Laptop brand quality? (Lenovo, DELL, HP)?

I've had my current laptop (a Lenovo G550) since 2009; and I'm thinking it's going to need replacing pretty soon, because it's started crashing randomly, every few weeks… And it's already on it's second hard drive.
But there are so many laptops to choose from, I'm a little overwhelmed.

I'm mainly looking for something good quality, but affordable ($700ish or under) that will last me for at least the next five years. My latest exploration of brands has led me to the conclusion that Acer and Asus are to be avoided; but I wonder about Dell, and HP? Or, should I stick with Lenovo?
I am a college student, so I do spend a fair amount of time online, with word documents, and of course, streaming Netflix.

I'm not particularly interested in having a touchscreen; and I'm not a gamer; so I don't need anything super sophisticated… Just compact, reliable, and practical.

Sorry for the length, but I'd really appreciate some helpful information! Please, no rude answers.

*Please keep your answer focused on PCs if possible, since I honestly cannot afford a Mac; and I'm not interested in switching systems right now.* :)

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