New Laptop/PC Advice -Please Read the Opening Post

[mingy8]

10 minutes ago, Smurf said:

Good effort lads!

Typically the speed is roughly the same - difference in latency being about 13 nano-seconds compared to 15 nano-seconds - and the general speed difference is 2ghz vs 2.1ghz

So speed is not the main thing at all with DDR3 vs DDR4.

DDR3 runs at 1.5v and DDR4 runs at 1.2v - so DDR4 is better for laptops as it uses less power (volts) - and also means it doesn't get as hot - which is a good thing!

They also have different amount of pins etc. (literally that plug into the motherboard).

 

Really appreciate the help from you both. Thanks for the details haha

So, which is the better 14in option? Or are any other 14in better? Just dont want something heavy or bulky

https://www.laptopoutlet.co.uk/lenovo-ideapad-s340-14api-14-full-hd-laptop-amd-ryzen-5-3500u-8gb-ram-256gb-ssd-windows-10-s-grey-81nb004duk-48595.html

https://www.dell.com/en-uk/shop/cty/pdp/spd/inspiron-14-5485-laptop/cn58501?cartitemid=b908d21b-cdfc-471f-8fa8-416d34b2f2cc&ref=cartconfigedit&configurationid=86752811-5c3f-486e-bcc6-2099e8a071e9

https://www.laptopsdirect.co.uk/honor-magicbook-14-amd-ryzen-5-8gb-256gb-ssd-14-inch-windows-10-laptop-sp-53010wht-001/version.asp

 

[Smurf]

16 minutes ago, mingy8 said:

Really appreciate the help from you both. Thanks for the details haha

So, which is the better 14in option? Or are any other 14in better? Just dont want something heavy or bulky

https://www.laptopoutlet.co.uk/lenovo-ideapad-s340-14api-14-full-hd-laptop-amd-ryzen-5-3500u-8gb-ram-256gb-ssd-windows-10-s-grey-81nb004duk-48595.html

https://www.dell.com/en-uk/shop/cty/pdp/spd/inspiron-14-5485-laptop/cn58501?cartitemid=b908d21b-cdfc-471f-8fa8-416d34b2f2cc&ref=cartconfigedit&configurationid=86752811-5c3f-486e-bcc6-2099e8a071e9

https://www.laptopsdirect.co.uk/honor-magicbook-14-amd-ryzen-5-8gb-256gb-ssd-14-inch-windows-10-laptop-sp-53010wht-001/version.asp

They're all basically the same - except one has a larged drive.

That's the one I'd go for https://www.dell.com/en-uk/shop/cty/pdp/spd/inspiron-14-5485-laptop/cn58501?cartitemid=b908d21b-cdfc-471f-8fa8-416d34b2f2cc&ref=cartconfigedit&configurationid=539346ad-af20-4bdb-a9e8-118a037d600b as it has more space.

[derento]

1 hour ago, Gangor said:

Have annotated with some points to consider on each

 

1 hour ago, Gangor said:

Have annotated with some points to consider on each

Thanks to you and @Smurf think I will go with the first one! Would prefer the better processor over anything! 
cheers guys big help

[shaunwwfc]

3 hours ago, mingy8 said:

haha - thanks for your help anyways pal

How good is the watches GPS - used to have a watch for running but took ages to get a signal - is that even still a thing on these watches or are they programmed to be on all the time

I have never used a Smartwatch before mate, so i do not have anything to base it on, but I have came across no issues at all in regards to GPS, or anything else for that matter, it tracks my heart rate 24/7 which is amazing - I am abit of a stickler for reviews too and all reviews i have came across are very positive, I have not read one bad one yet to be honest. It seems to be the best in the business for battery life.

[Mr Tom]

Will a ACER aspire 5 with a i5 10210u, be good enough for FM20? or will a the Ryzen 3500u or a i5 1035g1 be better???

Edited April 17, 2020 by Mr Tom

[shaunwwfc]

12 minutes ago, Mr Tom said:

Will a ACER aspire 5 with a i5 10210u, be good enough for FM20? or will a the Ryzen 3500u or a i5 1035g1 be better???

The Acer Core i5 would be the best option on paper. I am not sure what the cost difference is with the Ryzen and the other i5 you have mentioned though, if price is a factor.

[Smurf]

1 hour ago, Mr Tom said:

Will a ACER aspire 5 with a i5 10210u, be good enough for FM20? or will a the Ryzen 3500u or a i5 1035g1 be better???

 

46 minutes ago, shaunwwfc said:

The Acer Core i5 would be the best option on paper. I am not sure what the cost difference is with the Ryzen and the other i5 you have mentioned though, if price is a factor.

The 1035g1 is technically a little bit better.

What are the rest of the specs? 

[Mr Tom]

1 hour ago, Smurf said:

 

The 1035g1 is technically a little bit better.

What are the rest of the specs? 

They all have 8gb ram and ssd’s

so I could get away with 10210u(running fairly fast)? But I was thinking either the 1035g1 or Ryzen 5 3500u, because of the integrated graphics?

[Smurf]

11 hours ago, Mr Tom said:

They all have 8gb ram and ssd’s

so I could get away with 10210u(running fairly fast)? But I was thinking either the 1035g1 or Ryzen 5 3500u, because of the integrated graphics?

They probably all have integrated graphics. What size SSDs? Do you have links? 

*edit and as I said the 1035g1 is the better processor - so I don't know why you'd go with another???

Edited April 18, 2020 by Smurf

[Gangor]

12 hours ago, Mr Tom said:

They all have 8gb ram and ssd’s

so I could get away with 10210u(running fairly fast)? But I was thinking either the 1035g1 or Ryzen 5 3500u, because of the integrated graphics?

Both are low power processors, so you should be realistic about performance expectations. My laptop is has a U series processor and it's fine as long as I don't load too many leagues.

[Mr Tom]

2 hours ago, Gangor said:

Both are low power processors, so you should be realistic about performance expectations. My laptop is has a U series processor and it's fine as long as I don't load too many leagues.

What cpu do u have?

[Gangor]

27 minutes ago, Mr Tom said:

What cpu do u have?

i5 8250U - Similar tier to what you're looking at but from two generations ago. The design of the processor and the lithography are still basically the same though

[Smurf]

51 minutes ago, Mr Tom said:

What cpu do u have?

 

21 minutes ago, Gangor said:

i5 8250U - Similar tier to what you're looking at but from two generations ago. The design of the processor and the lithography are still basically the same though

OF the 4 being bandied around here - here's how they rank

And this is another source

 

It's very close in terms of speeds - the 8250U is obviously older which is why it's scoring lower.

But - the 1035G1 has a good single thread rating, which is kinda important for FM.

The Ryzen5 has a much higher base speed.

I'd change my opinion to the Ryzen 5 3500U at this point. 

I can't really make my mind up - I've read some reviews on the 1035G1 and there's info about the VT-X which makes it a bit scary to try for FM. 

I might need to call in @EdL again to clarify if VT-X is utilised in FM?

*edit just like to add - I don't think it would - but no harm in asking.

Edited April 18, 2020 by Smurf

[EJames1993]

Good afternoon @Smurf or @Gangor

i've been looking at first page in this thread so got a good idea of best cpu etc however for football manager would i see much different from a Intel Core i7-9750H and a Intel Core i5-9300H Quad-Core Processor? im looking at 2 options and wonder which one is better value for money? i normally play with 10 nations with most leagues active on these. the speed and 3D is important to me also.

Laptop would just be for football manager 

1st laptop is £890 

 

• Processor: Intel Core i5-9300H Processor ( 2.40GHz 8MB )
• Operating System: Windows 10 Home 64
• Display Type: 15.6"FHD IPS AntiGlare LED Backlight 1920x1080
• Memory: 8.0GB PC4-21300 DDR4 SODIMM 2666MHz
• Storage: 1TB 7200+128GB SSD PCIe
• Warranty: One year Depot or Carry-in
• AC Adapter: 230W
• Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660Ti 6GB GDDR6
• Battery: 3 Cell Li-Polymer
• Pointing Device: ClickPad
• Wireless: Intel Jefferson Peak 2 9560 2x2ac+BT5.0 Non-Vpro

2nd laptop is £1052

• Processor: Intel Core i7-9750H Processor ( 2.60GHz 12MB )
• Operating System: Windows 10 Home 64
• Display Type: 15.6"FHD IPS AntiGlare LED Backlight 1920x1080
• Memory: 16.0GB PC4-21300 DDR4 SODIMM SODIMM 2666MHz
• Storage: 1TB 7200+256GB SSD PCIe
• Warranty: One year Depot or Carry-in
• AC Adapter: 230W
• Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 6GB GDDR6
• Battery: 3 Cell Li-Polymer
• Keyboard: 6-row White Backlit English (UK)
• Pointing Device: ClickPad
• Wireless: Intel Jefferson Peak 2 9560 2x2ac+BT5.0 Non-Vpro

Or can you find something alot better for £1050? just checked website and second one is out of stock for now so might wait unless you can find something equal or better for £1050 or under

Edited April 18, 2020 by EJames1993
added more info

[Mr Tom]

1 hour ago, Smurf said:

 

OF the 4 being bandied around here - here's how they rank

And this is another source

 

It's very close in terms of speeds - the 8250U is obviously older which is why it's scoring lower.

But - the 1035G1 has a good single thread rating, which is kinda important for FM.

The Ryzen5 has a much higher base speed.

I'd change my opinion to the Ryzen 5 3500U at this point. 

I can't really make my mind up - I've read some reviews on the 1035G1 and there's info about the VT-X which makes it a bit scary to try for FM. 

I might need to call in @EdL again to clarify if VT-X is utilised in FM?

*edit just like to add - I don't think it would - but no harm in asking.

So, get the 1035g1 or Ryzen 3500u?

[Smurf]

I'm edging towardsthe 3500u at this stage, it's closer to the base speed required for FM (FM needs 2.2ghz and this is 2.1ghz).

Just an inkling it would be better - of course I can only go from the specs.

[EdL]

5 hours ago, Smurf said:

I can't really make my mind up - I've read some reviews on the 1035G1 and there's info about the VT-X which makes it a bit scary to try for FM. 

I might need to call in @EdL again to clarify if VT-X is utilised in FM?

 

Not really sure what the issue would be, it seems to have VT-X?

But anyway virtualisation is just for running virtual machines, which isn't related to FM.

[Rossco85]

Hi guys, last time I’ll look for recommendations. Would either of these be appropriate for playing FM.

as said before only looking at 2-3 nations at a time

also if I’m likely just to use laptop for browsing, storing pics and playing FM, will 256gb ssd be adequate 

https://store.hp.com/UKStore/Merch/Product.aspx?id=6BL23EA&opt=ABU&sel=NTB

https://store.hp.com/UKStore/Merch/Product.aspx?id=9MF49EA&opt=ABU&sel=NTB

thanks in advance

[Gangor]

33 minutes ago, Rossco85 said:

Hi guys, last time I’ll look for recommendations. Would either of these be appropriate for playing FM.

as said before only looking at 2-3 nations at a time

also if I’m likely just to use laptop for browsing, storing pics and playing FM, will 256gb ssd be adequate 

https://store.hp.com/UKStore/Merch/Product.aspx?id=6BL23EA&opt=ABU&sel=NTB

https://store.hp.com/UKStore/Merch/Product.aspx?id=9MF49EA&opt=ABU&sel=NTB

thanks in advance

Yes they would be ok. The first one should be a decent bit faster and has a more capable iGPU so I would go for that one out of the two

[Rossco85]

Reckon that’s what I’ll go for 

thanks again 👍

[qwertygod]

What is the best choice between an i9 9900KF  with 2080 super Nvidia Graphics cards or i7-9700K with 2080 Titan Nvidia Graphics card. Not bothered about price differentials or anything il make my own decision on that but just sort looking for a baseline.

[Gangor]

55 minutes ago, qwertygod said:

What is the best choice between an i9 9900KF  with 2080 super Nvidia Graphics cards or i7-9700K with 2080 Titan Nvidia Graphics card. Not bothered about price differentials or anything il make my own decision on that but just sort looking for a baseline.

Wow, both must be very expensive. The first one has the most powerful consumer CPU from Intel with one of the most powerful GPUs you can buy. The second one is the second most powerful CPU from Intel and the absolutely most powerful "consumer" GPU you'll find at the moment. The first pairing would be better for FM, but the second would be better for most games that have graphics rather than a spreadsheet though either would be amazing. 

If there's an AMD option for the CPU I'd check that out too as their higher end processors are better than Intel's ones in most cases at the moment. The R9 3950x costs about the same as the i9 and has twice the number of cores and threads and pretty much the same single thread performance. Games in general are set to take advantage of more cores in the next few years and I think higher thread count CPUs will age better. 

 

[Gangor]

1 hour ago, Rossco85 said:

Reckon that’s what I’ll go for 

thanks again 👍

Oh yeah, forgot to answer your question about the hard drive. 256gb should be fine, though if you start storing videos I'd look for something bigger or maybe an external hard drive.

[qwertygod]

1 hour ago, Gangor said:

Wow, both must be very expensive. The first one has the most powerful consumer CPU from Intel with one of the most powerful GPUs you can buy. The second one is the second most powerful CPU from Intel and the absolutely most powerful "consumer" GPU you'll find at the moment. The first pairing would be better for FM, but the second would be better for most games that have graphics rather than a spreadsheet though either would be amazing. 

If there's an AMD option for the CPU I'd check that out too as their higher end processors are better than Intel's ones in most cases at the moment. The R9 3950x costs about the same as the i9 and has twice the number of cores and threads and pretty much the same single thread performance. Games in general are set to take advantage of more cores in the next few years and I think higher thread count CPUs will age better. 

 

Yeh man I have been saving up for quite a while as my current rig whilst ok at the time is now a big sluggish , its i5 1060 graphics. I am seeing some decent deals starting to crop up so hopeful of buying something in the coming week or so.

 

Thank you for the advice Gangor.

Edited April 18, 2020 by qwertygod

[Rossco85]

1 hour ago, Gangor said:

Oh yeah, forgot to answer your question about the hard drive. 256gb should be fine, though if you start storing videos I'd look for something bigger or maybe an external hard drive.

Ideal, thanks 

[EdL]

6 hours ago, qwertygod said:

What is the best choice between an i9 9900KF  with 2080 super Nvidia Graphics cards or i7-9700K with 2080 Titan Nvidia Graphics card. Not bothered about price differentials or anything il make my own decision on that but just sort looking for a baseline.

For FM certainly the former either graphics card is more than enough for the FM engine (i.e. both overkill), the proceesor can make a difference but I wouldn't expect it would be massive unless you are running lots of matches above full detail.

If you are talking about playing other games it might be a bit different  - either system is going to be very good though.

[Gangor]

13 hours ago, EJames1993 said:

Good afternoon @Smurf or @Gangor

i've been looking at first page in this thread so got a good idea of best cpu etc however for football manager would i see much different from a Intel Core i7-9750H and a Intel Core i5-9300H Quad-Core Processor? im looking at 2 options and wonder which one is better value for money? i normally play with 10 nations with most leagues active on these. the speed and 3D is important to me also.

Laptop would just be for football manager 

1st laptop is £890 

 

• Processor: Intel Core i5-9300H Processor ( 2.40GHz 8MB )
• Operating System: Windows 10 Home 64
• Display Type: 15.6"FHD IPS AntiGlare LED Backlight 1920x1080
• Memory: 8.0GB PC4-21300 DDR4 SODIMM 2666MHz
• Storage: 1TB 7200+128GB SSD PCIe
• Warranty: One year Depot or Carry-in
• AC Adapter: 230W
• Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660Ti 6GB GDDR6
• Battery: 3 Cell Li-Polymer
• Pointing Device: ClickPad
• Wireless: Intel Jefferson Peak 2 9560 2x2ac+BT5.0 Non-Vpro

2nd laptop is £1052

• Processor: Intel Core i7-9750H Processor ( 2.60GHz 12MB )
• Operating System: Windows 10 Home 64
• Display Type: 15.6"FHD IPS AntiGlare LED Backlight 1920x1080
• Memory: 16.0GB PC4-21300 DDR4 SODIMM SODIMM 2666MHz
• Storage: 1TB 7200+256GB SSD PCIe
• Warranty: One year Depot or Carry-in
• AC Adapter: 230W
• Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 6GB GDDR6
• Battery: 3 Cell Li-Polymer
• Keyboard: 6-row White Backlit English (UK)
• Pointing Device: ClickPad
• Wireless: Intel Jefferson Peak 2 9560 2x2ac+BT5.0 Non-Vpro

Or can you find something alot better for £1050? just checked website and second one is out of stock for now so might wait unless you can find something equal or better for £1050 or under

Sorry for missing this one!

I personally like the look of the Lenovo L340. What particularly appeals to me for FM is that you can get H series processors which are best for FM without having to get an expensive GPU which isn't needed for FM anyway. Also I prefer the non-gamery aesthetic, but that is obviously subjective. The only catch is that in the UK at least they only seem to be available directly from Lenovo and there's a 3-4 week wait. If you don't mind waiting it will cost you under £900 for similar performance (in FM) to the £1050 laptop above. The 17" model is cheaper (£820), so if you don't mind the extra size it would be worth checking out

https://www.lenovo.com/gb/en/laptops/ideapad/l-series/IdeaPad-L340-15IRH-Gaming/p/88IPL301161

Edit: Sorry, just to clarify: I'm referring to the i7 models

Edited April 19, 2020 by Gangor

[Smurf]

21 hours ago, EJames1993 said:

Good afternoon @Smurf or @Gangor

i've been looking at first page in this thread so got a good idea of best cpu etc however for football manager would i see much different from a Intel Core i7-9750H and a Intel Core i5-9300H Quad-Core Processor? im looking at 2 options and wonder which one is better value for money? i normally play with 10 nations with most leagues active on these. the speed and 3D is important to me also.

Laptop would just be for football manager 

1st laptop is £890 

 

• Processor: Intel Core i5-9300H Processor ( 2.40GHz 8MB )
• Operating System: Windows 10 Home 64
• Display Type: 15.6"FHD IPS AntiGlare LED Backlight 1920x1080
• Memory: 8.0GB PC4-21300 DDR4 SODIMM 2666MHz
• Storage: 1TB 7200+128GB SSD PCIe
• Warranty: One year Depot or Carry-in
• AC Adapter: 230W
• Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660Ti 6GB GDDR6
• Battery: 3 Cell Li-Polymer
• Pointing Device: ClickPad
• Wireless: Intel Jefferson Peak 2 9560 2x2ac+BT5.0 Non-Vpro

2nd laptop is £1052

• Processor: Intel Core i7-9750H Processor ( 2.60GHz 12MB )
• Operating System: Windows 10 Home 64
• Display Type: 15.6"FHD IPS AntiGlare LED Backlight 1920x1080
• Memory: 16.0GB PC4-21300 DDR4 SODIMM SODIMM 2666MHz
• Storage: 1TB 7200+256GB SSD PCIe
• Warranty: One year Depot or Carry-in
• AC Adapter: 230W
• Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 6GB GDDR6
• Battery: 3 Cell Li-Polymer
• Keyboard: 6-row White Backlit English (UK)
• Pointing Device: ClickPad
• Wireless: Intel Jefferson Peak 2 9560 2x2ac+BT5.0 Non-Vpro

Or can you find something alot better for £1050? just checked website and second one is out of stock for now so might wait unless you can find something equal or better for £1050 or under

The 2nd one is the better one. 

[Smurf]

21 hours ago, EJames1993 said:

Good afternoon @Smurf 

Or can you find something alot better for £1050? just checked website and second one is out of stock for now so might wait unless you can find something equal or better for £1050 or under

This is also really good https://www.box.co.uk/FX705DU-H7083T-ASUS-FX705DU-H7083T_2839527.html

Or this https://www.box.co.uk/GA502DU-AL025T-ASUS-ROG-Zephyrus-G-GA502DU-AL025T_2550156.html

Screen size is difference

For FM you'd be right on point with these. However, if you wanted to save a few quid - then go for 8gb and install another 8gb yourself - it's super easy.

https://www.box.co.uk/81LL000UUK-Lenovo-IdeaPad-Gaming-L340-17_2893983.html

Again smaller screen here

https://www.box.co.uk/7JZ86EAABU-HP-Pavilion-Gaming-15-dk0026na_2614938.html

You could buy more RAM at another point in time - but 8gb is perfectly fine. RAM is used in FM - but upgrading your RAM can wait.

[elliotm96]

Hello! I am in the market for a new laptop as I have been using a Chromebook for the past 5 years or so. I have a desktop PC that I use for gaming but want a laptop that I can just use for browsing and playing FM at a decent speed. My budget is up to £1000 but could be pushed if necessary. If possible, I would like it to be fairly lightweight. Graphics don't matter too much as I mostly play in 2D but if it is more cost effective to have something with a good dedicated graphics card then so be it. The boredom of lockdown has pushed me to this decision as I would much rather play FM from my bed than at a desk! Any help would be much appreciated. Thank you

[Smurf]

7 minutes ago, elliotm96 said:

Hello! I am in the market for a new laptop as I have been using a Chromebook for the past 5 years or so. I have a desktop PC that I use for gaming but want a laptop that I can just use for browsing and playing FM at a decent speed. My budget is up to £1000 but could be pushed if necessary. If possible, I would like it to be fairly lightweight. Graphics don't matter too much as I mostly play in 2D but if it is more cost effective to have something with a good dedicated graphics card then so be it. The boredom of lockdown has pushed me to this decision as I would much rather play FM from my bed than at a desk! Any help would be much appreciated. Thank you

See links above.

[Bristol CityFC1981]

 Hi looking for advice. Laptop on a budget. Would this be any good for FM?

[Smurf]

Cannot tell from that pic - the most important part is cut off.

What's your budget?
Do you have a link?

[Bristol CityFC1981]

7 minutes ago, Smurf said:

Cannot tell from that pic - the most important part is cut off.

What's your budget?
Do you have a link?

https://www.argos.co.uk/product/7610060
 

Budget £400 tops if possible. I’m not one who has loads of leagues running. Just England, Italy, Spain and Germany mostly. But my current very old Lap top won’t even let me view 3D match engine 

[Gangor]

14 minutes ago, Bristol CityFC1981 said:

https://www.argos.co.uk/product/7610060
 

Budget £400 tops if possible. I’m not one who has loads of leagues running. Just England, Italy, Spain and Germany mostly. But my current very old Lap top won’t even let me view 3D match engine 

That would be fine if you play FM on Stadia. If you want to play locally on the laptop you're going to have a bad time. For that budget you might consider looking for a second hand laptop. You can sometimes find a pretty good deal on something a couple of years old.

[Smurf]

1 hour ago, Bristol CityFC1981 said:

https://www.argos.co.uk/product/7610060
 

Budget £400 tops if possible. I’m not one who has loads of leagues running. Just England, Italy, Spain and Germany mostly. But my current very old Lap top won’t even let me view 3D match engine 

 

1 hour ago, Gangor said:

That would be fine if you play FM on Stadia. If you want to play locally on the laptop you're going to have a bad time. For that budget you might consider looking for a second hand laptop. You can sometimes find a pretty good deal on something a couple of years old.

You could just get Google Stadia on it's own and save a few quid. Granted you need a TV for it - https://store.google.com/ie/product/stadia

But Stadia on the laptop is very good shout - and it's currently offering a 2 month free trial at the moment. 

 

That laptop is not really suitable for FM as it's only got 4gb RAM. 

[Smurf]

1 hour ago, Gangor said:

That would be fine if you play FM on Stadia. If you want to play locally on the laptop you're going to have a bad time. For that budget you might consider looking for a second hand laptop. You can sometimes find a pretty good deal on something a couple of years old.

I signed up for Stadia on my laptop - and there seems to be only a few games - any idea how to access FM20 on the laptop through Stadia?

[Gangor]

16 minutes ago, Smurf said:

I signed up for Stadia on my laptop - and there seems to be only a few games - any idea how to access FM20 on the laptop through Stadia?

You have to buy FM20 separately on Stadia. There's no need to have the subscription either - the free tier would be fine. For those who haven't tried it, you will need a constant internet connection that isn't too slow - on your home wifi network for instance. 

[Smurf]

45 minutes ago, Gangor said:

You have to buy FM20 separately on Stadia. There's no need to have the subscription either - the free tier would be fine. For those who haven't tried it, you will need a constant internet connection that isn't too slow - on your home wifi network for instance. 

How do I buy it? I literally can only see about 10 games.

[Gangor]

4 minutes ago, Smurf said:

How do I buy it? I literally can only see about 10 games.

Not used it personally so I couldn't tell you! Surely there is a game store on Stadia somewhere?

[Smurf]

8 minutes ago, Gangor said:

Not used it personally so I couldn't tell you! Surely there is a game store on Stadia somewhere?

Cannot find a way to do it, and I've been looking around it for a while!

[Smurf]

As I'm using the free version it's limited to 9 games - figured it out now.

Would need a subscription for about 8.99 a month!

Seems a bit silly for Football Manager.

Just buy a decent laptop for about 500-600 and get the game. 

9.99 a month is a bit steep to play football manager.

[Gangor]

35 minutes ago, Smurf said:

As I'm using the free version it's limited to 9 games - figured it out now.

Would need a subscription for about 8.99 a month!

Seems a bit silly for Football Manager.

Just buy a decent laptop for about 500-600 and get the game. 

9.99 a month is a bit steep to play football manager.

No, you should be able to buy it separately and play it on the free tier. The subscription (or trial) gives you access to some free games (those ones you can see) and lets you play at higher resolution I believe with RTX. With the subscription you'd still have to buy FM20 again. 

[Smurf]

7 minutes ago, Gangor said:

No, you should be able to buy it separately and play it on the free tier. The subscription (or trial) gives you access to some free games (those ones you can see) and lets you play at higher resolution I believe with RTX. With the subscription you'd still have to buy FM20 again. 

Hey you're right - I just logged back in there and got to it no problem. 

Weird, definitely wasn't doing it earlier - all sorted. 

[HuwL]

Hi. Moved in with my girlfriend and need another laptop. £600-700 to spend. Will only be using laptop for FM and internet. Been looking at PC World website but haven't a clue with laptops! Any recommendations? Thanks.

[kevhamster]

On 17/04/2020 at 10:04, shaunwwfc said:

Hi @Smurf

I am at work at the moment so cannot give you the exact database size, however;

Nations I ran was England, Scotland, Spain, Italy, France and Portugal. England all leagues down to Vanarama and then the top leagues of the other nations, all this on a large database. Whether or not it is a accurate scoring, FM gave me a 4 star for this setup. I have not played any seasons yet from scratch, this is because I have an ongoing save I brought over - I have loaded my Walsall career save from the cloud which is currently on my third season with actually the same setup above, plus Germany - and what I noticed was this ran considerably better than what it did on my previous laptop (HP G6, i5 7200u processor) and to be fair, that was always ok - I just didn't like the laptop itself, too bulky, not very nice to look at and my mrs often needs it for work. I needed my own, hence this purchase. Early days perhaps, but I have played 4 months worth of FM time and it runs lovely for me.

I am happy to run a 3D test, that is no bother at all - the only reason I didn't was down to preference. I actually really do not like the 3D view. I prefer the old school 2D every day of the week and I always factor this into my decision to never buy a Laptop/PC with a dedicated graphics card, it is an expense I just do not need and saves me a few hundred quid, such as this case - however with the integrated Vega 8 Graphics card (which by all accounts does a good job on Fifa, GTA5 etc from reading reviews) it will make an interesting test all the same.

As for the watch - I absolutely love it. I never thought I would benefit from a smartwatch. How wrong I was. Suddenly I am planning runs, wanting to beat step scores each day, it gives me notifications on emails, sms, calls, whatsapps, it even records my sleep very detailed which is very handy for someone who suffers with sleep apnea and all that for a battery that never dies (I haven't charged it since putting it off a full charge, on my 8th day) it is also a genuinely smart looking watch, no pun intended

The great thing about this for me is it integrates so well with my Hauwei smartphone. I didn't realise Honor basically is Hauwei, so suddenly I am reaping the benefits of that eco system. I look at a picture on my P30 pro, place the phone on the laptop and bosha, there it is onscreen - so if you are a Hauwei owner like me, another great plus.

So yes, I sound like an advertisement here, I really am not being paid for this - but given current lockdown restriction, a £549 deal that gives you a very nice sleek looking laptop that runs FM very well, a free smartwatch which gets you off your arse, I would get right on it

https://www.laptopsdirect.co.uk/honor-magicbook-14-amd-ryzen-5-8gb-256gb-ssd-14-inch-windows-10-laptop-sp-53010wht-001/version.asp

What originally tempted me to the above laptop aside from it looking very nice and sleek (plus the deal itself) was the Ryzen 3500U processor. A poster on here called @kevhamster was often endorsing his setup which is a 2500U processor (an older version) and said there was no issues. So thank you kev, your posts were a great help to myself and I gather others.

Glad I could be of help!

[andywlfc]

Hi I'm looking to get a new laptop which will be mainly used for fm. My budget is about £500-£550. I normally only have the 1 nation loaded with a medium/large database and normally will watch the games in 3d. Does anyone have any recommendations as I dont really have a clue when it comes to these things.

Thanks

[Smurf]

29 minutes ago, andywlfc said:

Hi I'm looking to get a new laptop which will be mainly used for fm. My budget is about £500-£550. I normally only have the 1 nation loaded with a medium/large database and normally will watch the games in 3d. Does anyone have any recommendations as I dont really have a clue when it comes to these things.

Thanks

One of the guys who posted above got this and thinks it's good - not sure about 3D - but it's not a dedicated card - so low detail and features turned off but it would be fine.

https://www.box.co.uk/53010WHW-001-Honor-MagicBook-14_2916294.html

Plus it comes with a free smart watch.

32 minutes ago, HuwL said:

Hi. Moved in with my girlfriend and need another laptop. £600-700 to spend. Will only be using laptop for FM and internet. Been looking at PC World website but haven't a clue with laptops! Any recommendations? Thanks.

https://www.box.co.uk/81LK010TUK-Lenovo-IdeaPad-Gaming-L340-15_2834990.html

This would be good.

[Gangor]

2 minutes ago, Smurf said:

One of the guys who posted above got this and thinks it's good - not sure about 3D - but it's not a dedicated card - so low detail and features turned off but it would be fine.

https://www.box.co.uk/53010WHW-001-Honor-MagicBook-14_2916294.html

Better for 3D than an Intel processor, that's for sure. I was just about to suggest a laptop with a 3500U

2 minutes ago, Smurf said:

Plus it comes with a free smart watch.

https://www.box.co.uk/81LK010TUK-Lenovo-IdeaPad-Gaming-L340-15_2834990.html

This would be good.

Definitely agree with this recommendation. If you don't mind waiting a few weeks for delivery Lenovo have an offer on their website which might be worth checking out. 

[Gangor]

42 minutes ago, andywlfc said:

Hi I'm looking to get a new laptop which will be mainly used for fm. My budget is about £500-£550. I normally only have the 1 nation loaded with a medium/large database and normally will watch the games in 3d. Does anyone have any recommendations as I dont really have a clue when it comes to these things.

Thanks

Within your budget @Smurf's suggestion is sound, but if you can stretch it a bit you'd have a much better experience with this:

https://www.lenovo.com/gb/en/laptops/ideapad/l-series/IdeaPad-L340-15IRH-Gaming/p/81LKCTO1WWENGB0/customize?

 

Edit: if you do go for this definitely add the extra RAM they're not charging for and I'd also change the Hard Drive out for an SSD. You don't need the space for your use case and the SSD will be much faster.

Edited April 19, 2020 by Gangor