New Laptop/PC- Help Needed

[Mattias333]

Wow this is confusing! All these posts but nobody seems to have a suggestion that appears more than the other. Obviously because its more down to personal pref and needs etc...but ive just spent over an hour just researching on this forum alone!

Wont pretend to be overly tech minded but im seriously looking to purchase a new laptop.

I performed a sin and DIDNT buy a FM(formerly Champ) for first time in my 29 year old life last season, skipping FM14. I told many people it was because ive always been a slider tactics kinda guy and shouts put me off, but deep down it was because my laptop simply wasnt up to task. I dont have hour upon hour to spend on FM, usually trying to fit an hour or 2 here and there most nights after my boys in bed etc. I dont tend to play many saves an stick to just 2-3 long term saves every edition of FM and obviously after time the game seriously slows down but on my laptop its past a joke now. Literally 4 seasons into a save an going day to day takes an eternity (talking 10 mins min usually and thats at best). Currently using my old Dell Inspiron 1545, Intel Core2, Duo CPU T6600, 4GB, 550gb which is pretty dated.

Not got a massive budget sadly as money needed elsewhere, with £550 really being about it tops.

Any recommendations folks?

[nickbirdspain]

If you are looking for something that might last, this looks like a pretty decent bet: http://www.saveonlaptops.co.uk/59405975-Lenovo-Z510_1536146.html

A bit cheaper, this looks pretty good too http://www.saveonlaptops.co.uk/59395010-Lenovo-Z510_1536137.html

[Hairycull]

Found this laptop for £570 which is a cracking deal

http://www.very.co.uk/asus-x550ld-intelreg-coretrade-i7-processor-8gb-ram-1tb-hard-drive-wi-fi-156-inch-laptop-with-optional-microsoft-office-365-personal-grey/1405024534.prd?kpid=16247080&gclid=CjwKEAiAhIejBRCKm_fTxIWyyXcSJABXY0XYkikTbvd0zt6T3-B_V_5ICdp43yCKetj6EMWegn8TthoCOWHw_wcB

And this 1 for £450

http://www.laptopsdirect.co.uk/Acer_Aspire_E1-572_4th_Gen_Core_i7_6GB_750GB_15.6_inch_Windows_8_Laptop_in__NX.M8EEK.032/version.asp?refsource=LDadwords&crtag=LD&gclid=CjwKEAiAhIejBRCKm_fTxIWyyXcSJABXY0XYDyudk_UBj61vvNIXN55mdroA0xu-dg8mipABZpdwtBoCZLfw_wcB

Both very good for the money, 1st option has a slightly better CPU, 2 gig more RAM, better graphics and 250 gig more Hard drive.

Would say that the first 1 is worth spending the extra money on compared to the second 1

[Mattias333]

thanks for the reply. Really appreciated. Really dunno what to do for best. As long as I can run the game relatively quickly (even after 4-5 seasons), can use a decent amount of faces from facepacks and run a large amount of countries & leagues ill be happy.

I understand im potentially asking a lot but it was what I always did prior to fm13 an it ran a dream.

[nickbirdspain]

Just spotted this one Mattias - big plus with this is you are able to claim the VAT back if you order before 5th Dec.

http://www.very.co.uk/lenovo-z50-intelreg-coretrade-i7-8gb-1tb-wifi-156-inch-full-hd-laptop-with-2gb-dedicated-graphics-and-optional-microsoft-office-365-personal/1456631880.prd

[Hairycull]

thanks for the reply. Really appreciated. Really dunno what to do for best. As long as I can run the game relatively quickly (even after 4-5 seasons), can use a decent amount of faces from facepacks and run a large amount of countries & leagues ill be happy.

I understand im potentially asking a lot but it was what I always did prior to fm13 an it ran a dream.

There maybe better laptops out there but certainly you will get at least 3 years out of the 2 laptops I posted and the 1 that Mattias333 posted above this post. Although my first pick is slightly better than his 1, as its has better graphics.

If your spending around £550 any laptop to be honest will be good enough for the next 3 FM's. The reason I say 3 years is because laptops have a **** life and after 2 years they tend to start slowing down.

If you have the space get a desktop pc, much more life out of them, cheaper as well over the long haul. As its easy to upgrade the hardware. Building your own is very easy as well

Good luck in finding a laptop for yourself, dont go to a shop and buy it though, make sure its online.

[FlapjackJackson]

I'm picking up a small, portable laptop to complement my desktop at home. I'm curious if this could play FM on minimum settings for when I am bored at work. Yes, I know everyone raves about getting an I-7, but I am on a serious budget and want something portable. The only other possible games I would be playing on it are indie adventure games.

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/asus-11-6-touch-screen-laptop-intel-celeron-4gb-memory-500gb-hard-drive-black/7894037.p?id=1219300344470&skuId=7894037

[Mccue22]

OK so I think I've narrowed it down to these 3 laptops, could someone let me know which is better out of the 3.

http://www.very.co.uk/lenovo-z510-intelreg-coretrade-i5-processor-8gb-ram-1tb-hard-drive-156-inch-laptop-with-1gb-dedicated-graphics-black/1314722570.prd

http://www.very.co.uk/lenovo-z50-70-intelreg-coretrade-i7-processor-8gb-ram-1tb-8gb-sshd-hybrid-drive-wi-fi-156-inch-laptop-with-4gb-dedicated-graphics-and-optional-office-365-silver/1409811882.prd

http://www.very.co.uk/lenovo-z50-intelreg-coretrade-i7-8gb-1tb-wifi-156-inch-full-hd-laptop-with-2gb-dedicated-graphics-and-optional-microsoft-office-365-personal/1456631880.prd?_requestid=177713

Looking for it to be able to handle the best graphics ok aswell.

Once again all help is greatly appreciated and thanks for taking the time out to have a look

[Hairycull]

I'm picking up a small, portable laptop to complement my desktop at home. I'm curious if this could play FM on minimum settings for when I am bored at work. Yes, I know everyone raves about getting an I-7, but I am on a serious budget and want something portable. The only other possible games I would be playing on it are indie adventure games.

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/asus-11-6-touch-screen-laptop-intel-celeron-4gb-memory-500gb-hard-drive-black/7894037.p?id=1219300344470&skuId=7894037

The CPU and ram are okay for it but i cant find what the onboard graphics card is. So I dont know 100% but you likely will be okay with it. If it does run it dont expect any high performance.

[Hairycull]

OK so I think I've narrowed it down to these 3 laptops, could someone let me know which is better out of the 3.

http://www.very.co.uk/lenovo-z510-intelreg-coretrade-i5-processor-8gb-ram-1tb-hard-drive-156-inch-laptop-with-1gb-dedicated-graphics-black/1314722570.prd

http://www.very.co.uk/lenovo-z50-70-intelreg-coretrade-i7-processor-8gb-ram-1tb-8gb-sshd-hybrid-drive-wi-fi-156-inch-laptop-with-4gb-dedicated-graphics-and-optional-office-365-silver/1409811882.prd

http://www.very.co.uk/lenovo-z50-intelreg-coretrade-i7-8gb-1tb-wifi-156-inch-full-hd-laptop-with-2gb-dedicated-graphics-and-optional-microsoft-office-365-personal/1456631880.prd?_requestid=177713

Looking for it to be able to handle the best graphics ok aswell.

Once again all help is greatly appreciated and thanks for taking the time out to have a look

You get a lot more for your money on the 2nd option, so would suggest that 1

But even the 1st option will run the game just fine, on full graphics ect ect

[Mccue22]

You get a lot more for your money on the 2nd option, so would suggest that 1

But even the 1st option will run the game just fine, on full graphics ect ect

Thanks mate, should I be worried about the processer on the 2nd one being a U? Or is it the case because it's i7 its better than any i5?

[BnadnerB]

I like the look of that Lenovo Z50-70 too, just worried about the U processor!

[Hairycull]

Thanks mate, should I be worried about the processer on the 2nd one being a U? Or is it the case because it's i7 its better than any i5?

To be honest the processors run very similar. The advantage to the i7-4510U is the lower voltage meaning it will have a longer shelf life (or ment to at least)

i5 CPU's are the older generation of CPU's while the i7 is the current 1.

The below link is a detailed comparison between the 2 CPU's

http://www.cpu-world.com/Compare/843/Intel_Core_i5_Mobile_i5-4200M_vs_Intel_Core_i7_Mobile_i7-4510U.html

[Hairycull]

I like the look of that Lenovo Z50-70 too, just worried about the U processor!

The U just means it runs at a lower voltage. If your not wanting a top of the range gaming machine the lower performance due to the lower voltage is meaningless. And will increase the shelf life of the CPU.

It should also run a little cooler improving the shelf life of all your other components too.

[Mccue22]

To be honest the processors run very similar. The advantage to the i7-4510U is the lower voltage meaning it will have a longer shelf life (or ment to at least)

i5 CPU's are the older generation of CPU's while the i7 is the current 1.

The below link is a detailed comparison between the 2 CPU's

http://www.cpu-world.com/Compare/843/Intel_Core_i5_Mobile_i5-4200M_vs_Intel_Core_i7_Mobile_i7-4510U.html

Cheers mate you have been an outstanding help. Think I'll go with this!

[Hairycull]

Cheers mate you have been an outstanding help. Think I'll go with this!

I think this the the correct time for me to claim no responsibility if you dont like the laptop or it doesnt work as expected

Seriously though it will be fine, its a very nice laptop.

[BnadnerB]

Is this one as good as it sounds Hairycull? Interested on your opinion as I like the look of it and the specs certainly futureproof it!

http://www.saveonlaptops.co.uk/59423060-Lenovo-Y50-70-(4k)_1659194.html

[Hairycull]

Is this one as good as it sounds Hairycull? Interested on your opinion as I like the look of it and the specs certainly futureproof it!

http://www.saveonlaptops.co.uk/59423060-Lenovo-Y50-70-(4k)_1659194.html

Looks a nice laptop, only downside I can see is no dvd drive. specs say external dvd drive, so I guess it will come with it and you will need to plug it in whenever your using it.

If you want virtually the same machine but with a dvd drive inside it then there is this 1

http://www.saveonlaptops.co.uk/59423061-Lenovo-Y50-70_1656496.html

Only real difference is the screen, the 1 you linked is Ultra High Def but the 1 i linked is just High def.

As the 1 I linked isnt ultra high def its got 2 gig RAM less and the Graphics has half the memory as its not needed without the ultra high def screen.

[BnadnerB]

To be fair graphic aren't major for me as I play in 2D Classic, I'd be able to run a fair few leagues and it'd stay quick though wouldn't it!

Is it worth it for the High Def screen?

[Hairycull]

To be fair graphic aren't major for me as I play in 2D Classic, I'd be able to run a fair few leagues and it'd stay quick though wouldn't it!

Is it worth it for the High Def screen?

If your just buying a laptop for Football Manager then dont be spending that sort of money.

A £500 laptop will play the game at a good level for 3 years at least.

Ultra High def screens are amazing but only for very high graphic games like Bioshock and crysis or for watching movies. Football manager doesnt even need a high def screen but every laptop comes with at least that these days.

Also I would have to argue the pointlessness of ultra high def in small screens, and a 15" screen to me is too small for it to be worth it.

[FlapjackJackson]

The CPU and ram are okay for it but i cant find what the onboard graphics card is. So I dont know 100% but you likely will be okay with it. If it does run it dont expect any high performance.

Fantastic. Thanks for the help. Like I said, I have a desktop I usually play it on. This just has to be able to run it at work or when I visit my parents. Thanks again.

[HesBiggerThanMeAndYou]

Hi guys, I have a dilemma I was hoping someone could help me.

I currently play FM on 2 computers, the PC I built myself upstairs, and so that the missus can watch her soaps I'll play on the laptop rather than subject myself to such depressing nonsense

Problem is the PC is a quad core 3.1GHz, SSD, good graphics, 2x22" full HD LED monitors, it boots up in under 20 seconds, it loads FM pretty fast considering how slow they like to make it, it will run just about any game specs I want. The laptop on the other hand, takes ages to load up, even longer to load steam/FM(sometimes crashes), then when FM is finally open I get way less panels on the profile pages and the tactics screen is such a mess, its so congested. There are other issues with the laptop and Ive just decided I dont want it any more and its time to upgrade, I had a 17" laptop previous to this one and Ive missed it.

What I want to know is what is it that defines how many panels I get in game? Is it the screen size or the screen resolution? I have at times played zoomed out on the laptop but its not nice to look at.

If I had a 15" laptop that was Full HD resolution would I get the "full" screen that I get on my PC?

If I had a 17" laptop with 1600x900 resolution would I get the "full" screen that I get on my PC?

This is my current(soon to be ex) laptop - http://www.currys.co.uk/gbuk/computing/laptops/laptops/hp-15-g092sa-15-6-laptop-black-10011511-pdt.html#cat-0

It performs like crap considering its(what seems like) decent spec.

The max resolution on it is 1366x768.

[Hairycull]

Hi guys, I have a dilemma I was hoping someone could help me.

I currently play FM on 2 computers, the PC I built myself upstairs, and so that the missus can watch her soaps I'll play on the laptop rather than subject myself to such depressing nonsense

Problem is the PC is a quad core 3.1GHz, SSD, good graphics, 2x22" full HD LED monitors, it boots up in under 20 seconds, it loads FM pretty fast considering how slow they like to make it, it will run just about any game specs I want. The laptop on the other hand, takes ages to load up, even longer to load steam/FM(sometimes crashes), then when FM is finally open I get way less panels on the profile pages and the tactics screen is such a mess, its so congested. There are other issues with the laptop and Ive just decided I dont want it any more and its time to upgrade, I had a 17" laptop previous to this one and Ive missed it.

What I want to know is what is it that defines how many panels I get in game? Is it the screen size or the screen resolution? I have at times played zoomed out on the laptop but its not nice to look at.

If I had a 15" laptop that was Full HD resolution would I get the "full" screen that I get on my PC?

If I had a 17" laptop with 1600x900 resolution would I get the "full" screen that I get on my PC?

This is my current(soon to be ex) laptop - http://www.currys.co.uk/gbuk/computing/laptops/laptops/hp-15-g092sa-15-6-laptop-black-10011511-pdt.html#cat-0

It performs like crap considering its(what seems like) decent spec.

The max resolution on it is 1366x768.

Your biggest mistake is not putting the foot down and saying "I built the pc, im playing my games on it, heres the laptop enjoy Eastenders"

1600 x 1200 is the first resolution scale that I can find that will show all panels in player profiles which your really looking at 20" + screen to be able to use that. You might be able to scale to that on lower sized screens but dont know.

1600 x 900 on a 17" screen will show you the exact same as 1366 x 768 on a 15" screen.

[HesBiggerThanMeAndYou]

Your biggest mistake is not putting the foot down and saying "I built the pc, im playing my games on it, heres the laptop enjoy Eastenders"

1600 x 1200 is the first resolution scale that I can find that will show all panels in player profiles which your really looking at 20" + screen to be able to use that. You might be able to scale to that on lower sized screens but dont know.

1600 x 900 on a 17" screen will show you the exact same as 1366 x 768 on a 15" screen.

Its more a case of me showing the illusion that Im spending time with her... Sat just a few feet away, but in a whole other world, its a beautiful thing

What about 1920x1080 in 15"? And for that matter 1920x1080 in a 17" screen, will that even cover it?

[Hairycull]

Its more a case of me showing the illusion that Im spending time with her... Sat just a few feet away, but in a whole other world, its a beautiful thing

What about 1920x1080 in 15"? And for that matter 1920x1080 in a 17" screen, will that even cover it?

Lol fair enough then

Honestly not sure about the resolution fitting on those screens, smallest screen I have is 22"

Hopefully someone will read this that has got a laptop and can help you out with it

[Nathswans]

Fm15 is really slow on my laptop.

My processor and ram are,

Processor: AND Turion x2 dual-core mobile RM-72 2.10GHz

Ram: 4G

[HesBiggerThanMeAndYou]

Hi guys, I have a dilemma I was hoping someone could help me.

I currently play FM on 2 computers, the PC I built myself upstairs, and so that the missus can watch her soaps I'll play on the laptop rather than subject myself to such depressing nonsense

Problem is the PC is a quad core 3.1GHz, SSD, good graphics, 2x22" full HD LED monitors, it boots up in under 20 seconds, it loads FM pretty fast considering how slow they like to make it, it will run just about any game specs I want. The laptop on the other hand, takes ages to load up, even longer to load steam/FM(sometimes crashes), then when FM is finally open I get way less panels on the profile pages and the tactics screen is such a mess, its so congested. There are other issues with the laptop and Ive just decided I dont want it any more and its time to upgrade, I had a 17" laptop previous to this one and Ive missed it.

What I want to know is what is it that defines how many panels I get in game? Is it the screen size or the screen resolution? I have at times played zoomed out on the laptop but its not nice to look at.

If I had a 15" laptop that was Full HD resolution would I get the "full" screen that I get on my PC?

If I had a 17" laptop with 1600x900 resolution would I get the "full" screen that I get on my PC?

This is my current(soon to be ex) laptop - http://www.currys.co.uk/gbuk/computing/laptops/laptops/hp-15-g092sa-15-6-laptop-black-10011511-pdt.html#cat-0

It performs like crap considering its(what seems like) decent spec.

The max resolution on it is 1366x768.

I forgot to add that I need to be in windowed mode for multi-tasking.

If anyone has a Full HD monitor laptop and can just check if FM shows all the panels on players profiles in windowed mode I would really appreciate it. Either 15" or 17".

[kingjericho]

My laptop is 15"4' and on 1280x800 (full screen) it shows every tab.

[HesBiggerThanMeAndYou]

My laptop is 15"4' and on 1280x800 (full screen) it shows every tab.

Do you mind changing to windowed mode and checking for me please? I would appreciate it.

[kingjericho]

I'll do that tomorrow

but you can always set the text size to 95% or 75% if you don't have enough room

[HesBiggerThanMeAndYou]

I've been looking into laptops for a week now. My requirement list is: 17" screen, Full HD, SSD/hybrid drive, 8GB RAM+, Windows 7.

Cant match up all that spec with W7, without going 2nd hand so W8 on desktop mode it is.

This looks to be best:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Lenovo-Z710-17-3-Full-HD-Gaming-Laptop-Core-i5-4210M-8-GB-RAM-1-TB-HDD-8-GB-SSD-/191389024610?pt=UK_Computing_Laptops_EH&hash=item2c8facc162

That or waiting for a Dell Inspiron to come into their refurbished section... They change daily.

The one I've linked there is £560 once you get the cashback, seems great value.

Thoughts? Anyone match/beat that elsewhere?

[Smurf]

Hybrid drive is not going to help much.

Consider this one http://www.saveonlaptops.co.uk/Q2756N-V2-CF1-Gigabyte-Q2756N-V2-CF1_1660277.html

And it's a bit dearer - but it's worth it.

I'd recommend saving up after you buy this and purchase a SSD and replace the hard drive altogether with a pure SSD.

[dragosani]

Hi folks,

Last version of FM I got was FM12. My current laptop - Samsung R580 15.6-inch Notebook (Core i3-350M 2.26GHz, 3 GB RAM, 320 GB HDD, DVD Super Multi DL, Bluetooth, Webcam, Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit. Has really, really struggled with FM12, to the point it will just switch itself off ( I was running 3-4 nations, kept cutting the nations back until I had one and even then it was overheating)

Consequently, I sort of gave up on FM (the game was getting more technical, time consuming and my laptop couldn’t hack it). Now, after reading about the FM Classic mode, I was thinking about getting a new laptop. The one that I’m thinking about is the Lenovo Z510

Intel® Core™ i7-4702MQ Haswell Quad Core Processor

15.6" HD Screen

Microsoft Windows 8.1 64-bit

8GB DDR3 RAM

1000GB HDD

DVD Rewriter

Dedicated GT 740M Graphics

USB3 | HDMI | Bluetooth

My budget is around £600. If I go for the above laptop, how may nations could I play and would a medium database work well. Also, playing the game in classic mode, will it be less taxing on the laptop than full fat version?

any help would be greatly appreciated.

cheers!

[Smurf]

It's a grand laptop - and how many nations it could run is such an ambiguous question that many people ask and there is no specific answer for it.

It's a very good processor and computer, it will run more than average amount of nations, can't really give a specific number.

Classic mode was introduced to be less taxing on the computer than the full fat version. So the answer is yes.

[dragosani]

Thanks for that Eugene.

I normally play Scotland (customise league system - 4 leagues of 16). England, Holland, Italy (with the occasional Germany, France, Spain, mixed in). That is good news that the classic mode will be less taxing. My current laptop starts getting a tad warm just by opening google chrome

[HesBiggerThanMeAndYou]

Hybrid drive is not going to help much.

Consider this one http://www.saveonlaptops.co.uk/Q2756N-V2-CF1-Gigabyte-Q2756N-V2-CF1_1660277.html

And it's a bit dearer - but it's worth it.

I'd recommend saving up after you buy this and purchase a SSD and replace the hard drive altogether with a pure SSD.

Is that really worth £170 more than the one I posted though? It doesnt have an SSD at all according to the listing. The one I'm looking at hs some kind of hybrid drive.

Anyone know much about hybrid drives? I researched some and all I could find was the sellers comments "as fast as an SSD, with the capacity of a HDD"

I found that the seller on ebay has the same laptop listed 4-5 times for the same price, well Ive just noticed that each model has slight differences, this one for example has 16GB RAM instead of 8. I dont know if this is a mistake on their end or not(if it is they may still honour it).

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Lenovo-Z710-17-3-Full-HD-Multimedia-Laptop-Core-i5-4210M-16GB-RAM-1-TB-8-GB-SSD-/191398417784?pt=UK_Computing_Laptops_EH&hash=item2c903c1578

[nickbirdspain]

Hi Dragosani - i was looking at that exact same model. Where are you seeing it for that price? Is that with the VAT back offer?

[nickbirdspain]

Hi guys - still deliberating on laptops. With this in mind i was wondering what everyones views are on refurbished laptops? I've always gone PC laptop over Mac's in the past largely due to the costs involved however, i recently discovered this company http://hoxtonmacs.co.uk/collections/macbook-pro

For the prices and spec these certainly look good on the surface and should more than enough handle my FM needs. The reluctance i have though is essentially you are buying a secondhand computer. Below is the model which caught my eye - any thoughts would be hugely appreciated.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Apple-MacBook-Pro-13-inch-Core-i7-2-7GHz-8GB-RAM-750GB-HD-OS-X-Yosemite-10-10-/111519801991?pt=UK_Computing_Apple_Laptops_ET&hash=item19f7192287

[dragosani]

Hi Dragosani - i was looking at that exact same model. Where are you seeing it for that price? Is that with the VAT back offer?

It is indeed!

http://www.saveonlaptops.co.uk/59405975-Lenovo-Z510_1536146.html

[Smurf]

Is that really worth £170 more than the one I posted though? It doesnt have an SSD at all according to the listing. The one I'm looking at hs some kind of hybrid drive.

Anyone know much about hybrid drives? I researched some and all I could find was the sellers comments "as fast as an SSD, with the capacity of a HDD"

I found that the seller on ebay has the same laptop listed 4-5 times for the same price, well Ive just noticed that each model has slight differences, this one for example has 16GB RAM instead of 8. I dont know if this is a mistake on their end or not(if it is they may still honour it).

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Lenovo-Z710-17-3-Full-HD-Multimedia-Laptop-Core-i5-4210M-16GB-RAM-1-TB-8-GB-SSD-/191398417784?pt=UK_Computing_Laptops_EH&hash=item2c903c1578

You'll see small improvement with a hybrid drive. But it's not massive.

A pure ssd would be better.

The one I pointed to is definitely worth the extra bit of money. Remember you'll have postage charges with eBay on top of the cost of the computer.

If there's anything wrong with the computer you might never hear from the retailer to replace or help you with the computer problems, waranty for example.

If you really want a SSD then get one, don't go for hybrids.

And the one I pointed to is not 120 dearer, it's 40 dearer.

Hi guys - still deliberating on laptops. With this in mind i was wondering what everyones views are on refurbished laptops? I've always gone PC laptop over Mac's in the past largely due to the costs involved however, i recently discovered this company http://hoxtonmacs.co.uk/collections/macbook-pro

For the prices and spec these certainly look good on the surface and should more than enough handle my FM needs. The reluctance i have though is essentially you are buying a secondhand computer. Below is the model which caught my eye - any thoughts would be hugely appreciated.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Apple-MacBook-Pro-13-inch-Core-i7-2-7GHz-8GB-RAM-750GB-HD-OS-X-Yosemite-10-10-/111519801991?pt=UK_Computing_Apple_Laptops_ET&hash=item19f7192287

You get what you pay for. It's that low a price for a reason. Think about that.

[nickbirdspain]

Food for thought - cheers Eugene.

[HesBiggerThanMeAndYou]

You'll see small improvement with a hybrid drive. But it's not massive.

A pure ssd would be better.

The one I pointed to is definitely worth the extra bit of money. Remember you'll have postage charges with eBay on top of the cost of the computer.

If there's anything wrong with the computer you might never hear from the retailer to replace or help you with the computer problems, waranty for example.

If you really want a SSD then get one, don't go for hybrids.

And the one I pointed to is not 120 dearer, it's 40 dearer.

You get what you pay for. It's that low a price for a reason. Think about that.

I know the one I linked was ebay, but its actually a shop, they just sell on ebay. You get good service, Ive used ebay for 10+ years for all sorts and never had a problem buying from shop sellers. There is no postage fee on that listing.

The reason I said its £130 more is because the one I linked you get VAT back via cashback.

My last 2 laptops have been "refurbs" but I get them from an official retailer, like PC world or Dell. What happens is a customer brings back a brand new laptop after a day or 2 and it cant be put back onto the shelf so it goes to the outlet store and they know a big chunk off. You get a 1 year warrantee just the same as buying new.

Theres different grades of refurb from these outlets, some are immaculate customer returns and some have cosmetic damage(normally a scratch or small dent- the screen is never damaged).

[Ronaldo Beckham]

Hi guys, want to improve the Ram on my Sony Vaio PCG 71911 model laptop, currently 4gb, want to get it to 8gb as cheap as possible, any suggestions please.

[HesBiggerThanMeAndYou]

Going to compare these here incase I've missed something, don't want to spend that much without being sure.

http://www.saveonlaptops.co.uk/Q2756N-V2-CF1-Gigabyte-Q2756N-V2-CF1_1660277.html

http://www.laptopoutlet.co.uk/59419186-16gb-lenovo-z710-17.3-full-hd-multimedia-laptop-core-i5-4210m-16gb-ram-1-tb-8-gb-ssd.html

Both match up on Graphics, OS, screen, HDMI, DVD drive etc

Processor -

Gigabyte = i7 - 4 x 2.5GHz

Lenovo = i5 - 2 x 2.6GHz

RAM -

Gigabyte = 8GB

Lenovo = 16GB

HDD -

Gigabyte = 1TB HDD

Lenovo = 1TB HDD + 8GB SSD

Price -

Gigabyte = £730

Lenovo = £700(£570 after cashback)

[HesBiggerThanMeAndYou]

Actually those Lenovo cashback offers are a bit of a naughty scam. Glad I didn't rush into buying it now.

On the website where you claim it says you have to claim "21-51 days after purchase" so you have to wait 3 weeks before you can claim. http://gyazo.com/1c7fb9c4d6551a3d9376b9fccb454eb0

But the offer expires 5th December 2014, meaning it expires before you're able to claim.

Back to the drawing board for me, I don't have the budget for the spec I want, sigh.

[Ronaldo Beckham]

Any decent places that do laptops on credit that are good and reliable and don't want too much back in interest.

[Smurf]

Actually those Lenovo cashback offers are a bit of a naughty scam. Glad I didn't rush into buying it now.

On the website where you claim it says you have to claim "21-51 days after purchase" so you have to wait 3 weeks before you can claim. http://gyazo.com/1c7fb9c4d6551a3d9376b9fccb454eb0

But the offer expires 5th December 2014, meaning it expires before you're able to claim.

Back to the drawing board for me, I don't have the budget for the spec I want, sigh.

What is your budget? I posted to one that was a bit over your budget.

Let me know what your budget is and I'll take a look.

[Tofters]

Any suggestions on a budget around £400 Eugene?

[Smurf]

http://www.saveonlaptops.co.uk/59414955-Lenovo-G505s_1691531.html

http://www.saveonlaptops.co.uk/59416543-Lenovo-G500_1657706.html

[Tofters]

Thanks Eugene, are they similar spec wise? Im not so clued up with it all, im assuming the quad core would run faster? and 2gb dedicated graphics be a noteable difference over the 1gb graphics in the i3 dual core?