New Laptop/PC Advice -Please Read the Opening Post

[Smurf]

16 hours ago, Oz_UK said:

Hi looking at buying a 2020 MacBook Air with the i5 quad core processor (1.1ghz with 3.5ghz boost). Hoping to run 80% of leagues available and process through a virtual week in around 15/20mins. Will this laptop be up to the task? Tend to play on 2d classic mode on matches aswell. Thanks in advance !

It will run fine - however, it's ambigious to say how fast it will run in a virtual week - for any computer. 

For the money you're spending you'd have a much better laptop.

14 hours ago, Steviemcd86 said:

Hi I’m looking to get a laptop for football manager I’ve been told one at £300 will run slow can anyone help with this 

Depends on the laptop - £300 is quite low budget, and you'd be looking at low end latpops.

11 hours ago, Mitchcp87 said:

Hi everyone,

looking at getting a laptop from argos. They’ve got a few on 12 months interest free credit. 

https://www.argos.co.uk/product/7631427

i know this would run it. What I'm wondering is how many years would it be able to run it well. Haven’t had a laptop for fm since 2017 and with this lockdown the mobile version isn’t cutting the mustard anymore haha. 

any help would be greatly appreciated 

mitch

Again - it is unknown how many years it will run. 

Most newish laptops tend to run for about 5 years or up to 10 years if you look after them well.

https://www.computerworld.com/article/3488188/how-to-maintain-your-laptop.html

And more articles out there.

10 hours ago, Prince Buaben said:

Hi

I'm after a new laptop for fm20. The budget being £750 max. Could someone please reccomend the best laptop in this price range. 

Thanks for your help in advance.

I'd go for this - I know it's over your max https://www.box.co.uk/NH.Q59EK.01H-Acer-Nitro-5_2873716.html

Not as much storage in this - https://www.box.co.uk/81LK010TUK-Lenovo-IdeaPad-Gaming-L340-15_2834990.html 
but you can get more storage

This would also be a runner - https://www.box.co.uk/30026175-Medion-Erazer-P6605_2496888.html 
already has the storage - but a slightly lesser graphics card

10 hours ago, mingy8 said:

Dell Inspiron 14 5000 AMD Ryzen 5 3500U, 513 SSD or Medion Akoya P6685 i5 8250U, 128GB SSD & 1TB HHD. Which is better and why? Quite like the idea of a smaller laptop and storage not huge issue

Not really enough info - but based on processor the Ryzen is better (Dell)

[Prince Buaben]

1 hour ago, Smurf said:

It will run fine - however, it's ambigious to say how fast it will run in a virtual week - for any computer. 

For the money you're spending you'd have a much better laptop.

Depends on the laptop - £300 is quite low budget, and you'd be looking at low end latpops.

Again - it is unknown how many years it will run. 

Most newish laptops tend to run for about 5 years or up to 10 years if you look after them well.

https://www.computerworld.com/article/3488188/how-to-maintain-your-laptop.html

And more articles out there.

I'd go for this - I know it's over your max https://www.box.co.uk/NH.Q59EK.01H-Acer-Nitro-5_2873716.html

Not as much storage in this - https://www.box.co.uk/81LK010TUK-Lenovo-IdeaPad-Gaming-L340-15_2834990.html 
but you can get more storage

This would also be a runner - https://www.box.co.uk/30026175-Medion-Erazer-P6605_2496888.html 
already has the storage - but a slightly lesser graphics card

Not really enough info - but based on processor the Ryzen is better (Dell)

Thanks for your help.

[Steviemcd86]

I seen an ACER aspire Celeron 8gb one at 350 the resolution is 1366 x 768 would this run 

[Smurf]

55 minutes ago, Steviemcd86 said:

I seen an ACER aspire Celeron 8gb one at 350 the resolution is 1366 x 768 would this run 

Not enough info.

[Steviemcd86]

This is the details of the laptop the specifications 

[Smurf]

15 hours ago, Steviemcd86 said:

This is the details of the laptop the specifications 

IT's a Celeron processor - and the minimum requirements for the game are Pentium 4.

Since Pentium is a higher tier than Celeron - this laptop underspec and not suitable for FM.

[Steviemcd86]

Most of the ones I’ve seen are intel core processors is that sufficient  

 

[mingy8]

On ‎15‎/‎04‎/‎2020 at 09:06, Smurf said:

Not really enough info - but based on processor the Ryzen is better (Dell)

So, i think i have narrowed down the 14in options to the below. What do you think?

https://www.dell.com/en-uk/buy?cs=ukdhs1

https://www.currys.co.uk/gbuk/computing/laptops/laptops/acer-swift-3-14-laptop-amd-ryzen-5-256-gb-ssd-silver-10193941-pdt.html

https://www.currys.co.uk/gbuk/computing/laptops/laptops/lenovo-ideapad-s340-14-amd-ryzen-5-laptop-256-gb-ssd-grey-10193270-pdt.html

https://www.laptopsdirect.co.uk/refurbished-hp-pavilion-14-ce3501sa-core-i5-1035g1-8gb-32gb-intel-optane-51-a3-8fh65ea/version.asp

https://www.argos.co.uk/product/7825776

[Steviemcd86]

I was actually looking at the Lenovo one thanks I’ve been told I might need a separate graphics card tho would the Lenovo be compatible without graphics card 

[Smurf]

2 hours ago, Steviemcd86 said:

Most of the ones I’ve seen are intel core processors is that sufficient  

Depends on the processor model number.

 

1 hour ago, mingy8 said:

So, i think i have narrowed down the 14in options to the below. What do you think?

https://www.dell.com/en-uk/buy?cs=ukdhs1

https://www.currys.co.uk/gbuk/computing/laptops/laptops/acer-swift-3-14-laptop-amd-ryzen-5-256-gb-ssd-silver-10193941-pdt.html

https://www.currys.co.uk/gbuk/computing/laptops/laptops/lenovo-ideapad-s340-14-amd-ryzen-5-laptop-256-gb-ssd-grey-10193270-pdt.html

https://www.laptopsdirect.co.uk/refurbished-hp-pavilion-14-ce3501sa-core-i5-1035g1-8gb-32gb-intel-optane-51-a3-8fh65ea/version.asp

https://www.argos.co.uk/product/7825776

You're first link doesn't work - but I see you linked to one for 600.

THis is better

https://www.box.co.uk/FX505DD-BQ121T-ASUS-FX505DD-BQ121T_2902781.html

 

 

1 hour ago, Steviemcd86 said:

I was actually looking at the Lenovo one thanks I’ve been told I might need a separate graphics card tho would the Lenovo be compatible without graphics card 

You'll have to more specific.

[STaphouse]

Looking for a bit of help.

I'm looking at switching from a Laptop to a PC but, having been a laptop person my whole life, don't really know what to look for price-wise in a PC.

I know that buying everything separately is cheaper but I wouldn't even know where to start with building a PC if i'm being honest. Although if it's a lot cheaper I will find a Youtube tutorial.

My budget is around £700 -£800 (this is just for the rig).

I have found this:

https://www.box.co.uk/OMEN-by-HP-Obelisk-875-0005na-5MM75EA-_2456130.html

Is that a good price? Can I get something better for a similar price?

Could I get all those parts separately for a lot cheaper? If so, where from?

Thanks in advance.

[mingy8]

18 minutes ago, Smurf said:

Depends on the processor model number.

 

You're first link doesn't work - but I see you linked to one for 600.

THis is better

https://www.box.co.uk/FX505DD-BQ121T-ASUS-FX505DD-BQ121T_2902781.html

 

Sorry, does the below work?

https://www.dell.com/en-uk/shop/cty/pdp/spd/inspiron-14-5485-laptop/cn58501?cartitemid=b908d21b-cdfc-471f-8fa8-416d34b2f2cc&ref=cartconfigedit&configurationid=e88846a0-9686-4264-adf1-a02db77dcded

[Smurf]

12 minutes ago, mingy8 said:

Sorry, does the below work?

https://www.dell.com/en-uk/shop/cty/pdp/spd/inspiron-14-5485-laptop/cn58501?cartitemid=b908d21b-cdfc-471f-8fa8-416d34b2f2cc&ref=cartconfigedit&configurationid=e88846a0-9686-4264-adf1-a02db77dcded

The one I gave you is roughly the same spec - but it has a dedicated graphics card which would be desireable for FM (even in 2D mode).

I'd go with the ASus I linked to.

Edited April 16, 2020 by Smurf

[mingy8]

3 minutes ago, Smurf said:

The one I gave you is roughly the same spec - but it has a dedicated graphics card which would be desireable for FM (even in 2D mode).

I'd go with the ASus I linked to.

Thanks mate, ws hoping for a 14in screen although i do like that one you linked as saw that before too. Which 14in would be best do you reckon should i go down that route?

[Steviemcd86]

This is the Lenovo u sent in a link https://www.currys.co.uk/gbuk/computing/laptops/laptops/lenovo-ideapad-s340-14-amd-ryzen-5-laptop-256-gb-ssd-grey-10193270-pdt.html

 

it’s fits my price budget would this be ok for fm 

[Smurf]

7 minutes ago, Steviemcd86 said:

This is the Lenovo u sent in a link https://www.currys.co.uk/gbuk/computing/laptops/laptops/lenovo-ideapad-s340-14-amd-ryzen-5-laptop-256-gb-ssd-grey-10193270-pdt.html

 

it’s fits my price budget would this be ok for fm 

That has Windows 10S and you can't install steam on it - so it is unsuitable.

[Rossco85]

Hi not played FM since around 2016.

looking to now purchase a new laptop for various reasons and would obviously like to get back into FM.

I’ve seen a couple and wondered if anyone would be able to recommend, budget is £400-£500

these are the ones I had seen
https://www.argos.co.uk/product/5790717

https://www.argos.co.uk/product/9396461

https://www.argos.co.uk/product/1340532

thanks for any help

[Smurf]

1 minute ago, Smurf said:

That has Windows 10S and you can't install steam on it - so it is unsuitable.

Although it seems you can upgrade it to 10 pro 

https://www.laptopmag.com/articles/upgrade-from-windows-10-s

 

[Steviemcd86]

I thought windows 10 was ok ? 
Would this ACER do 

 

[Smurf]

5 minutes ago, Rossco85 said:

Hi not played FM since around 2016.

looking to now purchase a new laptop for various reasons and would obviously like to get back into FM.

I’ve seen a couple and wondered if anyone would be able to recommend, budget is £400-£500

these are the ones I had seen
https://www.argos.co.uk/product/5790717

https://www.argos.co.uk/product/9396461

https://www.argos.co.uk/product/1340532

thanks for any help

They are all roughly the same. Don't see anything better on that site at that price point.

[Smurf]

5 minutes ago, Steviemcd86 said:

I thought windows 10 was ok ? 
Would this ACER do 

 

Windows 10 is ok - but there's a new version called Windows 10S that is on Studenty type shool notebooks that only lets you install items from Windows Store. 

I guess the 10S stands for Windows 10 Store 
As I said - you can turn it off if you follow the link.

 

And no - I wouldn't go for that one.

[Rossco85]

20 minutes ago, Smurf said:

They are all roughly the same. Don't see anything better on that site at that price point.

 

Thanks

I only play maybe 2-3 leagues at a time and don’t know if I’d bother with the 3D matches.

do you think they are adequate enough for running at a decent rate 

[Rossco85]

Argos was only place I’d looked to be fair as I can get discount through a work scheme

[Rossco85]

2 minutes ago, Rossco85 said:

Argos was only place I’d looked to be fair as I can get discount through a work scheme

Happy for any other suggestions 

[Hovis Dexter]

46 minutes ago, Rossco85 said:

Happy for any other suggestions 

I've bought a couple of desktops and laptops from novatech and have been very pleased with them. They don't put ant crapware on their computers and, in my experience, provide good service and support. For full disclosure I have nothing to to with the company apart from being a satisfied customer

Edit: The link goes to a laptop which is NOT suitable for FM

Edited April 16, 2020 by Hovis Dexter

[Rossco85]

7 minutes ago, Hovis Dexter said:

I've bought a couple of desktops and laptops from novatech and have been very pleased with them. They don't put ant crapware on their computers and, in my experience, provide good service and support. For full disclosure I have nothing to to with the company apart from being a satisfied customer

Edit: The link goes to a laptop which is NOT suitable for FM

Cheers hovis I’ll have a look

[Jackk!]

Hi all,

Still on the hunt for a new laptop for FM (previously posted in January).

Budget has increased since then and actually been eyeing up an XPS 15 if I can find a decent 0% finance deal.

Biggest bug bear for me however, is using the default skin on my latitude e5270 is the  scrolling. For example, on a player profile screen, underneath the attributes where you have career stats etc. I have to scroll to see most of the information on those, rather than it just being visible which really annoys me.

Not sure if this is down to screen size, resolution or both (already playing at 85% zoom).

Does anyone know what I’d need to look out for to avoid this with the new laptop? And does anyone use an XPS 15 know if it avoids that issue? (I’m looking at the 7590 most likely if that effects anything).

thanks, 

[EdL]

1 hour ago, Jackk! said:

Hi all,

Still on the hunt for a new laptop for FM (previously posted in January).

Budget has increased since then and actually been eyeing up an XPS 15 if I can find a decent 0% finance deal.

Biggest bug bear for me however, is using the default skin on my latitude e5270 is the  scrolling. For example, on a player profile screen, underneath the attributes where you have career stats etc. I have to scroll to see most of the information on those, rather than it just being visible which really annoys me.

Not sure if this is down to screen size, resolution or both (already playing at 85% zoom).

Does anyone know what I’d need to look out for to avoid this with the new laptop? And does anyone use an XPS 15 know if it avoids that issue? (I’m looking at the 7590 most likely if that effects anything).

thanks, 

If you played in windowed mode then the vertial resolution of 768 isn't enough to fit the game in, I'm sure a XPS 15 will be higher resolution that that.

In fact it seems be 4K (3840 x 2160) so  very much more vertical resolution, you will have the opposite situation - you'll probably need a zoom of 200%

[derento]

Hi,

Looking for a laptop that can play FM to a good level and a couple of other games, not as bothered about 3D quality compared to overall speed.

Budget is around £600-700.

Have had a look on box.co.uk and would prefer to order on there as i have ordered there before but im not too sure what to look for! 

Any help is massively appreciated. Thank you

[Jackk!]

30 minutes ago, EdL said:

If you played in windowed mode then the vertial resolution of 768 isn't enough to fit the game in, I'm sure a XPS 15 will be higher resolution that that.

In fact it seems be 4K (3840 x 2160) so  very much more vertical resolution, you will have the opposite situation - you'll probably need a zoom of 200%

Cheers Ed - I don’t play in windowed but is still an issue full screen. 
 

out of interest - is there a minimum vertical resolution figure I should be looking at? 

[EdL]

9 minutes ago, Jackk! said:

Cheers Ed - I don’t play in windowed but is still an issue full screen. 
 

out of interest - is there a minimum vertical resolution figure I should be looking at? 

That seems off 768 should be fine in full screen the min res of the game is 1024 x 768 (or it should be!) so either I'm out of touch or there is a bug

Anyway, any display now is likely to be fine, I'd say make sure its 1920x1080 or greater.

[EdL]

Ah just realised you were talking about scrolling rather than cut offs, yes I believe at min res we do require scrolling now as the interface has added more detail over the years

[Jackk!]

51 minutes ago, EdL said:

Ah just realised you were talking about scrolling rather than cut offs, yes I believe at min res we do require scrolling now as the interface has added more detail over the years

Cool, cheers Ed. 4K screen may be the answer 

[Rossco85]

8 hours ago, Smurf said:

They are all roughly the same. Don't see anything better on that site at that price point.

https://www.currys.co.uk/gbuk/computing/laptops/laptops/dell-inspiron-15-3000-15-6-laptop-amd-ryzen-5-256-gb-ssd-silver-10190038-pdt.html
 

would this one be suitable for FM. Only really looking to ply 2-3 leagues max at a decent enough rate 

[shaunwwfc]

I have noticed much like myself people have needed a new laptop since lockdown to fillfull there FM needs, particularly one on a budget. I recently spent £549 on the Honor Magicbook 14 which came free with a Honor Smartwatch too, fantastic deal, link below

https://www.laptopsdirect.co.uk/honor-magicbook-14-amd-ryzen-5-8gb-256gb-ssd-14-inch-laptop-mystic-silver-53010whw-001/version.asp?tref=hptile

If you want the above deal i would urge you to hurry as i expect this to go anytime soon, i think the deadline is also the 20th for the free smartwatch.

I have been using the laptop for the past week or so now. It is a superb laptop, I have never had one this small and compact and so light, so in some ways I am having to adjust, but it runs beautifully and does the job for everything I need. For FM, it is more than adequate. The main point to remember is I do not run any 3D at all, so i cannot speak from that POV. However, I run 6 nations, all the top leagues on that, with a large database - no complaints at all.

So if your looking to buy something and your limit is £600, I would highly recommend the above deal, particularly with the watch!

[Gangor]

5 hours ago, derento said:

Hi,

Looking for a laptop that can play FM to a good level and a couple of other games, not as bothered about 3D quality compared to overall speed.

Budget is around £600-700.

Have had a look on box.co.uk and would prefer to order on there as i have ordered there before but im not too sure what to look for! 

Any help is massively appreciated. Thank you

I like the Lenovo L340 15" from their list - just about fits in your budget. 

[Smurf]

11 hours ago, Rossco85 said:

https://www.currys.co.uk/gbuk/computing/laptops/laptops/dell-inspiron-15-3000-15-6-laptop-amd-ryzen-5-256-gb-ssd-silver-10190038-pdt.html
 

would this one be suitable for FM. Only really looking to ply 2-3 leagues max at a decent enough rate 

IT would be ok - but the 256gb hard drive might fill up fast. Probably need to upgrade that at some point

10 hours ago, shaunwwfc said:

I have noticed much like myself people have needed a new laptop since lockdown to fillfull there FM needs, particularly one on a budget. I recently spent £549 on the Honor Magicbook 14 which came free with a Honor Smartwatch too, fantastic deal, link below

https://www.laptopsdirect.co.uk/honor-magicbook-14-amd-ryzen-5-8gb-256gb-ssd-14-inch-laptop-mystic-silver-53010whw-001/version.asp?tref=hptile

If you want the above deal i would urge you to hurry as i expect this to go anytime soon, i think the deadline is also the 20th for the free smartwatch.

I have been using the laptop for the past week or so now. It is a superb laptop, I have never had one this small and compact and so light, so in some ways I am having to adjust, but it runs beautifully and does the job for everything I need. For FM, it is more than adequate. The main point to remember is I do not run any 3D at all, so i cannot speak from that POV. However, I run 6 nations, all the top leagues on that, with a large database - no complaints at all.

So if your looking to buy something and your limit is £600, I would highly recommend the above deal, particularly with the watch!

What nations - how many leagues in total? What's your database size in terms of players in the game. 

How many seasons have you played? Are you going to play 5 seasons and start over - or do a career mode and play 20-50 seasons?

Any reason for not trying the 3D on it - it would be a good review - and if you can answer these queries I'd have no issue suggesting this in the future to people on a budget. 

Did you get the watch with it? Is the watch good?

 

 

[shaunwwfc]

1 hour ago, Smurf said:

What nations - how many leagues in total? What's your database size in terms of players in the game. 

How many seasons have you played? Are you going to play 5 seasons and start over - or do a career mode and play 20-50 seasons?

Any reason for not trying the 3D on it - it would be a good review - and if you can answer these queries I'd have no issue suggesting this in the future to people on a budget. 

Did you get the watch with it? Is the watch good?

Hi @Smurf

I am at work at the moment so cannot give you the exact database size, however;

Nations I ran was England, Scotland, Spain, Italy, France and Portugal. England all leagues down to Vanarama and then the top leagues of the other nations, all this on a large database. Whether or not it is a accurate scoring, FM gave me a 4 star for this setup. I have not played any seasons yet from scratch, this is because I have an ongoing save I brought over - I have loaded my Walsall career save from the cloud which is currently on my third season with actually the same setup above, plus Germany - and what I noticed was this ran considerably better than what it did on my previous laptop (HP G6, i5 7200u processor) and to be fair, that was always ok - I just didn't like the laptop itself, too bulky, not very nice to look at and my mrs often needs it for work. I needed my own, hence this purchase. Early days perhaps, but I have played 4 months worth of FM time and it runs lovely for me.

I am happy to run a 3D test, that is no bother at all - the only reason I didn't was down to preference. I actually really do not like the 3D view. I prefer the old school 2D every day of the week and I always factor this into my decision to never buy a Laptop/PC with a dedicated graphics card, it is an expense I just do not need and saves me a few hundred quid, such as this case - however with the integrated Vega 8 Graphics card (which by all accounts does a good job on Fifa, GTA5 etc from reading reviews) it will make an interesting test all the same.

As for the watch - I absolutely love it. I never thought I would benefit from a smartwatch. How wrong I was. Suddenly I am planning runs, wanting to beat step scores each day, it gives me notifications on emails, sms, calls, whatsapps, it even records my sleep very detailed which is very handy for someone who suffers with sleep apnea and all that for a battery that never dies (I haven't charged it since putting it off a full charge, on my 8th day) it is also a genuinely smart looking watch, no pun intended

The great thing about this for me is it integrates so well with my Hauwei smartphone. I didn't realise Honor basically is Hauwei, so suddenly I am reaping the benefits of that eco system. I look at a picture on my P30 pro, place the phone on the laptop and bosha, there it is onscreen - so if you are a Hauwei owner like me, another great plus.

So yes, I sound like an advertisement here, I really am not being paid for this - but given current lockdown restriction, a £549 deal that gives you a very nice sleek looking laptop that runs FM very well, a free smartwatch which gets you off your arse, I would get right on it

https://www.laptopsdirect.co.uk/honor-magicbook-14-amd-ryzen-5-8gb-256gb-ssd-14-inch-windows-10-laptop-sp-53010wht-001/version.asp

What originally tempted me to the above laptop aside from it looking very nice and sleek (plus the deal itself) was the Ryzen 3500U processor. A poster on here called @kevhamster was often endorsing his setup which is a 2500U processor (an older version) and said there was no issues. So thank you kev, your posts were a great help to myself and I gather others.

[derento]

11 hours ago, Gangor said:

I like the Lenovo L340 15" from their list - just about fits in your budget. 

Cheers.

so I’ve narrowed it down to these three after also looking at previous suggestions. Ready to order today so if anyone can help decide it would be great!

 

https://www.laptopoutlet.co.uk/medion-erazer-p15601-15-6-inch-ci5-9300h-8gb-1tb-256gbssd-gtx-1050-windows-10.html
 

https://www.box.co.uk/81LK010TUK-Lenovo-IdeaPad-Gaming-L340-15_2834990.html?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIjcSrh4vv6AIVYIBQBh0UMAOdEAUYAyABEgIxZfD_BwE

 

https://www.box.co.uk/30026175-Medion-Erazer-P6605_2496888.html

Edited April 17, 2020 by derento

[mingy8]

Which is the better 14in option? Or are any other 14in better?

https://www.laptopoutlet.co.uk/lenovo-ideapad-s340-14api-14-full-hd-laptop-amd-ryzen-5-3500u-8gb-ram-256gb-ssd-windows-10-s-grey-81nb004duk-48595.html

https://www.dell.com/en-uk/shop/cty/pdp/spd/inspiron-14-5485-laptop/cn58501?cartitemid=b908d21b-cdfc-471f-8fa8-416d34b2f2cc&ref=cartconfigedit&configurationid=86752811-5c3f-486e-bcc6-2099e8a071e9

[shaunwwfc]

1 hour ago, mingy8 said:

Which is the better 14in option? Or are any other 14in better?

https://www.laptopoutlet.co.uk/lenovo-ideapad-s340-14api-14-full-hd-laptop-amd-ryzen-5-3500u-8gb-ram-256gb-ssd-windows-10-s-grey-81nb004duk-48595.html

https://www.dell.com/en-uk/shop/cty/pdp/spd/inspiron-14-5485-laptop/cn58501?cartitemid=b908d21b-cdfc-471f-8fa8-416d34b2f2cc&ref=cartconfigedit&configurationid=86752811-5c3f-486e-bcc6-2099e8a071e9

See my post above regarding the 14in Honor

Out of those two, I would argue the Dell is better. Spec looks identical but the Lenovo uses the Windows 10S which has limitations. I am not even sure you can install Steam on that OS, I stand corrected though on that.

[EdL]

50 minutes ago, shaunwwfc said:

See my post above regarding the 14in Honor

Out of those two, I would argue the Dell is better. Spec looks identical but the Lenovo uses the Windows 10S which has limitations. I am not even sure you can install Steam on that OS, I stand corrected though on that.

You can't - but you can take it out of S mode (and then you can't go back)

[mingy8]

48 minutes ago, shaunwwfc said:

See my post above regarding the 14in Honor

Out of those two, I would argue the Dell is better. Spec looks identical but the Lenovo uses the Windows 10S which has limitations. I am not even sure you can install Steam on that OS, I stand corrected though on that.

Thanks. Have had a quick look and currently, the only issue is the 8GB RAM that is not upgradable. Although for me, i am not sure that would be too much of an issue. I will only be using the laptop for streaming, bit if web searching and mailnly for FM although possibly with other games too such as FF7 or GTA.

[shaunwwfc]

9 minutes ago, mingy8 said:

Thanks. Have had a quick look and currently, the only issue is the 8GB RAM that is not upgradable. Although for me, i am not sure that would be too much of an issue. I will only be using the laptop for streaming, bit if web searching and mailnly for FM although possibly with other games too such as FF7 or GTA.

Yep, have to admit that is the one downside lack of upgradeable RAM, although I do think generally 8GB is sufficient, it is also DDr4.

[mingy8]

11 minutes ago, shaunwwfc said:

Yep, have to admit that is the one downside lack of upgradeable RAM, although I do think generally 8GB is sufficient, it is also DDr4.

Im not computer literate so being honest, dont know the diff between DDR3 and DDR4 (only seen those to listed on specs)

[shaunwwfc]

10 minutes ago, mingy8 said:

Im not computer literate so being honest, dont know the diff between DDR3 and DDR4 (only seen those to listed on specs)

DDR4 runs at a faster clock speed and transfers data quicker. How this translates to FM, I will leave somebody else to answer! 

[mingy8]

3 minutes ago, shaunwwfc said:

DDR4 runs at a faster clock speed and transfers data quicker. How this translates to FM, I will leave somebody else to answer! 

haha - thanks for your help anyways pal

How good is the watches GPS - used to have a watch for running but took ages to get a signal - is that even still a thing on these watches or are they programmed to be on all the time

[Gangor]

2 hours ago, derento said:

Cheers.

so I’ve narrowed it down to these three after also looking at previous suggestions. Ready to order today so if anyone can help decide it would be great!

 

https://www.laptopoutlet.co.uk/medion-erazer-p15601-15-6-inch-ci5-9300h-8gb-1tb-256gbssd-gtx-1050-windows-10.html
+ cheaper

+ has a hard drive for storing media / a larger game library

- cheap screen

- last gen GPU (video chip)

https://www.box.co.uk/81LK010TUK-Lenovo-IdeaPad-Gaming-L340-15_2834990.html?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIjcSrh4vv6AIVYIBQBh0UMAOdEAUYAyABEgIxZfD_BwE

+ IPS screen

+ up to date GPU

- no mechanical hard drive

https://www.box.co.uk/30026175-Medion-Erazer-P6605_2496888.html

+ IPS screen

+ large hard drive for media/games

- Small SSD boot drive 

- Last gen GPU 

 

Have annotated with some points to consider on each

[Smurf]

3 hours ago, derento said:

Cheers.

so I’ve narrowed it down to these three after also looking at previous suggestions. Ready to order today so if anyone can help decide it would be great!

https://www.laptopoutlet.co.uk/medion-erazer-p15601-15-6-inch-ci5-9300h-8gb-1tb-256gbssd-gtx-1050-windows-10.html
https://www.box.co.uk/81LK010TUK-Lenovo-IdeaPad-Gaming-L340-15_2834990.html?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIjcSrh4vv6AIVYIBQBh0UMAOdEAUYAyABEgIxZfD_BwE

https://www.box.co.uk/30026175-Medion-Erazer-P6605_2496888.html

I'd go with the first one there - it will be a good one for FM. Has a lesser graphics card - but pretty good for most games, and more than enough for FM.

[Smurf]

1 hour ago, shaunwwfc said:

Yep, have to admit that is the one downside lack of upgradeable RAM, although I do think generally 8GB is sufficient, it is also DDr4.

 

1 hour ago, mingy8 said:

Im not computer literate so being honest, dont know the diff between DDR3 and DDR4 (only seen those to listed on specs)

 

1 hour ago, shaunwwfc said:

DDR4 runs at a faster clock speed and transfers data quicker. How this translates to FM, I will leave somebody else to answer! 

 

1 hour ago, mingy8 said:

haha - thanks for your help anyways pal

How good is the watches GPS - used to have a watch for running but took ages to get a signal - is that even still a thing on these watches or are they programmed to be on all the time

Good effort lads!

Typically the speed is roughly the same - difference in latency being about 13 nano-seconds compared to 15 nano-seconds - and the general speed difference is 2ghz vs 2.1ghz

So speed is not the main thing at all with DDR3 vs DDR4.

DDR3 runs at 1.5v and DDR4 runs at 1.2v - so DDR4 is better for laptops as it uses less power (volts) - and also means it doesn't get as hot - which is a good thing!

They also have different amount of pins etc. (literally that plug into the motherboard).