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

[kevhamster]

5 hours ago, jackripper said:

Thank you sorry to be a pain but how would they run fm would it be slow and what limit of leagues could I run etc approximately, cheers for the quick response also 

Any computer can run any amount of leagues, it's just the more leagues loaded, the slower it'll be.  In terms of how it will be to you and your expectations, I have no idea as I don't know how your expectations are compared to me.  This is all covered in the original post, and the same will always apply.

They're not going to be super quick, but they're also not going to be horribly slow either.  I think you'll struggle to find better for under £400.

[kevhamster]

3 hours ago, jackripper said:

So I have narrowed it down to one of these what would you recommend for large database long term and around 8-10 nations loaded if possible.

https://www.currys.co.uk/gbuk/computing/laptops/laptops/dell-inspiron-14-5405-14-laptop-amd-ryzen-5-256-gb-ssd-silver-10208028-pdt.html

https://ao.com/product/81yq0015uk-lenovo-laptop-grey-77769-251.aspx

https://www.currys.co.uk/gbuk/computing/laptops/laptops/acer-aspire-5-a514-54-14-laptop-intel-core-i5-256-gb-ssd-silver-10216767-pdt.html?TSPD_101_R0=ec0f9fe04c3da573685d6fda30e02567lj90000000000000000da9c0650ffff000000000000000000000000000060a6bc030005f3f76808140a0837ab200001cacf58031e3fa455eb609800fc729ffbc28ade47e90e6a06e3e4e7611e116b0883619b3a0a28003166780b8c7e592a2586649d5a009eae1ea8283b5da413ada74d041079e73d8e56db6bfd6e53cc2a
 

https://www.currys.co.uk/gbuk/computing/laptops/laptops/hp-pavilion-15-eh0507sa-15-6-laptop-amd-ryzen-3-256-gb-silver-10212883-pdt.html
 

thanks for any advice on what would be best and I will buy it thanks 

 

 

It's very close between https://www.currys.co.uk/gbuk/computing/laptops/laptops/acer-aspire-5-a514-54-14-laptop-intel-core-i5-256-gb-ssd-silver-10216767-pdt.html and https://www.currys.co.uk/gbuk/computing/laptops/laptops/dell-inspiron-14-5405-14-laptop-amd-ryzen-5-256-gb-ssd-silver-10208028-pdt.html

I'd probably go for the Acer of the two.

[Smurf]

5 hours ago, kevhamster said:

Any computer can run any amount of leagues, it's just the more leagues loaded, the slower it'll be.  In terms of how it will be to you and your expectations, I have no idea as I don't know how your expectations are compared to me.  This is all covered in the original post, and the same will always apply.

They're not going to be super quick, but they're also not going to be horribly slow either.  I think you'll struggle to find better for under £400.

 

5 hours ago, kevhamster said:

It's very close between https://www.currys.co.uk/gbuk/computing/laptops/laptops/acer-aspire-5-a514-54-14-laptop-intel-core-i5-256-gb-ssd-silver-10216767-pdt.html and https://www.currys.co.uk/gbuk/computing/laptops/laptops/dell-inspiron-14-5405-14-laptop-amd-ryzen-5-256-gb-ssd-silver-10208028-pdt.html

I'd probably go for the Acer of the two.

I'd go for this for an extra 50

https://www.currys.co.uk/gbuk/computing/laptops/laptops/315_3226_30328_xx_ba00012871-bv00311064|bv00311073|bv00311074-ba00002920-bv00307957-ba00010606-bv00313395|bv00313934-ba00010215-bv00308701/1_20/price-asc/0-600-criteria.html

I wouldn't go for the 4500u

[jackripper]

1 hour ago, Smurf said:

 

I'd go for this for an extra 50

https://www.currys.co.uk/gbuk/computing/laptops/laptops/315_3226_30328_xx_ba00012871-bv00311064|bv00311073|bv00311074-ba00002920-bv00307957-ba00010606-bv00313395|bv00313934-ba00010215-bv00308701/1_20/price-asc/0-600-criteria.html

I wouldn't go for the 4500u

Sorry which one as there is is 7 on there lol

[Smurf]

https://www.currys.co.uk/gbuk/computing/laptops/laptops/acer-aspire-5-a514-54-14-laptop-intel-core-i5-512-gb-ssd-silver-10212836-pdt.html

 

[Adamm90]

On 20/05/2021 at 13:12, kevhamster said:

This is an alternative for you:

https://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/saved-configurations/amd-am4-gen3-pc/UpURd7tAFK/

The CPU is stronger than the one at Dell.  The graphics card isn't as strong, but still will be more than enough to handle the games you've mentioned.

How does this compare for £1,000 ish: https://www.dell.com/en-uk/shop/gaming-and-games/new-g5-gaming-desktop/spd/g-series-5000-desktop/cd500005

My discount is only around 10% now, and the one mentioned yesterday has sold out completely.

[kevhamster]

40 minutes ago, Adamm90 said:

How does this compare for £1,000 ish: https://www.dell.com/en-uk/shop/gaming-and-games/new-g5-gaming-desktop/spd/g-series-5000-desktop/cd500005

My discount is only around 10% now, and the one mentioned yesterday has sold out completely.

It'll still do the job for sure.  That's the graphics card I have in my PC and it's still a solid card.  

[Smurf]

3 hours ago, Adamm90 said:

How does this compare for £1,000 ish: https://www.dell.com/en-uk/shop/gaming-and-games/new-g5-gaming-desktop/spd/g-series-5000-desktop/cd500005

My discount is only around 10% now, and the one mentioned yesterday has sold out completely.

I'd stick with the PC specialist one.

[Adamm90]

On 21/05/2021 at 16:57, Smurf said:

I'd stick with the PC specialist one.

Thanks. The original Dell one has come back in stock, but I'm likely to order the PC Specialist one today. Is it worth upping the cooler?

[kevhamster]

6 hours ago, Adamm90 said:

Thanks. The original Dell one has come back in stock, but I'm likely to order the PC Specialist one today. Is it worth upping the cooler?

A lot of Ryzen CPU's come with good coolers as standard, but to be honest I'd ask the guys at PC Specialist - they will give good advice in terms of cooling and they won't sell you things which aren't necessary.

[Student Boy]

Hi I am after a new laptop, £500 budget, large DB around 5-6 leagues

Not bothered about other games, or streaming Netflix.  

My last laptop was a HP I only bought it November 2019, but the motherboard has overheated. The engineer who looked at it said to stay away from the smaller laptops 14" screens, said its a common fault with the smaller ones. 

 

Thanks 😁

[kevhamster]

25 minutes ago, Student Boy said:

Hi I am after a new laptop, £500 budget, large DB around 5-6 leagues

Not bothered about other games, or streaming Netflix.  

My last laptop was a HP I only bought it November 2019, but the motherboard has overheated. The engineer who looked at it said to stay away from the smaller laptops 14" screens, said its a common fault with the smaller ones. 

 

Thanks 😁

https://ao.com/product/1n7v2eaabu-hp-laptop-silver-78039-251.aspx

[Student Boy]

25 minutes ago, kevhamster said:

https://ao.com/product/1n7v2eaabu-hp-laptop-silver-78039-251.aspx

Thank you I am reluctant to get a HP after my previous issue, sorry to be a pain, have you got an alternative? 

[kevhamster]

2 hours ago, Student Boy said:

Thank you I am reluctant to get a HP after my previous issue, sorry to be a pain, have you got an alternative? 

https://www.currys.co.uk/gbuk/computing/laptops/laptops/asus-vivobook-m413ia-14-laptop-amd-ryzen-5-256-gb-ssd-silver-10219111-pdt.html

It is 14" though.

Specs wise, there's nothing to touch these under £500, at least that I can currently find.  You can go for the earlier Ryzens, but they're quite a lot weaker.  The Intel CPU's tend to be fine in terms of CPU power, but the integrated graphics really let them down if you want to play using 3D graphics, unless you go for an 11th generation i5 or i7, but I can't find any of those within the budget.

Edited May 25, 2021 by kevhamster

[Student Boy]

32 minutes ago, kevhamster said:

https://www.currys.co.uk/gbuk/computing/laptops/laptops/asus-vivobook-m413ia-14-laptop-amd-ryzen-5-256-gb-ssd-silver-10219111-pdt.html

It is 14" though.

Specs wise, there's nothing to touch these under £500, at least that I can currently find.  You can go for the earlier Ryzens, but they're quite a lot weaker.  The Intel CPU's tend to be fine in terms of CPU power, but the integrated graphics really let them down if you want to play using 3D graphics, unless you go for an 11th generation i5 or i7, but I can't find any of those within the budget.

Thank you 

[ARBONKAS]

Hello guys. So, I've been reading the thread for a while and the time has now come for me to get a new laptop. I thought I will ask for my own recommendations as I've noticed the laptops recommendations seem to change quite quickly and quite vary depending on one's play preferences.

My budget: ~£700.  If there's something suitable for ~£500 - excellent. Don't want to overpay for what I don't need as I know these things don't last forever but would also rather pay more than struggle with poor performance.

The laptop will be used for everyday tasks (internet, some office work, basic photo editing, very basic video editing) and playing FM. Often end up multitasking.

In regards to FM. Would like to play with 3D but if there is a considerably cheaper option that only allows low res 3D or 2D only (but is still perfectly suitable for other required use) then I would consider this.

Size wise no smaller than 15.6". Most important a reliable machine, not overheating.

Appreciate your help with this.

[kevhamster]

8 hours ago, ARBONKAS said:

Hello guys. So, I've been reading the thread for a while and the time has now come for me to get a new laptop. I thought I will ask for my own recommendations as I've noticed the laptops recommendations seem to change quite quickly and quite vary depending on one's play preferences.

My budget: ~£700.  If there's something suitable for ~£500 - excellent. Don't want to overpay for what I don't need as I know these things don't last forever but would also rather pay more than struggle with poor performance.

The laptop will be used for everyday tasks (internet, some office work, basic photo editing, very basic video editing) and playing FM. Often end up multitasking.

In regards to FM. Would like to play with 3D but if there is a considerably cheaper option that only allows low res 3D or 2D only (but is still perfectly suitable for other required use) then I would consider this.

Size wise no smaller than 15.6". Most important a reliable machine, not overheating.

Appreciate your help with this.

https://www.box.co.uk/NX.A1FEK.003-Acer-Aspire-5-Intel-Core-i5-16GB-RAM-512_3213604.html

 Very good CPU and should be able to handle 3D at medium, possibly higher.

[ARBONKAS]

50 minutes ago, kevhamster said:

https://www.box.co.uk/NX.A1FEK.003-Acer-Aspire-5-Intel-Core-i5-16GB-RAM-512_3213604.html

 Very good CPU and should be able to handle 3D at medium, possibly higher.

Thank you! And what could be the option allowing 3D at high?

I am a bit weary of suggested one only having an integrated GPU but possibly with no reason for what I need?

Also, now I've found the link, from the discussions here a couple months back, I've had my eye set on this - HP Pavilion 15-ec1001na 15.6 Inch Full HD Gaming Laptop - (Shadow Black) (AMD Ryzen 5 4600H, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 (4 GB Dedicated) Graphics, 8 GB RAM, 256 GB SSD, Windows 10 Home): Amazon.co.uk: Computers & Accessories. Is this no longer a good option?

[kevhamster]

1 hour ago, ARBONKAS said:

Thank you! And what could be the option allowing 3D at high?

I am a bit weary of suggested one only having an integrated GPU but possibly with no reason for what I need?

Also, now I've found the link, from the discussions here a couple months back, I've had my eye set on this - HP Pavilion 15-ec1001na 15.6 Inch Full HD Gaming Laptop - (Shadow Black) (AMD Ryzen 5 4600H, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 (4 GB Dedicated) Graphics, 8 GB RAM, 256 GB SSD, Windows 10 Home): Amazon.co.uk: Computers & Accessories. Is this no longer a good option?

Nothing wrong with that at all. I just went for the one that I did because you implied you'd be happier with lower graphics settings so was just giving an option which would give strong performance in terms of the processing between matches and not hitting the ceiling of the budget you'd stated as you'd said you'd prefer not to max it out. 

But yeah, if you're happy to spend more, that one you've linked will do the job. 

[ARBONKAS]

1 hour ago, kevhamster said:

Nothing wrong with that at all. I just went for the one that I did because you implied you'd be happier with lower graphics settings so was just giving an option which would give strong performance in terms of the processing between matches and not hitting the ceiling of the budget you'd stated as you'd said you'd prefer not to max it out. 

But yeah, if you're happy to spend more, that one you've linked will do the job. 

If there's a ~£100 difference between the lower and the higher spec I can get, I would rather spend that £100 for better overall performance. 

With the HP one I've mentioned, I've had an HP some years back and it had serious overheating issues. Would that be more dependant on a particular model or series, or should I be worried that this would have the same issue (I really, really would like to avoid another overheating laptop)?

And then probably the last thing to try and use your help, is there anything around that £700 mark that would be noticeably better than the suggested HP?

Edited May 26, 2021 by ARBONKAS

[kevhamster]

1 hour ago, ARBONKAS said:

If there's a ~£100 difference between the lower and the higher spec I can get, I would rather spend that £100 for better overall performance. 

With the HP one I've mentioned, I've had an HP some years back and it had serious overheating issues. Would that be more dependant on a particular model or series, or should I be worried that this would have the same issue (I really, really would like to avoid another overheating laptop)?

And then probably the last thing to try and use your help, is there anything around that £700 mark that would be noticeably better than the suggested HP?

I can't find anything in the price range I'd consider to be better. 

With regards to overheating, all manner of things can cause it, from dust buildup inside the chassis, poorly performing fans and even simple design faults. 

For what it's worth, I own 2 HP laptops (one of which I've owned for 4 years and the other for 2 years) and have never had heat issues with either. 

[ARBONKAS]

58 minutes ago, kevhamster said:

I can't find anything in the price range I'd consider to be better. 

With regards to overheating, all manner of things can cause it, from dust buildup inside the chassis, poorly performing fans and even simple design faults. 

For what it's worth, I own 2 HP laptops (one of which I've owned for 4 years and the other for 2 years) and have never had heat issues with either. 

Thank you, your time and help is much appreciated.

[FRibeiro1602]

Hello everyone.

I'm looking for a new laptop.

Budget: 850€ max (Portugal).

I'll mostly play FM on it, but will use it for other daily tasks like Office Apps (Word, Excel, PowerPoint), will be back to online classes in a few months as well, browsing, streaming (movies, tv shows, sports), listening to music/Spotify and may occasionally play other video games.

I'm a little undecided between these two:

- Lenovo IdeaPad 3 15ALC-780

- HP Pavilion Gaming 15-ec2000np

The price difference is 50€ (but would go to 80€ because it doesn't come with OS), and I've been told the HP has better specs (namely processor and graphics card, which is dedicated).

I currently own a 10 year old Sony VAIO, and I'm looking for a laptop that will last me for a long time. I don't really like the HP's design and it might be a little bit more powerful than what I really need, but that means it will also be more durable, right? But I'm aware it looks like it is a good deal.

So, I'm here asking for help deciding which one I should buy, but I'm open to suggestions if any of you have one.

Thanks in advance.

[mayney]

Hello, I'm looking to run FM21 with approx 8 leagues, large database and the 3d game graphics running well. I won't be using the laptop for anything else other than maybe Netflix occasionally. It will literally be an FM laptop.

My budget is around £600 but the cheaper the better as long as it can perform to the above requirements. Ideally I'd like a 14 inch screen.

Any advice will be much appreciated thank you. 

I have been looking at these but if there's anything better you'd recommend, that'll be brilliant. (Sorry there's a few here)

Thanks very much.....

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Huawei-Matebook-D-2020-14-Inch-Ryzen-5-8GB-512GB-SSD-Laptop-Grey-/333938909734?_trksid=p2349624.m46890.l49286

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/ASUS-VivoBook-15-15-6-Inch-AMD-Ryzen-7-8GB-RAM-512GB-SSD-AMD-R7-Windows-Laptop-/353319172168?_trksid=p2349624.m46890.l49286

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/ASUS-ZenBook-14-UM425IA-14-Laptop-AMD-Ryzen-5-256-GB-SSD-Grey-Currys-/114689232815?_trksid=p2349624.m46890.l49286

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/ASUS-VivoBook-M413IA-14-Laptop-AMD-Ryzen-5-256-GB-SSD-Silver-Currys-/114732766717?_trksid=p2349624.m46890.l49286

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Huawei-MateBook-D-14-14-Inch-AMD-Ryzen-7-8GB-RAM-512GB-SSD-Laptop-Grey-/363410495264?_trksid=p2349624.m46890.l49286

[kevhamster]

16 hours ago, FRibeiro1602 said:

Hello everyone.

I'm looking for a new laptop.

Budget: 850€ max (Portugal).

I'll mostly play FM on it, but will use it for other daily tasks like Office Apps (Word, Excel, PowerPoint), will be back to online classes in a few months as well, browsing, streaming (movies, tv shows, sports), listening to music/Spotify and may occasionally play other video games.

I'm a little undecided between these two:

- Lenovo IdeaPad 3 15ALC-780

- HP Pavilion Gaming 15-ec2000np

The price difference is 50€ (but would go to 80€ because it doesn't come with OS), and I've been told the HP has better specs (namely processor and graphics card, which is dedicated).

I currently own a 10 year old Sony VAIO, and I'm looking for a laptop that will last me for a long time. I don't really like the HP's design and it might be a little bit more powerful than what I really need, but that means it will also be more durable, right? But I'm aware it looks like it is a good deal.

So, I'm here asking for help deciding which one I should buy, but I'm open to suggestions if any of you have one.

Thanks in advance.

I'd go for the second one.  The first one only has integrated graphics, which isn't ideal for gaming. 

[kevhamster]

2 hours ago, mayney said:

Hello, I'm looking to run FM21 with approx 8 leagues, large database and the 3d game graphics running well. I won't be using the laptop for anything else other than maybe Netflix occasionally. It will literally be an FM laptop.

My budget is around £600 but the cheaper the better as long as it can perform to the above requirements. Ideally I'd like a 14 inch screen.

Any advice will be much appreciated thank you. 

I have been looking at these but if there's anything better you'd recommend, that'll be brilliant. (Sorry there's a few here)

Thanks very much.....

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Huawei-Matebook-D-2020-14-Inch-Ryzen-5-8GB-512GB-SSD-Laptop-Grey-/333938909734?_trksid=p2349624.m46890.l49286

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/ASUS-VivoBook-15-15-6-Inch-AMD-Ryzen-7-8GB-RAM-512GB-SSD-AMD-R7-Windows-Laptop-/353319172168?_trksid=p2349624.m46890.l49286

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/ASUS-ZenBook-14-UM425IA-14-Laptop-AMD-Ryzen-5-256-GB-SSD-Grey-Currys-/114689232815?_trksid=p2349624.m46890.l49286

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/ASUS-VivoBook-M413IA-14-Laptop-AMD-Ryzen-5-256-GB-SSD-Silver-Currys-/114732766717?_trksid=p2349624.m46890.l49286

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Huawei-MateBook-D-14-14-Inch-AMD-Ryzen-7-8GB-RAM-512GB-SSD-Laptop-Grey-/363410495264?_trksid=p2349624.m46890.l49286

Either the 3rd or 4th on that list... Specs appear the same on those two and they have the best processor. 

[PrinceEgypt]

7 hours ago, kevhamster said:

I'd go for the second one.  The first one only has integrated graphics, which isn't ideal for gaming. 

Would it be advisable to go for a refurbished laptop? Laptop has a guarantee for 12 months -  but in my experience even brand new laptops usually start to pop up with performance issues after that time. 

[marcin110987]

I'm looking for a new laptop to run all possible European top leagues as playable with big database.

I have two choices:
1. Razen 4800h like this: https://www.ebay.com/itm/324577674607?hash=item4b9256456f:g:HJoAAOSwq0pge5RP
2. Intel i7-10750h like this: https://www.ebay.com/itm/274742291542?epid=3045686049&hash=item3ff7eaac56:g:uxcAAOSwK4JgZhTZ

Price is similar. I know that Razen is better, but version with intel is newer.

The question is it i7 enough or should I take older laptop with Razen?

Edited May 27, 2021 by marcin110987

[kevhamster]

13 hours ago, PrinceEgypt said:

Would it be advisable to go for a refurbished laptop? Laptop has a guarantee for 12 months -  but in my experience even brand new laptops usually start to pop up with performance issues after that time. 

The last two laptops I've bought are refurbs. As long as you're buying from a reputable seller which is likely to not go out of business within the warranty period, you should be OK. 

I'm not saying of course that there's no risk with buying a refurb unit, but my own experience shows it's not something to just rule out. 

[kevhamster]

9 hours ago, marcin110987 said:

I'm looking for a new laptop to run all possible European top leagues as playable with big database.

I have two choices:
1. Razen 4800h like this: https://www.ebay.com/itm/324577674607?hash=item4b9256456f:g:HJoAAOSwq0pge5RP
2. Intel i7-10750h like this: https://www.ebay.com/itm/274742291542?epid=3045686049&hash=item3ff7eaac56:g:uxcAAOSwK4JgZhTZ

Price is similar. I know that Razen is better, but version with intel is newer.

The question is it i7 enough or should I take older laptop with Razen?

Specs wise, the Ryzen one has the better CPU but the other one has the better graphics card. 

If FM is the only game you play, I'd go for the one with the Ryzen as the graphics card is more then enough for FM but you get the stronger CPU. 

If you play other AAA games, I'd go for the other one due to the stronger graphics card. 

[maartenvaness]

Hello all,

 

I was big into FM (and very active on this forum) ten years ago. The pandemic re-sparked my interest and I’ve been following series on YouTube but not playing myself. Then my 8-year-old 2-in-1 laptop died on me and it had me thinking maybe I should get a new laptop that could also get me back into FM...

I’m looking for a 14” laptop for very simple tasks (like browsing the internet) and playing FM. Graphics aren’t that important to me because I would play with 2D in-match graphics but I want the game to load/progress quickly, even with a medium-to-large database. 
 

I am between two laptops at the moment:

 

1. ASUS Rog Zephyrus G14 ($1299)

- AMD Ryzen 7 4800HS processor

- 16gb RAM

- 512gb SSD storage

- NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti graphics

- 3.52 lbs weight

 

2. MSI Prestige 14 EVO ($999)

- Intel i7 11th gen 1185G7 processor

- 16gb RAM

- 512gb SSD storage

- Intel Iris Xe graphics

- 2.8 lbs weight

 

Since the ASUS is a little over my budget, I am wondering if its gaming capabilities and size/weight are a bit overkill for what I’d use the laptop for (web browsing and light gaming). Would the MSI laptop run FM to my liking? I am also open to other suggestions for 14” laptops ~$1000. 
 

Thanks!

Edited May 28, 2021 by maartenvaness

[Brother Ben]

@Smurf @kevhamster

Found a decent deal here if anyone is looking around the £600 mark

• Dell G5 5505
• 15.6" FHD IPS 300nits 144Hz
• Ryzen 5 4600H
• RX 5600M
• 8GB RAM
• 256GB SSD

LINK

£649

enter code DELLNJPC103 for 10% off to bring it down to £584.11

Really quality specs for that price I reckon

Edited May 28, 2021 by Brother Ben

[kevhamster]

1 hour ago, Brother Ben said:

@Smurf @kevhamster

Found a decent deal here if anyone is looking around the £600 mark

• Dell G5 5505
• 15.6" FHD IPS 300nits 144Hz
• Ryzen 5 4600H
• RX 5600M
• 8GB RAM
• 256GB SSD

LINK

£649

enter code DELLNJPC103 for 10% off to bring it down to £584.11

Really quality specs for that price I reckon

That is a cracking deal in fairness.  

[cocogumbo]

Morning,

I'm looking for a laptop around £5/500 but can stretch to £600. I've seen a few posted on this thread already but some have sold out. 

I wouldn't be playing any other games, just FM. No netflix, maybe occasional browsing. Ideally like to find 6/7 leagues with a large database and decent graphics. A larger screen would be ideal due to my awful eye sight.

Any help would be much appreciated. 

[kevhamster]

5 hours ago, cocogumbo said:

Morning,

I'm looking for a laptop around £5/500 but can stretch to £600. I've seen a few posted on this thread already but some have sold out. 

I wouldn't be playing any other games, just FM. No netflix, maybe occasional browsing. Ideally like to find 6/7 leagues with a large database and decent graphics. A larger screen would be ideal due to my awful eye sight.

Any help would be much appreciated. 

This is probably the most suitable within the price range based on what you've said: https://www.box.co.uk/M513IA-BQ482T-ASUS-VivoBook-15-AMD-Ryzen-5-8GB-RAM-512_3554014.html

[cocogumbo]

5 hours ago, kevhamster said:

This is probably the most suitable within the price range based on what you've said: https://www.box.co.uk/M513IA-BQ482T-ASUS-VivoBook-15-AMD-Ryzen-5-8GB-RAM-512_3554014.html

Thank you, I've just ordered it. 

[James T]

Hi guys, I’ve been a long-time follower of this thread and the time has finally come to replace my five-year-old laptop. I’m rather clueless when it comes to processors so would appreciate some help!

In the past I’ve usually played FM with 3-4 leagues (6-10 divisions) and a medium database. Would prefer to play with 3D graphics but happy to take a hit on this as FM would be the only game I play. Otherwise I’d mostly be using it for the usual - web browsing, Word/Excel, listening to Spotify and perhaps some light audio and photo editing. Unlikely that I’d be streaming anything off Netflix etc.

Budget-wise I’m probably looking in the region of £600-£800. Obviously I don’t want to pay more if I don’t need to, but I’d like something that will last a few years before needing another upgrade.

Would prefer a 14” screen.

If you could give me any thoughts on the laptops below then it’d be hugely appreciated. I can get 15% discount with Acer and 10% with Dell, hence favouring these, but if you think there’s something else better in the price range then do let me know!

https://store.acer.com/en-gb/acer-swift-3-ultra-thin-laptop-sf314-59-silver-nx-a0mek-005 - (£764.99 after discount)

https://store.acer.com/en-gb/acer-swift-3-ultra-thin-laptop-sf314-57g-grey-2 - (£764.99 after discount)

https://www.dell.com/en-uk/shop/laptops/inspiron-14-7000/spd/inspiron-14-7400-laptop/cn74003sc - (£764.99 after discount)

https://www.dell.com/en-uk/shop/laptops/new-inspiron-14/spd/inspiron-14-5410-laptop/cn51008sc - (£647.09 after discount)

Thank you very much in advance!!

[kevhamster]

24 minutes ago, James T said:

Hi guys, I’ve been a long-time follower of this thread and the time has finally come to replace my five-year-old laptop. I’m rather clueless when it comes to processors so would appreciate some help!

In the past I’ve usually played FM with 3-4 leagues (6-10 divisions) and a medium database. Would prefer to play with 3D graphics but happy to take a hit on this as FM would be the only game I play. Otherwise I’d mostly be using it for the usual - web browsing, Word/Excel, listening to Spotify and perhaps some light audio and photo editing. Unlikely that I’d be streaming anything off Netflix etc.

Budget-wise I’m probably looking in the region of £600-£800. Obviously I don’t want to pay more if I don’t need to, but I’d like something that will last a few years before needing another upgrade.

Would prefer a 14” screen.

If you could give me any thoughts on the laptops below then it’d be hugely appreciated. I can get 15% discount with Acer and 10% with Dell, hence favouring these, but if you think there’s something else better in the price range then do let me know!

https://store.acer.com/en-gb/acer-swift-3-ultra-thin-laptop-sf314-59-silver-nx-a0mek-005 - (£764.99 after discount)

https://store.acer.com/en-gb/acer-swift-3-ultra-thin-laptop-sf314-57g-grey-2 - (£764.99 after discount)

https://www.dell.com/en-uk/shop/laptops/inspiron-14-7000/spd/inspiron-14-7400-laptop/cn74003sc - (£764.99 after discount)

https://www.dell.com/en-uk/shop/laptops/new-inspiron-14/spd/inspiron-14-5410-laptop/cn51008sc - (£647.09 after discount)

Thank you very much in advance!!

https://www.dell.com/en-uk/shop/laptops/new-inspiron-14/spd/inspiron-14-5410-laptop/cn51008sc

I'd actually go for the cheapest one.

That shows based on the benchmarks, the cheapest one actually has the strongest CPU.  I've disregarded the second link out of the four as that has a 10th gen Intel, which aren't that great in laptops, and the others are all 11th gen which are a vast improvement and have much better intrgrated graphics capabilities.

There's not a huge amount between all of them all told, but given the cheapest one is scoring highest based on the CPU, that's the one I'd go for.

[James T]

13 hours ago, kevhamster said:

https://www.dell.com/en-uk/shop/laptops/new-inspiron-14/spd/inspiron-14-5410-laptop/cn51008sc

I'd actually go for the cheapest one.

That shows based on the benchmarks, the cheapest one actually has the strongest CPU.  I've disregarded the second link out of the four as that has a 10th gen Intel, which aren't that great in laptops, and the others are all 11th gen which are a vast improvement and have much better intrgrated graphics capabilities.

There's not a huge amount between all of them all told, but given the cheapest one is scoring highest based on the CPU, that's the one I'd go for.

That’s great, thank you!

Looking again at the remaining disk space on my current laptop, I’m now wondering if I should go for a 1TB SSD instead of 512GB.

If that was the case, is there a lot of difference between these?

https://store.acer.com/en-gb/acer-swift-3-ultra-thin-laptop-sf314-59-silver-nx-a0mek-005 - (same as before - £764.99 after discount)

https://www.dell.com/en-uk/shop/laptops/inspiron-14-7000/spd/inspiron-14-7400-laptop/cn74005sc - (£809.99 after discount)

https://www.box.co.uk/S413EA-AM617T-ASUS-VivoBook-14-Intel-Core-i7-16GB-RAM-_3555492.html - (£799.97)

The Dell obviously has the discrete graphics card over the others, is the extra £10/£50 worth it to opt for that one?

Thanks again!!

[Smurf]

6 hours ago, James T said:

That’s great, thank you!

Looking again at the remaining disk space on my current laptop, I’m now wondering if I should go for a 1TB SSD instead of 512GB.

If that was the case, is there a lot of difference between these?

https://store.acer.com/en-gb/acer-swift-3-ultra-thin-laptop-sf314-59-silver-nx-a0mek-005 - (same as before - £764.99 after discount)

https://www.dell.com/en-uk/shop/laptops/inspiron-14-7000/spd/inspiron-14-7400-laptop/cn74005sc - (£809.99 after discount)

https://www.box.co.uk/S413EA-AM617T-ASUS-VivoBook-14-Intel-Core-i7-16GB-RAM-_3555492.html - (£799.97)

The Dell obviously has the discrete graphics card over the others, is the extra £10/£50 worth it to opt for that one?

Thanks again!!

You're better off getting the best processor you can possibly get - that's the most important thing. 

Storage can be increased at any time - when your drive fills up - or backup stuff on USB or external drives, which are very cheap these days.

Or you can get a new SSD and have it installed and everything copied over  - which would be later on the road and a relatively small cost.

 

If you're increasing SSD space and reducing your processor - then you're doing the wrong thing. You cannot upgrade the processor, but you can upgrade the SSD.

 

[SlayerX]

Hello. 

I haven't played FM since Football Manager 13, but I've recently been thinking about dipping my toes in... maybe.

I bought a new laptop. It's this one, but mine had a 512GB SSD: https://www.amazon.co.uk/HP-ProBook-640-G5-7KP75ET/dp/B07TV14RTQ

Would this be able to handle Football Manager 2021?

Thank you.

[Smurf]

4 hours ago, SlayerX said:

Hello. 

I haven't played FM since Football Manager 13, but I've recently been thinking about dipping my toes in... maybe.

I bought a new laptop. It's this one, but mine had a 512GB SSD: https://www.amazon.co.uk/HP-ProBook-640-G5-7KP75ET/dp/B07TV14RTQ

Would this be able to handle Football Manager 2021?

Thank you.

Doesn't look like good value - are you deadset on a 14 inch laptop?

[SlayerX]

3 hours ago, Smurf said:

Doesn't look like good value - are you deadset on a 14 inch laptop?

Well, I already have it.

I got mine (brand new) for £500, so cost wise, I got a great deal.

Would it be able to run FM2021?

[XaW]

11 minutes ago, SlayerX said:

Well, I already have it.

I got mine (brand new) for £500, so cost wise, I got a great deal.

Would it be able to run FM2021?

Not to interfere, but you could try to download the demo and see. It is the full game, but you can only play for 6 months ingame time. If it works there, you can buy it and continue your game. It's the best way to know because something that would be ok for one person would not be for someone else (eg low quality 3d, 2d only, etc).

[SlayerX]

1 hour ago, XaW said:

Not to interfere, but you could try to download the demo and see. It is the full game, but you can only play for 6 months ingame time. If it works there, you can buy it and continue your game. It's the best way to know because something that would be ok for one person would not be for someone else (eg low quality 3d, 2d only, etc).

No. Interfere all you like.

Yeah, good point. I don't really care about the quality (I would want to play it in 3D, though). The main issue is how fast it would process with a fair amount of leagues.

Another big issue is Stream. Is it still Steam dependant? That's the only reason I haven't got a new version since Steam was introduced.

[XaW]

5 minutes ago, SlayerX said:

No. Interfere all you like.

Yeah, good point. I don't really care about the quality (I would want to play it in 3D, though). The main issue is how fast it would process with a fair amount of leagues.

Another big issue is Stream. Is it still Steam dependant? That's the only reason I haven't got a new version since Steam was introduced.

You have to activate it through Steam or Epic, so you need an account in either of those.

[SlayerX]

4 minutes ago, XaW said:

You have to activate it through Steam or Epic, so you need an account in either of those.

Damn.

Genuinely cannot see myself using Steam.

[Smurf]

4 hours ago, SlayerX said:

Damn.

Genuinely cannot see myself using Steam.

It's a small app that runs in the background. It's nothing to install and you can play FM easily.

You can't install FM without it or Epic.

[SlayerX]

48 minutes ago, Smurf said:

It's a small app that runs in the background. It's nothing to install and you can play FM easily.

You can't install FM without it or Epic.

I know what it is. I was opposed to it when it was first introduced, and I still am. It's an invasion of privacy it must be vulnerable from a legal stance.

Buying a game, but you can't play it without activating it via, what is essentially, spyware. 

I'm sure George Orwell included FM2021 in "1984".

Edited June 5, 2021 by SlayerX

[EdL]

I'm not really sure why Steam is spyware, its just a store?

Sorry you don't like it, but the reality is virtually every PC game comes via some storefront and has done for roughly 15 years, it is the only viable way for developers to release games.