New Laptop/PC Advice -Please Read the Opening Post

[Smurf]

13 minutes ago, vdr12 said:

Hi Smurf, thanks for spending so much time helping people.

Apologies if this has been covered in the thread previously, but Ive been looking at this 

https://www.box.co.uk/20LB0007UK-Lenovo-ThinkPad-P52s-Ultrabook-Workstati_2494899.html

and this

https://www.razer.com/gb-en/gaming-laptops/razer-blade-stealth-v4

Which of these would you recommend or do you have alternative suggestions at this price point? I never run more than 4-5 leagues.

 

 

Both Similar. I like Razer. 

[Kirky Muxloe]

On 15/08/2019 at 22:08, Kirky Muxloe said:

Hi,

I have been looking at a laptop at Currys, but it has been out of stock for a while, and I want to consider alternatives. The laptop is MSI GF62.

My budget is around £1,200 but could increase this slightly for the right laptop, if a little increase in price makes a big difference in what I could buy. I have heard good things about MSI, but again, this isn't mandatory.

I'm happy for this to be an off the shelf model or something that is built, if it gets better value for money, but this isn't something I am confident in doing.

The main gaming purpose of this laptop will be FM/ Sims, but I want to future proof as well with the purchase, with the possibility to play games with more of a graphics focus than FM. 

I would like the laptop to have a SSD and 16GB ram, minimum 256GB storage. I'm not sure how the Time Spy is calculated, but I was advised the one on the Currys laptop was pretty good, particularly for my budget & requirements. 

For context of my FM needs, I know it isn't possible to state I can play x number of leagues on y spec, but ideally I would be able to have at a decent speed processing the following:

- Large database

- Average career length 8-15 years long, maybe up to 20.

- All English leagues

- 2 x Scottish, German

- 1 x Italian, French, Spanish, Portuguese, Dutch

- Any extras, but I am probably being unrealistic (Croatian, Belgian, etc.)

Any advice on this would be really appreciated. Thank you

Hi again, sorry just one more question as I've seen another option on offer, how does this compare to the one I was looking at, and the alternatives you provided?

Or alternatively, the higher spec version if I pushed budget more.

HP Omen 8GB RAM

or an alternative version:

HP Omen 16GB Ram

thank you

Edited August 17, 2019 by Kirky Muxloe
Added another laptop

[willstannard]

On 03/08/2019 at 05:03, Smurf said:

Min https://www.saveonlaptops.co.uk/6BP13EAABU-HP-250-G7_2475956.html

Aim for more like this

https://www.saveonlaptops.co.uk/4CK41EAABU-HP-Pavilion-17-ab405na_2354467.html

 

 

 

 

Hi Smurf, thanks for your previous advice. Would the second of these two recommendations run the 3D match engine smoothly? I think it would be more appropriate for me as an all round laptop. Thanks again.

[Taaxxi]

8 hours ago, Smurf said:

I don't know why I never did this for you before!

Chassis & Display
Optimus Series: 15.6" Matte Full HD 60Hz 72% NTSC LED Widescreen (1920x1080)
Processor (CPU)
Intel® Core™ i7 Six Core Processor 9750H (2.6GHz, 4.5GHz Turbo)
Memory (RAM)
16GB Corsair 2400MHz SODIMM DDR4 (2 x 8GB)
Graphics Card
NVIDIA® GeForce® RTX 2060 - 6.0GB GDDR6 Video RAM - DirectX® 12.1

1^st M.2 SSD Drive
1TB SAMSUNG 970 EVO PLUS M.2, PCIe NVMe (up to 3500MB/R, 3300MB/W

Choose from 6 Incredible Ubisoft Titles FREE with select SAMSUNG NVMe SSDs!

Battery
Optimus X Series 4 Cell Lithium Ion Battery
Thermal Paste
COOLER MASTER MASTERGEL MAKER THERMAL COMPOUND
 

Price: £1,401.00 including VAT and Delivery

Unique URL to re-configure: https://www.pcspecialist.ie/saved-configurations/optimusX-15/aX4D7MJThU/

Part 5 you can configure your own browser etc.

Part 2 - if you wanto bring the cost down - put in a 500gb SSD instead. 

Would you recommend this ahead of the omen 15 dh0003na? What are the major differences? And is the battery similar? Better for GM performance?

 

Also, slightly different, are these both the same laptop or am I being stupid and missing something?

https://www.box.co.uk/7KC58EAABU-HP-OMEN-15-dh0003na_2614940.html

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.overclockers.co.uk/hp-omen-15-dh0003na-nvidia-rtx-2060-16gb-15.6-fhd-240hz-intel-i7-9750h-gaming-laptop-lt-04h-hp.html%3ftemplate=amp 

I ordered both. One pre order for delivery on the 27th and the overclockers came today? 

 

 

[Smurf]

16 hours ago, Taaxxi said:

Would you recommend this ahead of the omen 15 dh0003na? What are the major differences? And is the battery similar? Better for GM performance?

 

Also, slightly different, are these both the same laptop or am I being stupid and missing something?

https://www.box.co.uk/7KC58EAABU-HP-OMEN-15-dh0003na_2614940.html

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.overclockers.co.uk/hp-omen-15-dh0003na-nvidia-rtx-2060-16gb-15.6-fhd-240hz-intel-i7-9750h-gaming-laptop-lt-04h-hp.html%3ftemplate=amp 

I ordered both. One pre order for delivery on the 27th and the overclockers came today? 

I'd say they are on par. The advantage of PC Specialist is less bloatware, and you have your browser etc preinstalled, antivirus choice etc. 

First thing I do with a new laptop bought off the shelf is erase the hard drive and a fresh install of Windows because they come with bloatware.

PC Specialist don't load up the computer with Bloatware, as far as I know.

https://www.computerworld.com/article/2966113/bloatware-what-it-is-and-how-to-get-rid-of-it.html

[CAGSEN]

what are you thinking about these laptops guys? Which is better for playing without any problems?

http://laptopsclearance.com.cy/product/product/details/922/lang/2/category/3

http://laptopsclearance.com.cy/product/product/details/873/lang/2/category/3

http://laptopsclearance.com.cy/product/product/details/619/lang/2/category/3

http://laptopsclearance.com.cy/product/product/details/893/lang/2/category/3

http://laptopsclearance.com.cy/product/product/details/883/lang/2/category/3

http://laptopsclearance.com.cy/product/product/details/923/lang/2/category/3

[Taaxxi]

13 hours ago, Smurf said:

I'd say they are on par. The advantage of PC Specialist is less bloatware, and you have your browser etc preinstalled, antivirus choice etc. 

First thing I do with a new laptop bought off the shelf is erase the hard drive and a fresh install of Windows because they come with bloatware.

PC Specialist don't load up the computer with Bloatware, as far as I know.

https://www.computerworld.com/article/2966113/bloatware-what-it-is-and-how-to-get-rid-of-it.html

Thanks bud. I think I will stick with the omen and check out the bloatware link. 

Did you manage to check out those 2 links to see if they are different? Finding it impossible to tell if they are both the newer model and not the 2018 version.

[Taaxxi]

4 hours ago, Taaxxi said:

Thanks bud. I think I will stick with the omen and check out the bloatware link. 

Did you manage to check out those 2 links to see if they are different? Finding it impossible to tell if they are both the newer model and not the 2018 version.

I was also wondering if you could give me some pointers if possible. The battery stated 6-7hrs inc part performance on saver. I had the screen brightness at 30%, saver on the whole time and limited things open. Yet my battery is draining within about 2 hours. Any pointers on anything I can do to improve. I.e.

Uninstalling things 

Setting changes 

Plus anything else you can think of?

[CAGSEN]

16 saat önce, CAGSEN said:

what are you thinking about these laptops guys? Which is better for playing without any problems?

http://laptopsclearance.com.cy/product/product/details/922/lang/2/category/3

http://laptopsclearance.com.cy/product/product/details/873/lang/2/category/3

http://laptopsclearance.com.cy/product/product/details/619/lang/2/category/3

http://laptopsclearance.com.cy/product/product/details/893/lang/2/category/3

http://laptopsclearance.com.cy/product/product/details/883/lang/2/category/3

http://laptopsclearance.com.cy/product/product/details/923/lang/2/category/3

I'm waiting your answers guys

[Smurf]

16 hours ago, CAGSEN said:

what are you thinking about these laptops guys? Which is better for playing without any problems?

http://laptopsclearance.com.cy/product/product/details/922/lang/2/category/3

http://laptopsclearance.com.cy/product/product/details/873/lang/2/category/3

http://laptopsclearance.com.cy/product/product/details/619/lang/2/category/3

http://laptopsclearance.com.cy/product/product/details/893/lang/2/category/3

http://laptopsclearance.com.cy/product/product/details/883/lang/2/category/3

http://laptopsclearance.com.cy/product/product/details/923/lang/2/category/3

 

17 minutes ago, CAGSEN said:

I'm waiting your answers guys

16 hours ago it was Sunday evening! Have some patience!

None of them are good enough to not cause any problems. 

Out of them all this would be the better of them 

http://laptopsclearance.com.cy/product/product/details/893/lang/2/category/3

 

[Smurf]

6 hours ago, Taaxxi said:

I was also wondering if you could give me some pointers if possible. The battery stated 6-7hrs inc part performance on saver. I had the screen brightness at 30%, saver on the whole time and limited things open. Yet my battery is draining within about 2 hours. Any pointers on anything I can do to improve. I.e.

Uninstalling things 

Setting changes 

Plus anything else you can think of?

6-7 hours is with normal usage - with FM it's quite heavy on processing so you'd expect to see the battery drain a bit quicker. 

It could be an unhealthy battery - https://www.maketecheasier.com/check-laptop-battery-health-windows10/

Or more likely you need to adjust your performance settings when not plugged in - https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-hardware/customize/desktop/customize-power-slider

[CAGSEN]

3 dakika önce, Smurf said:

 

16 hours ago it was Sunday evening! Have some patience!

None of them are good enough to not cause any problems. 

Out of them all this would be the better of them 

http://laptopsclearance.com.cy/product/product/details/893/lang/2/category/3

 

Thank you @Smurf

I think, I have to buy that or Abra A5 V16.1.1 15.6" Gaming Laptop  this one

[Smurf]

 

6 minutes ago, CAGSEN said:

Thank you @Smurf

I think, I have to buy that or Abra A5 V16.1.1 15.6" Gaming Laptop  this one

No link there

[CAGSEN]

5 dakika önce, Smurf said:

 

No link there

https://www.monsternotebook.com.tr/abra/MONSTER-ABRA-A5-V16-1.html

This link is Turkish.

Processor Specifications: 9th Generation Coffee Lake Processor Intel® Coffee Lake Core ™ i5-9300H 4C / 8T; 8MB L3; 8GT / s; 2.4GHz> 4.1GHz; 45W; 14nm Chipset

Features chipset: Mobile Intel® HM370 Chipset Graphics Card Features Display card 3GB GDDR5 nVIDIA® GeForce® GTX1050 DX12 (Release of 2019)

Graphics Card Memory: 3GB Display Features Screen 15.6 "FHD 1920x1080 IPS Matte LED

Display Memory Specifications Memory: 8GB (1x8GB) DDR4L 1.2V 2666MHz SODIMM

Storage Features: M.2 SSD Port 1x M.2 PCIe NVMe SSD + 1x M.2 SATA SSD 1.Port M.2 SSD 256GB M.2 SSD to SATA 3 (Read: 560 MB / s - Writing: 510 MB / s) 2.Port M.2 SSD Not Installed 1.Port 2.5 "SSD / HDD Not Installed OS OS FreeDos (No operating system. Windows 10 version 1809 required) Hardware Features Keyboard RGB Single Zone Backlit Keyboard (English Q) Camera 1.0MP HD Camera Wireless Intel® Dual Band Wireless-AC 9560, 2x2 AC + Bluetooth 5.0 M.2 2230 (1.73 Gbps) Speaker 2x 2W Speaker Sound system SOUND BLASTER ™ Cinema 5 RAID Support There is Numeric Keypad There is Internal Card Reader 6-in-1 Card Reader (MMC / RSMMC - SD / mini SD / SDHC / SDXC) Gigabit Ethernet There is Connection Properties and Ports USB 2.0 1x USB 2.0 Port USB 3.1 1x USB 3.1 Port (USB3.1 Gen1) (Type-A) USB 3.1 1x USB 3.1 Gen2 Port (Type-A) USB 3.1 1x USB 3.1 Gen2 Port (Type-C) HDMI 1x HDMI Port (HDCP support) Mini Display 1x Mini Display Port 1.2 Headphone / Speaker Output There is Microphone There is Built-in Bluetooth There is Built-in Microphone There is Dimensions and Weight Dimensions 361 (W) x 258 (D) x 24.9 (H) mm Weight 2.2Kg (Including 41WH Battery) Adapter 120W - 19.5V / 6.15A Battery Removable 4-Cell Smart Lithium-lon Battery (41WH)

[Smurf]

3 minutes ago, CAGSEN said:

https://www.monsternotebook.com.tr/abra/MONSTER-ABRA-A5-V16-1.html

This link is Turkish.

Processor Specifications: 9th Generation Coffee Lake Processor Intel® Coffee Lake Core ™ i5-9300H 4C / 8T; 8MB L3; 8GT / s; 2.4GHz> 4.1GHz; 45W; 14nm Chipset

Features chipset: Mobile Intel® HM370 Chipset Graphics Card Features Display card 3GB GDDR5 nVIDIA® GeForce® GTX1050 DX12 (Release of 2019)

Graphics Card Memory: 3GB Display Features Screen 15.6 "FHD 1920x1080 IPS Matte LED

Display Memory Specifications Memory: 8GB (1x8GB) DDR4L 1.2V 2666MHz SODIMM

Storage Features: M.2 SSD Port 1x M.2 PCIe NVMe SSD + 1x M.2 SATA SSD 1.Port M.2 SSD 256GB M.2 SSD to SATA 3 (Read: 560 MB / s - Writing: 510 MB / s) 2.Port M.2 SSD Not Installed 1.Port 2.5 "SSD / HDD Not Installed OS OS FreeDos (No operating system. Windows 10 version 1809 required) Hardware Features Keyboard RGB Single Zone Backlit Keyboard (English Q) Camera 1.0MP HD Camera Wireless Intel® Dual Band Wireless-AC 9560, 2x2 AC + Bluetooth 5.0 M.2 2230 (1.73 Gbps) Speaker 2x 2W Speaker Sound system SOUND BLASTER ™ Cinema 5 RAID Support There is Numeric Keypad There is Internal Card Reader 6-in-1 Card Reader (MMC / RSMMC - SD / mini SD / SDHC / SDXC) Gigabit Ethernet There is Connection Properties and Ports USB 2.0 1x USB 2.0 Port USB 3.1 1x USB 3.1 Port (USB3.1 Gen1) (Type-A) USB 3.1 1x USB 3.1 Gen2 Port (Type-A) USB 3.1 1x USB 3.1 Gen2 Port (Type-C) HDMI 1x HDMI Port (HDCP support) Mini Display 1x Mini Display Port 1.2 Headphone / Speaker Output There is Microphone There is Built-in Bluetooth There is Built-in Microphone There is Dimensions and Weight Dimensions 361 (W) x 258 (D) x 24.9 (H) mm Weight 2.2Kg (Including 41WH Battery) Adapter 120W - 19.5V / 6.15A Battery Removable 4-Cell Smart Lithium-lon Battery (41WH)

Yes - it's much better - as you would expect being more expensive.

[CAGSEN]

5 dakika önce, Smurf said:

Yes - it's much better - as you would expect being more expensive.

Thank you so much for suggestions

[CAGSEN]

17 dakika önce, CAGSEN said:

Thank you so much for suggestions

http://laptopsclearance.com.cy/product/product/details/871/lang/2/category/3

What you think? @Smurf

[Kirky Muxloe]

Hi @Smurf

Sorry, this will hopefully be my last question.

HP Omen

Does this laptop spec look good, and represent decent value for money? 

Thanks

 

[Smurf]

41 minutes ago, CAGSEN said:

http://laptopsclearance.com.cy/product/product/details/871/lang/2/category/3

What you think? @Smurf

Not as good.

[Taaxxi]

1 hour ago, Smurf said:

6-7 hours is with normal usage - with FM it's quite heavy on processing so you'd expect to see the battery drain a bit quicker. 

It could be an unhealthy battery - https://www.maketecheasier.com/check-laptop-battery-health-windows10/

Or more likely you need to adjust your performance settings when not plugged in - https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-hardware/customize/desktop/customize-power-slider

This is what is confusing me. Overclockers/HP quoted 6-7 but I was expecting about 5 hours.

I haven't even opened FM yet. I have downloaded Spotify/Steam and only signed into Steam and installed FM19. I have used the internet for roughly 10 minutes in total and left 3 tabs open for about 1hr. I had a windows explorer tab open for 1hr as well. All I have been doing is initial set up and changing theme etc. 

First full charge my laptop lasted about 2hrs and this was doing the above.

Whilst running the laptop on the first I lowered: 1) Brightness to 40% 2) Saver mode up to 40% 3) Mix between saver to best performance to 40%

Second charge, I lowered: 1) Brightness to 30% 2) Mix between saver/best performance all the way to saver (thinking it would improve battery) 3) Went through all the apps that had drained battery and taken off letting windows run in the background and made it down to me. This seemed to improve things, edge from 40% to 14%. Command 5% to 2%. Explorer 24% to 5%. Plus 3 or 4 others with a small decrease. But I didn't seem to see any improvement in battery longevity : +-15 mins. 

Second full charge my laptop lasted a slight period longer and I was just copying data from my phone to my hdd (about 20gb).

I haven't bought a laptop myself before but I am sure this isn't correct? I get performance/battery ratio but £1450 for 2hrs battery when quoted 6-7 seems off?

Oh and just to be clear mate (incase this is taken the wrong way) I am not blaming you at all - just curious as to weather you can offer any assistance? Either things I am doing wrong/should change or if this sounds to you like a dodgy battery.

Thanks for all your help to date.

[Smurf]

5 minutes ago, Kirky Muxloe said:

Hi @Smurf

Sorry, this will hopefully be my last question.

HP Omen

Does this laptop spec look good, and represent decent value for money? 

Thanks

Yes looks good.

[Smurf]

5 minutes ago, Taaxxi said:

This is what is confusing me. Overclockers/HP quoted 6-7 but I was expecting about 5 hours.

I haven't even opened FM yet. I have downloaded Spotify/Steam and only signed into Steam and installed FM19. I have used the internet for roughly 10 minutes in total and left 3 tabs open for about 1hr. I had a windows explorer tab open for 1hr as well. All I have been doing is initial set up and changing theme etc. 

First full charge my laptop lasted about 2hrs and this was doing the above.

Whilst running the laptop on the first I lowered: 1) Brightness to 40% 2) Saver mode up to 40% 3) Mix between saver to best performance to 40%

Second charge, I lowered: 1) Brightness to 30% 2) Mix between saver/best performance all the way to saver (thinking it would improve battery) 3) Went through all the apps that had drained battery and taken off letting windows run in the background and made it down to me. This seemed to improve things, edge from 40% to 14%. Command 5% to 2%. Explorer 24% to 5%. Plus 3 or 4 others with a small decrease. But I didn't seem to see any improvement in battery longevity : +-15 mins. 

Second full charge my laptop lasted a slight period longer and I was just copying data from my phone to my hdd (about 20gb).

I haven't bought a laptop myself before but I am sure this isn't correct? I get performance/battery ratio but £1450 for 2hrs battery when quoted 6-7 seems off?

Oh and just to be clear mate (incase this is taken the wrong way) I am not blaming you at all - just curious as to weather you can offer any assistance? Either things I am doing wrong/should change or if this sounds to you like a dodgy battery.

Thanks for all your help to date.

The 6-7 hours is based on having the battery settings set all the way to battery saver, bare minimum use. 

It could be bloatware running in the background - best to uninstall all the bloatware that you can. 

I'd put a bet on it that it's the bloatware. 

https://www.makeuseof.com/tag/easily-remove-bloatware-windows-10/

[Squirrel NZ]

Looking to buy an entry level MacBook Pro 2019 and wanted to check if It would likely run FM with 3D match play also, but could get by with top down view if needed.

Also would be looking to add badges and kits/ backgrounds if possible. 

Anyone have any experience with this?  

Any info would be gratefully received.  

Specs as follows  

[-Nelly-]

Has anyone actually bought/had experience with this laptop https://www.saveonlaptops.co.uk/FX504GD-E41275T-ASUS-TUF-FX504GD-E41275T_2458989.html   ?

Smurf has recommended it a lot and it seems to have good specs at a fair price, but the closest model I can find to it on Amazon is getting negative reviews saying it quickly gets caught in recovery mode loops or has other issues. I can't say I know how different a FX504GD-E41275T (the one Smurf has recommended) would be to a FX504GD-E4603T (the one I'm looking at on Amazon), so don't know if it might just be a fault in that particular model. Are any of them starting FX504GD effectively the same with only minor differences between them? Would just be good to find some feedback/reviews of this exact model, but I'm struggling to find anything.

[Smurf]

2 hours ago, Squirrel NZ said:

Looking to buy an entry level MacBook Pro 2019 and wanted to check if It would likely run FM with 3D match play also, but could get by with top down view if needed.

Also would be looking to add badges and kits/ backgrounds if possible. 

Anyone have any experience with this?  

Any info would be gratefully received.  

Specs as follows  

1.4ghz is the base speed it runs at and it can turbo boost to 3.9ghz. 

Min spec for FM on a Mac is 1.8ghz - so it may struggle at times if a lot of processing going on - best of my knowledge Macs are pretty good in this regard.

Stumbling block might the be storage 128gb is quite low - and it will fill up quickly.

8gb RAM is fine.

Overall it is fine for FM and is a very portable machine. But the price is quite high as with most Macs - and I think you could get something in 15inch size that would be better in Windows computer.

Unless there's a reason why you want a Mac?

For instance this would be better https://www.saveonlaptops.co.uk/NH.Q59EK.007-Acer-Nitro-5_2557789.html

 

 

 

 

 

 

2 hours ago, -Nelly- said:

Has anyone actually bought/had experience with this laptop https://www.saveonlaptops.co.uk/FX504GD-E41275T-ASUS-TUF-FX504GD-E41275T_2458989.html   ?

Smurf has recommended it a lot and it seems to have good specs at a fair price, but the closest model I can find to it on Amazon is getting negative reviews saying it quickly gets caught in recovery mode loops or has other issues. I can't say I know how different a FX504GD-E41275T (the one Smurf has recommended) would be to a FX504GD-E4603T (the one I'm looking at on Amazon), so don't know if it might just be a fault in that particular model. Are any of them starting FX504GD effectively the same with only minor differences between them? Would just be good to find some feedback/reviews of this exact model, but I'm struggling to find anything.

Searching the code number on the laptop brings up lots of reviews

https://www.google.com/search?q=FX504GD-E41275T&rlz=1C5CHFA_enIE854IE854&oq=FX504GD-E41275T&aqs=chrome..69i57j69i60l3&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8

 

Edited August 19, 2019 by Smurf

[Squirrel NZ]

53 minutes ago, Smurf said:

1.4ghz is the base speed it runs at and it can turbo boost to 3.9ghz. 

Min spec for FM on a Mac is 1.8ghz - so it may struggle at times if a lot of processing going on - best of my knowledge Macs are pretty good in this regard.

Stumbling block might the be storage 128gb is quite low - and it will fill up quickly.

8gb RAM is fine.

Overall it is fine for FM and is a very portable machine. But the price is quite high as with most Macs - and I think you could get something in 15inch size that would be better in Windows computer.

Unless there's a reason why you want a Mac?

For instance this would be better https://www.saveonlaptops.co.uk/NH.Q59EK.007-Acer-Nitro-5_2557789.html

 

 

Searching the code number on the laptop brings up lots of reviews

https://www.google.com/search?q=FX504GD-E41275T&rlz=1C5CHFA_enIE854IE854&oq=FX504GD-E41275T&aqs=chrome..69i57j69i60l3&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8

 

Nice one @Smurf, the MacBook will be primarily used for photoshop projects and such, had been wanting a MacBook for a long while now and can finally afford it as I’ve had a bit of unexpected cash come in. I only usually play with the English leagues playable, my budget is around the £1400 mark, the one you’ve suggested does look sweet though. 

[Smurf]

8 minutes ago, Squirrel NZ said:

Nice one @Smurf, the MacBook will be primarily used for photoshop projects and such, had been wanting a MacBook for a long while now and can finally afford it as I’ve had a bit of unexpected cash come in. I only usually play with the English leagues playable, my budget is around the £1400 mark, the one you’ve suggested does look sweet though. 

Your Mac won't have a graphics card. Photoshop on that will be a drag - and there is not enough RAM - and photoshop native PSD files can be quite large - again your disk will fill up quickly.

Photoshop works the same on Windows as it does Mac - I'm a graphic designer for the last 22 years!

I'd highly recommend investing in a better Mac or getting a Windows based PC.

But if you're set on a Mac then go for it.

[Leicester Fan]

Hi, 

I'm looking at getting a new laptop for fm and general browsing mainly. I'd like to a few countries and a fair few leagues. 

https://www.dell.com/en-uk/shop/laptops-notebooks-and-2-in-1-laptops/dell-g3-15-gaming-laptop/spd/g-series-15-3590-laptop/CN35908?view=configurations?clickid=1101l6tjPjZh&VEN1=100l1256&dgc=af&dgseg=dhs&cid=248260&lid=62986&acd=2397248260629866&VEN3=712304590576012050

 

https://www.dell.com/en-uk/shop/gaming-and-games/dell-g5-15-gaming-laptop/spd/g-series-15-5590-laptop/cng5525?clickid=1011l6tzaVWr&VEN1=100l1256&dgc=af&dgseg=dhs&cid=248260&lid=62986&acd=2397248260629866&VEN3=712304590576012050

I've narrowed it down to these two which do you reckon would be the best to go for FM wise? Obviously want it to last a few years too with the price between them. My budget if anyone could advise a better laptop or cheaper option which is better would be about £1200. 

Thank you. 

Edited August 19, 2019 by Leicester Fan

[Xzibit_demon]

Hi @Smurf. Firstly, appreciate you taking out time to give us advice on what PC/Laptop is worth the money.

I’d be grateful if you can in ranking tell me which laptop would be ideal for FM 19 and FM 20 (tbc). 

 

1) https://www.laptopoutlet.co.uk/asus-tuf-fx504gd-e4603t-15-6-gaming-laptop-intel-core-i5-8300h-processor-12gb-ram-1tb-hdd-full-hd-display-nvidia-geforce-gtx-1050-2gb-dedicated-graphics-backlit-keyboard-windows-10-90nr00j1-m10320.html?___SID=U

 

2) https://www.saveonlaptops.co.uk/FX504GD-E41275T-ASUS-TUF-FX504GD-E41275T_2458989.html

3) https://www.saveonlaptops.co.uk/FX504GD-DM127-ASUS-FX504GD-DM1276T_2571278.html

4) https://www.saveonlaptops.co.uk/FX505GD-BQ112T-ASUS-TUF-FX505GD-BQ112T_2449816.html

5) https://www.saveonlaptops.co.uk/FX504GD-E41275T-ASUS-TUF-FX504GD-E41275T_2458989.html

Thanks in advance.

[-Nelly-]

Last question from me: Is going from buying an 8GB RAM laptop to a 16GB one worth an extra £50-70? Considering I'd have no clue what I would be doing if I tried to upgrade it myself, so wouldn't be against overpaying slightly just for convenience's sake. I don't think I massively stretch my laptop to its limits, but just in terms of future-proofing would it be worth considering? Thanks.

[Smurf]

21 hours ago, alexcmann said:

Thanks so much! Out of curiosity, what would a desktop look like for the same budget? Do you think there’s a clear performance benefit to be had, or is it much of a muchness?

You'd have to factor in the cost of the monitor, and other peripherals, like mouse/keyboard etc.

21 hours ago, Leicester Fan said:

Hi, 

I'm looking at getting a new laptop for fm and general browsing mainly. I'd like to a few countries and a fair few leagues. 

https://www.dell.com/en-uk/shop/laptops-notebooks-and-2-in-1-laptops/dell-g3-15-gaming-laptop/spd/g-series-15-3590-laptop/CN35908?view=configurations?clickid=1101l6tjPjZh&VEN1=100l1256&dgc=af&dgseg=dhs&cid=248260&lid=62986&acd=2397248260629866&VEN3=712304590576012050

 

https://www.dell.com/en-uk/shop/gaming-and-games/dell-g5-15-gaming-laptop/spd/g-series-15-5590-laptop/cng5525?clickid=1011l6tzaVWr&VEN1=100l1256&dgc=af&dgseg=dhs&cid=248260&lid=62986&acd=2397248260629866&VEN3=712304590576012050

I've narrowed it down to these two which do you reckon would be the best to go for FM wise? Obviously want it to last a few years too with the price between them. My budget if anyone could advise a better laptop or cheaper option which is better would be about £1200. 

Thank you. 

Similar enough.

 

15 hours ago, Xzibit_demon said:

Hi @Smurf. Firstly, appreciate you taking out time to give us advice on what PC/Laptop is worth the money.

I’d be grateful if you can in ranking tell me which laptop would be ideal for FM 19 and FM 20 (tbc). 

 

1) https://www.laptopoutlet.co.uk/asus-tuf-fx504gd-e4603t-15-6-gaming-laptop-intel-core-i5-8300h-processor-12gb-ram-1tb-hdd-full-hd-display-nvidia-geforce-gtx-1050-2gb-dedicated-graphics-backlit-keyboard-windows-10-90nr00j1-m10320.html?___SID=U

 

2) https://www.saveonlaptops.co.uk/FX504GD-E41275T-ASUS-TUF-FX504GD-E41275T_2458989.html

3) https://www.saveonlaptops.co.uk/FX504GD-DM127-ASUS-FX504GD-DM1276T_2571278.html

4) https://www.saveonlaptops.co.uk/FX505GD-BQ112T-ASUS-TUF-FX505GD-BQ112T_2449816.html

5) https://www.saveonlaptops.co.uk/FX504GD-E41275T-ASUS-TUF-FX504GD-E41275T_2458989.html

Thanks in advance.

https://www.saveonlaptops.co.uk/FX505GD-BQ112T-ASUS-TUF-FX505GD-BQ112T_2449816.html

9 minutes ago, -Nelly- said:

Last question from me: Is going from buying an 8GB RAM laptop to a 16GB one worth an extra £50-70? Considering I'd have no clue what I would be doing if I tried to upgrade it myself, so wouldn't be against overpaying slightly just for convenience's sake. I don't think I massively stretch my laptop to its limits, but just in terms of future-proofing would it be worth considering? Thanks.

Yep - get the 16gb now if not confident of upgrading yourself.

[bigmattb28]

On 10/08/2019 at 10:56, Smurf said:

The laptop lid is flimsy, according to reviews, and can bend, but it doesn't affect the screen, the reviewers reckon there is a bit of protection between the lid and the screen. 

It can also get a bit hot due to it's TDP settings. 

 

 

If you go for a smaller screen and 8gb RAM (you can add RAM very easily at a later point)
https://www.saveonlaptops.co.uk/30025007-Medion-Erazer-X6805_2431524.html

Review
https://www.notebookcheck.net/Medion-Erazer-X6805-Core-i7-8750H-GTX-1060-FHD-Laptop-Review.390681.0.html

 

Or this - again 15 inches - and 8gb RAM - but again you buy RAM easily and cheapily and install easily
https://www.saveonlaptops.co.uk/9S7-16R112-254-MSI-GF63-8RD-254UK_2410405.html

Review
https://www.notebookcheck.net/MSI-GF63-8RD-254UK.385366.0.html

 

Sorry to trouble you again mate, the Medion laptop has gone up in price. So I'm thinking of getting the HP laptop

 

https://www.box.co.uk/5WA67EAABU-HP-Pavilion-Gaming-15-cx0018na_2453614.html

 

I'm a bit concerned the hinge being where it is and the reviews mention over heating. What along the same specs do you recommend for£900 at most budget. Cheers

[Smurf]

31 minutes ago, bigmattb28 said:

Sorry to trouble you again mate, the Medion laptop has gone up in price. So I'm thinking of getting the HP laptop

 

https://www.box.co.uk/5WA67EAABU-HP-Pavilion-Gaming-15-cx0018na_2453614.html

 

I'm a bit concerned the hinge being where it is and the reviews mention over heating. What along the same specs do you recommend for£900 at most budget. Cheers

Yeh again the reviews are here https://www.notebookcheck.net/HP-Pavilion-Gaming-15t-i7-8750H-GTX-1060-3-GB-Laptop-Review.328820.0.html

It looks good on paper and heat can be controlled a bit better using a laptop cooler. 

You won't get much better. 

[-Nelly-]

1 hour ago, Smurf said:

You'd have to factor in the cost of the monitor, and other peripherals, like mouse/keyboard etc.

Similar enough.

 

https://www.saveonlaptops.co.uk/FX505GD-BQ112T-ASUS-TUF-FX505GD-BQ112T_2449816.html

Yep - get the 16gb now if not confident of upgrading yourself.

Cheers for the help mate, this site seems to be the only one with this model with 16GB RAM, but looking around it still seems to be a fair price so I think I'm going to take the plunge. https://www.saveonlaptops.co.uk/FX504GD-E4127-ASUS-TUF-Gaming-FX504GD-E4127_2571126.html

[CAGSEN]

Hi guys,

What you think about yhat laptop? @Smurf

 

https://www.monsternotebook.com.tr/abra/MONSTER-ABRA-A5-V16-2.html

 

Processor Specifications Processor Architecture 9th Generation Coffee Lake Processor Intel® Coffee Lake Core™ i7-9750H 6C/12T; 12MB L3; 8GT/s; 2.6GHz > 4.5GHz; 45W; 14nm

Chipset Features Chipset Mobile Intel® HM370 Chipset

Graphics Card Features Display card 3GB GDDR5 nVIDIA® GeForce® GTX1050 DX12 (Release of 2019) Graphics Card Memory 3GB

Display Features Screen 15.6" FHD 1920x1080 IPS Mat LED Ekran

Memory Specifications Memory 8GB (1x8GB) DDR4L 1.2V 2666MHz SODIMM

Storage Features M.2 SSD Port 1x M.2 PCIe NVMe SSD + 1x M.2 SATA SSD 1.Port M.2 SSD 256GB M.2 SSD to SATA 3 (Read: 560 MB / s - Writing: 510 MB / s) 2.Port M.2 SSD Not Installed 1.Port 2.5" SSD/HDD Not Installed

OS OS FreeDos (No operating system. Windows 10 version 1809 required)

Hardware Features Keyboard RGB Single Zone Backlit Keyboard (English Q) Camera 1.0MP HD Camera Wireless Intel® Dual Band Wireless-AC 9560, 2x2 AC + Bluetooth 5.0 M.2 2230 (1.73 Gbps) Speaker 2x 2W Speaker Sound system SOUND BLASTER™ Cinema 5 RAID Support There is Numeric Keypad There is Internal Card Reader 6-in-1 Card Reader (MMC / RSMMC - SD / mini SD / SDHC / SDXC) Gigabit Ethernet There is

Connection Properties and Ports USB 2.0 1x USB 2.0 Port USB 3.1 1x USB 3.1 Portu (USB3.1 Gen1) (Type-A) USB 3.1 1x USB 3.1 Gen2 Portu (Type-A) USB 3.1 1x USB 3.1 Gen2 Portu (Type-C) HDMI 1x HDMI Port (HDCP support) Mini Display 1x Mini Display Portu 1.2 Headphone / Speaker Output There is Microphone There is Built-in Bluetooth There is Built-in Microphone There is

Dimensions and Weight Dimensions 361 (W) x 258 (D) x 24.9 (H) mm Weight 2.2Kg (Including 41WH Battery) Adapter 120W - 19.5V / 6.15A Battery Removable 4-Cell Smart Lithium-lon Battery (41WH)

 

[Smurf]

1 hour ago, CAGSEN said:

Hi guys,

What you think about yhat laptop? @Smurf

 

https://www.monsternotebook.com.tr/abra/MONSTER-ABRA-A5-V16-2.html

 

It's fine

[CAGSEN]

12 dakika önce, Smurf said:

It's fine

Thank you @Smurf

[KingCanary]

Hi Smurf

Payday on Friday so doing some browsing- any thoughts on this?

https://store.hp.com/UKStore/Merch/Product.aspx?id=6BG33EA&opt=ABU&sel=NTB

[Smurf]

23 minutes ago, KingCanary said:

Hi Smurf

Payday on Friday so doing some browsing- any thoughts on this?

https://store.hp.com/UKStore/Merch/Product.aspx?id=6BG33EA&opt=ABU&sel=NTB

Does it have to be 13 inch?

Maybe this? https://store.hp.com/UKStore/Merch/Product.aspx?id=1EP77EA&opt=ABU&sel=NTB

[KingCanary]

Just now, Smurf said:

Does it have to be 13 inch?

Maybe this? https://store.hp.com/UKStore/Merch/Product.aspx?id=1EP77EA&opt=ABU&sel=NTB

My macbook air is 13 inch and extremely portable, I'm really looking to avoid anything much bigger and chunkier. Also that other one is about £700 out of my budget.

[Smurf]

5 minutes ago, KingCanary said:

My macbook air is 13 inch and extremely portable, I'm really looking to avoid anything much bigger and chunkier. Also that other one is about £700 out of my budget.

https://store.hp.com/UKStore/Merch/Product.aspx?id=2ZC01ET&opt=ABU&sel=NTB

The HD is 256 gb - might fill up quickly enough - but should be ok for a while.

Highly recommend getting a thumbdrive for portablitly something like this https://www.amazon.co.uk/SanDisk-SDDD2-128G-GAM46-Ultra-Drive-150MB/dp/B01FZ1GU48/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=usb+3&qid=1566395548&refinements=p_n_feature_browse-bin%3A1609175031&rnid=411640031&s=electronics-accessories&sr=1-1

Or just replace the SSD with a larger version. 

 

[KingCanary]

1 hour ago, Smurf said:

https://store.hp.com/UKStore/Merch/Product.aspx?id=2ZC01ET&opt=ABU&sel=NTB

The HD is 256 gb - might fill up quickly enough - but should be ok for a while.

Highly recommend getting a thumbdrive for portablitly something like this https://www.amazon.co.uk/SanDisk-SDDD2-128G-GAM46-Ultra-Drive-150MB/dp/B01FZ1GU48/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=usb+3&qid=1566395548&refinements=p_n_feature_browse-bin%3A1609175031&rnid=411640031&s=electronics-accessories&sr=1-1

Or just replace the SSD with a larger version. 

 

Is that one particularly more powerful than the one I first posted? I see it has less RAM and a smaller hard drive.

[Smurf]

9 minutes ago, KingCanary said:

Is that one particularly more powerful than the one I first posted? I see it has less RAM and a smaller hard drive.

It's one of these tricky ones because the i7 has more cores - to be honest, the i7 is better, but the i5 has a better base frequency which is better for FM.

Will it run FM - I don't know if it will be ok - as I can only go by what FM specs and the parts that are shown on the websites.

 

Base frequency of what I recommended is 2.5ghz
and FM requires 2.2ghz
- the base frequency of the other laptop you suggested is 1.8ghz.

 

RAM can be added easily and cheapily but not a major factor for FM but I would upgrade to 16gb evenutally 

 - and I already pointed out hte hard drive size and gave 2 suggestions in regards to this. 

 

It's completely up to  you.

But it's totally up to you. Technically it's a better processor and more storage.

 

 

[Briixx]

Hi all

Can anyone tell me if this computer looks good for fm?

https://www.komplett.dk/product/1132551/pc-tablets/pc-baerbar-laptop/alle-baerbare/lenovo-v130-14-full-hd# 

It’s in Danish, but you can see the specs if you scroll down a bit. 

[WiseRegista]

Hey Smurf, is this best laptop I could get for around £800? https://www.box.co.uk/20LB0007UK-Lenovo-ThinkPad-P52s-Ultrabook-Workstati_2494899.html

It has Intel Core i7-8550U Quad-Core Processor, which if I’ve understood the thread is most important for multiple leagues?

It also has: 16GB DDR4 2400MHz RAM And 256GB SSD. 

Do you think that could play on 4.5*+ on five countries with about four leagues from each?

thank you 

[KingCanary]

16 hours ago, Smurf said:

It's one of these tricky ones because the i7 has more cores - to be honest, the i7 is better, but the i5 has a better base frequency which is better for FM.

Will it run FM - I don't know if it will be ok - as I can only go by what FM specs and the parts that are shown on the websites.

 

Base frequency of what I recommended is 2.5ghz
and FM requires 2.2ghz
- the base frequency of the other laptop you suggested is 1.8ghz.

 

RAM can be added easily and cheapily but not a major factor for FM but I would upgrade to 16gb evenutally 

 - and I already pointed out hte hard drive size and gave 2 suggestions in regards to this. 

 

It's completely up to  you.

But it's totally up to you. Technically it's a better processor and more storage.

 

 

Thanks- hope I didn't come across as questioning you, just trying to understand better. The processor stuff is all a bit of a mystery to me (I saw the i7 was ranked above the i5 on the opening post link so assumed) so good to understand a bit more.

One (final I promise!) question. When you talk about the base frequency of the laptops- would something with 1.8 base frequency struggle to run FM? I usually play with 15 or 16 leagues across 5 or 6 countries and a large database.

[Smurf]

32 minutes ago, KingCanary said:

Thanks- hope I didn't come across as questioning you, just trying to understand better. The processor stuff is all a bit of a mystery to me (I saw the i7 was ranked above the i5 on the opening post link so assumed) so good to understand a bit more.

One (final I promise!) question. When you talk about the base frequency of the laptops- would something with 1.8 base frequency struggle to run FM? I usually play with 15 or 16 leagues across 5 or 6 countries and a large database.

In 2012 I bought a new laptop for FM13 - it had a 2.0ghz processor, it was an i7 quad core - it had a turboboost to 3.6ghz.

I thought it would have trouble. 

FM13 was so bad on it that I had to go back to FM12. I tried FM14 on it, it was bad, I tried FM15 and then gave up. 

I still play FM12. But that's neither here nor there. 

I learned a lesson buying a laptop that had a base frequency below the minimum spec! And I hope my posts here help others to choose wisely and not waste £1000 on a laptop that won't run the software you want it to run.

Yes, my laptop I bought was suited to high level of processing, but not high enough for what FM requires. It wasn't a bad laptop, it did work, it was running well and served me well for FM for many years on FM12. Just later editions of FM didn't run on it well at all. 

At this stage - for FM I would only recommend a processor that has the base frequency required by the minimum specs for FM.

Processor: Intel Pentium 4, Intel Core or AMD Athlon – 2.2 GHz +
Memory: 2 GB RAM.
Graphics: Intel GMA X4500, NVIDIA GeForce 9600M GT or AMD/ATI Mobility Radeon HD 3650 – 256MB VRAM. DirectX: Version 9.0c.
 

Start with the RAM:

This is where the specs get murky for people, you assume having 2gb RAM for your laptop would run FM. But for Windows 10 alone it requires 3gb (in 64 bit) OR 2gb (32bit) versions. And then you have background apps that take up RAM too, web browsers/antivirus/windows defender etc. 

So it's actually 2gb RAM FREE - meaning that your system could be utilising 4/5gb RAM and you would need 6/7gb (2gb free) to run FM. IN essence 8gb is plenty for most people - but 16gb is starting to become the norm as programs become more demanding for RAM.

 

Processor wise:

It is confusing, as it says Pentium 4 - but that is a brand of processor and it says Intel Core and AMD Athlon - 2.2ghz +

Pentium 4 is a brand - and there are only a few at 2.2ghz and above 
Pentium 4-M 2.2 - 2.2 GHZ
Pentium 4-M 2.3 - 2.3GHZ
Pentium 4-M 2.4 -  2.4GHZ 
Pentium 4-M 2.5  - 2.5GHZ
Pentium 4-M 2.6  - 2.6GHZ

They are the bare minium in that brand.

Anything up from that is better for FM.

 

But I think people fall into the trap that the turbo boost will get them up to the speed that is required. 

I know I certainly did - at 2.0ghz processor for an i7 - I thought I was on to a winner. 

But it ended up being a total waste of money.

 

[WiseRegista]

10 hours ago, Smurf said:

In 2012 I bought a new laptop for FM13 - it had a 2.0ghz processor, it was an i7 quad core - it had a turboboost to 3.6ghz.

I thought it would have trouble. 

FM13 was so bad on it that I had to go back to FM12. I tried FM14 on it, it was bad, I tried FM15 and then gave up. 

I still play FM12. But that's neither here nor there. 

I learned a lesson buying a laptop that had a base frequency below the minimum spec! And I hope my posts here help others to choose wisely and not waste £1000 on a laptop that won't run the software you want it to run.

Yes, my laptop I bought was suited to high level of processing, but not high enough for what FM requires. It wasn't a bad laptop, it did work, it was running well and served me well for FM for many years on FM12. Just later editions of FM didn't run on it well at all. 

At this stage - for FM I would only recommend a processor that has the base frequency required by the minimum specs for FM.

Processor: Intel Pentium 4, Intel Core or AMD Athlon – 2.2 GHz +
Memory: 2 GB RAM.
Graphics: Intel GMA X4500, NVIDIA GeForce 9600M GT or AMD/ATI Mobility Radeon HD 3650 – 256MB VRAM. DirectX: Version 9.0c.
 

Start with the RAM:

This is where the specs get murky for people, you assume having 2gb RAM for your laptop would run FM. But for Windows 10 alone it requires 3gb (in 64 bit) OR 2gb (32bit) versions. And then you have background apps that take up RAM too, web browsers/antivirus/windows defender etc. 

So it's actually 2gb RAM FREE - meaning that your system could be utilising 4/5gb RAM and you would need 6/7gb (2gb free) to run FM. IN essence 8gb is plenty for most people - but 16gb is starting to become the norm as programs become more demanding for RAM.

 

Processor wise:

It is confusing, as it says Pentium 4 - but that is a brand of processor and it says Intel Core and AMD Athlon - 2.2ghz +

Pentium 4 is a brand - and there are only a few at 2.2ghz and above 
Pentium 4-M 2.2 - 2.2 GHZ
Pentium 4-M 2.3 - 2.3GHZ
Pentium 4-M 2.4 -  2.4GHZ 
Pentium 4-M 2.5  - 2.5GHZ
Pentium 4-M 2.6  - 2.6GHZ

They are the bare minium in that brand.

Anything up from that is better for FM.

 

But I think people fall into the trap that the turbo boost will get them up to the speed that is required. 

I know I certainly did - at 2.0ghz processor for an i7 - I thought I was on to a winner. 

But it ended up being a total waste of money.

 

That is so helpful! The Lenovo one clearly isn’t good enough. Will keep looking. Hoping there will be some “going to uni”

sales...

[bigmattb28]

On 12/08/2019 at 11:13, Smurf said:

There's no reason that laptop wouldn't work for the next 6 years. I have a similar enough setup and run about the same amount of leagues of about 30-40 seasons.

It will run FM fine. I don't know what changes they plan to make to FM over the next 6 years, but I would imagine it wouldn't be too dramatic. 

Do keep your laptop up to date with BIOS updates, firmware and other updates, drivers etc. It's very simple

Every laptop reseller has portals to keep up to date https://www.medion.com/gb/service/start/
Your service tag will be located on label on the underside of the laptop - and also probably accessible through the About Your PC.

You should also get a laptop cooler. 

Take care of any laptop and it will last a long time.

https://www.pcworld.com/article/190290/care_4_laptop.html

https://www.pcworld.com/article/188123/pc_maintanence.html (although defragging isn't necessary for an SSD drive)

 

 

As the Medion has gone up in price, and I'm wary of the HP, would this be as good if not better than the Medion

https://www.saveonlaptops.co.uk/FX705GM-EW019T-ASUS-TUF-FX705GM-EW019T_2400047.html

To my untrained eye they look the same. Will that run FM pretty well

 

 

[Smurf]

3 minutes ago, bigmattb28 said:

As the Medion has gone up in price, and I'm wary of the HP, would this be as good if not better than the Medion

https://www.saveonlaptops.co.uk/FX705GM-EW019T-ASUS-TUF-FX705GM-EW019T_2400047.html

To my untrained eye they look the same. Will that run FM pretty well

 

 

No worries with that