New Laptop/PC Advice -Please Read the Opening Post

[JordanMilly]

8 minutes ago, jckc221013jamie said:

I have an i5 8600k at 4.8ghz with 16gig of 3000mhz ram and an rtx 2070 will there be any point upgrading my cpu to an i7 9700k as more games are now taking advantage of more cores  or is my i5 8600k at 4.8ghz fine for now 

Thank you

You wouldn't get any observable benefit from that upgrade for FM, no. If you wanted it for other games, then sure, you'd probably see a small difference.

[Gangor]

5 hours ago, StevensLFC said:

Hi again @Smurf

Was just about to pre order the cheaper one and noticed the extra £200 also gets you the Ryzen 7 4800HS, which seems to be higher up on notebook check. Is it worth going up in tier for processor and extra RAM or will it not make too much of a difference vs Ryzen 5 4600HS? Hoping that makes sense!

Cheers :-)

The major difference here is that you get 33% more cores and threads. From what I understand that the main part of FM that is parallelized is leagues, so you would see the most difference if you tend to run a lot of leagues. If you only run the top 5 leagues for instance the difference won't be great.

Personally I'd say if you can afford it, go for it. It will mean your laptop is good for another year or so, probably. 

The key point of difference of the HS Ryzen CPUs is that they run at 35w rather than 45w with about the same (actually very slightly lower) performance than the regular H chips. They are supposed to be more premium, so if you're considering a laptop with one of these processors it worth checking if there is a cheaper alternative. Of course, if you're planning to game on the go, this could be ideal. Since the battery life is a big selling point, pay particular attention to endurance when reading reviews.

[HopOnBaby]

On 05/05/2020 at 08:47, Smurf said:

Find it difficult to narrow down on Amazon - but this would be marginally better, plus has a decent graphics card.

https://www.box.co.uk/NH.Q59EK.01H-Acer-Nitro-5_2873716.html

 

Found it on Amazon, so it's on its way now - thanks for the help!

[dansloman1]

Opinions on this for the price? Thanks

[carlpne]

Hi, firstly thanks for the help and info on an earlier post a week or so ago. After thinking things through,i have decided to save more and my new budget for a laptop will be anything between £1500-£2500. I want to have the best FM experience yet. 

I will be downloading the English lower league database (currently at level 14) to be playable, playing 15-20 other leagues across Europe, large database, adding many custom graphics to the game, playing 30+ seasons and trying to get the maximum potential out of 3D graphics. 

After reading through a few posts I'm sure I'm looking for the best processor and ram. It looks like 16GB ram will be sufficient but I'm more confused with the processor as to whether I'm looking for the speed of a single core (ghz) or if more cores equates to a better processor for FM ? Obviously the best graphic card the better too. 
 

Some pointers in the right direction for what i need would be greatly appreciated. 
 

Many thanks, Carl.
 

 

 

[Smurf]

23 hours ago, StevensLFC said:

Hi again @Smurf

Was just about to pre order the cheaper one and noticed the extra £200 also gets you the Ryzen 7 4800HS, which seems to be higher up on notebook check. Is it worth going up in tier for processor and extra RAM or will it not make too much of a difference vs Ryzen 5 4600HS? Hoping that makes sense!

Cheers :-)

I always say to go for the best processor and graphics card you can get. 

So go for whichever is best. 

[noikeee]

How stupid of an idea is it to buy a proper gaming tower, then when I feel like playing on the sofa or on the kitchen etc, Teamviewer-it via my old laptop?  

I used to do this many years ago, obviously the interface wasn't the smoothest as there was a little lag on Teamviewer, and I had to play on 2D (which I usually do, anyway), but it was surprisingly playable. Dunno if it still is. Also this way I could have it as a proper gaming pc for some racing games on the steering wheel and pedals I have, and also as a local media server for movies etc for my TV.

I was looking at something along these specs (local hardware store):

CPU: AMD Ryzen 5 2600 - 128,90€
GPU: Zotac GeForce GTX 1600 6GB - 234,95€
RAM: GSkill Aegis 16GB DDR4 3000MHz - 75,95€
Board: ASUS B450M-PRO Gaming AM4 - 114,95€
SSD: Kingston A400 480GB 6GB/s - 69,95€
HDD: Toshiba P300 3TB - 73,94€
Case: Aerocool Aero-300 ATX - 40,96€
Power: LC-Power 550w LC6550 V2.3 - 48,90€
Wireless: TP-LINK USB WI-FI 300MBPS - 11,96€ (there's no LAN cable to my room)
Bluetooth: TP-Link Bluetooth 4.0 Nano USB 2.0 - 9,90€ (my headphones are bluetooth)
Screen: AOC Gaming 24" 75Hz 1ms - 130,95€
---
total 941,31€

[CowShedBarmyArmy]

Any recommendations from this list please?

https://www.box.co.uk/laptops/refine/46562~144409$46562~144410$46562~191219$46563~67690$46565~144435$46567~190346$46567~190347$46567~201232$46567~205233$46567~205690$52043~154151$52043~47608$52043~48495$max~750$min~400

[Gangor]

2 hours ago, noikeee said:

 

CPU: AMD Ryzen 5 2600 - 128,90€

Decent choice, though the more modern Ryzen 5 3600 is available - for more money of course.

2 hours ago, noikeee said:

GPU: Zotac GeForce GTX 1600 6GB - 234,95€

That's not a real GPU. Do they possibly mean a GTX 1660? That would be more than suitable for FM and will play your racing games too.

2 hours ago, noikeee said:

RAM: GSkill Aegis 16GB DDR4 3000MHz - 75,95€
Board: ASUS B450M-PRO Gaming AM4 - 114,95€
SSD: Kingston A400 480GB 6GB/s - 69,95€

Sounds reasonable. 

2 hours ago, noikeee said:

HDD: Toshiba P300 3TB - 73,94€

I wouldn't bother unless you're planning to store a lot of media on this PC.

2 hours ago, noikeee said:

Power: LC-Power 550w LC6550 V2.3 - 48,90€

Apparently these power supplies are of questionable quality. I would try to get one from a more reputable manufacturer. It shouldn't cost a great deal more that you've been quoted. 450w would be sufficient.

2 hours ago, noikeee said:

Wireless: TP-LINK USB WI-FI 300MBPS - 11,96€ (there's no LAN cable to my room)
Bluetooth: TP-Link Bluetooth 4.0 Nano USB 2.0 - 9,90€ (my headphones are bluetooth)

Can you not get an internal card? It would probably do both wifi and bluetooth. You should be able to get one for around the same price.

[Gangor]

2 hours ago, CowShedBarmyArmy said:

Any recommendations from this list please?

https://www.box.co.uk/laptops/refine/46562~144409$46562~144410$46562~191219$46563~67690$46565~144435$46567~190346$46567~190347$46567~201232$46567~205233$46567~205690$52043~154151$52043~47608$52043~48495$max~750$min~400

There's a number of different products there. Can you give more info about your requirements and budget?

[seanstirling]

I'm looking for a laptop or a desktop that would be able to handle the 125k player limit for a good 40-50 seasons without massively slowing down.

I've sort of spoiled FM for myself by trying it on my old one and it couldnt handle it after 4-5 seasons in but I miss how alive the game feels without having that many players and leagues loaded and I think you can really tell the difference when you go back to a smaller database.

My budget would be around £1000-£1500 but I could push out an extra couple of hundred more for something that will be worth it or last a bit longer.

 

[noikeee]

29 minutes ago, Gangor said:

Decent choice, though the more modern Ryzen 5 3600 is available - for more money of course.

That's not a real GPU. Do they possibly mean a GTX 1660? That would be more than suitable for FM and will play your racing games too.

Sounds reasonable. 

I wouldn't bother unless you're planning to store a lot of media on this PC.

Apparently these power supplies are of questionable quality. I would try to get one from a more reputable manufacturer. It shouldn't cost a great deal more that you've been quoted. 450w would be sufficient.

Can you not get an internal card? It would probably do both wifi and bluetooth. You should be able to get one for around the same price.

Yeah I meant the 1660, that was a typo. I know a 1660 is overkill for FM, I want it for things like Assetto Corsa.  

You're making me think I should maybe ditch the HDD, go for the 3600 and then buy a HDD later when I run out of space, it's of course much easier to do that in the future than upgrade the CPU. Or maybe I should just buy a bigger SSD. The issue is for example right now on this laptop I've got a 240GB SDD and I'm really, really struggling with space.

I'll check out a better power supply. As for wireless/bluetooth, you mean a card that would do both?! I'm struggling to find any that can do that... though yeah I didn't notice I had picked an external network card, I probably should pick an internal one.

Thanks for your help.

[Gangor]

39 minutes ago, noikeee said:

You're making me think I should maybe ditch the HDD, go for the 3600 and then buy a HDD later when I run out of space, it's of course much easier to do that in the future than upgrade the CPU. Or maybe I should just buy a bigger SSD. The issue is for example right now on this laptop I've got a 240GB SDD and I'm really, really struggling with space.

One of the strengths of the AM4 platform (that is, the socket the CPU uses to connect to the motherboard) is that it has been supported across a number of generations. It should also be supported for the 4000 series Ryzen processors. Honestly the jump from the 2600 to the 3600, while noticeable, would be small considering the approx £50 cost. I'd personally consider going with the cheaper processor and wait a couple of years until the 4000 series are being sold off cheap then get one of them. I'd agree with you on the HDD. It's a 10 minute job with a screwdriver to install one. 

39 minutes ago, noikeee said:

As for wireless/bluetooth, you mean a card that would do both?! I'm struggling to find any that can do that... though yeah I didn't notice I had picked an external network card, I probably should pick an internal one.

Thanks for your help.

The devices you mentioned were both USB meaning you'd have two of your USB ports permanently in use. A single internal PCIe card would be a simpler solution. 

[Gangor]

1 hour ago, seanstirling said:

I'm looking for a laptop or a desktop that would be able to handle the 125k player limit for a good 40-50 seasons without massively slowing down.

I've sort of spoiled FM for myself by trying it on my old one and it couldnt handle it after 4-5 seasons in but I miss how alive the game feels without having that many players and leagues loaded and I think you can really tell the difference when you go back to a smaller database.

My budget would be around £1000-£1500 but I could push out an extra couple of hundred more for something that will be worth it or last a bit longer.

 

•  

Within that budget you could get a fantastic laptop or desktop. The best (well, most powerful) laptop processors at the moment are the Ryzen 9 4900 H and HS models. You should be able to find a laptop with the 4900H within your budget. The difference between the two is that the HS is very slightly slower but uses less power. The H may well be better if you're not going to be gaming away from the wall. 

For a desktop you should be able to find something even more powerful quite easily. Be wary of pre-build gaming PCs though as they are often priced at a premium. Compare the specs with what you can get from a custom system integrator. If you skimp on the graphics card (more than an Nvidia GTX 1650 super is a total waste for FM)  then you should be able to just about fit in a Ryzen 9 3900 or one of the new (though not necessarily better) Intel i9 10th gen CPUs. 

[EdL]

3 hours ago, Gangor said:

One of the strengths of the AM4 platform (that is, the socket the CPU uses to connect to the motherboard) is that it has been supported across a number of generations. It should also be supported for the 4000 series Ryzen processors. Honestly the jump from the 2600 to the 3600, while noticeable, would be small considering the approx £50 cost. I'd personally consider going with the cheaper processor and wait a couple of years until the 4000 series are being sold off cheap then get one of them. I'd agree with you on the HDD. It's a 10 minute job with a screwdriver to install one. 

The devices you mentioned were both USB meaning you'd have two of your USB ports permanently in use. A single internal PCIe card would be a simpler solution. 

The motherboard listed there will not run the 4000 series, AMD have confirmed (today, I think) that you will need 5- series up motherboards for 4000 series desktop CPUs

[Gangor]

1 hour ago, EdL said:

The motherboard listed there will not run the 4000 series, AMD have confirmed (today, I think) that you will need 5- series up motherboards for 4000 series desktop CPUs

Really, I had not heard that! Well choose a motherboard with a B550 chipset then, @noikeee

Edit: ooh and they have dropped support for the older CPUs. It would have to be a R5 3600 or maybe R3 3300X then!

Edited May 8, 2020 by Gangor

[CowShedBarmyArmy]

 

13 hours ago, Gangor said:

There's a number of different products there. Can you give more info about your requirements and budget?

Apologies I should have put more info sorry.

 

Budget is £600-£700. Laptop simply has to play FM20 (and next few versions) at a decent standard.

3D Graphics and 5 or 6 leagues loaded. I currently play with 3D graphics on low which doesnt bother me.

 

I currently have an ASUS NS55 which is starting to show its age but runs FM20 reasonably with the odd slowdown here and there.

https://www.asus.com/Laptops/N55SF/

 

I run this setup of leagues

And my graphic settings are

Edited May 9, 2020 by CowShedBarmyArmy
Additional info

[CowShedBarmyArmy]

3 hours ago, CowShedBarmyArmy said:

 

Apologies I should have put more info sorry.

 

Budget is £600-£700. Laptop simply has to play FM20 (and next few versions) at a decent standard.

3D Graphics and 5 or 6 leagues loaded. I currently play with 3D graphics on low which doesnt bother me.

 

I currently have an ASUS NS55 which is starting to show its age but runs FM20 reasonably with the odd slowdown here and there.

https://www.asus.com/Laptops/N55SF/

 

I run this setup of leagues

And my graphic settings are

Leaning towards this

ASUS FX505DD-BQ121T

[bigShell1]

Hi all, I’ve been looking round for some cheap, decent spec laptops, I know that’s hard to come by obviously, but I found these few; anyone with a better idea than me able to let me know if these can run the game? Not too fussed if it’s not lightning fast or if it can handle the 3D gameplay.

Lenovo V145 15.6" Laptop - AMD A9 3.1GHz CPU, 8GB RAM, Windows 10 https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07YW4D875/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_uKUTEbGWKSHPV

This is the main one im looking at as it’s the most cost effective. It has a dual 3.1GHz CPU, if my very lacklustre understanding of this is correct then surely that’s at least serviceable? Even though it probs won’t handle the 3D rendering which I’m sure one of you clever folks shall inform me lol.

If not, is this any good/better?

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Dell-Inspiron-3000-Anti-Glare-LED-Backlit-2019-Laptop/dp/B07M741WKD

EDIT: Just stumbled across this, it is reduced by £200, seems like a naughty little deal, no?

https://www.box.co.uk/81EV005CUK-Lenovo-ideaPad-530s-UltraBook_2756982.html

Thanks in advance, and sorry if I haven’t formatted this correctly, but any help is very much appreciated  

 

Edited May 9, 2020 by bigShell1

[Gangor]

8 hours ago, CowShedBarmyArmy said:

Leaning towards this

ASUS FX505DD-BQ121T

That's decent, not a bad choice.

[Gangor]

1 hour ago, bigShell1 said:

Hi all, I’ve been looking round for some cheap, decent spec laptops, I know that’s hard to come by obviously, but I found these few; anyone with a better idea than me able to let me know if these can run the game? Not too fussed if it’s not lightning fast or if it can handle the 3D gameplay.

Lenovo V145 15.6" Laptop - AMD A9 3.1GHz CPU, 8GB RAM, Windows 10 https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07YW4D875/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_uKUTEbGWKSHPV

This is the main one im looking at as it’s the most cost effective. It has a dual 3.1GHz CPU, if my very lacklustre understanding of this is correct then surely that’s at least serviceable? Even though it probs won’t handle the 3D rendering which I’m sure one of you clever folks shall inform me lol.

Terrible, that's several years old. Better to get a Pentium based laptop probably. 

1 hour ago, bigShell1 said:

If not, is this any good/better?

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Dell-Inspiron-3000-Anti-Glare-LED-Backlit-2019-Laptop/dp/B07M741WKD

Getting better but this is still a couple of years old and is a poor value.

1 hour ago, bigShell1 said:

EDIT: Just stumbled across this, it is reduced by £200, seems like a naughty little deal, no?

https://www.box.co.uk/81EV005CUK-Lenovo-ideaPad-530s-UltraBook_2756982.html

Thanks in advance, and sorry if I haven’t formatted this correctly, but any help is very much appreciated  

 

This is also 2 years old. You can get current gen i5 laptops for the same price. This for instance: https://www.ebuyer.com/947548-lenovo-v15-core-i5-8gb-256gb-ssd-15-6-win10-home-laptop-82c50075uk?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIh-q7mLin6QIVBbTtCh3oYgBvEAQYCCABEgLVQ_D_BwE

[bigShell1]

6 minutes ago, Gangor said:

Terrible, that's several years old. Better to get a Pentium based laptop probably. 

Getting better but this is still a couple of years old and is a poor value.

This is also 2 years old. You can get current gen i5 laptops for the same price. This for instance: https://www.ebuyer.com/947548-lenovo-v15-core-i5-8gb-256gb-ssd-15-6-win10-home-laptop-82c50075uk?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIh-q7mLin6QIVBbTtCh3oYgBvEAQYCCABEgLVQ_D_BwE

Oh damn. Thanks for that, I’m glad I asked before I bought lol. That one you linked me..... is that better for running FM over the others then? Goes without saying I want to make sure I get the most bang for my buck. Haven’t played FM in over a decade now and haven’t had a laptop in a very long time

[Gangor]

1 hour ago, bigShell1 said:

Oh damn. Thanks for that, I’m glad I asked before I bought lol. That one you linked me..... is that better for running FM over the others then? Goes without saying I want to make sure I get the most bang for my buck. Haven’t played FM in over a decade now and haven’t had a laptop in a very long time

Honestly I didn't put much thought into picking it - not a recommendation. Just to give you an idea of the specifications you might look for at the £500 price point. I would suggest reading a couple of reviews of any laptop you're considering buying. Copy the model number from the store page and search it in Google with the addition of "review". There's always things like the screen or the keyboard which isn't well described by specifications alone.

[bigShell1]

1 hour ago, Gangor said:

Honestly I didn't put much thought into picking it - not a recommendation. Just to give you an idea of the specifications you might look for at the £500 price point. I would suggest reading a couple of reviews of any laptop you're considering buying. Copy the model number from the store page and search it in Google with the addition of "review". There's always things like the screen or the keyboard which isn't well described by specifications alone.

Gotcha, yeah makes sense. Thanks for your help  

[CowShedBarmyArmy]

12 hours ago, Gangor said:

That's decent, not a bad choice.

 Thanks, I think I'll go for it.

 

[The_Commissioner]

Hey guys, 

After skimming over the thread for a bit I just have a couple questions.

 

I’m only using the laptop for the Internet and FM so would either of these do and are they not basically the same laptop with a decent price difference ? 

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

https://www.laptopsdirect.co.uk/asus-ryzen-5-3500u-8gb-1tb-hdd-256gb-ssd-15.6-inch-windows-10-fhd-laptop-x512da-ej1021t/version.asp

 

any help appreciated 

[bigShell1]

3 hours ago, The_Commissioner said:

Hey guys, 

After skimming over the thread for a bit I just have a couple questions.

 

I’m only using the laptop for the Internet and FM so would either of these do and are they not basically the same laptop with a decent price difference ? 

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

https://www.laptopsdirect.co.uk/asus-ryzen-5-3500u-8gb-1tb-hdd-256gb-ssd-15.6-inch-windows-10-fhd-laptop-x512da-ej1021t/version.asp

 

any help appreciated 

The bottom link is the one I am looking at too, seems good at £400. Then when I checked delivery it won’t be able to be delivered in my part of the UK until 16th July 😂. Maybe the delivery is different for you but that’s what it’s showing me

[WhoAreYa?]

I've just had the beginnings of a fantastic save ruined by a malfunction so I'm in need of a new toy. I have a few questions.

1. At a maximum budget of £500, is the better value in a desktop or laptop? (not forgetting the accessories)

2. I've read back a few pages and it looks like the geforce gtx 1050 is a good card for the 3D engine. I don't think I can afford this so what's an example of the next level down?

3. I think I know this one, but should there be more longevity in a desktop? This purchase would need to last as long as possible. 

[JamesH1993]

Hi guys just wanting some advice/help please. 
 

I’m looking at getting a new laptop and giving my current one to my other half as she needs one for uni and I’ve started playing a lot of football manager while in Quarantine. My budget is £1000.
 

I currently have a Lenovo ideapad 700, that is intel core i5-6300HQ CPU @ 2.30GHz, 12GB RAM and graphics card is NVIDIA GEFORCE GTX. 
 

If I load England divisions to National League N/S, France, Germany, Italy and Spain all division 1, my processing speed is one star. I appreciate it is difficult to tell what star it would be if I upgraded but wanted to check if the following laptop would be a significant upgrade for the price. 
 

Lenovo Ideapad L340 with Intel core i7-9750H Professor (2.60GHz, up time 4.50GHz with turbo boost, 6 cores 12MB Cache. This would be with 16GB RAM, 1TB hard drive and Nvidia Geforce GTX1650 4GB GDDR5. I have created this on Lenovo’s website and comes out £870, for that price are there any better ones, I just want to process multiple leagues on higher than 1 star really. 
 

Thanks

Edited May 11, 2020 by JamesH1993
Budget

[Gangor]

4 hours ago, JamesH1993 said:

Hi guys just wanting some advice/help please. 
 

I’m looking at getting a new laptop and giving my current one to my other half as she needs one for uni and I’ve started playing a lot of football manager while in Quarantine. My budget is £1000.
 

I currently have a Lenovo ideapad 700, that is intel core i5-6300HQ CPU @ 2.30GHz, 12GB RAM and graphics card is NVIDIA GEFORCE GTX. 
 

If I load England divisions to National League N/S, France, Germany, Italy and Spain all division 1, my processing speed is one star. I appreciate it is difficult to tell what star it would be if I upgraded but wanted to check if the following laptop would be a significant upgrade for the price. 
 

Lenovo Ideapad L340 with Intel core i7-9750H Professor (2.60GHz, up time 4.50GHz with turbo boost, 6 cores 12MB Cache. This would be with 16GB RAM, 1TB hard drive and Nvidia Geforce GTX1650 4GB GDDR5. I have created this on Lenovo’s website and comes out £870, for that price are there any better ones, I just want to process multiple leagues on higher than 1 star really. 
 

Thanks

Hi James, when looking just at the specs Lenovo's Ideapads are very good value and this is a well balanced spec for FM. If you can customise is I would suggest exchanging the hard drive for an SSD or adding an SSD boot drive. You'll notice the speed difference from that more than from the new processor, I reckon.

[JamesH1993]

Just now, Gangor said:

Hi James, when looking just at the specs Lenovo's Ideapads are very good value and this is a well balanced spec for FM. If you can customise is I would suggest exchanging the hard drive for an SSD or adding an SSD boot drive. You'll notice the speed difference from that more than from the new processor, I reckon.

Thanks for your reply Gangor. It has 2 hard drives, 1TB Hard Drive, 5400RPM, 2.5", 7mm and a second hard drive of 256GB Solid State Drive,M.2 2242, NVMe,TLC. It's a build your own  https://www.lenovo.com/gb/en/p/81LKCTO1WWENGB0/customize?guid=36bd3d67-c0fd-4dc6-859a-9c783074a55b&options_11=

 

Alternatively I can exchange those 2 for a 512GB Solid State Drive, M.2 2242, PCIe-NVMe, TLC for the same price. Which would work better. a 512GB SSD or a 256GB SSD and 1TB Hard drive??

Edited May 11, 2020 by JamesH1993

[Gangor]

3 hours ago, JamesH1993 said:

Alternatively I can exchange those 2 for a 512GB Solid State Drive, M.2 2242, PCIe-NVMe, TLC for the same price. Which would work better. a 512GB SSD or a 256GB SSD and 1TB Hard drive??

Like anything it depends. If you're planning to have an extensive games or media library on your laptop then the hard drive would be helpful. If you're just playing FM, browsing the web and maybe doing the odd bit of word processing or similar then you probably will never use more than your 256gb. You might consider even just having the smaller SSD - it should be possible to install a hard drive later if you find that you need it. 

[Smurf]

11 hours ago, Gangor said:

Hi James, when looking just at the specs Lenovo's Ideapads are very good value and this is a well balanced spec for FM. If you can customise is I would suggest exchanging the hard drive for an SSD or adding an SSD boot drive. You'll notice the speed difference from that more than from the new processor, I reckon.

There is no discernible difference in speed for football manager with an SSD - and you can upgrade your hard drive at any time. 

It's certainly no advantage for FM. But the computer boots up faster - and you might have general speed performance on the computer, but nothing noticeable for FM.

11 hours ago, JamesH1993 said:

Thanks for your reply Gangor. It has 2 hard drives, 1TB Hard Drive, 5400RPM, 2.5", 7mm and a second hard drive of 256GB Solid State Drive,M.2 2242, NVMe,TLC. It's a build your own  https://www.lenovo.com/gb/en/p/81LKCTO1WWENGB0/customize?guid=36bd3d67-c0fd-4dc6-859a-9c783074a55b&options_11=

Alternatively I can exchange those 2 for a 512GB Solid State Drive, M.2 2242, PCIe-NVMe, TLC for the same price. Which would work better. a 512GB SSD or a 256GB SSD and 1TB Hard drive??

I'd go with the 256gb Drive and this being the bootup drive - you then setup everything else to install on the 1TB hard drive, including Steam, Football Manager - your downloads etc. And try to leave the 256gb Drive as free as possible.

It's easy to setup.

You could go with a larger SSD - but it will have no significant performance increase. So I'd save my money.

7 hours ago, Gangor said:

Like anything it depends. If you're planning to have an extensive games or media library on your laptop then the hard drive would be helpful. If you're just playing FM, browsing the web and maybe doing the odd bit of word processing or similar then you probably will never use more than your 256gb. You might consider even just having the smaller SSD - it should be possible to install a hard drive later if you find that you need it. 

They did say it comes with a 1TB Hard Drive also - so just install/download everything else here. 

I have a 128gb SSD - and installed everything else on my 1TB drive. More than enough.

[JamesH1993]

13 minutes ago, Smurf said:

There is no discernible difference in speed for football manager with an SSD - and you can upgrade your hard drive at any time. 

It's certainly no advantage for FM. But the computer boots up faster - and you might have general speed performance on the computer, but nothing noticeable for FM.

I'd go with the 256gb Drive and this being the bootup drive - you then setup everything else to install on the 1TB hard drive, including Steam, Football Manager - your downloads etc. And try to leave the 256gb Drive as free as possible.

It's easy to setup.

You could go with a larger SSD - but it will have no significant performance increase. So I'd save my money.

They did say it comes with a 1TB Hard Drive also - so just install/download everything else here. 

I have a 128gb SSD - and installed everything else on my 1TB drive. More than enough.

So there would be no difference to FM performance?

I can get 512 SSD for £860, 1GB SSD for £930 or 256 SSD and 1GB Hard Drive for £880. 
 

I have a big graphics folder on my current laptop and altogether am using about 250GB of memory but that’s me being tight with downloads and moving stuff to D Drive etc.

 

which out of the three would be better value for money to help FM Processing speeds? 

[Weasek]

On the subject of installing a hard drive how would I go about it.i brought a lap top with a 226 gb ssd &I would like to install a hard drive too.its the Lenovo ideapad l340. I have only 60 gb free on ssd at the minute so if it's best to leave it nearly empty then I need a hard drive at some point 

Edited May 12, 2020 by Weasek

[Gangor]

5 minutes ago, JamesH1993 said:

So there would be no difference to FM performance?

I can get 512 SSD for £860, 1GB SSD for £930 or 256 SSD and 1GB Hard Drive for £880. 
 

I have a big graphics folder on my current laptop and altogether am using about 250GB of memory but that’s me being tight with downloads and moving stuff to D Drive etc.

 

which out of the three would be better value for money to help FM Processing speeds? 

Well it won't affect the general operation of FM, but it will affect saving and loading times. Autosaves can take quite a while and they would be noticeably slower on a hard drive. The loading of the game will also be faster from an SSD. So long as you can install FM and save your games to the SSD the rest would depend on your other requirements for the laptop.

[Hovis Dexter]

5 minutes ago, Weasek said:

On the subject of installing a hard drive how would I go about it.i brought a lap top with a 226 gb ssd &I would like to install a hard drive too.its the Lenovo ideapad l340. 

I’ve found upgrading a laptop can be a bit tricky as sometimes it’s not very clear where all the retaining screws and clips are located. If you search on line for a manual for your specific model it should give you step by step instructions as to how you upgrade it.

[Smurf]

19 minutes ago, JamesH1993 said:

So there would be no difference to FM performance?

I can get 512 SSD for £860, 1GB SSD for £930 or 256 SSD and 1GB Hard Drive for £880. 
 

I have a big graphics folder on my current laptop and altogether am using about 250GB of memory but that’s me being tight with downloads and moving stuff to D Drive etc.

 

which out of the three would be better value for money to help FM Processing speeds? 

256 SSD and 1GB hard drive would be better.

You can install everything else on the 1TB*edit* drive, and set it up as download etc.

The 256SSD would be good for booting up. 

10 minutes ago, Weasek said:

On the subject of installing a hard drive how would I go about it.i brought a lap top with a 226 gb ssd &I would like to install a hard drive too.its the Lenovo ideapad l340. 

Ideapads and ultranotebooks can be tricky - most laptops have screws to remove underneath the laptop to access the hard drive - and if there's room for a second one.

I looked up your model and it it's tricky enough to open up as you have to remove the entire back case - I'd bring it to a tech place - if any open, as opening it could void the warranty. PLus I also read that you need to buy a 2nd cable and on this model the price of the 2nd cable is outrageous. 

You could of course get a thumbdrive or external harddrive. 

https://www.amazon.com/Patriot-Supersonic-Elite-Transfer-Speeds/dp/B07NM5M94P/ref=sr_1_7?dchild=1&keywords=1tb+thumb+drive&qid=1589270747&refinements=p_n_feature_keywords_two_browse-bin%3A6931972011&rnid=6931969011&s=pc&sr=1-7

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Seagate-Expansion-Portable-PlayStation-STEA1000400/dp/B00TKFEEAS/ref=sr_1_6?dchild=1&keywords=ssd+1tb&qid=1589270823&s=computers&sr=1-6

 

 

Edited May 12, 2020 by Smurf

[Smurf]

8 minutes ago, Gangor said:

Well it won't affect the general operation of FM, but it will affect saving and loading times. Autosaves can take quite a while and they would be noticeably slower on a hard drive. The loading of the game will also be faster from an SSD. So long as you can install FM and save your games to the SSD the rest would depend on your other requirements for the laptop.

You'd think that - but users on the forum have tested this and it really doesn't matter much. 

It really doesn't make that much of a difference in load times/save times, or general performance of FM at all.

[Smurf]

11 minutes ago, Gangor said:

Well it won't affect the general operation of FM, but it will affect saving and loading times. Autosaves can take quite a while and they would be noticeably slower on a hard drive. The loading of the game will also be faster from an SSD. So long as you can install FM and save your games to the SSD the rest would depend on your other requirements for the laptop.

 

1 minute ago, Smurf said:

You'd think that - but users on the forum have tested this and it really doesn't matter much. 

It really doesn't make that much of a difference in load times/save times, or general performance of FM at all.

In saying that - there's no harm in testing it again! It's been a few years since it was brought up.

[Weasek]

57 minutes ago, Smurf said:

 

 

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Seagate-Expansion-Portable-PlayStation-STEA1000400/dp/B00TKFEEAS/ref=sr_1_6?dchild=1&keywords=ssd+1tb&qid=1589270823&s=computers&sr=1-6

 

Thanks smurf for your help,taking into consideration what you said plus price I think I will just go for the above.only reason I didn't get the 512 ssd is the wife moaned about the extra £30 ha!I was just happy to get a laptop for fm😀,so didn't put up much of a fight

 

Edited May 12, 2020 by Weasek

[Smurf]

2 hours ago, Weasek said:

Thanks smurf for your help,taking into consideration what you said plus price I think I will just go for the above.only reason I didn't get the 512 ssd is the wife moaned about the extra £30 ha!I was just happy to get a laptop for fm😀,so didn't put up much of a fight

Well buy here something for £30 and see how she loves you then!

I know the feels man - wifey checks bank balance every hour, can't buy anything without it being noticed, immediately! 

[WhoAreYa?]

23 hours ago, WhoAreYa? said:

I've just had the beginnings of a fantastic save ruined by a malfunction so I'm in need of a new toy. I have a few questions.

1. At a maximum budget of £500, is the better value in a desktop or laptop? (not forgetting the accessories)

2. I've read back a few pages and it looks like the geforce gtx 1050 is a good card for the 3D engine. I don't think I can afford this so what's an example of the next level down?

3. I think I know this one, but should there be more longevity in a desktop? This purchase would need to last as long as possible. 

Sorry to bump this... 

I think I'm waiting for the answer to question 2 more than anything please. 

[Smurf]

14 minutes ago, WhoAreYa? said:

Sorry to bump this... 

I think I'm waiting for the answer to question 2 more than anything please. 

1. At 500 

2. With graphics card

https://www.box.co.uk/81YE008DUK-Lenovo-V15-IWL_2767241.html

1. At 500

2. Without graphics card

https://www.box.co.uk/NX.EFREK.010-Acer-Extensa-15_2612002.html

 

3. Desktop option - depends - do you already have a monitor, keyboard, mouse? If so, the £500  could be a good thing if you don't need to include Monitor etc.

 

[Smurf]

18 minutes ago, WhoAreYa? said:

Sorry to bump this... 

I think I'm waiting for the answer to question 2 more than anything please. 

 

1 minute ago, Smurf said:

1. At 500 

2. With graphics card

https://www.box.co.uk/81YE008DUK-Lenovo-V15-IWL_2767241.html

1. At 500

2. Without graphics card

https://www.box.co.uk/NX.EFREK.010-Acer-Extensa-15_2612002.html

 

3. Desktop option - depends - do you already have a monitor, keyboard, mouse? If so, the £500  could be a good thing if you don't need to include Monitor etc.

 

Just spotted this in the rufurb section https://www.box.co.uk/(Grade-A)-ASUS-X409JA-EK024T_2941977.html

 

[jarradccfc]

Does anyone know how good this will run FM20 please

 

Edited May 12, 2020 by jarradccfc

[bigShell1]

Hi guys, which would you say is the better laptop for the same price? Think both have the same/similar CPU, will it be just down to personal preference? Or is there something glaringly obvious I can’t see, which is very much a possibility with me.
 

https://www.argos.co.uk/product/9396461

or

https://www.ebuyer.com/901659-lenovo-v155-15api-amd-ryzen-5-3500u-8gb-256gb-ssd-15-6-inch-full-hd-81v50008uk?reevoo_page=2#reevoo_embedded_reviews

Cheers guys and take care

 

 

[Smurf]

27 minutes ago, jarradccfc said:

Does anyone know how good this will run FM20 please

 

It will run ok - nothing amazing. But it will run.

 

21 minutes ago, bigShell1 said:

Hi guys, which would you say is the better laptop for the same price? Think both have the same/similar CPU, will it be just down to personal preference? Or is there something glaringly obvious I can’t see, which is very much a possibility with me.

https://www.argos.co.uk/product/9396461

or

https://www.ebuyer.com/901659-lenovo-v155-15api-amd-ryzen-5-3500u-8gb-256gb-ssd-15-6-inch-full-hd-81v50008uk?reevoo_page=2#reevoo_embedded_reviews

Cheers guys and take care

They both look the same to me - no difference. I am very tired today, so maybe I am missing something.

But they both look identical in specs.

[jarradccfc]

This is the laptop I got now is the one I posted earlier better than the one I’ve already got

[WhoAreYa?]

Thank you very much @Smurf I'll take a look.