$100 for a 256GB solid state drive. It will make the feel of the computer MUCH better.

I have an Asus K55A with an Ivy Bridge i5 and it does not get hot, nor is the fan much audible. But I think any other brand will be similar. I did buy a Dell laptop originally, but it would not downgrade to Windows 7 (would not install video drivers), which at the time was a requirement for me.

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Thank you for your reply. I will definitely keep this in mind when I'm looking around