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New Laptop/PC- Help Needed


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Thought i had already posted (?) can't even do that so heaven help me with purchasing a new laptop...

I've a budget of about £600 would ideally like to play 12 leagues load up players from 5 or so countries and be able to play at a quick processing pace. I've only had use of my work laptop for the last 3 years so am a lot out of the loop regards purchasing laptops and specs etc, rather overwhelmed by it all to be honest.

I've seen three laptops- Are they any good- is cube any good- never heard of them? And is better available at in and around by budget or less?

all help appreciated, I'm desperate to get back into the game!

http://www.saveonlaptops.co.uk/CB-CZ5840-1010SP-Cube-Chameleon-CZ-5840_1811157.html

http://www.saveonlaptops.co.uk/CB-CZ5840-756MF-Cube-Chameleon-CZ-5840_1737790.html

Thanks very much

As you can see I am quite eager:lol:

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I've heard much about Cube either, never owned one, but I've never heard anything bad against them either... not that I do be reading reviews of them or anything.

They both look good for FM though.

Good luck

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Hi All,

I am considering a new laptop (hoping to order within 24 hours) and i was going to buy the 11" macbook air. i will be looking to buy the model with the 2.2ghz dual core intel core i7 with turbo boost to 3.2ghz processor along with the 8gb SDRAM and 512gb hard drive.

i usually set up my games with a large database and then usually between 1-3 leagues loaded and players form top clubs in europe, south america.

does anyone have experience of playing on the 11" screen or likewise the sam machine to give some feedback on FM performance.

thanks

Gareth

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If that's your preference then fine.

Just so you know I work on Apple and Windows products on a daily basis, and Apple products are not all they're cracked up to be. Yes, 15 years ago they were the best out there but other products have caught up sharp.

What if I told you can get

8gb Ram

I7 processor - 2.4ghz with turboboost to 3ghz

SSD Drive with 500gb Samsung Evo

13 inch screen

£769 - nearly half the price of the mac

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The truth is that Macs were superior in the turn of the Century, and PCs have genuinely caught up.

Where PCs were an office jocks tool, and a Mac was a designer jocks tool.

But since about 2006 (not to put a date on it) PCs have really come out of the Office and into the Arena.

I love Macs as much as the next person, but after working on them for nearly 20 years I can tell you that they are susceptible to viruses, they do break, they do overheat, they are overpriced for whats under the hood.

I'm not saying don't get one, by all means do get one if that's what you really want.

You will get a very nice computer.

I just want people to make educated purchases and be happy with their purchase and if they're buying to play FM then I'd rather see their money go towards a computer that will play FM to the best for the value for money

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i appreciate what you are saying and you no doubt know a lot more than i do about PC but i do use the mac for more than just FM (unfortunately). as i said it is just personal preference and the fact i am so used to them after having them for 10 years.

does anyone have any knowledge of the macbook air 11" and how this runs FM as per my original question in post 2762

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Hi All,

I am considering a new laptop (hoping to order within 24 hours) and i was going to buy the 11" macbook air. i will be looking to buy the model with the 2.2ghz dual core intel core i7 with turbo boost to 3.2ghz processor along with the 8gb SDRAM and 512gb hard drive.

i usually set up my games with a large database and then usually between 1-3 leagues loaded and players form top clubs in europe, south america.

does anyone have experience of playing on the 11" screen or likewise the sam machine to give some feedback on FM performance.

thanks

Gareth

It should play fine (my brother has played casually with a few leagues on his 2013 MacBook Air 13"), but the battery doesn't last for very long while you are gaming on a MacBook (I would say cutting it by maybe even 70-80% depending on how you're playing). So don't assume you'll be getting 12 hours of FM. The other thing is, touchpad controls in the Mac version of FM are not designed the best and can occasionally be wonky. Hard drive space is also an issue but looks like you've taken that into consideration (but getting the 256GB and putting most of your stuff onto an external drive is much better value and a bit safer too). I would recommend that you try FM Classic as well as the standard to see whether that will play better. I've noticed that FM Classic is largely the same but less fiddly which makes it perfect for quick bouts during your commute or to flick back and forth from during class/work.

I think people (who do have the best intentions mind you) need to just accept the idea that power is not something that everyone is going for, with different people willing to make different sacrifices. Especially when computing power has reached a bit of a plateau lately and modern CPU work is more about efficiency than horsepower, other important factors come into play. A high-quality display, good keyboard and touchpad, portability, battery life and brand recognition (so you know who to blame if something goes wrong) are all very legitimate reasons to get a laptop, even if they are less tangible on a spec sheet. Otherwise this thread would be "New desktop/desktop replacement advice".

The machines that others have pointed out are excellent in terms of pricing and specs, but they are in a different weight class to the MacBook Air. Literally. There are cheaper ultrabooks and those are certainly comparable to the MacBook Pros and MacBook Airs, but of course those also do come with a corresponding increase in price. gareth, if you are considering the MacBook Air because of "non-technical" spec reasons you should definitely not be fooled into thinking that it is the only choice, and you might want to consider some comparable Windows alternatives: http://www.pcadvisor.co.uk/test-centre/laptop/16-best-ultraportable-laptops-2015-uk-3265745/. The Acer brand sells some very beautiful laptops for example, the Aspire s7 having a gorilla glass outer shell and a full 1080p display instead of the 1366 x 768 resolution of the MacBook Air 11".

People make the most educated purchases when given advice that suits them individually. There's a reason why we don't recommend the same laptop to everyone.

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I'm certainly not trying to put any one off buying a mac, I'm typing this on my Mac.

If it's solely for FM then I would try to get the best value for money for the best computer for FM.

As Gareth has said he uses it for more than FM which is fine.

In that case I would say that the Mac Book Air 11 inch is fine for FM - but don't expect miracles in terms of longevity with the battery, or running a lot of leagues databases.

Yes it's a portable device, but it's not designed for gaming, and it's not a powerhouse processor, which FM really needs is a good processor to run smoother.

I'm sitting here looking at a Mac Book that exploded because it overheated, and that was doing every day tasks, not running FM.

Just so you know it will get very hot playing FM.

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What sort of detail could you get to run smoothly on that? My 5 year old laptop really struggles with more than say 4 or 5 nations with 1 to 2 leagues in each. After about 3 seasons it's all most pointless playing. Hoping to get a new laptop in time for FM16.

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How much capacity do you really need?

Windows 10 16 GB for 32-bit OS or 20 GB for 64-bit OS

Say max 20gb for OS

Football manager - 3gb

23gb to get FM running on a computer.

Say 2gb for game files.

25gb

I realise you need other things so lets throw in

MS Office - 3gb

iTunes - 400mb

Antivirus software - 1.5gb

5000 songs - 20gb

Miscellaneous things lets add in another 100gb

149.9 gb should be loads for anyone.

A 256gb SSD drive is plenty of space.

You also have cloud storage and there's always an option of buying a USB3.0 64gb for extra portable storage for about 50 quid. Or you could buy an additional external drive.

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You will already have 8gb RAM - but no harm in adding more.

You won't see a significant difference in FM.

The main things here are the Processor, which the one I pointed to I think was Dual Core and 2.6ghz with a turbo to 3.2ghz.

All that turbo boosting is handled by the processor so it will go 3.2ghz when it can.

The other thing is the SSD will greatly improve your boot time (starting up the computer) and the speed at which your game will load and save.

8gb RAM is plenty - 64 bit os uses 2gb RAM (or is it 3???) anyway... and a 32 bit os will use 1gb RAM.

That's why when buying a 64 bit OS it's best to get more RAM

With a 32 bit os it can only address 4gb RAM so there's no point in putting more in it.

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Yeh it should be - there's really no reason to upgrade, personally I like Windows 7 even if others don't - but I think the Windows 10 update is free for a while.

http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/windows-10-upgrade

In regards to what OS it installs, it will keep the 64 bit architecture so it will install Windows 10 64 bit.

The only way you can from Windows 32 bit to Windows 10 64 bit is with the install disk and clean install

Similarly I suppose if you wanted to Upgrade from Windows 64 bit to Windows 32 bit you'd need the disk and a clean install to do it.

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Thinking of getting a new laptop soon but I can't make my mind up as to whether to use pcspecialist or just buy a branded laptop.

I will use the laptop daily for normal use but also for gaming (mainly FM but also play other games).

Budget is upto £1000 and I would like to really maximise the processor power... any ideas?

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What size you looking for 15 inch, 17 inch, 13 inch???

3D Matches important to you?

You could be getting somewhere along the lines of this. http://www.saveonlaptops.co.uk/9S7-179211-238-MSI-GE72-2QD%28Apache-Pro%29-238UK_1811367.html

But perhaps a custom build on PC Specialist would be better.

I currently have a 13 inch Asus Ultrabook and it's been good but maybe looking for either 15/17 inch for the new laptop. Would prefer a matte screen too.

I've been considering PC Specialist but I'm just wondering whether it might be worth holding off until the 6th Gen processors are more widely available?

I know that this is in't 100% possible but I want to future proof the processor as much as possible in terms of it being able to handle FM for the next 3-5 years.

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I currently have a 13 inch Asus Ultrabook and it's been good but maybe looking for either 15/17 inch for the new laptop. Would prefer a matte screen too.

I've been considering PC Specialist but I'm just wondering whether it might be worth holding off until the 6th Gen processors are more widely available?

I know that this is in't 100% possible but I want to future proof the processor as much as possible in terms of it being able to handle FM for the next 3-5 years.

I believe PCSpecialist uses both Clevo and MSI bases for their builds, so if you're worried about them being in any way "inferior" to better known brands - you shouldn't be. The chassis'es and motherboards are the same as in the "finished" versions of MSI's laptops (Clevo does not make "finished" laptops, but the quality of their chassis'es and motherboards are not inferior to better known brand names).

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I believe PCSpecialist uses both Clevo and MSI bases for their builds, so if you're worried about them being in any way "inferior" to better known brands - you shouldn't be.

Not really worried about the quality as I know it's very good - have friends who have used them in the past but it's more around whether there is any difference apart from price for what I will be using the laptop for... I don't need a top of the range GPU.

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So to simplify my question, I have the following laptops in mind:

http://www.currys.co.uk/gbuk/computing/laptops/laptops/acer-aspire-v-nitro-vn7-791g-17-3-laptop-black-10133299-pdt.html

http://www.currys.co.uk/gbuk/computing/laptops/laptops/lenovo-y50-15-6-4k-gaming-laptop-black-10107216-pdt.html

http://www.box.co.uk/MSI_GE72_2QD(Apache_Pro)-238UK_1811368.html

I know the last one is actually the same as the one Eugene recommended at a slightly higher price, the question is will I be able to build a significantly better laptop for a similar price to the above 3 using PC Specialist?

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So to simplify my question, I have the following laptops in mind:

http://www.currys.co.uk/gbuk/computing/laptops/laptops/acer-aspire-v-nitro-vn7-791g-17-3-laptop-black-10133299-pdt.html

http://www.currys.co.uk/gbuk/computing/laptops/laptops/lenovo-y50-15-6-4k-gaming-laptop-black-10107216-pdt.html

http://www.box.co.uk/MSI_GE72_2QD(Apache_Pro)-238UK_1811368.html

I know the last one is actually the same as the one Eugene recommended at a slightly higher price, the question is will I be able to build a significantly better laptop for a similar price to the above 3 using PC Specialist?

The last one is pretty good

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Hi

Excellent thread and very helpful thanks to all friendly people. I am about to buy a Macbook Pro.

Specs:

3,1 GHz double Intel Core i7, Turbo Boost up to 3,4 GHz

8 GB 1866 MHz LPDDR3 SDRAM

128 GB PCIe-based flash store

Intel Iris Graphics 6100

I will use it for work but since I am a devoted FM supporter I also want to be able to play the game really well.

Will the graphic card be enough for 3d viewing in FM? Also, will the processor be able to handle 8-10 leagues with the two highest divisions?

Just so I get a hint of what to expect. It would also be nice to be able to play the game for the next three years relatively ok.

Thanks in advance for all help,

Anders, Sweden

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It's probably a i7-5600u processor.

The Intel Iris Pro graphics card is built directly into the processor, you have no standalone graphics card.

What you have though is a graphics card that performs almost on par with a GeForce 820m which is classed as an entry level graphics card - so don't expect to play on high 3d detail without a few instances of jumpiness.

It's perfectly fine computer for FM though.

The only caveat is the 128gb storage, I'd consider buying a hi-speed USB key to store and back up your game. Or cloud storage. Or an external drive.

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It's probably a i7-5600u processor.

The Intel Iris Pro graphics card is built directly into the processor, you have no standalone graphics card.

What you have though is a graphics card that performs almost on par with a GeForce 820m which is classed as an entry level graphics card - so don't expect to play on high 3d detail without a few instances of jumpiness.

It's perfectly fine computer for FM though.

The only caveat is the 128gb storage, I'd consider buying a hi-speed USB key to store and back up your game. Or cloud storage. Or an external drive.

Ok, thanks. If I play on medium graphic settings what will the difference be compared to high settings? I also would like to keep this machine for a few years and still be able to play new versions of FM. Do you think I will be able to do that regarding the graphics card?

Finally, would it be a major difference regarding how many leagues I could run if I choose the smaller processor, this one:

2,7 GHz double Intel Core i5, Turbo Boost up to 3,1 GHz

compared to the one I mentioned above?

Thanks again for your help.

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As they say - try it and see... It's to know how a hypothetical system will react - I'm just sitting here pouring through numbers and comparing them to other numbers and giving my opinion, in the real world things work differently.

There would be a small difference in the 2.7ghz compared to the 3.1ghz - but it's negligible in my opinion.

Obviously the faster processor and better graphics processing will increase longevity.

Only SI know what improvements will be made to the game in the long run that will affect graphics processing - so it's hard to tell what will make for the best components to increase longevity.

Thing to do is go for the one with the best specifications that you can afford, and that's the best longevity you can hope for.

The more you spend should hypothetically give you the more longevity - the better specs I mean.

The lower specs and the less you spend would mean less longevity.

If someone says they have £300 and want a laptop that would last a few years, that's fine, but they won't get the same level of gameplay over those years.

Someone that wants £500 laptop wants it to last at least 2 years, no problem. 10 years - they're going affect their longevity of playability.

As you can see it's all ambiguous and down to the user, there expectations, budgets and what they consider to be "a few leagues" and "loads of leagues" for some they are both equal when compared.

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As far as I know they are Clevo laptops, and Clevo are a company that only manufactures computers. They're generally reliable, from what I've read the hinges on the lid can be a bit wobbly or things like that.

Appear to be manufactured in China and assembled in the UK, from what I've read. Most people don't have a problem and they do come with a minimum 2 year parts guarantee. So hold on to that warranty.

Hard to find info on them.

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Hi,

would this laptop be able to run football manager at a good level?

HP Pavilion 15-ab022na Laptop New

Windows 8.1 64 bit - upgrades to Windows 10

Intel® Pentium® N3825U with Intel® HD Graphics (1.9 GHz, 2 MB cache, 2 cores)

39.6 cm (15.6") diagonal HD display

B&O PLAY with 2 speakers

8 GB RAM and 1 TB storage

Cheers

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Hi,

would this laptop be able to run football manager at a good level?

HP Pavilion 15-ab022na Laptop New

Windows 8.1 64 bit - upgrades to Windows 10

Intel® Pentium® N3825U with Intel® HD Graphics (1.9 GHz, 2 MB cache, 2 cores)

39.6 cm (15.6") diagonal HD display

B&O PLAY with 2 speakers

8 GB RAM and 1 TB storage

Cheers

Not really, CPU is terrible for FM.

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