New Laptop/PC Advice -Please Read the Opening Post

[kevhamster]

9 hours ago, mbourne said:

Thanks for the feedback. Do you think the first one would run quite smoothly? If I were to run 4/5 countries with top 2 leagues or all leagues in England?

£265 just seems like a really good deal but obviously only if I can play the game.

 

cheers. Matt

Yes, it will.  The single core performance in that one looks decent and should handle that setup with no trouble at all.  As Smurf said, the main stumbling block could be if you want to run the matches in 3D, as the other one has better graphics capability - but I've got an older i3, which isn't as good, which ran FM19 3D at medium, but lagged to hell with anything more.  I'd be surprised if it the newer one was worse.

[kevhamster]

1 hour ago, Pietervdl said:

OR is it beter to have a refresh rate of 120-144 Hz

Totally irrelevent purely for FM - you won't need anything more than 60Hz.  Depends on what else you're doing with the laptop.

And that setup sounds good on the surface, however without knowing exactly what the CPU is it is hard to say.  Just saying it's an i7 doesn't narrow it down much, as there have been many of them, over several generations of processors.

[kevhamster]

4 hours ago, hammersnc said:

Hi everyone, FM19 was my first year playing FM. Played it on an old 2013 mac book air, which was pretty slow but ok. Looking to get a laptop that's hopefully little faster. Usually I play long term saves with 10-12 leagues loaded. I also play in 2D, but watch 3D replays of goals.

My budget is around $600 - $700 (I think thats like £450 to £550).

Thanks in advance! 

I assume for that kind of money, you're looking to move to Windows rather than buy a new mac??!

Also, because we have no idea what country you're from it's probably a good idea to look on some websites that will deliver to you, look at some laptops within your budget and put them up and ask about them if you're unsure whether they'll work or not.  it won't do you any good having us do that kind of searching only to find that the website in question doesn't ship to your country.

[Pietervdl]

59 minutes ago, kevhamster said:

Totally irrelevent purely for FM - you won't need anything more than 60Hz.  Depends on what else you're doing with the laptop.

And that setup sounds good on the surface, however without knowing exactly what the CPU is it is hard to say.  Just saying it's an i7 doesn't narrow it down much, as there have been many of them, over several generations of processors.

I only play FM on my laptop. 

Processor

Intel Core i7

Processor-nummer

8750H

Processor kernen

Hexa core (6)

Processor codenaam

Coffee Lake

Kloksnelheid

2,2 GHz

Turbo snelheid

4,1 GHz

Cachegeheugen

9 MB

Is this enough info to say something about the i7 processor? 

[kevhamster]

22 minutes ago, Pietervdl said:

I only play FM on my laptop. 

Processor

Intel Core i7

Processor-nummer

8750H

Processor kernen

Hexa core (6)

Processor codenaam

Coffee Lake

Kloksnelheid

2,2 GHz

Turbo snelheid

4,1 GHz

Cachegeheugen

9 MB

Is this enough info to say something about the i7 processor? 

Yep, that's perfect.  And that is a very strong processor which will have no issue with FM at all.

That laptop will be able to run FM very well with a large database, and the graphics card will handle FM at the highest 3D settings no problem.

One thing I will say, is if you're playing FM20 there have been reports of the 3D engine lagging even on high-end systems like this one would be, so you may find that - it seems to be an issue with the game more than anything and I'm sure it'll be ironed out before the full launch.

Edited November 12, 2019 by kevhamster

[Pietervdl]

12 minutes ago, kevhamster said:

Yep, that's perfect.  And that is a very strong processor which will have no issue with FM at all.

That laptop will be able to run FM very well with a large database, and the graphics card will handle FM at the highest 3D settings no problem.

One thing I will say, is if you're playing FM20 there have been reports of the 3D engine lagging even on high-end systems like this one would be, so you may find that - it seems to be an issue with the game more than anything and I'm sure it'll be ironed out before the full launch.

Thanks for your help. In this years bèta I had some problems playing 3D on high quality. That's why I want to buy a new one. Was never happy with my Acer anyway. Could it be that the bèta has some problems that effect the 3D on my Acer now? Or is my laptop too old for smooth 3D? I have now Acer with I5-4210H 2.9GHz with turbo boost up to 3,5GHz.NVIDIA GeForce GTX 950M with 4GB dedicated VRAM and 8GB memory. I also have HDD and No SDD

[kevhamster]

24 minutes ago, Pietervdl said:

Thanks for your help. In this years bèta I had some problems playing 3D on high quality. That's why I want to buy a new one. Was never happy with my Acer anyway. Could it be that the bèta has some problems that effect the 3D on my Acer now? Or is my laptop too old for smooth 3D? I have now Acer with I5-4210H 2.9GHz with turbo boost up to 3,5GHz.NVIDIA GeForce GTX 950M with 4GB dedicated VRAM and 8GB memory. I also have HDD and No SDD

It could well be the issue a lot of people have been reporting on.  That system should be able to handle 3D at high settings given it has a reasonable dedicated graphics card included.  The processor, whilst a few years old, is not awful by any stretch and should be able to handle FM too.

Now, you would definitely get better performance out of the new one overall, that is without a doubt - however, if the only reason you're looking at buying a new one is because you've had issues with 3D on the beta, it may be a good idea to hang on to see how it is after the full launch.

Edited November 12, 2019 by kevhamster

[Pietervdl]

20 minutes ago, kevhamster said:

It could well be the issue a lot of people have been reporting on.  That system should be able to handle 3D at high settings given it has a reasonable dedicated graphics card included.  The processor, whilst a few years old, is not awful by any stretch and should be able to handle FM too.

Now, you would definitely get better performance out of the new one overall, that is without a doubt - however, if the only reason you're looking at buying a new one is because you've had issues with 3D on the beta, it may be a good idea to hang on to see how it is after the full launch.

Thanks 

 

[Pietervdl]

4 hours ago, kevhamster said:

Yep, that's perfect.  And that is a very strong processor which will have no issue with FM at all.

That laptop will be able to run FM very well with a large database, and the graphics card will handle FM at the highest 3D settings no problem.

One thing I will say, is if you're playing FM20 there have been reports of the 3D engine lagging even on high-end systems like this one would be, so you may find that - it seems to be an issue with the game more than anything and I'm sure it'll be ironed out before the full launch.

I found exactly the same laptop for €100 less. The only difference is 8GB RAM while the more expensive one has 16GB RAM. But I play only FM without other programs on the back so I think 8GB is enough? 

[kevhamster]

1 minute ago, Pietervdl said:

I found exactly the same laptop for €100 less. The only difference is 8GB RAM while the more expensive one has 16GB RAM. But I play only FM without other programs on the back so I think 8GB is enough? 

8GB should be absolutely fine for FM.  I've never had a problem with that amount!

[Jamalam26]

Hi there, 

I usually play FM with about 5 or 6 leagues medium/large database not too fussed about 3D matches. Budget is around £700 and I found this one linked on box, worth a purchase?? 
 

https://www.box.co.uk/Medion-Erazer-P6605_2496888.html

 

cheers in advance

[GG17]

On 09/11/2019 at 23:17, Smurf said:

https://www.box.co.uk/81HN00S6UK-Lenovo-V130_2560659.html

Ok I'm purchasing this tonight. Will likely use 2D but would like to try 3D and run a few countries and few leagues. FM20 only. Shouldn't be a waste of money should It? 

[GG17]

https://www.currys.co.uk/gbuk/computing/laptops/laptops/acer-aspire-5-a515-43-15-6-amd-ryzen-5-laptop-256-gb-ssd-silver-10198290-pdt.html

 

Is this better than the one above anyone think? Thanks 

[hammersnc]

16 hours ago, kevhamster said:

I assume for that kind of money, you're looking to move to Windows rather than buy a new mac??!

Also, because we have no idea what country you're from it's probably a good idea to look on some websites that will deliver to you, look at some laptops within your budget and put them up and ask about them if you're unsure whether they'll work or not.  it won't do you any good having us do that kind of searching only to find that the website in question doesn't ship to your country.

Thanks for the reply. Yes, looking to switch to windows. I'm in USA I'll look at some options and post back here if I have any questions. 

[LewyMc]

Hi lads just came across another potential laptop any input would be brilliant.

 

https://www.jbhifi.com.au/products/acer-swift-3-sf314-41-r3wz-14-full-hd-laptop

https://www.austin.net.au/gaming-gears/gaming-laptop/asus-fx505dd-bq145t-black-15-6inch-ryzen-5-gaming-notebook.html

 

 

[kevhamster]

1 hour ago, LewyMc said:

Hi lads just came across another potential laptop any input would be brilliant.

 

https://www.jbhifi.com.au/products/acer-swift-3-sf314-41-r3wz-14-full-hd-laptop

https://www.austin.net.au/gaming-gears/gaming-laptop/asus-fx505dd-bq145t-black-15-6inch-ryzen-5-gaming-notebook.html

 

 

Out of those two, the one on the Austin site is considerably better.  Better CPU, dedicated graphics card (the other one only has integrated graphics).  I'm shocked those two are the same price.

[Smurf]

3 hours ago, LewyMc said:

Hi lads just came across another potential laptop any input would be brilliant.

 

https://www.jbhifi.com.au/products/acer-swift-3-sf314-41-r3wz-14-full-hd-laptop

https://www.austin.net.au/gaming-gears/gaming-laptop/asus-fx505dd-bq145t-black-15-6inch-ryzen-5-gaming-notebook.html

 

 

 

1 hour ago, kevhamster said:

Out of those two, the one on the Austin site is considerably better.  Better CPU, dedicated graphics card (the other one only has integrated graphics).  I'm shocked those two are the same price.

The processors are almost identical - the ASUS one has a better graphics card for sure.

Lack of difference in price is probably down to how portable each is - one is 14 inch and the other 15.6 inch - not a huge difference. However, laptops under 15.6 inches tend to be a bit more expensive anyway.

The Acer has a 512gb ssd and the ASUS has a 256 gb SSD.

There's slight differences in each to effectively make the lack of price difference an issue for choosing.

 

And I guess that's why we do this - a laptop for $1000 compared to another $1000 laptop could have completely different specs and requirements. 

One could be designed to be light, compact and easy for travel, and the other for gaming and not as portable. 

 

This is where we come in and compare the specs and give the best possible feedback on the information provided. Obviously we cannot test every laptop/computer - so we rely on the specs, and general knowledge to guide people to the right choice.

 

Edited November 13, 2019 by Smurf

[Par7yPoison]

Hello. Ignore that its out of stock. A mate bought this a while back but has barely used it as he has a gaming PC. Is it any good for FM? Hes asking for £350

 

https://www.laptopsdirect.co.uk/-9s7-16jd21-068/version.asp

 

[Jimbokav1971]

Hi guys. 

I am looking for 1st pc for a 2nd step-kid. The 1st one wasn't a problem because he isn't into FM but the younger one, (10 years old), has been itching to get into FM for a while now. 

I don't want a laptop and the only game it needs to be able to play is FM20, but he is going to want to play on 3D. He's likely to only have 1 Nation running, (at least I am prepared for that to be the limitation), and I don't really care how slow the game progresses, just as long as it works. 

I have given up looking for a new PC, (anything that can do the job is just too expensive), so have recently started looking at refurbished pc's.

I haven't really got a budget because I am getting it for Christmas no matter how much it costs, but at the same time he is only 10 and I don't want to chuck money away because although I think he is going to love FM, he could pick it up and not play it again. 

What I have found is this.

These are the specs for FM20, (which I assume means able to play in 3d but please correct me if I'm wrong). 

OS looks fine. 
Processor looks like it's fine. (core i3 better than core 2?)
Memory/RAM looks fine. 2GB RAM required and this has 8GB. 
Graphics. I have absolutely no idea here. I know that I need a dedicated graphics card for 3d, but I have no idea what anything means within that. 
DirectX: Version 11 required but I think I'm right in saying that Windows 10 comes with version 12 so that should be fine. Right? 
Storage. Now this is saying that I need 7GB available space. Is that 7GB of the 8GB available?
Requires a 64bit processor and os. Looks fine. 

Now I know this is a really old bit of kit and not going to be brilliant but.....

Is this going to allow 1 Nation, (say England down to Conf North/South), in full detail on 3D? 

Alternatively, does anyone have any suggestions as to where I might find a decent second hand option? 

Thanks in advance for any advice and if you are explaining anything technical, please assume that I am a complete idiot and know absolutely nothing about anything. 

[Edit]

I should add that the one I have found is going to cost me £165 and that is for the pc tower alone. (No monitor, keyboard, mouse etc).

All advice gratefully received. 

Edited November 13, 2019 by Jimbokav1971

[Smurf]

3 hours ago, Jimbokav1971 said:

Hi guys. 

*snipped*

All advice gratefully received. 

Going by the spec it's about 8 years old - and computers and technology like this tend to have a max 10 year shelf life until end of life (EOL).

Where it's a good bargain - how it would handle FM is probably ok. It's cheap enough that it will probably work, and if it doesn't you can always get something else. 

 

[Menion]

3 hours ago, Jimbokav1971 said:

Snipped

You will get a far superior refurb than that on ebay. Literally just search refurb it and for 200 quid you will prob pick up a 6th gen i5 with 8gb ram, minimum. Plus it will only be 4ish years old. 

[Jimbokav1971]

Just now, Menion said:

You will get a far superior refurb than that on ebay. Literally just search refurb it and for 200 quid you will prob pick up a 6th gen i5 with 8gb ram, minimum. Plus it will only be 4ish years old. 

Thanks. I thought about that and I'm just not a regular ebayer, (I'm not sure I even have an account anymore), and not very trusting. The above item is from a respected Company so I know I won't have any issues at all. 

You have made me think now though.......

[Menion]

10 minutes ago, Jimbokav1971 said:

Thanks. I thought about that and I'm just not a regular ebayer, (I'm not sure I even have an account anymore), and not very trusting. The above item is from a respected Company so I know I won't have any issues at all. 

You have made me think now though.......

Check the rep of the sellers on ebay is always a must. A lot of refurbs on ebay are from people who do it for a living so can have hundreds to thousands of positive reps. If you pay through PayPal you always have some added protection as well. If in doubt, you can always message the seller and take it from there. 

[Ridgeroo]

Hi

I've had a read through of the thread, and have picked up some points and info, I would like some guidance, clarifications if kind enough

I used to play FM back in the day and am looking at getting back into it, a heavy user, priority would be given to minimising waiting time over visuals, processing power over graphics, 5 leagues+, more players, data. Stopped playing when it moved to steam, so wondering if bottlenecks are relatively similar, if internet connection plays a larger part, if poor visuals drag performance etc, happy to sacrifice and compromise for efficient performance, would appreciate extra capacity in hand

But am surprised by laptop cost, while entry price for a gaming desktop seems relatively high. I'm comparing apples with oranges, I'm looking at better spec desktops, but it feels like a chasm of performance and cost that I might be better served crossing at a later date with a different purchase

I've been waiting for run up to black friday, and value is probably my most important metric, started around £300 mark but can extend to £600 if merited. I've probably been looking at 300 and 450 mark on laptops and could upgrade RAM. But I'm starting to look at desktops and still feel confused about cooling, recent changes in terms of graphics, SSDs and where upgrades and development are most relevant etc

Been looking at ebuyer desktops at around £200 price and have seen some on amazon, but once I add in cost of monitor, I'm near a similar price to laptop. I don't mind getting an Windows OS if need to and price makes sense, but I don't want to have to buy several components to get it to function effectively. I'm thinking I could get an external GPU if I wanted to upgrade

I'm ideally trying to find an out the box desktop and monitor package that tempts me away from some of the laptop options, extra power, 4k gaming or viewing, ability to upgrade, great value

[kevhamster]

18 hours ago, Jimbokav1971 said:

Thanks. I thought about that and I'm just not a regular ebayer, (I'm not sure I even have an account anymore), and not very trusting. The above item is from a respected Company so I know I won't have any issues at all. 

You have made me think now though.......

The only thing I would say about that is beware of warranty, or lack thereof.

If you want a refurb unit, I can vouch for these guys are they are in the process of sorting me out under warranty of a refurb laptop after it developed a fault a couple of months after receiving it, this is very well priced and has a 12 month warranty, although it is a bit more than the other one you linked to (£239):

https://www.laptopstation.co.uk/product/desktops/h5050/

[Feriboy2]

17 hours ago, Ridgeroo said:

Hi

I've had a read through of the thread, and have picked up some points and info, I would like some guidance, clarifications if kind enough

I used to play FM back in the day and am looking at getting back into it, a heavy user, priority would be given to minimising waiting time over visuals, processing power over graphics, 5 leagues+, more players, data. Stopped playing when it moved to steam, so wondering if bottlenecks are relatively similar, if internet connection plays a larger part, if poor visuals drag performance etc, happy to sacrifice and compromise for efficient performance, would appreciate extra capacity in hand

But am surprised by laptop cost, while entry price for a gaming desktop seems relatively high. I'm comparing apples with oranges, I'm looking at better spec desktops, but it feels like a chasm of performance and cost that I might be better served crossing at a later date with a different purchase

I've been waiting for run up to black friday, and value is probably my most important metric, started around £300 mark but can extend to £600 if merited. I've probably been looking at 300 and 450 mark on laptops and could upgrade RAM. But I'm starting to look at desktops and still feel confused about cooling, recent changes in terms of graphics, SSDs and where upgrades and development are most relevant etc

Been looking at ebuyer desktops at around £200 price and have seen some on amazon, but once I add in cost of monitor, I'm near a similar price to laptop. I don't mind getting an Windows OS if need to and price makes sense, but I don't want to have to buy several components to get it to function effectively. I'm thinking I could get an external GPU if I wanted to upgrade

I'm ideally trying to find an out the box desktop and monitor package that tempts me away from some of the laptop options, extra power, 4k gaming or viewing, ability to upgrade, great value

If you want to game in 4k you are going to need a few thousand pounds! (just 1 thousand for a video card that can handle 4k)
Don't worry about the Windows OS, you can buy used windows key on ebay for like 5-10 pounds. They are totally legal, refurbished keys.
I wouldn't buy a prebuilt desktop. They aren't worth it usually. If you want I can make a PC part list for you and you can ask a computer store to build you a pc from those parts.
So max budget is 600 pounds and you need a monitor too, right?

Edited November 14, 2019 by Feriboy2

[lothbrok]

Hey guys, still considering different laptops. Will this run fm well?

 

https://www.jbhifi.com.au/products/lenovo-yoga-c740-14-2-in-1-full-hd-touchscreen-laptop-1tb

[Smurf]

21 minutes ago, lothbrok said:

Hey guys, still considering different laptops. Will this run fm well?

 

https://www.jbhifi.com.au/products/lenovo-yoga-c740-14-2-in-1-full-hd-touchscreen-laptop-1tb

IT will run - how well - I don't know.

Probably ok - depending on your setup. It's a lot of money for something so uncertain though.

[lothbrok]

1 hour ago, Smurf said:

IT will run - how well - I don't know.

Probably ok - depending on your setup. It's a lot of money for something so uncertain though.

Thanks smurf. It’s really hard finding something suitable in the 14” range. Can you recommend anything? 

[joe25]

Looking for a laptop that will run FM20 with about 5 leagues at decent 3D graphic spec.

been recommended this:

https://ao.com/product/81dc0082uk-lenovo-laptop-grey-59535-251.aspx

 

any advice welcome

[kevhamster]

8 minutes ago, joe25 said:

Looking for a laptop that will run FM20 with about 5 leagues at decent 3D graphic spec.

been recommended this:

https://ao.com/product/81dc0082uk-lenovo-laptop-grey-59535-251.aspx

 

any advice welcome

It's not bad for that price point.... However, I'm not convinced it will run what you want it to, as well as you want it to - if that makes sense.  The integrated graphics on the intels is ok at best.  Based on my own experience with a slightly older intel processor, expect it to run medium quality settings with the graphics, but it may struggle to play 3D above that.

It shouldn't struggle to run 5 leagues.  Won't be lightning quick, but it should be at least respectable.

[Paul Antono]

Hello guys,

One question about 2-3 leagues and 3D medium settings.
Two options :

1. i5 7200u // 8gb // 1tb // mx150 (ACER)
2. i5 8250u // 8gb // 256gb // mx150 (LENOVO)

Which is better for quick processing and medium settings for 3D?

Thanks a lot.

[Feriboy2]

21 hours ago, Ridgeroo said:

Hi

I've had a read through of the thread, and have picked up some points and info, I would like some guidance, clarifications if kind enough

 

I went over the 600 limit a little bit (about 50 more) but i think it is worth it.

First the monitors. These are in the 115-135 price range, all 24", IPS panel, Flicker Free, Freesync monitors!!! Choose whichever you want.
- AOC 24V2Q
- Philips 246E9QJAB/00
- LG 24MK600M-B

Now for the Desktop:
Motherboard: ASRock B450M-HDV    53£   (or any other B450 motherboard will do, asrock, asus, msi doesn't matter)
CPU: AMD Ryzen 5 2600      110£
CPU cooler: comes with the cpu so freeee
Memory: 2x8GB DDR4 3200MHz, (16GB total) brand doesn't matter.    60 £
Storage: Western Digital Blue 500 GB M.2-2280 SSD   56£    (or Kingston A2000 M.2 500GB or Crucial MX500 M.2 500GB)
Video card: Asus Radeon RX580 4GB       135£ (or whatever other brand of RX580 the store has (I personally prefer Sapphire and Powercolor), but don't pay more than £150 for it because from £170 there are RX590 cards)
Case: Fractal Design Focus G ATX Mid Tower Case   48£
Power Supply: BitFenix Formula Gold 550 W 80+ Gold   67£

So about £529 for the desktop, with the monitor it's about £650 total (prices could change a little depending on the store of course!) But the video cards come with a free game and an xbox pass

Edited November 14, 2019 by Feriboy2

[joe25]

2 hours ago, kevhamster said:

It's not bad for that price point.... However, I'm not convinced it will run what you want it to, as well as you want it to - if that makes sense.  The integrated graphics on the intels is ok at best.  Based on my own experience with a slightly older intel processor, expect it to run medium quality settings with the graphics, but it may struggle to play 3D above that.

It shouldn't struggle to run 5 leagues.  Won't be lightning quick, but it should be at least respectable.

Would this be worthwhile investing in then?

https://ao.com/product/fx705dyau016t-asus-laptop-black-71481-251.aspx

[kevhamster]

7 minutes ago, joe25 said:

Would this be worthwhile investing in then?

https://ao.com/product/fx705dyau016t-asus-laptop-black-71481-251.aspx

CPU looks a bit better to me, despite the lower base clock speed than the other one - I have the next model CPU model below this on my laptop, and that runs FM pretty swiftly.  Dedicated graphics, so won't have any issue playing 3D on high settings.  Plus 4GB RAM more than the other one.

If it's not breaking your budget, I'd say it's a better choice as an overall laptop than the other one.

But, if FM is the only game you play and you don't mind playing below high settings for 3D, it may be slight overkill.

It really depends on what your budget is, and what your overall intentions are for the laptop are.

[joe25]

1 hour ago, kevhamster said:

CPU looks a bit better to me, despite the lower base clock speed than the other one - I have the next model CPU model below this on my laptop, and that runs FM pretty swiftly.  Dedicated graphics, so won't have any issue playing 3D on high settings.  Plus 4GB RAM more than the other one.

If it's not breaking your budget, I'd say it's a better choice as an overall laptop than the other one.

But, if FM is the only game you play and you don't mind playing below high settings for 3D, it may be slight overkill.

It really depends on what your budget is, and what your overall intentions are for the laptop are.

 

Don’t worry, my intentions are honest. 

 

apart from watching films, and  word processing, I won’t be doing much else. I do like buying from places with finance offers mind you 

 

i should add, I’d prefer a 17 inch display, and am open to the idea of refurbs

Edited November 14, 2019 by joe25

[zakbrown96]

Any good had to return my other laptop as had battery fault so wasn’t keeping it after that! Would this be ok like the fact it’s Got an 4gb graphic card and an 10th gen processor https://www.currys.co.uk/gbuk/computing/laptops/laptops/hp-pavilion-14-ce3520sa-14-laptop-intel-core-i7-512-gb-ssd-silver-10198863-pdt.html

[Ridgeroo]

6 hours ago, Feriboy2 said:

 

I went over the 600 limit a little bit (about 50 more) but i think it is worth it.

First the monitors. These are in the 115-135 price range, all 24", IPS panel, Flicker Free, Freesync monitors!!! Choose whichever you want.
- AOC 24V2Q
- Philips 246E9QJAB/00
- LG 24MK600M-B

Now for the Desktop:
Motherboard: ASRock B450M-HDV    53£   (or any other B450 motherboard will do, asrock, asus, msi doesn't matter)
CPU: AMD Ryzen 5 2600      110£
CPU cooler: comes with the cpu so freeee
Memory: 2x8GB DDR4 3200MHz, (16GB total) brand doesn't matter.    60 £
Storage: Western Digital Blue 500 GB M.2-2280 SSD   56£    (or Kingston A2000 M.2 500GB or Crucial MX500 M.2 500GB)
Video card: Asus Radeon RX580 4GB       135£ (or whatever other brand of RX580 the store has (I personally prefer Sapphire and Powercolor), but don't pay more than £150 for it because from £170 there are RX590 cards)
Case: Fractal Design Focus G ATX Mid Tower Case   48£
Power Supply: BitFenix Formula Gold 550 W 80+ Gold   67£

So about £529 for the desktop, with the monitor it's about £650 total (prices could change a little depending on the store of course!) But the video cards come with a free game and an xbox pass

Thanks for this, exactly the sort of thing I was thinking of 

I'd been thinking 3rd gen Ryzen 3, a X570 motherboard and using on board Vega graphics. But coming to conclusion B450 will do in terms of motherboard, and might be better paying the bit more for Ryzen 5

But still feels like I can get some similar levels of performance from laptops at a similar price

[Feriboy2]

17 minutes ago, Ridgeroo said:

Thanks for this, exactly the sort of thing I was thinking of 

I'd been thinking 3rd gen Ryzen 3, a X570 motherboard and using on board Vega graphics. But coming to conclusion B450 will do in terms of motherboard, and might be better paying the bit more for Ryzen 5

But still feels like I can get some similar levels of performance from laptops at a similar price

Uhhm no you won't get nowhere near this performance from a laptop for £650! For example just the the video card is several times better compared to a laptop! (for £650 laptop you get like an MX250 or GT 1050 tops)
Every other component is just a lot better!
And this PC is easy to upgrade, you will only have to buy a new graphic card, because the rest of the components will still be good in 2-3 years. (and maybe a hard drive because 500GB storage won't last long  )
And this price includes a 24" monitor, compared to a 17" laptop that's huge

If you want a 3rd gen ryzen with vega graphic then you don't need an X570 motherboard, those are waaay too expensive. Buy an MSI B450 MAX board, those are compatible out of the box with the new ryzen processor, a £70 B450M PRO-VDH MAX will do just fine (make sure it has MAX in the name because the regular B450 boards are NOT compatible with 3rd gen ryzen)

[Par7yPoison]

So I missed out on my mates laptop, so I have been looking at these ones.

Narrowed it down to 5. I have noted how much I will pay with discounts/offers too. I assume the HP gaming one is the best but is the price difference worth the performance difference over the others.

I would be looking to play all divisions in England Spain, Italy, Germany and France on a medium database (large would be preferable but I can live with medium). The laptop would be used for FM, the odd spreadsheet/word processing and then a few other games - Planet Coaster, AoE 2 HD edition, some of Telltale games and maybe the Sims seeing as I got both Sims 3 and 4 for free but havent played them yet. I just want to make sure I get value for money on a good system.

Acer Aspire £370
HP Pavillion £460
Acer Nitro 5 £400
HP Pavilion Gaming £560
Asus FX505DT-AL086T £503

Cheers guys. Wish I knew more about this kind of stuff.

[Connor]

I have bought the HP Pavilion Gaming £560 model you listed about a month ago.

In terms of bang for your buck, specifically for FM, I do not believe you can get any better and thats after testing around 10+ laptops, specifically for FM (and sending the rest back within the first 14 days as just was not happy)

Money was no object for me so the ones I tested ranged from around 500 to 1500 GBP and that HP is the quietest running and just ticks all the boxes for FM, in my opinion... it's the ultimate value for money option for me and the sweetspot for my "three P's" performance/portability/price

I had been looking for the perfect machine for me, for over a year and I settled on that one.

I am ridiculously picky! 

 

 

Edited November 15, 2019 by Connor
additional info added

[zakbrown96]

17 hours ago, zakbrown96 said:

Any good had to return my other laptop as had battery fault so wasn’t keeping it after that! Would this be ok like the fact it’s Got an 4gb graphic card and an 10th gen processor https://www.currys.co.uk/gbuk/computing/laptops/laptops/hp-pavilion-14-ce3520sa-14-laptop-intel-core-i7-512-gb-ssd-silver-10198863-pdt.html

Forgot to tag @Smurf @EdL 

[Par7yPoison]

1 hour ago, Connor said:

I have bought the HP Pavilion Gaming £560 model you listed about a month ago.

In terms of bang for your buck, specifically for FM, I do not believe you can get any better and thats after testing around 10+ laptops, specifically for FM (and sending the rest back within the first 14 days as just was not happy)

Money was no object for me so the ones I tested ranged from around 500 to 1500 GBP and that HP is the quietest running and just ticks all the boxes for FM, in my opinion... it's the ultimate value for money option for me and the sweetspot for my "three P's" performance/portability/price

I had been looking for the perfect machine for me, for over a year and I settled on that one.

I am ridiculously picky! 

 

 

Cheers mate.

In comparison to the Nitro though is it really a noticeable difference? I see the Nitro series get decent reviews in places and feel that if I can get a small drop in quality for a significant drop in price would that be worth doing. With the discount available the HP gaming one is most likely my pick but If I can drop £160 less and get a more than usable machine and drop some of the money on upgrades like RAM/hard drive instead, if that makes sense? 

[Connor]

I haven't personally tried the nitro as I heard it runs quite loud

 

[Feriboy2]

16 hours ago, Ridgeroo said:

Thanks for this, exactly the sort of thing I was thinking of 

I'd been thinking 3rd gen Ryzen 3, a X570 motherboard and using on board Vega graphics. But coming to conclusion B450 will do in terms of motherboard, and might be better paying the bit more for Ryzen 5

But still feels like I can get some similar levels of performance from laptops at a similar price

I did some thinking and research and came up with 2 more config, one middle performance and one entry level. (but that should run FM well too)

First we get a cheaper monitor, a 22" LG 22MK430H-B is just around £85, IPS panel, Flicker Free, Freesync monitor. 

1st build:
- Motherboard: MSI B450M PRO-VDH MAX   £70
- CPU: Ryzen 5 3400G   £125
- CPU cooler:  free
- Memory: 2x8GB DDR4 3000-3200MHz, (16GB total) brand doesn't matter.    60 £
- Storage: Western Digital Blue 500 GB M.2-2280 SSD     (or Kingston A2000 M.2 500GB or Crucial MX500 M.2 500GB)  for  56£   or cheaper around 45 punds Patriot Burst 480GB, WD blue 500GB, Crucial MX500
- Video card: integrated
- Case: Something around £30 like aerocool aero-300, silentiumpc signum sg1, zalman s2 (but I prefer the Fractal Design Focus G for 48 )
- Power supply: for 35-40 and around 500 watt: Be quiet system power 9 500w, cooler master mwe bronze v2 500w, fsp hexa 85+ 500w, evga 500br, corsair vs550 (they are listen in order of quality)

So with the monitor it comes out to about 450 pounds. What good is about this build that you can easily upgrade it later by addig a graphics card.

 

2nd build:
- Motherboard: ASRock B450M-HDV    53£   (or any other B450 motherboard will do, asrock, asus, msi doesn't matter) but make sure it has HDMI output!
- CPU: Ryzen 3 2200G 75£  (yes it is the second gen ryzen, but it has almost the same performance as the 3rd gen but it is cheaper! and will run FM just as good and will easily handle 5+ leagues)
- CPU cooler:  free
- Memory: 2x4GB DDR4 3000-3200MHz (8GB total) brand doesn't matter. 40£ (make sure it is 2 stick, don't buy 1pcs 8GB stick because it will slow down the pc)
- Storage: Western Digital Blue 500 GB M.2-2280 SSD    (or Kingston A2000 M.2 500GB or Crucial MX500 M.2 500GB)  for  56£  or cheaper around 45 punds Patriot Burst 480GB, WD blue 500GB, Crucial MX500
- Video card: integrated
- Case: the cheapest you can find, around 15-20£
- Power supply: Same brands as above but you don't need 500W, even the smallest 300-350w will be an overkill  around 30-35 £

With the monitor it is about 340-350.
if you only play FM I would probably go with this cheaper second PC. Hell you can even make it around £300 if you get a smaller 250GB SSD (about £20 cheaper) and somehow get a free pc case (maybe from friend or buy a used case for £2 )
Personally I like the big monitors i could never play on a small 14-15" laptop screen
This PC will be faster than similarly priced laptops. Those usually have only 2 core/4 thread CPUs, and don't have SSD. Some in this price range don't even have 8GB ram but only 4GB. But I admit in this lower price range laptops are closer in performance than in the 650-700 pound range

Edited November 15, 2019 by Feriboy2

[Par7yPoison]

2 minutes ago, Connor said:

I haven't personally tried the nitro as I heard it runs quite loud

 

No worries. Cheers for your input mate, will take it on board 

[kevhamster]

2 hours ago, Par7yPoison said:

So I missed out on my mates laptop, so I have been looking at these ones.

Narrowed it down to 5. I have noted how much I will pay with discounts/offers too. I assume the HP gaming one is the best but is the price difference worth the performance difference over the others.

I would be looking to play all divisions in England Spain, Italy, Germany and France on a medium database (large would be preferable but I can live with medium). The laptop would be used for FM, the odd spreadsheet/word processing and then a few other games - Planet Coaster, AoE 2 HD edition, some of Telltale games and maybe the Sims seeing as I got both Sims 3 and 4 for free but havent played them yet. I just want to make sure I get value for money on a good system.

Acer Aspire £370
HP Pavillion £460
Acer Nitro 5 £400
HP Pavilion Gaming £560
Asus FX505DT-AL086T £503

Cheers guys. Wish I knew more about this kind of stuff.

You can immediately eliminate the cheapest 3 if you want to also play Planet Coaster, as that requires a dedicated graphics card, which those three don't have.

Either of the other two would be OK I think, but the HP Pavillion Gaming is the strongest one there - both the HP and ASUS have the same graphics card, screen size RAM and storage amount, but the HP Pavillon Gaming one has a stronger CPU.

The listing suggests that the ASUS one has a 120Hz refresh rate, but this would be more of interest if playing games where a higher framerate gives you a potential advantage I'd say (ie, shooters).  I don't see this being a huge benefit for FM or Planet Coaster etc, but that depends on your own preference.

Edited November 15, 2019 by kevhamster

[Smurf]

1 hour ago, zakbrown96 said:

Forgot to tag @Smurf @EdL 

Should be ok - not sure how those new processors are doing - there's very little info out there as they are new. But by all accounts should work.

[kevhamster]

1 minute ago, Smurf said:

Should be ok - not sure how those new processors are doing - there's very little info out there as they are new. But by all accounts should work.

They seem to be using a really low base clock speed with a high turbo speed.  I'm guessing this is designed to make them more energy efficient?

[Smurf]

36 minutes ago, kevhamster said:

They seem to be using a really low base clock speed with a high turbo speed.  I'm guessing this is designed to make them more energy efficient?

Cheers - checking them out and some are saying the new i7-10's even at a low base clock speed are performing better than the i5-8400H whichi is incredible.