New Laptop/PC Advice -Please Read the Opening Post

[UTT]

Hi guys, looking for some advice so am hoping that you can help.

I'm in the market for a new laptop, ideally something that will last a while - I know that tech constantly changes but it would be nice to be future proof. 

It will be used for general browsing, multimedia, office work and some gaming (incl. FM, Skyrim etc but not necessarily AAA titles).  I can spend ~ £600.

I think I've narrowed my choices down to 2 although I'm a little awkward as I really want a HDD + SSD combo (which is difficult to find).  Ideally I'd also have a DVD drive although I'm prepared to be convinced otherwise (especially as there aren't many available)

1. Medion Erazer - https://www.laptopsdirect.co.uk/medion-erazer-p6689-core-i5-8250u-8gb-1tb-256gb-geforce-gtx-1050-15.6-inc-30027127/version.asp?refsource=ldadwords&mkwid=sszMUkeCO_dc&pcrid=352718152060&product=30027127&pgrid=74001184787&ptaid=pla-437709629036&gclid=Cj0KCQjw3uboBRDCARIsAO2XcYA0I6IcV6IgtoJzTEtK0YantdYsPHGsdzOSnK6BFIVRsyG4wt2Jc8QaAlB2EALw_wcB

2. ASUS TUF FX505 - https://www.ebuyer.com/864957-asus-tuf-fx505dy-rx560x-gaming-laptop-fx505dy-al006t

So, which of these is better (or can you recommend something for a similar price).  Also, is the second one worth £80  more (I'm not familiar with the CPU or GPU to know if they are any better than intel alternatives and worth the extra cost)

Thanks!

[Smurf]

9 hours ago, UTT said:

Hi guys, looking for some advice so am hoping that you can help.

I'm in the market for a new laptop, ideally something that will last a while - I know that tech constantly changes but it would be nice to be future proof. 

It will be used for general browsing, multimedia, office work and some gaming (incl. FM, Skyrim etc but not necessarily AAA titles).  I can spend ~ £600.

I think I've narrowed my choices down to 2 although I'm a little awkward as I really want a HDD + SSD combo (which is difficult to find).  Ideally I'd also have a DVD drive although I'm prepared to be convinced otherwise (especially as there aren't many available)

1. Medion Erazer - https://www.laptopsdirect.co.uk/medion-erazer-p6689-core-i5-8250u-8gb-1tb-256gb-geforce-gtx-1050-15.6-inc-30027127/version.asp?refsource=ldadwords&mkwid=sszMUkeCO_dc&pcrid=352718152060&product=30027127&pgrid=74001184787&ptaid=pla-437709629036&gclid=Cj0KCQjw3uboBRDCARIsAO2XcYA0I6IcV6IgtoJzTEtK0YantdYsPHGsdzOSnK6BFIVRsyG4wt2Jc8QaAlB2EALw_wcB

2. ASUS TUF FX505 - https://www.ebuyer.com/864957-asus-tuf-fx505dy-rx560x-gaming-laptop-fx505dy-al006t

So, which of these is better (or can you recommend something for a similar price).  Also, is the second one worth £80  more (I'm not familiar with the CPU or GPU to know if they are any better than intel alternatives and worth the extra cost)

Thanks!

https://www.saveonlaptops.co.uk/FX504GD-E41275T-ASUS-TUF-FX504GD-E41275T_2458989.html

[UTT]

16 minutes ago, Smurf said:

https://www.saveonlaptops.co.uk/FX504GD-E41275T-ASUS-TUF-FX504GD-E41275T_2458989.html

Have seen you recommended that one a few times but it doesn't come with an HDD as well (which is something that I really want and don't think I could fit myself). 

What would you suggest given my awkward need for that? 

[Smurf]

1 hour ago, UTT said:

Have seen you recommended that one a few times but it doesn't come with an HDD as well (which is something that I really want and don't think I could fit myself). 

What would you suggest given my awkward need for that? 

Ssd will have little effect for fm. Not needed.

You can fit one yourself later or have it done at a store like pc world etc when you have a bit more money.

Put it this way. You can change the hard drive. You can add more RAM, but you cant upgrade the processor or the graphics card.

 

[UTT]

19 minutes ago, Smurf said:

Ssd will have little effect for fm. Not needed.

You can fit one yourself later or have it done at a store like pc world etc when you have a bit more money.

Put it this way. You can change the hard drive. You can add more RAM, but you cant upgrade the processor or the graphics card.

 

Yeah, sounds sense.  So is the Intel i5 + Nvidia a better combination than the Ryzen 5 + Radeon? Otherwise, the two Asus's are the same shell.  I couldn't see a huge amount of benchmarking but it looked like the Ryzen may be better. Couldn't see anything about the GFX card though

[Smurf]

4 hours ago, UTT said:

Yeah, sounds sense.  So is the Intel i5 + Nvidia a better combination than the Ryzen 5 + Radeon? Otherwise, the two Asus's are the same shell.  I couldn't see a huge amount of benchmarking but it looked like the Ryzen may be better. Couldn't see anything about the GFX card though

The processor is essential for fm and intel have the better processor in this case.

The graphics card is an ok pairing. But you dont need a really good graphics card for FM.

Check out the opening post. There is a link there to compare processors and to compare graphics card.

Do a Ctrl F to find the processor/graphics model. The higher up the list the better.

Graphics not as important as processor.

[Walrus]

I’m looking at trying to get a new laptop for FM mainly but then a little bit of Cricket Captain and doing some internet stuff for my brewing ventures.

I didn’t particularly want to spend much more than £200 and have been looking at Probooks in eBay?

Graphics don’t particularly bother me as I don’t use the 3D view just the old school text commentary. 

[Mikeonhisboat]

On ‎03‎/‎07‎/‎2019 at 08:10, Smurf said:

Would this be too much of a stretch? https://www.laptopsdirect.co.uk/refurbished-hp-pavilion-power-15-cx0599sa-core-i5-8300h-8gb-1tb-16gb-intel-a1-4rf82ea/version.asp

 

Hi Smurf, thanks for the reply - sorry about my slow response.

That one is too much I'm afraid - max really is £425, plus also I need th 14inch rather than 15.6inch screen for portability as that's also a key use. Battery life also very key (I use it for work/travel)

I was wondering though - if i'm mainly using this for scouting players, playing a few matches, making tactics etc. And just running a few days/weeks per gameplay session - would the slower i5 8250u processor hamper me that much? It wouldn't be my main fm rig so I wouldn't be playing through months and months of game time consecutively on it. It would be more when I'm away from home for a few days/on the train mostly doing 'supplemental gameplay'

That given are any of the above 4 workable? Would the ryzen give me an edge graphicswise? (thinking about other games too?) Or stick with intel for slightly better processing speed for FM? Anything else to bear in mind from the above 4 comps? (Or anything else 14inch in same price bracket you can recommend)

[Mikeonhisboat]

On another note - desktops.

I'm looking to upgrade my dated desktop too. I want something that can run a large number of FM leagues and large DB (though many can be on view only). Obviously hoping for reasonable processing speed but it doesn't need to always be super snappy as the career years progress (I remember the days of having a good book open alongside playing FM...)

I'll also be playing games like World of Warcraft (classic) and similar spec mmorpgs, but not the latest releases.

My budget will be £650-825. (£825 is def the max)

A few questions:

-Any big impact FMwise for going Intel i5/i7 vs AMD Ryzen equivalents?

-If intel, then FMwise, is i7 much faster than i5 for equivalent models?

-I'll likely go 16gb ram. I presume no advantage to 32gb? What ram speed would you go for? Looking to future proof to a degree but without paying for the latest motherboard given the budget

-any advice on keeping things cool n quiet?

 

Thanks so much (again)

[kevhamster]

On 22/06/2019 at 07:38, Smurf said:

It says it right there in the first line. It is 1.8 ghz, so it is below min spec

It's not just about clock speed though.  My CPU is an intel i3 5th gen with 2.1GHz clock speed and runs FM comfortably.

[ajt]

43 minutes ago, Mikeonhisboat said:

On another note - desktops.

I'm looking to upgrade my dated desktop too. I want something that can run a large number of FM leagues and large DB (though many can be on view only). Obviously hoping for reasonable processing speed but it doesn't need to always be super snappy as the career years progress (I remember the days of having a good book open alongside playing FM...)

I'll also be playing games like World of Warcraft (classic) and similar spec mmorpgs, but not the latest releases.

My budget will be £650-825. (£825 is def the max)

A few questions:

-Any big impact FMwise for going Intel i5/i7 vs AMD Ryzen equivalents?

-If intel, then FMwise, is i7 much faster than i5 for equivalent models?

-I'll likely go 16gb ram. I presume no advantage to 32gb? What ram speed would you go for? Looking to future proof to a degree but without paying for the latest motherboard given the budget

-any advice on keeping things cool n quiet?

 

Thanks so much (again)

There are new AMD processors releasing tomorrow so if you can wait a month or so I would wait to see benchmarks vs current Intel processors in games.

There is a benchmarking thread on this forum where you can see the difference between the i5/i7s.

[Mikeonhisboat]

1 hour ago, ajt said:

There are new AMD processors releasing tomorrow so if you can wait a month or so I would wait to see benchmarks vs current Intel processors in games.

There is a benchmarking thread on this forum where you can see the difference between the i5/i7s.

Aha - re/AMD release - that's interesting news. I doubt i'll go for something as current as that. Likely stick with Ryzen 2000 series if AMD or intel 8th generation - but do you think it likely the release of the new series of AMD chips will mean a price drop in AMD 2000 series? I can wait a month or so if that seems on cards

[ajt]

15 minutes ago, Mikeonhisboat said:

Aha - re/AMD release - that's interesting news. I doubt i'll go for something as current as that. Likely stick with Ryzen 2000 series if AMD or intel 8th generation - but do you think it likely the release of the new series of AMD chips will mean a price drop in AMD 2000 series? I can wait a month or so if that seems on cards

Prices on 2000 series chips have been falling rapidly so perhaps stores are trying to get rid of their stock.

the new ryzen chips are backwards compatible with old Motherboards and the pricing of the new chips is comparable to similar Intel chips.

the problem with the last gen ryzen chips was their single core performance in comparison to the Intel chips. However the new ryzen chips are using new technology so the single core performance may increase.

if you are willing to wait then I would advise following the r/AMD reddit sub because there will be a lot more information coming rapidly over the next week.

I myself am building a new pc for fm/wow classic with a similar budget to you. All I am waiting on is the benchmarks from the new ryzen cpu's before I decide whether to go intel or AMD. AMD is much more competitive in pricing when it relates to multicore/thread count but as I don't use my PC as a workstation or stream its not so important.

Im still using an i5 2500k so I want to do an upgrade that will last me the next 5 years, this is why AMD is interesting.

hope some of that helps.

Edit: the new gen is very close in price to the old gen so it's not really worth getting last gen since ryzen 2000 is not so good for fm

Here is this year's benchmark

 

Edited July 4, 2019 by ajt

[Liamp25]

Hi Smurf, 

 

My price range is around £300 - £350. I've found one for cheaper but have my doubts. 

 https://www.laptopsdirect.co.uk/lenovo-v145-amd-a9-9425-8gb-256gb-ssd-15.6-fhd-windows-10-home-laptop-81mt0015uk/version.asp

 

I need a new laptop for mainly internet browsing, nothing major and for it to run fm. I do normally play on 2d, so for my price range i don't expect the laptop to run matches in 3d. 

 

Any help would be appreciated.

Cheers

[Mikeonhisboat]

AJt - that is freaky. the i5 2500k is what I've had since 2011.... Haven't really gamed properly in 3 years but coming back for proper FM (have been playing Touch) and for WoW classic.

Are you expecting a huge jump up from the i5 2500k with your new rig? Would be v interested to know what you go with. I susect my deadline to have the new rig up and running by second half Aug is similar to yours..

[ajt]

4 minutes ago, Mikeonhisboat said:

AJt - that is freaky. the i5 2500k is what I've had since 2011.... Haven't really gamed properly in 3 years but coming back for proper FM (have been playing Touch) and for WoW classic.

Are you expecting a huge jump up from the i5 2500k with your new rig? Would be v interested to know what you go with. I susect my deadline to have the new rig up and running by second half Aug is similar to yours..

Freaky indeed. I myself have had my 2500k since 2011 haha. Such a beast of a Cpu it's unreal really.

If you haven't used the site called partpicker before then I recommend having a look on there. You can see price trends for all components.

Looking at the benchmarks in that thread I am yeah. I benchmarked fm with my 2500k (you can see it in that thread) and the performance difference is pretty stark.

I'll quote you in this topic when I finalise my choices (I've got 2 on part picker now, price should come  in under 800 for both). I already have the gfx card (AMD rx 570) and it runs WoW well enough (have been dabbling on a private server for my undead priest build ).

[Mikeonhisboat]

19 minutes ago, ajt said:

Freaky indeed. I myself have had my 2500k since 2011 haha. Such a beast of a Cpu it's unreal really.

If you haven't used the site called partpicker before then I recommend having a look on there. You can see price trends for all components.

Looking at the benchmarks in that thread I am yeah. I benchmarked fm with my 2500k (you can see it in that thread) and the performance difference is pretty stark.

I'll quote you in this topic when I finalise my choices (I've got 2 on part picker now, price should come  in under 800 for both). I already have the gfx card (AMD rx 570) and it runs WoW well enough (have been dabbling on a private server for my undead priest build ).

Thanks man - would be very interested to see your build choice, esp if it includes things like motherboard and power/cooling options as I have zero idea about that. Looking at the new amd chip raw pre-release info and likely prices I see what you mean... I'll likely go 3700x I'd think, but we'll see. Does lower power/tdp likely mean quieter too, all other things being equal? (3700x is 65tdp, 3800x is 105 and am drawn to the 65...)

[ajt]

27 minutes ago, Mikeonhisboat said:

Thanks man - would be very interested to see your build choice, esp if it includes things like motherboard and power/cooling options as I have zero idea about that. Looking at the new amd chip raw pre-release info and likely prices I see what you mean... I'll likely go 3700x I'd think, but we'll see. Does lower power/tdp likely mean quieter too, all other things being equal? (3700x is 65tdp, 3800x is 105 and am drawn to the 65...)

3700x is more than adequate for gaming for (hopefully) years. The 3800x is aimed at people who do video rendering/music producers etc. Gaming doesn't require as many cores (which is why our i5s have lasted so long). This will change for new games released on the next gen consoles that are ported to PC (or cyberpunk 2077).

My 2 builds have all the necessary components yeah including case/fans/psu. Do you have Windows 10 already or do you need to buy that too?

Also do you need someone to build it for you? Buying the parts yourself will be substantially cheaper than pre built from a shop. You could then find someone local to build it for you (or try yourself).

PC building isn't very difficult nowadays, there is also a very helpful subreddit dedicated to helping people (r/buildapc) and loads of youtube video tutorials.

If you try to buy something pre built from a shop/online for £800 then it's going to be a real struggle to improve substantially over your 2500k performance.

Edited July 4, 2019 by ajt

[WiseRegista]

Hi smurf

For 600-750 - is this the best laptop I could get? https://www.saveonlaptops.co.uk/FX504GD-E4278T-ASUS-FX504GD-E4278T_2315681.html

many thanks!

[Walrus]

4 hours ago, ajt said:

3700x is more than adequate for gaming for (hopefully) years. The 3800x is aimed at people who do video rendering/music producers etc. Gaming doesn't require as many cores (which is why our i5s have lasted so long). This will change for new games released on the next gen consoles that are ported to PC (or cyberpunk 2077).

My 2 builds have all the necessary components yeah including case/fans/psu. Do you have Windows 10 already or do you need to buy that too?

Also do you need someone to build it for you? Buying the parts yourself will be substantially cheaper than pre built from a shop. You could then find someone local to build it for you (or try yourself).

PC building isn't very difficult nowadays, there is also a very helpful subreddit dedicated to helping people (r/buildapc) and loads of youtube video tutorials.

If you try to buy something pre built from a shop/online for £800 then it's going to be a real struggle to improve substantially over your 2500k performance.

I so wish I could afford to go back to my PC building days. Had a PC that was literally like ‘Triggers Broom’ back in the day!!!

Very envious of you guys! Stuck with trying to source a cheap laptop to play FM in rare spare time!

[Smurf]

14 hours ago, kevhamster said:

It's not just about clock speed though.  My CPU is an intel i3 5th gen with 2.1GHz clock speed and runs FM comfortably.

Well the min spec for the game are 2.2 ghz. So 2.1ghz is probably going to do ok. 

But anything below 2.0ghz is probably going to struggle. 

I wouldnt and couldnt recommend a processor that is below min spec. That wouldnt be fair.

[Smurf]

 

15 hours ago, Mikeonhisboat said:

Hi Smurf, thanks for the reply - sorry about my slow response.

That one is too much I'm afraid - max really is £425, plus also I need th 14inch rather than 15.6inch screen for portability as that's also a key use. Battery life also very key (I use it for work/travel)

I was wondering though - if i'm mainly using this for scouting players, playing a few matches, making tactics etc. And just running a few days/weeks per gameplay session - would the slower i5 8250u processor hamper me that much? It wouldn't be my main fm rig so I wouldn't be playing through months and months of game time consecutively on it. It would be more when I'm away from home for a few days/on the train mostly doing 'supplemental gameplay'

That given are any of the above 4 workable? Would the ryzen give me an edge graphicswise? (thinking about other games too?) Or stick with intel for slightly better processing speed for FM? Anything else to bear in mind from the above 4 comps? (Or anything else 14inch in same price bracket you can recommend)

For 14 inch you are ptobably on the right track. 

15 hours ago, Mikeonhisboat said:

On another note - desktops.

I'm looking to upgrade my dated desktop too. I want something that can run a large number of FM leagues and large DB (though many can be on view only). Obviously hoping for reasonable processing speed but it doesn't need to always be super snappy as the career years progress (I remember the days of having a good book open alongside playing FM...)

I'll also be playing games like World of Warcraft (classic) and similar spec mmorpgs, but not the latest releases.

My budget will be £650-825. (£825 is def the max)

A few questions:

-Any big impact FMwise for going Intel i5/i7 vs AMD Ryzen equivalents?

-If intel, then FMwise, is i7 much faster than i5 for equivalent models?

-I'll likely go 16gb ram. I presume no advantage to 32gb? What ram speed would you go for? Looking to future proof to a degree but without paying for the latest motherboard given the budget

-any advice on keeping things cool n quiet?

 

Thanks so much (again)

For fm it is still mostly processed in the single core. 

https://www.cpubenchmark.net/singleThread.html

The higher on the list the better.

The above link is really why I would suggest the i5 8300h for a laptop. The i7 8750 is obv a better processor, but on a tighter budget the i5 has similar single core performance.

Graphics card. You dont want to have a bottleneck. 

https://pc-builds.com/calculator/

You can input your finds and see if there are better pairings.

 

RAM - 16gb is plenty but it is the easiest to upgrade.

You could get 8 to save initially. But I would go for 16gb.

32 would be better again. But i dont think it would have much more gains.

If you are starting low in 8gb to save initially, then i wouldnt recommend adding to it. I would buy 16 or 32 gb new sticks - which you can get recommendations based on your build.

But buy new sticks in the format of 16 or 32. That way there wont be any latency issues.

 

Speed of ram... faster is better. But i dont know how much of an affect it would have for fm. 

 

Edited July 5, 2019 by Smurf

[Liamp25]

Hi,

I’m looking to buy a new laptop. My budget isn’t very big due to the only game I will ever play on the laptop is FM.  My budget is around £300-350.

 However I have found this, it’s slightly cheaper then £300. I play my matches on 2d. 

 

hhttps://www.laptopsdirect.co.uk/lenovo-v145-amd-a9-9425-8gb-256gb-ssd-15.6-fhd-windows-10-home-laptop-81mt0015uk/version.asp

ant help is appreciated. 

 

Cheers

 

[Smurf]

14 hours ago, Liamp25 said:

Hi,

I’m looking to buy a new laptop. My budget isn’t very big due to the only game I will ever play on the laptop is FM.  My budget is around £300-350.

 However I have found this, it’s slightly cheaper then £300. I play my matches on 2d. 

 

hhttps://www.laptopsdirect.co.uk/lenovo-v145-amd-a9-9425-8gb-256gb-ssd-15.6-fhd-windows-10-home-laptop-81mt0015uk/version.asp

ant help is appreciated. 

 

Cheers

 

Not great but will work.

[WiseRegista]

On 04/07/2019 at 23:14, WiseRegista said:

Hi smurf

For 600-750 - is this the best laptop I could get? https://www.saveonlaptops.co.uk/FX504GD-E4278T-ASUS-FX504GD-E4278T_2315681.html

many thanks!

Sorry to repost, just wondered if anyone had any thoughts about whether this would be the most efficient laptop in that price range (600-750£)

[JordanMilly]

5 hours ago, WiseRegista said:

Sorry to repost, just wondered if anyone had any thoughts about whether this would be the most efficient laptop in that price range (600-750£)

That's a good one, the only one I can think of that might be better is this one: https://www.currys.co.uk/gbuk/computing/laptops/laptops/hp-pavilion-15-cx0598na-15-6-intel-core-i5-gtx-1050-ti-gaming-laptop-1-tb-hdd-128-gb-ssd-10189868-pdt.html

Slightly cheaper, but with a better graphics card.

[danoleary]

Hi

I'm looking for a new laptop for general day to day use and for FM my budget is £500 I've found this one which looks it has a decent built in graphics card. What do think of it?

https://www.argos.co.uk/product/8625982

[WiseRegista]

10 hours ago, JordanMillward_1 said:

That's a good one, the only one I can think of that might be better is this one: https://www.currys.co.uk/gbuk/computing/laptops/laptops/hp-pavilion-15-cx0598na-15-6-intel-core-i5-gtx-1050-ti-gaming-laptop-1-tb-hdd-128-gb-ssd-10189868-pdt.html

Slightly cheaper, but with a better graphics card.

Thanks! It looks much more aesthetically pleasing too!

[Creativity]

I'm looking at buying a new laptop. Budget of around £900. I generally only play football manager, occasionally Apex Legends or PUBG, but I usually have the settings on medium to low anyways.

I currently have this laptop: https://www.notebookcheck.net/MSI-PL62-i5-7300HQ-MX150-Laptop-Review.308542.0.html

 

I have found a 2 laptops that look decent enough to my eye, but I have limited knowledge. Just looking for some opinions or better suggestions, Cheers.

 

https://www.saveonlaptops.co.uk/5WA67EAABU-HP-Pavilion-Gaming-15-cx0018na_2453614.html

https://www.saveonlaptops.co.uk/9S7-1799GB-833-MSI-GV72-7RD-833UK_2152403.html

Edited July 7, 2019 by Creativity

[Smurf]

11 hours ago, Creativity said:

 

https://www.saveonlaptops.co.uk/5WA67EAABU-HP-Pavilion-Gaming-15-cx0018na_2453614.html

 

I'd go for that one.

[Creativity]

1 hour ago, Smurf said:

I'd go for that one.

Cheers! From my little bit of reading, it seems as good as I am going to get for my range? Will I notice a difference from my current laptop?

Edited July 8, 2019 by Creativity

[JRJ]

Hello

I am looking for a new desktop PC. I will be mainly using it to play Football Manager 2019 and 2020 when it is released. The only other games i play on PC are Sid Meier games like Sid Meier's Beyond Earth. I am hoping to be able to get a suitable desktop for an affordable price.

I had looked at options online at Amazon and other sites but I would rather buy from a nearby store that i can easily return the item to if it needs fixed, etc. 

So I had looked at items mainly on either Currys PC World or Argos. 

From the systems that are available from my local store and that are within my price range (£399 max) the following options are the ones I am considering.

I would like some advice regarding which I should opt for and if they will be able to run Football Manager 2019 and 2020 with good performance.

 

Option 1 -  Dell Inspiron - https://www.currys.co.uk/gbuk/computing/desktop-pcs/desktop-pcs/dell-inspiron-intel-core-i3-desktop-pc-1-tb-hdd-black-10181562-pdt.html

Option 2 - HP Pavillion - https://www.currys.co.uk/gbuk/computing/desktop-pcs/desktop-pcs/hp-pavilion-590-a0017na-amd-a9-desktop-pc-1-tb-hdd-black-10182117-pdt.html

Option 3 - Acer TC - https://www.currys.co.uk/gbuk/computing/desktop-pcs/desktop-pcs/acer-tc-885-014-intel-core-i5-desktop-pc-1-tb-hdd-black-10180957-pdt.html

 

From these options which would you recommend? If there is another system in the same price range from the same supplier that you think is better for my needs then let me know.

 

Thank you very much in advance for any help & assistance that anyone can offer. I appreciate all advice very much.

 

[jamief5123]

Hi,

I'm looking at getting a new laptop soon primarily for FM. Will also use it for general browsing and Netflix etc.

 

Budget is around 600 although can go up to 700 if required/a laptop is definitely worth the extra money.

 

Dont have much knowledge of laptops but have mainly been looking at 'gaming' laptops but since the only game I play is FM is this a good idea or should I just go for any laptop with good specs? I normally just playing using extended highlights and quite a large database.

 

Any specific recommendations in that price range?

 

Thanks in advance, this thread is brilliant and much appreciated.

 

Cheers

 

[Smurf]

1 hour ago, JRJ said:

Option 3 - Acer TC - https://www.currys.co.uk/gbuk/computing/desktop-pcs/desktop-pcs/acer-tc-885-014-intel-core-i5-desktop-pc-1-tb-hdd-black-10180957-pdt.html

This is better in the processor by a good bit! You would need to get more RAM eventually though 4gb won't cut it - but it's relatively cheap to buy and easy to install.

It has got Optane Memory but it's not the same thing as RAM, it basically makes a regular hard drive act like a SSD - which can speed up the overall computer, but it won't have much affect for FM.

1 hour ago, jamief5123 said:

Budget is around 600 although can go up to 700 if required/a laptop is definitely worth the extra money.

https://www.saveonlaptops.co.uk/5WB81EAABU-HP-Pavilion-Gaming-15-cx0017na_2453616.html

[JRJ]

1 hour ago, Smurf said:

This is better in the processor by a good bit! You would need to get more RAM eventually though 4gb won't cut it - but it's relatively cheap to buy and easy to install.

It has got Optane Memory but it's not the same thing as RAM, it basically makes a regular hard drive act like a SSD - which can speed up the overall computer, but it won't have much affect for FM.

https://www.saveonlaptops.co.uk/5WB81EAABU-HP-Pavilion-Gaming-15-cx0017na_2453616.html

Thank you Smurf! I very much appreciate your help and advice!

 

 

[Sweetleftfoot]

Hi All,

 

I am considering:

1. Razor Blade 15
2. MSI GS65
3. MSI P65 Creator
4. Gigabyte Aero 15

Can you guys share your experiences with warranty and after-sales customer care in UK for the above brands?

 

Thanks in advance 

[Smurf]

4 hours ago, Sweetleftfoot said:

Hi All,

I am considering:

1. Razor Blade 15
2. MSI GS65
3. MSI P65 Creator
4. Gigabyte Aero 15

Can you guys share your experiences with warranty and after-sales customer care in UK for the above brands?

Thanks in advance 

All good companies. All reputable. 

Read the T&Cs. Understand your consumer rights for returns. 

Email them about warranties and extended waranties. 

In 25 years I have never ever had to return a computer to be fixed or anything like that - nor do I know anyone who has. 

 

[jedward1993]

Hi all, looking at purchasing a new laptop ready for Football manager 20, it will only be used for FM and nothing else apart from the odd internet browse.

I don’t have much knowledge on laptop Processors, RAM and Graphic cards etc

 

I play in 2D Classic watch extended commentary to see the majority of my matches, I’d realistically like the top 5 leagues loaded up and maybe more of bigger database.

Budget of around £500

 

Recommendations and advice would be greatly appreciated Thank you!

[Smurf]

13 hours ago, jedward1993 said:

Budget of around £500

I would highly recommend upping to this https://www.saveonlaptops.co.uk/FX504GD-E4603T-ASUS-FX504GD-E4603T_2354095.html

 

[jedward1993]

On 12/07/2019 at 10:31, Smurf said:

I would highly recommend upping to this https://www.saveonlaptops.co.uk/FX504GD-E4603T-ASUS-FX504GD-E4603T_2354095.html

 

Thanks Smurf!, you should get commission

Site decent yeah?

Appreciate your help

[Smurf]

31 minutes ago, jedward1993 said:

Thanks Smurf!, you should get commission

Site decent yeah?

Appreciate your help

I only use it as it's the easiest to filter. If you can find similar specs for cheaper elsewhere then go for it.

If you want to send me money feel free.

[gar23]

https://www.laptopsdirect.co.uk/msi-raider-rgb-ge63-core-i7-8750h-16gb-1tb-256gb-ssd-15.6-inch-geforce-gt-9s7-16p512-270/version.asp

 

just about to purchase this. What settings would this let me play the game on? Cheers

[BlackCat03]

Hi. I'm putting together a desktop PC for work and FM:

Processor (CPU) AMD Ryzen 7 3700X Eight Core CPU (3.6GHz-4.4GHz/36MB CACHE/AM4)
Motherboard ASUS® TUF X470-PLUS GAMING (DDR4, 6Gb/s, CrossFireX)
Memory (RAM) 16GB Corsair VENGEANCE DDR4 3200MHz (2 x 8GB)
Graphics Card 4GB AMD RADEON™ RX 570 - HDMI, DP - DX® 12

My only concern is the graphics card. Is the rx 570 good enough to run FM on high settings?

[Walrus]

Quick question. Laptop has an optical drive which I have no need for. But also don’t particularly need another SSD.

Any ideas on what I could swap it for?

[Gee_Simpson]

3 hours ago, BlackCat03 said:

Hi. I'm putting together a desktop PC for work and FM:

Processor (CPU) AMD Ryzen 7 3700X Eight Core CPU (3.6GHz-4.4GHz/36MB CACHE/AM4)
Motherboard ASUS® TUF X470-PLUS GAMING (DDR4, 6Gb/s, CrossFireX)
Memory (RAM) 16GB Corsair VENGEANCE DDR4 3200MHz (2 x 8GB)
Graphics Card 4GB AMD RADEON™ RX 570 - HDMI, DP - DX® 12

My only concern is the graphics card. Is the rx 570 good enough to run FM on high settings?

If only for FM, then yes, more than enough. 

[Smurf]

6 hours ago, gar23 said:

https://www.laptopsdirect.co.uk/msi-raider-rgb-ge63-core-i7-8750h-16gb-1tb-256gb-ssd-15.6-inch-geforce-gt-9s7-16p512-270/version.asp

 

just about to purchase this. What settings would this let me play the game on? Cheers

All of them. The question is - how fast do you want the game to go?

4 hours ago, BlackCat03 said:

Hi. I'm putting together a desktop PC for work and FM:

Processor (CPU) AMD Ryzen 7 3700X Eight Core CPU (3.6GHz-4.4GHz/36MB CACHE/AM4)
Motherboard ASUS® TUF X470-PLUS GAMING (DDR4, 6Gb/s, CrossFireX)
Memory (RAM) 16GB Corsair VENGEANCE DDR4 3200MHz (2 x 8GB)
Graphics Card 4GB AMD RADEON™ RX 570 - HDMI, DP - DX® 12

My only concern is the graphics card. Is the rx 570 good enough to run FM on high settings?

Yep, it's good enough.

2 hours ago, Walrus said:

Quick question. Laptop has an optical drive which I have no need for. But also don’t particularly need another SSD.

Any ideas on what I could swap it for?

https://www.howtogeek.com/302334/what-to-do-with-your-ocs-unused-optical-drive-bays/

[BlackCat03]

Thanks, Gee and Smurf. Much appreciated.

[gar23]

16 hours ago, Smurf said:

All of them. The question is - how fast do you want the game to go?

Yep, it's good enough.

https://www.howtogeek.com/302334/what-to-do-with-your-ocs-unused-optical-drive-bays/

As quick as possible Smurf. That laptop would get me loading how many leagues and what detail and size of database etc to a reasonably quick standard? Cheers for your help

[Smurf]

1 hour ago, gar23 said:

As quick as possible Smurf. That laptop would get me loading how many leagues and what detail and size of database etc to a reasonably quick standard? Cheers for your help

You can load all the leagues and all tje database. Depends how fast you want the game to go. 1 week for a season might be fast for me but too slow for you.

You will need to tailor the amount of leauges to the speed you are happy at progressing at.

What is your actual budget? Is 1200 your top end?

You can get that laptop cheaper.

It should be fine to load most major leagues and a large database.

But of you want more and play over 15seasons you may want to up your budget.

[gar23]

7 hours ago, Smurf said:

You can load all the leagues and all tje database. Depends how fast you want the game to go. 1 week for a season might be fast for me but too slow for you.

You will need to tailor the amount of leauges to the speed you are happy at progressing at.

What is your actual budget? Is 1200 your top end?

You can get that laptop cheaper.

It should be fine to load most major leagues and a large database.

But of you want more and play over 15seasons you may want to up your budget.

Yeah around 1200, and off that site as you can pay nothing for a year. A week for a season sounds perfect.