FM24 - PC/Laptop advice thread *** PLEASE READ OPENING POST BEFORE POSTING ***

[kevhamster]

15 minutes ago, sseharai said:

Hi @Kevhamster & @Smurf thank you for doing this

What is your budget? - £600 or below
Any other info - FM21 wise I would like to be able to load all leagues, use the biggest databases, use the 3D match engine, no lag, face and logo packs
Would like a laptop. Would like it be lightweight (if possible). Last me around 5 year at least

Netflix - Yes
Other games - No
Edit videos - Yes
Music/Spotify - No (YouTube more likely)
Edit photos - No
Etc - N/A

From my limited research (I am no tech buff so don't know much) this what I have found, would really appreciate your opinions on them. Also some recommendations of alternatives both on spec and price. Thank you very much!

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B086TC8GN7/ref=ewc_pr_img_1?smid=A2OAJ7377F756P&psc=1

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B0845V656Z/ref=ewc_pr_img_2?smid=A3P5ROKL5A1OLE&psc=1

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B08HR3W84V/ref=ewc_pr_img_3?smid=A3P5ROKL5A1OLE&psc=1

Out of those three, I'd avoid the second one as it's one of the ultra low power10th gen Intel processors, so has a low clock speed.

CPU wise, it's fairly close between the other two.  The third one has the slightly better processor, but the first one has a dedicated graphics card so will be able to play FM 3D's match settings at the highest level (the 3rd one you'd likely need to reduce the settings a bit).

If you don't play in 3D, I'd probably go for the 3rd one.

If you do, look at the first one, although I see that listing is for used machines only.  Brand new equivalent specced machine here for £700: https://www.box.co.uk/NH.Q87EK.002-Acer-Aspire-7-Gaming-A715-75G_2934480.html

[sseharai]

5 minutes ago, kevhamster said:

Out of those three, I'd avoid the second one as it's one of the ultra low power10th gen Intel processors, so has a low clock speed.

CPU wise, it's fairly close between the other two.  The third one has the slightly better processor, but the first one has a dedicated graphics card so will be able to play FM 3D's match settings at the highest level (the 3rd one you'd likely need to reduce the settings a bit).

If you don't play in 3D, I'd probably go for the 3rd one.

If you do, look at the first one, although I see that listing is for used machines only.  Brand new equivalent specced machine here for £700: https://www.box.co.uk/NH.Q87EK.002-Acer-Aspire-7-Gaming-A715-75G_2934480.html

Thank you super helpful. So from your recommendation the best one is the 1st one/the link you have sent. (depending on 3D of course)

Thank you for the box link, never used them before/heard of them before. Really reliable?

Any other machines you recommend with the stuff I would like it to do, on the cheaper side? Like what was said in the opening post, don't want to spend the £700s if I can get the same outputs I require for cheaper.

Apologies if I am asking for too much!

[kevhamster]

36 minutes ago, sseharai said:

Thank you super helpful. So from your recommendation the best one is the 1st one/the link you have sent. (depending on 3D of course)

Thank you for the box link, never used them before/heard of them before. Really reliable?

Any other machines you recommend with the stuff I would like it to do, on the cheaper side? Like what was said in the opening post, don't want to spend the £700s if I can get the same outputs I require for cheaper.

Apologies if I am asking for too much!

I would refer to their Trustpilot reviews: https://uk.trustpilot.com/review/www.box.co.uk

They seem to be good for the most part, but I've heard things can be difficult if something has gone wrong.  I have no first hand experience with them.

If you want to keep the costs down, this is a good deal (same CPU as the 3rd link in your previous post) for £550.00.  It does only have 256GB storage, but from memory that was the case with one of your links anyway: https://www.box.co.uk/M413IA-EB573T-ASUS-Vivobook-14-M413IA-EB573T_2955297.html

Or, if you'd still like a graphics card for 3D matches, then this one is very good at £600.00.  Same i5 CPU as the first link from your post, but slightly weaker graphics card (albeit still ample for FM): https://www.box.co.uk/81LK0039UK-Lenovo-IdeaPad-Gaming-L340-15_2934443.html

Edited November 17, 2020 by kevhamster

[sseharai]

41 minutes ago, kevhamster said:

I would refer to their Trustpilot reviews: https://uk.trustpilot.com/review/www.box.co.uk

They seem to be good for the most part, but I've heard things can be difficult if something has gone wrong.  I have no first hand experience with them.

If you want to keep the costs down, this is a good deal (same CPU as the 3rd link in your previous post) for £550.00.  It does only have 256GB storage, but from memory that was the case with one of your links anyway: https://www.box.co.uk/M413IA-EB573T-ASUS-Vivobook-14-M413IA-EB573T_2955297.html

Or, if you'd still like a graphics card for 3D matches, then this one is very good at £600.00.  Same i5 CPU as the first link from your post, but slightly weaker graphics card (albeit still ample for FM): https://www.box.co.uk/81LK0039UK-Lenovo-IdeaPad-Gaming-L340-15_2934443.html

Thank you very helpful! Have some thinking to do!

[Junaid1999]

Hi all,

Just wondering which one of these laptops is best for playing Football Manager 2021. Looking to purchase one on Black Friday. 

https://www.box.co.uk/81LK0039UK-Lenovo-IdeaPad-Gaming-L340-15_2934443.html

https://www.currys.co.uk/gbuk/gaming/pc-gaming/gaming-laptops/acer-nitro-5-an515-54-15-6-gaming-laptop-intel-core-i5-gtx-1650-256-gb-ssd-10205925-pdt.html

Furthermore, if you have any other suggestions of laptops in a similar price range, please let me know, 

Many thanks, 

[kevhamster]

15 minutes ago, Junaid1999 said:

Hi all,

Just wondering which one of these laptops is best for playing Football Manager 2021. Looking to purchase one on Black Friday. 

https://www.box.co.uk/81LK0039UK-Lenovo-IdeaPad-Gaming-L340-15_2934443.html

https://www.currys.co.uk/gbuk/gaming/pc-gaming/gaming-laptops/acer-nitro-5-an515-54-15-6-gaming-laptop-intel-core-i5-gtx-1650-256-gb-ssd-10205925-pdt.html

Furthermore, if you have any other suggestions of laptops in a similar price range, please let me know, 

Many thanks, 

Purely for FM, either is basically identical.  The only difference is the graphics card, where the Box one isn't quite as strong as the one at Curry's, but both will play FM at max settings.

You won't really find better for the same price.

[Junaid1999]

2 hours ago, kevhamster said:

Purely for FM, either is basically identical.  The only difference is the graphics card, where the Box one isn't quite as strong as the one at Curry's, but both will play FM at max settings.

You won't really find better for the same price.

Brilliant, thank you! 

[scotty-corkcityfc]

Getting a laptop from PCSpecialist. Decent specs but just want to make sure Im not doing anything wrong or missing something obvious with the processor as I see there are issues with FM21 on RTX2060 graphics card too. Any guidance appreciated. Currently on an XPS15 9560 but its gone to pieces so going to upgrade. Mostly needed for FM and Adobe products. Both heavy usage. Thanks all

Processor (CPU)	Intel® Core™ i7 Eight Core Processor 10875H (2.3GHz, 5.1GHz Turbo)
Memory (RAM)	32GB Corsair 2666MHz SODIMM DDR4 (2 x 16GB)
Graphics Card	NVIDIA® GeForce® RTX 2060 - 6.0GB GDDR6 Video RAM - DirectX® 12.1
1st M.2 SSD Drive	1TB SAMSUNG 970 EVO PLUS M.2, PCIe NVMe (up to 3500MB/R, 3300MB/W)

[kevhamster]

31 minutes ago, scotty-corkcityfc said:

Getting a laptop from PCSpecialist. Decent specs but just want to make sure Im not doing anything wrong or missing something obvious with the processor as I see there are issues with FM21 on RTX2060 graphics card too. Any guidance appreciated. Currently on an XPS15 9560 but its gone to pieces so going to upgrade. Mostly needed for FM and Adobe products. Both heavy usage. Thanks all

Processor (CPU)	Intel® Core™ i7 Eight Core Processor 10875H (2.3GHz, 5.1GHz Turbo)
Memory (RAM)	32GB Corsair 2666MHz SODIMM DDR4 (2 x 16GB)
Graphics Card	NVIDIA® GeForce® RTX 2060 - 6.0GB GDDR6 Video RAM - DirectX® 12.1
1st M.2 SSD Drive	1TB SAMSUNG 970 EVO PLUS M.2, PCIe NVMe (up to 3500MB/R, 3300MB/W)

I've not heard anything about issues with any specific graphics card when it comes to FM?  I've got the weaker 1660 Super in my desktop and have no issues at all.

In terms of spec, you've certainly gone all out there.  Hard to see anywhere it could be improved really.  Excellent CPU and you've certainly made sure you won't run low on RAM!

[scotty-corkcityfc]

12 minutes ago, kevhamster said:

I've not heard anything about issues with any specific graphics card when it comes to FM?  I've got the weaker 1660 Super in my desktop and have no issues at all.

In terms of spec, you've certainly gone all out there.  Hard to see anywhere it could be improved really.  Excellent CPU and you've certainly made sure you won't run low on RAM!

I had 64gb at one stage and decided it was ridiculous to spend on it. It's mad, If I wanted to buy the same XPS 15 that I have from Dell it would the same price. I just needed to see if there was something obvious I was missing. Cheers Kev, appreciate the feedback. Will pull the trigger on this one.

Edit: This is where I saw issues with the Nvidia cards 

 

Edited November 17, 2020 by scotty-corkcityfc

[Sweetleftfoot]

Hi All,

Has anyone tried FM21 on the new Apple Silicon M1 processors?

If, yes

How was the performance of the game?

How is the graphics capabilities in 3D mode?

 

Pls share your experience ASAP.

Would help in deciding on a new laptop!

 

Thanks in advance

[djmatt327]

Hi Lads, been playing on stadia last year and want a better enjoyment of game.. need a new laptop for improvement of FM, https://www.dell.com/en-ie/shop/gaming-and-games/new-dell-g3-15/spd/g-series-15-3500-laptop/cng3024

 

what did you guys think of this one? It’s about the budget I have.. would prefer a Dell... but open to suggestions.

 

thanks !

[Smurf]

7 hours ago, Sweetleftfoot said:

Hi All,

Has anyone tried FM21 on the new Apple Silicon M1 processors?

If, yes

How was the performance of the game?

How is the graphics capabilities in 3D mode?

 

Pls share your experience ASAP.

Would help in deciding on a new laptop!

 

Thanks in advance

I would be interested un knowing too. The M1 chip has been touted by Apple as being faster etc, but is only against its own brand using lower class intel processors.

The advice from will never change about Apple, overpriced.

You can get much better PC laptop for a fraction of the price.

Unless you specifically need a Mac for software reasons.

But cannot say I am not interested to see how it performs.

5 hours ago, djmatt327 said:

Hi Lads, been playing on stadia last year and want a better enjoyment of game.. need a new laptop for improvement of FM, https://www.dell.com/en-ie/shop/gaming-and-games/new-dell-g3-15/spd/g-series-15-3500-laptop/cng3024

 

what did you guys think of this one? It’s about the budget I have.. would prefer a Dell... but open to suggestions.

 

thanks !

Looks good.

[mark davis]

Hi gents I have this on order arrives 25th ..How many leagues and players do you reckon it will load cheers 

CHASSIS	Corsair Carbide 4000D Airflow Black Mid Tower
MOTHERBOARD	Intel Z490 Gaming Edition ATX
CPU	Intel Core i7 10700K 8 Core 16 Thread (Base-3.8GHz Boost-5.1GHz)
CPU COOLER	240mm Liquid Cooler
RAM	16GB DDR4 OC
GRAPHICS CARD	Nvidia RTX 3070 8GB OC
PRIMARY DRIVE	1TB SATA3 SSD ProSpec - 540MB/s
SECOND DRIVE	3TB Hard Drive - 150MB/s
THIRD DRIVE	1TB Hard Drive - 150MB/s
POWER SUPPLY	850W 80 Plus Gold
NETWORK CARD	WiFi Dual Band AC (WiFi 5) Pro Internal Adapter - Up to 1300Mbps
O/S	Windows 10 64bit Home Edition USB

[kevhamster]

2 hours ago, mark davis said:

Hi gents I have this on order arrives 25th ..How many leagues and players do you reckon it will load cheers 

CHASSIS	Corsair Carbide 4000D Airflow Black Mid Tower
MOTHERBOARD	Intel Z490 Gaming Edition ATX
CPU	Intel Core i7 10700K 8 Core 16 Thread (Base-3.8GHz Boost-5.1GHz)
CPU COOLER	240mm Liquid Cooler
RAM	16GB DDR4 OC
GRAPHICS CARD	Nvidia RTX 3070 8GB OC
PRIMARY DRIVE	1TB SATA3 SSD ProSpec - 540MB/s
SECOND DRIVE	3TB Hard Drive - 150MB/s
THIRD DRIVE	1TB Hard Drive - 150MB/s
POWER SUPPLY	850W 80 Plus Gold
NETWORK CARD	WiFi Dual Band AC (WiFi 5) Pro Internal Adapter - Up to 1300Mbps
O/S	Windows 10 64bit Home Edition USB

We can't comment how many it will run to your satisfaction given how subjective that is. 

But given that's a very high specced rig, it'll play the game as well as pretty much anything currently out. 

Edited November 18, 2020 by kevhamster
Changed "rug" to "rig"... mobile autocorrect got me

[Smurf]

54 minutes ago, mark davis said:

Hi gents I have this on order arrives 25th ..How many leagues and players do you reckon it will load cheers 

CHASSIS	Corsair Carbide 4000D Airflow Black Mid Tower
MOTHERBOARD	Intel Z490 Gaming Edition ATX
CPU	Intel Core i7 10700K 8 Core 16 Thread (Base-3.8GHz Boost-5.1GHz)
CPU COOLER	240mm Liquid Cooler
RAM	16GB DDR4 OC
GRAPHICS CARD	Nvidia RTX 3070 8GB OC
PRIMARY DRIVE	1TB SATA3 SSD ProSpec - 540MB/s
SECOND DRIVE	3TB Hard Drive - 150MB/s
THIRD DRIVE	1TB Hard Drive - 150MB/s
POWER SUPPLY	850W 80 Plus Gold
NETWORK CARD	WiFi Dual Band AC (WiFi 5) Pro Internal Adapter - Up to 1300Mbps
O/S	Windows 10 64bit Home Edition USB

 

17 minutes ago, kevhamster said:

We can't comment how many it will run to your satisfaction given how subjective that is. 

But given that's a very high specced rug, it'll play the game as well as pretty much anything currently out. 

Ditto to what Kev says. 

It's a very high end machine - can't imagine it having any issues for a long time. How many leagues/divisions/database size etc. you can run, it's unknown, what's fast for me maybe slow for you.

Can you please benchmark this one though? If you have the time to do so - 

Perhaps @Brother Ben can get another Benchmark thread going for 2021 version?

[djmatt327]

3 hours ago, Smurf said:

I would be interested un knowing too. The M1 chip has been touted by Apple as being faster etc, but is only against its own brand using lower class intel processors.

The advice from will never change about Apple, overpriced.

You can get much better PC laptop for a fraction of the price.

Unless you specifically need a Mac for software reasons.

But cannot say I am not interested to see how it performs.

Looks good.

Thanks!

[mark davis]

HI thanks for the response looking forward to testing the rig on the game and baldurs 3...will benchmark once new rig is up and running

thanks and enjoy fm 

[fadesany]

Hi guys,

Im looking for a laptop to run fm21 on as my HP I got back in 2011 (which performed excellently) has at long last run it’s course. Looking for something around the £800 mark. Noticed the one you recommended seems to be sold out absolutely everywhere so any guidance you can provide will be welcome. 
 

Not sure it makes a different but I mainly play network games and tend to host.

 

thank you 

[Smurf]

8 minutes ago, fadesany said:

Hi guys,

Im looking for a laptop to run fm21 on as my HP I got back in 2011 (which performed excellently) has at long last run it’s course. Looking for something around the £800 mark. Noticed the one you recommended seems to be sold out absolutely everywhere so any guidance you can provide will be welcome. 
 

Not sure it makes a different but I mainly play network games and tend to host.

 

thank you 

https://www.amazon.co.uk/HP-Pavilion-15-dk0010na-i5-9300H-Dedicated/dp/B07S9NZ92D/ref=sr_1_1?adgrpid=57914679789&dchild=1&gclid=Cj0KCQiAqdP9BRDVARIsAGSZ8AkQLderNecZibH5L3jDUJppSmJNBtZ4QqT2TqBYJBQC5V3pKim0eiUaAsTpEALw_wcB&hvadid=291399888638&hvdev=c&hvlocphy=20487&hvnetw=g&hvqmt=b&hvrand=15933422575736959518&hvtargid=kwd-302118624408&hydadcr=1343_1751908&keywords=pc+notebook+laptop&qid=1605694665&refinements=p_36%3A-80000%2Cp_n_feature_browse-bin%3A1481781031|21740491031&rnid=182781031&s=computers&sr=1-1&tag=googiehydra-21

 

https://www.currys.co.uk/gbuk/computing/laptops/laptops/acer-aspire-7-a715-74g-15-6-intel-core-i5-laptop-512-gb-ssd-black-10194242-pdt.html

 

First one has a better graphics card.

[serbianred]

Hi guys,

So I bought FM21 last night pretty confident I can run it on my laptop and I haven't even been able to start a new game never mind run it comfortably. It's so laggy right from the start and it's basically freezing when I go to create my manager profile. The last FM I played for 17 and that was on a different laptop to this one, I'll send a picture of the laptop I have and the specs now could someone tell me where I'm going wrong here?

My graphics card is Intel (R) HD Graphics 620 but I've just noticed when checking to see the name of my graphics card is says "Windows has stopped this device because it has reported problems (Code43)" ... no idea what this means?

If anyone can help would be great so I haven't wasted £30 for FM and more importantly so I don't waste £800 odd on a new laptop if I don't need one. I only got this laptop 2 years ago so it's relatively new and has only been used for work and occasional browsing but in the last year I've barely even used it.

Thank You

Edited November 18, 2020 by serbianred
more info to my post

[Smurf]

24 minutes ago, serbianred said:

Hi guys,

So I bought FM21 last night pretty confident I can run it on my laptop and I haven't even been able to start a new game never mind run it comfortably. It's so laggy right from the start and it's basically freezing when I go to create my manager profile. The last FM I played for 17 and that was on a different laptop to this one, I'll send a picture of the laptop I have and the specs now could someone tell me where I'm going wrong here?

My graphics card is Intel (R) HD Graphics 620 but I've just noticed when checking to see the name of my graphics card is says "Windows has stopped this device because it has reported problems (Code43)" ... no idea what this means?

If anyone can help would be great so I haven't wasted £30 for FM and more importantly so I don't waste £800 odd on a new laptop if I don't need one. I only got this laptop 2 years ago so it's relatively new and has only been used for work and occasional browsing but in the last year I've barely even used it.

Thank You

Processor should be ok for running the game.

The error code relates to overheating - you can buy a can of compressed air and blow it through the vents in the computer to clear out dust (when turned off).

From videos - it looks like you have screws underneath the laptop - unscrew them and remove the panel, you should see fans, make sure they're clear of dust.

And get a laptop cooling stand, they don't have to be expensive, but anything to keep the fans from sucking in dust from carpets/beds/tables etc. 

 

[craiigman]

13 hours ago, Sweetleftfoot said:

Hi All,

Has anyone tried FM21 on the new Apple Silicon M1 processors?

If, yes

How was the performance of the game?

How is the graphics capabilities in 3D mode?

 

Pls share your experience ASAP.

Would help in deciding on a new laptop!

 

Thanks in advance

Will have some results in the next few hours. Let me know what you would like me to test.

[kevhamster]

2 minutes ago, craiigman said:

Will have some results in the next few hours. Let me know what you would like me to test.

Could you do the benchmarking tests here please (assuming you have FM20):

Also, I'd be interested to hear how they perform for the 3D match engine at the medium preset and above - not sure if you can use a FPS counter on Mac, or if you can just report how smooth they seem at those presets?

[craiigman]

10 minutes ago, kevhamster said:

Could you do the benchmarking tests here please (assuming you have FM20):

Also, I'd be interested to hear how they perform for the 3D match engine at the medium preset and above - not sure if you can use a FPS counter on Mac, or if you can just report how smooth they seem at those presets?

I can do, will have to set the saves up manually so might not have these full results until later this evening.

[Sweetleftfoot]

21 minutes ago, craiigman said:

Will have some results in the next few hours. Let me know what you would like me to test.

Pls let us know:

How many leagues does it let you run with large database with min 4* rating?

General game play processing, Does it feel you can enjoy FM21 without waiting too long for processing?  

How many stars with the highest possible 3D graphics?

If you have Macbook Pro 13 then how long does it take the fans to kick-in when you start playing FM21?

Does the laptop heat up while you play FM21 for a while?

 

Thanks in advance for helping out mate!

Edited November 18, 2020 by Sweetleftfoot

[Buffalo12]

Seeing as this topic is still going I just want to say this.

Smurf recommended me a laptop 2 years ago and it has been fantastic the whole time (and still going fantastic)

Thanks again for this

[kevhamster]

3 minutes ago, craiigman said:

I can do, will have to set the saves up manually so might not have these full results until later this evening.

That's cool - we're all just interested to know how these new chips peform as they're a complete unknown at this point.

https://9to5mac.com/2020/11/17/apple-m1-benchmarks-translate-real-world-performance/ suggests very good performance, but seeing as it's a publication with an Apple bias it may not be completely reliable as a source!

[kevhamster]

1 minute ago, Buffalo12 said:

Seeing as this topic is still going I just want to say this.

Smurf recommended me a laptop 2 years ago and it has been fantastic the whole time (and still going fantastic)

Thanks again for this

Smurf knows his stuff.

Glad you're having a good time with it.

Edited November 18, 2020 by kevhamster

[Brother Ben]

5 hours ago, Smurf said:

 

Ditto to what Kev says. 

It's a very high end machine - can't imagine it having any issues for a long time. How many leagues/divisions/database size etc. you can run, it's unknown, what's fast for me maybe slow for you.

Can you please benchmark this one though? If you have the time to do so - 

Perhaps @Brother Ben can get another Benchmark thread going for 2021 version?

Plans are afoot! 

Just waiting for the official release just to be sure the database is stable etc

[Smurf]

1 hour ago, Buffalo12 said:

Seeing as this topic is still going I just want to say this.

Smurf recommended me a laptop 2 years ago and it has been fantastic the whole time (and still going fantastic)

Thanks again for this

Excellent - glad it's still going well! 

Can you post your results in the benchmark thread? 

 

[GUNNERjay]

Hey guys, I want to buy FM for the first time but need to buy a laptop. Which laptop would you recommend that would run matches smoothly in 3D without any lag? My budget is £900

[craiigman]

Apple MacBook Pro 2020 M1 - 8GB ram base model initial benchmarks/reactions

***Disclaimer***

Neither Steam nor FM21 is optimised for the M1 chip yet. I do not believe that FM21 will have any extra optimisation for the M1 chip upon release, maybe for the March patch, but very unlikely will be native M1 support. Remember the game is still also in beta so star ratings may not be accurate (have a great example of this included).

My only comparison is my current machine which is a 2016 MacBook 12" with the M7 processor. I am at the moment just loading my save I started on this machine, which is as follows:

As mentioned about star ratings, I am getting 1 star when I first check this screen, but it changes to 2 star after a couple of seconds:

My current machine is rated at 1 star for 3D graphics:

My general performance on this machine on low 1440x900:

2D ~30FPS

3D ~20-30FPS

Processing/Between highlights ~30-40FPS

Now for the new machine:

I have set MacBook resolution to scaled 1680x1050

Rating at 5 star and auto set to high.

When I first open the add/remove league screen it says 2 stars, but jumps to 2 1/2 stars. Will be honest even on my 12" I had very fast processing under these setup. So would take these stars with a pinch of salt. FM21 is very very quick, but will see how it goes. General processing/clicking next feels very snappy and quick. International (which I am on) periods still take a little while.

In game on high:

2D - Solid 60 FPS

3D - Solid 60 FPS with a couple of drops but only a couple of frames.

Processing/Between highlights - 60FPS. In menus out of game it's 30-60 but makes no difference honestly, it's just menus and doesn't look like it's lagging or anything.

I am very impressed with these early results.

Some other questions been asked before:

Heat/Fans: Fans have no kicked in at any stage as of yet, even in 3D. MacBook is warm to touch, but not hot. In comparison my 12" is scolding when playing FM.

Very high setting: Fans not turned on, warmed up a little but again still not hot. FPS 40-60 FPS, sitting around 45 FPS most of the time.

If you have any more questions I have no answered here, feel free to ask and I will try to answer. I will run the FM20 benchmarks a bit later when I have some more time.

TL;DR - FM works and it works really well on the M1 chip. High settings on 1680x1050 is solid 60FPS with no fans or heat issues.

[Smurf]

6 minutes ago, craiigman said:

Apple MacBook Pro 2020 M1 - 8GB ram base model initial benchmarks/reactions

***Disclaimer***

Neither Steam nor FM21 is optimised for the M1 chip yet. I do not believe that FM21 will have any extra optimisation for the M1 chip upon release, maybe for the March patch, but very unlikely will be native M1 support. Remember the game is still also in beta so star ratings may not be accurate (have a great example of this included).

My only comparison is my current machine which is a 2016 MacBook 12" with the M7 processor. I am at the moment just loading my save I started on this machine, which is as follows:

As mentioned about star ratings, I am getting 1 star when I first check this screen, but it changes to 2 star after a couple of seconds:

My current machine is rated at 1 star for 3D graphics:

My general performance on this machine on low 1440x900:

2D ~30FPS

3D ~20-30FPS

Processing/Between highlights ~30-40FPS

Now for the new machine:

I have set MacBook resolution to scaled 1680x1050

Rating at 5 star and auto set to high.

When I first open the add/remove league screen it says 2 stars, but jumps to 2 1/2 stars. Will be honest even on my 12" I had very fast processing under these setup. So would take these stars with a pinch of salt. FM21 is very very quick, but will see how it goes. General processing/clicking next feels very snappy and quick. International (which I am on) periods still take a little while.

In game on high:

2D - Solid 60 FPS

3D - Solid 60 FPS with a couple of drops but only a couple of frames.

Processing/Between highlights - 60FPS. In menus out of game it's 30-60 but makes no difference honestly, it's just menus and doesn't look like it's lagging or anything.

I am very impressed with these early results.

Some other questions been asked before:

Heat/Fans: Fans have no kicked in at any stage as of yet, even in 3D. MacBook is warm to touch, but not hot. In comparison my 12" is scolding when playing FM.

Very high setting: Fans not turned on, warmed up a little but again still not hot. FPS 40-60 FPS, sitting around 45 FPS most of the time.

If you have any more questions I have no answered here, feel free to ask and I will try to answer. I will run the FM20 benchmarks a bit later when I have some more time.

TL;DR - FM works and it works really well on the M1 chip. High settings on 1680x1050 is solid 60FPS with no fans or heat issues.

Sorry - but in-game star ratings for computer ratings are not really the best indicators.

Plus your trialing FM21 which I presume is Beta and not optimised even for standard computers, I imagine.

Have you got FM 20? Can you benchmark the results using the criteria from there?

 

[craiigman]

1 minute ago, Smurf said:

Sorry - but in-game star ratings for computer ratings are not really the best indicators.

Plus your trialing FM21 which I presume is Beta and not optimised even for standard computers, I imagine.

Have you got FM 20? Can you benchmark the results using the criteria from there?

 

Oh yeah I didn't even think about using FM20 to benchmark - I will download it now. Will again have to do the tests a bit later.

[Smurf]

4 minutes ago, craiigman said:

Oh yeah I didn't even think about using FM20 to benchmark - I will download it now. Will again have to do the tests a bit later.

That's fantastic - I cannot wait to see the results, it's exciting. Thanks for doing it!

[serbianred]

4 hours ago, Smurf said:

Processor should be ok for running the game.

The error code relates to overheating - you can buy a can of compressed air and blow it through the vents in the computer to clear out dust (when turned off).

From videos - it looks like you have screws underneath the laptop - unscrew them and remove the panel, you should see fans, make sure they're clear of dust.

And get a laptop cooling stand, they don't have to be expensive, but anything to keep the fans from sucking in dust from carpets/beds/tables etc. 

 

Would the graphics card not just affect the 3D Match engine? Or does it slow everything down? I started a new game there and it had a 4 star rating for performance but it's still really really laggy and unplayable. Do you think maybe its because FM21 is in beta mode still? I didn't even realise this when I purchased it. Sorry for all the questions mate you just seem to know your stuff and I want to explore all options before I shell out for a new laptop that's all. 

Ideally I wanted to load as many leagues possible and start as a Sunday league manager and work my way up but guess that's not possible right now haha.

[Smurf]

1 minute ago, serbianred said:

Would the graphics card not just affect the 3D Match engine? Or does it slow everything down? I started a new game there and it had a 4 star rating for performance but it's still really really laggy and unplayable. Do you think maybe its because FM21 is in beta mode still? I didn't even realise this when I purchased it. Sorry for all the questions mate you just seem to know your stuff and I want to explore all options before I shell out for a new laptop that's all. 

Ideally I wanted to load as many leagues possible and start as a Sunday league manager and work my way up but guess that's not possible right now haha.

You have an integrated graphics card - so any dust build up in the fans will cause your CPU to verload, as well as your GPU. 

The star ratings don't mean much really, high time SI removed them from the game. 

For the bold part - you do realise that could be 1 league or 100 leagues right? It's all relative to what you feel is a comfortable smooth playing experience.

 

Clear out the fans with a can of compressed air from a DIY shop. Or open up your panel on the base (when it's turned off and unplugged) and clean the fans and see how you get on.

[serbianred]

2 minutes ago, Smurf said:

You have an integrated graphics card - so any dust build up in the fans will cause your CPU to verload, as well as your GPU. 

The star ratings don't mean much really, high time SI removed them from the game. 

For the bold part - you do realise that could be 1 league or 100 leagues right? It's all relative to what you feel is a comfortable smooth playing experience.

 

Clear out the fans with a can of compressed air from a DIY shop. Or open up your panel on the base (when it's turned off and unplugged) and clean the fans and see how you get on.

Cheers mate, I'll give this a go tomorrow and see what happens.

[craiigman]

34 minutes ago, Smurf said:

That's fantastic - I cannot wait to see the results, it's exciting. Thanks for doing it!

wow

 

[Babushka7]

1 hour ago, craiigman said:

Apple MacBook Pro 2020 M1 - 8GB ram base model initial benchmarks/reactions

***Disclaimer***

Neither Steam nor FM21 is optimised for the M1 chip yet. I do not believe that FM21 will have any extra optimisation for the M1 chip upon release, maybe for the March patch, but very unlikely will be native M1 support. Remember the game is still also in beta so star ratings may not be accurate (have a great example of this included).

My only comparison is my current machine which is a 2016 MacBook 12" with the M7 processor. I am at the moment just loading my save I started on this machine, which is as follows:

As mentioned about star ratings, I am getting 1 star when I first check this screen, but it changes to 2 star after a couple of seconds:

My current machine is rated at 1 star for 3D graphics:

My general performance on this machine on low 1440x900:

2D ~30FPS

3D ~20-30FPS

Processing/Between highlights ~30-40FPS

Now for the new machine:

I have set MacBook resolution to scaled 1680x1050

Rating at 5 star and auto set to high.

When I first open the add/remove league screen it says 2 stars, but jumps to 2 1/2 stars. Will be honest even on my 12" I had very fast processing under these setup. So would take these stars with a pinch of salt. FM21 is very very quick, but will see how it goes. General processing/clicking next feels very snappy and quick. International (which I am on) periods still take a little while.

In game on high:

2D - Solid 60 FPS

3D - Solid 60 FPS with a couple of drops but only a couple of frames.

Processing/Between highlights - 60FPS. In menus out of game it's 30-60 but makes no difference honestly, it's just menus and doesn't look like it's lagging or anything.

I am very impressed with these early results.

Some other questions been asked before:

Heat/Fans: Fans have no kicked in at any stage as of yet, even in 3D. MacBook is warm to touch, but not hot. In comparison my 12" is scolding when playing FM.

Very high setting: Fans not turned on, warmed up a little but again still not hot. FPS 40-60 FPS, sitting around 45 FPS most of the time.

If you have any more questions I have no answered here, feel free to ask and I will try to answer. I will run the FM20 benchmarks a bit later when I have some more time.

TL;DR - FM works and it works really well on the M1 chip. High settings on 1680x1050 is solid 60FPS with no fans or heat issues.

Might be missing where you said this and just being stupid 😂 but do you have 8 or 16 GB of ram-not sure if I should spend the extra 200 on an upgrade or not

[Damse1994]

1 minute ago, Babushka7 said:

Might be missing where you said this and just being stupid 😂 but do you have 8 or 16 GB of ram-not sure if I should spend the extra 200 on an upgrade or not

It is stated in his reply that it is 8 gb. 

[Babushka7]

6 minutes ago, Damse1994 said:

It is stated in his reply that it is 8 gb. 

🤦‍♂️ thanks

[Jimbokav1971]

Hi lads. My old laptop is on the way out and I want to get another. FM is the most sttetching thing I use it for. I have a budget of anything up to £1,000 I suppose but don't have to spent that if something cheaper does the job. 

I don't care hugely about battery life or weight. I just want something reliable that isn't going to break down on me.

Any advice would be appreciated.

Thanks. 👍

[craiigman]

12 minutes ago, Jimbokav1971 said:

Hi lads. My old laptop is on the way out and I want to get another. FM is the most sttetching thing I use it for. I have a budget of anything up to £1,000 I suppose but don't have to spent that if something cheaper does the job. 

I don't care hugely about battery life or weight. I just want something reliable that isn't going to break down on me.

Any advice would be appreciated.

Thanks. 👍

I’m sure some others can recommend some good Windows laptops. However from my tests on the new MacBooks I would say look at the MacBook Air with M1.

I’ve never had a Mac break down on me, so I can vouch for their reliability.

[Jimbokav1971]

17 minutes ago, craiigman said:

I’m sure some others can recommend some good Windows laptops. However from my tests on the new MacBooks I would say look at the MacBook Air with M1.

I’ve never had a Mac break down on me, so I can vouch for their reliability.

Thanks for the reply. Really appreciate, it but not interested at all in an Apple product. Sorry. 

[Jimbokav1971]

34 minutes ago, Jimbokav1971 said:

Hi lads. My old laptop is on the way out and I want to get another. FM is the most sttetching thing I use it for. I have a budget of anything up to £1,000 I suppose but don't have to spent that if something cheaper does the job. 

I don't care hugely about battery life or weight. I just want something reliable that isn't going to break down on me.

Any advice would be appreciated.

Thanks. 👍

Have had a quick look at this and would love some feedback. 

All it has to do is play FM to a high standard and be reliable. Not a very high bar I know.

This is approx £800.

https://www.currys.co.uk/gbuk/computing/laptops/laptops/acer-aspire-5-a514-52-14-laptop-intel-core-i7-1-tb-ssd-silver-10203794-pdt.html

If anyone has any better suggestions, (Not a Mac), then I am happy to listen. 

Edited November 18, 2020 by Jimbokav1971

[Smurf]

25 minutes ago, Jimbokav1971 said:

Have had a quick look at this and would love some feedback. 

All it has to do is play FM to a high standard and be reliable. Not a very high bar I know.

This is approx £800.

https://www.currys.co.uk/gbuk/computing/laptops/laptops/acer-aspire-5-a514-52-14-laptop-intel-core-i7-1-tb-ssd-silver-10203794-pdt.html

If anyone has any better suggestions, (Not a Mac), then I am happy to listen. 

https://www.box.co.uk/NH.Q87EK.004-Acer-Aspire-7-Gaming-A715-75G_2934481.html

[Jimbokav1971]

5 minutes ago, Smurf said:

https://www.box.co.uk/NH.Q87EK.004-Acer-Aspire-7-Gaming-A715-75G_2934481.html

Thanks @SmurfThat looks great but isnt in stock yet. Anything similar already released?

[kevhamster]

38 minutes ago, Jimbokav1971 said:

Thanks @SmurfThat looks great but isnt in stock yet. Anything similar already released?

The closest I can find which is currently in stock is this: https://www.box.co.uk/1L6F7EAABU-HP-Pavilion-Gaming-15-ec1009na_2958259.html

It's a bit pricier, but spec-wise it's very similar to the one Smurf linked.