Hey everyone, I need a quick sanity check before I go ahead with this.

I’m a CS student looking for a machine mainly for:

• ML prototyping (medium models)
• Some local training (I can use cloud for heavier runs)
• Gaming on the side

The deal:

ASUS ROG Strix SCAR 16 (2024)

• RTX 4090 laptop (16GB VRAM)
• i9-14900HX
• 32GB RAM
• 2TB SSD
• ~1.5 years warranty left + accidental damage protection
• Battery health ~95%
• Used, but looks to be in good condition
• Price: ₹2.35L

Seller is also offering a 64GB RAM config for ₹2.6L (+₹25k). Worth it?

My situation:

• I can afford it, but it does stretch me a bit
• I move around a lot, so desktop isn’t practical right now
• Alternatives I’m considering:
  • cheaper laptop (4060/4070/5060/5070) + cloud GPUs (5070ti laptops are priced higher or similar)
  • or just waiting

My thoughts:

• 16GB VRAM seems enough for what I’m doing currently
• I can rent GPUs if I need more
• Compared to new high-end laptops (~₹3.5–4L), this seems like decent value

Questions:

• Is ₹2.35L fair for this in India right now?
• Anything specific I should check before buying used?
• Would you go for this, or play it safer with a cheaper setup + cloud?
• Also, is the 64GB upgrade worth the extra ₹25k?

Would really appreciate any input, especially from people doing ML on laptops or who’ve bought similar used machines 🙏

https://preview.redd.it/gkozlq451hyg1.jpg?width=1156&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=c3f79c06906bf3958fd97b130b241aa2ef223bd7