View Full Version : New Laptop Advice?
I'm sure you all know that I'm the forum Dinosaur and am totally clueless as regards technology....So, I
was wondering whether anyone could advise me re a new laptop for my daughter?
She wants it for :
Gaming (The Sims)
Watching Videos (YouTube, IPlayer etc)
It should have decent memory storage, a good battery life, be easy to use for browsing and she mentioned something about an 8G RAM?
Thanks in advance-I really wouldn't know where to start and with the shops closed don't want to get anything online without being sure.
Pamplemousse
08-02-21, 21:58
I'm sure you all know that I'm the forum Dinosaur and am totally clueless as regards technology....So, I
was wondering whether anyone could advise me re a new laptop for my daughter?
She wants it for :
Gaming (The Sims)
Watching Videos (YouTube, IPlayer etc)
It should have decent memory storage, a good battery life, be easy to use for browsing and she mentioned something about an 8G RAM?
Thanks in advance-I really wouldn't know where to start and with the shops closed don't want to get anything online without being sure.
The somewhat beat-up HP I type this on was bought second-hand from eBay - it's an HP Elitebook 8460p, one of their old business range. It's built in an alloy chassis so weighs a ton but has a liquid-proof keyboard and is capable of being upgraded to 16Gb of RAM, which mine has. The hard drive was upgraded to a 1TB solid-state device so even if you drop the machine, the hard drive will come to no harm. I wouldn't trade it for anything - from switch-on to Windows 10 being fully functional is something like ten seconds, if that.
ankietyjoe
08-02-21, 22:00
What budget are you looking at P?
If you are okay with privacy concerns and being tracked by google, Chromebooks, are very fast compare to windows .. plus they offer very good security 'out of the box' without having to worry about 3rd party antivirus applications. Chrome is without question very secure, though, not so much privacy focused. They can be purchased new for under 200.00 dollars and they should last for 5 years + of taken care of properly. Your daughter will have lots to chose in the google store as far as gaming apps. On the other hand, Windows 10 (configured properly) is also a good option and secure, but new; they will run you around twice the price - with X-Box embedded within the OS 'itself'. Upon creating a MS account your also creating an X-Box account simultaneously. Skype, Office, One Drive (cloud) based service. Much less than 8GB if RAM and you're going to notice a slowed experience playing games or trying to more than 1 thing at the same time. That being said, a Celeron with 4GB can be had for as little as 300.00 new, and I would highly recommend ASUS - you get a lot for what you pay and with warranty with updated drivers - which is more than enough to watch youtube and stream videos. Its a good way to start without major investment. Online, make sure you are avoiding refurbished (unless you're computer savvy) and go with new laptops so as to avoid getting somebody else's problems. Good luck :)
If you're only going to use it for some games and browsing, a Chromebook might be the way to go. They're affordable and built for that. If you need MS office or other software and the like you can subscribe to it as opposed to having on your hard drive.
Positive thoughts
glassgirlw
09-02-21, 00:43
I was always a windows person until I switched my life over to Mac. Now I’m not sure I’ll ever go back. But they are pricey though and some absolutely hate Macs (I used to be one of those people lol). I’m not super tech savvy so I love Mac for the simple reason that it always works and I don’t have to do anything to it. It just works like it should all the time. Also don’t have to worry about viruses really (I’m on YouTube a ton and would always struggle with viruses on windows computers, even with anti-virus installed). So Mac would be my vote if it’s within the budget! I have a MacBook Air for my laptop, an iMac for my desktop computer, and an iPad Pro for portable lightweight reading and such.
MyNameIsTerry
09-02-21, 01:39
I was always a MS Office person, I needed spreadsheets and databases for my work, but since I no longer have those business roles I find a basic free download of Polaris Office is fine. If you like your graphs you will need to buy the full version though as it's very basic for this and you can't even amend your criteria after producing one. But MS Office is expensive really. It's not bad if you use it but for occasional use it's overpriced these days when you can do online spreadsheet work.
I've still got my full Office 2003 for heavier stuff but you can't install it on newer computers :lac:
Pamplemousse
09-02-21, 07:33
I've still got my full Office 2003 for heavier stuff but you can't install it on newer computers :lac:
Errrr.... that's simply not true, Terry. I have Office 2003 running perfectly on my Windows 10 machine, straight out of the box (because Office 2010 was hateful). The only change I made is to download the Compatibility Pack, so it could work with documents created using the newer XML-based Office versions.
Thank you SO much for all this info and advice! I'll get my daughter to read through all your suggestions because I just don't understand all the technicalities!:)
We're looking at a middle of the range laptop for games and browsing really, nothing Office related. Something reliable and relatively quick. She's looked at the Mac options but has been told that the Windows 10 option is better for games? I don't know...I've got Windows 7 and an ancient ASUS laptop which suits me fine but I still live in the Dark Ages so..
Budget is £600 onwards..I know the Mac is a grand plus but feel that may be too much of an expense and she's always had a problem with new stuff and justifying the expenditure..
Thank you again for all this help. She'll be very grateful for your feedback.
ankietyjoe
09-02-21, 11:05
Thank you SO much for all this info and advice! I'll get my daughter to read through all your suggestions because I just don't understand all the technicalities!:)
We're looking at a middle of the range laptop for games and browsing really, nothing Office related. Something reliable and relatively quick. She's looked at the Mac options but has been told that the Windows 10 option is better for games? I don't know...I've got Windows 7 and an ancient ASUS laptop which suits me fine but I still live in the Dark Ages so..
Budget is £600 onwards..I know the Mac is a grand plus but feel that may be too much of an expense and she's always had a problem with new stuff and justifying the expenditure..
Thank you again for all this help. She'll be very grateful for your feedback.
Windows is the better gaming platform for sure. Not only in terms of what you get for your money, but also in terms of what's actually available. Unless she's an avid gamer though, it's probably not really an issue.
Saying that, the new generation of M1 Macs are far more powerful than the previous Intel powered computers. The cheapest entry point now would be the base model Macbook Air for £999. It is a lot more money, but you have to consider resale value too. After 3 years a PC laptop is virtually worthless, but a Macbook Air would still be worth £500-600. Could be worth it in the long run?
I would probably still stick with Windows though, it's just the better gaming platform overall right now.
After doing a bit of research, this one seems to be a bit of a steal. Slightly over budget, but has some very good specs and gaming performance.
https://www.ebuyer.com/983374-msi-gf63-thin-core-i5-8gb-256gb-gtx-1650-maxq-15-6-win10-9s7-16r412-426
It can be opened up to upgrade RAM and hard drives too, if necessary.
Chromebooks aren't really up to the task of gaming, and in terms of viruses I've run around 20 different computers over the last 15 years or so and never once had a virus issue on anything. AV programs tend to flag up all sorts of stuff that isn't really an issue, really to justify their own existence. Built in Windows defender is all you need. People almost always get viruses from clicking on things they shouldn't click on, and no software will stop people doing that. I've run both Mac and PC for work and play machines.
Edit - Just found out you can actually add a second hard drive internally too if you want to. Any computer tech can do all this, it doesn't take long.
Pamplemousse
09-02-21, 12:57
Chromebooks aren't really up to the task of gaming, and in terms of viruses I've run around 20 different computers over the last 15 years or so and never once had a virus issue on anything. AV programs tend to flag up all sorts of stuff that isn't really an issue, really to justify their own existence. Built in Windows defender is all you need. People almost always get viruses from clicking on things they shouldn't click on, and no software will stop people doing that. I've run both Mac and PC for work and play machines.
Edit - Just found out you can actually add a second hard drive internally too if you want to. Any computer tech can do all this, it doesn't take long.
I've only ever had one virus in 25 years online, and that was a 'drive-by' on an e-card site my late wife visited thanks to the dreaded security hole that was ActiveX; I've forgotten the name of it but it involved some very specific software to get rid of it. Some of my friends have picked up ransomware - usually because the libidinous twerps have been looking at porn. You're right - Windows Defender is more than up to the job.
Now, I have always used motherboards from MSI in all the PCs I have ever built and they are brilliant. I can only imagine their laptops would be as good.
That looks a good buy to me.
WiredIncorrectly
09-02-21, 14:01
If she wants to play The Sims without lags or crashes you're going to need a laptop with a half decent graphics card. Expect to pay in £500 mark used but are powerful enough for games like The Sims.
Here's a Lenovo that will run The Sims: https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Lenovo-Ideapad-L340-15-6-Core-i5-9300H-GTX1650-8Gb-Ram-256GB-SSD-4-MONTHS-OLD/203264172553
Also look at the ASUS VivoBook 15.
I've got a mid level chromebook. I don't recommend them. They get slow once you start installing apps. You're pretty limited to what you can download and install.
WiredIncorrectly
09-02-21, 14:04
I've only ever had one virus in 25 years online, and that was a 'drive-by' on an e-card site my late wife visited thanks to the dreaded security hole that was ActiveX; I've forgotten the name of it but it involved some very specific software to get rid of it. Some of my friends have picked up ransomware - usually because the libidinous twerps have been looking at porn. You're right - Windows Defender is more than up to the job.
Now, I have always used motherboards from MSI in all the PCs I have ever built and they are brilliant. I can only imagine their laptops would be as good.
That looks a good buy to me.
You can have malware and not be aware of it :) A chunk of the Internet are zombies in a botnet and they don't even realize.
ankietyjoe
09-02-21, 14:07
If she wants to play The Sims without lags or crashes you're going to need a laptop with a half decent graphics card. Expect to pay in £500 mark used but are powerful enough for games like The Sims.
Here's a Lenovo that will run The Sims: https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Lenovo-Ideapad-L340-15-6-Core-i5-9300H-GTX1650-8Gb-Ram-256GB-SSD-4-MONTHS-OLD/203264172553
Also look at the ASUS VivoBook 15.
I've got a mid level chromebook. I don't recommend them. They get slow once you start installing apps. You're pretty limited to what you can download and install.
Weird. Pretty much identical the spec of the new one I posted.
The MSI has upgradeable RAM, NVME AND 2.5" bay for a secondary drive. Not bad for a mid range laptop.
WiredIncorrectly
09-02-21, 14:13
Weird. Pretty much identical the spec of the new one I posted.
The MSI has upgradeable RAM, NVME AND 2.5" bay for a secondary drive. Not bad for a mid range laptop.
Ah, my bad Joe. I hadn't read all of the replies.
ankietyjoe
09-02-21, 14:14
Ah, my bad Joe. I hadn't read all of the replies.
It's not a bad thing....it's just weird lol.
Seems to be a bit of a specification sweet spot.
Thank you for finding the MSI, Joe..I'm not sure that she wants an actual gaming laptop because she's very specific as to what games she plays and isn't a serious gamer. However, it looks like a very good laptop and I presume you could just use it for basic day to day stuff? Sorry, I just haven't got a clue as you know!
We're also looking at the ASUS VivoBook 15 which has got some good reviews and looks to be well priced.
MyNameIsTerry
09-02-21, 15:07
Errrr.... that's simply not true, Terry. I have Office 2003 running perfectly on my Windows 10 machine, straight out of the box (because Office 2010 was hateful). The only change I made is to download the Compatibility Pack, so it could work with documents created using the newer XML-based Office versions.
Copy off Ebay, probably OEM, so won't install. Not sure if there is a way around the tightened installation (i assumed it was this so thanks for telling me you can run it) of W10 as I've not looked that far but it won't even recognise the disk.
Pulisa - if you can game nothing office related will trouble you, not that she wants that. Gaming is far more demanding. So the kind of specs Joe & James (our 2 techies who often speak in a language beyond me) will handle a lot of less demanding stuff like internet, streaming, etc since you need a decent amount of grunt to game.
ankietyjoe
09-02-21, 15:44
Thank you for finding the MSI, Joe..I'm not sure that she wants an actual gaming laptop because she's very specific as to what games she plays and isn't a serious gamer. However, it looks like a very good laptop and I presume you could just use it for basic day to day stuff? Sorry, I just haven't got a clue as you know!
We're also looking at the ASUS VivoBook 15 which has got some good reviews and looks to be well priced.
A gaming laptop is just a name tag P. The main difference between a normal laptop and a 'gaming' laptop is generally just the separate processor that deal with graphics. Other than that it's all the same kind of components.
Just a quick look at the Asus Vivobook (for example), it will come in several specification varieties but the most common one seems to use a GPU (graphical processor) that's around 300-400% slower than the one J and I mentioned. This does matter if she wants to play games.
The other important factor is that the MSI laptop, although more expensive, can be upgraded. This may turn it into something that can be used for 4-5 years rather than 1-3 years.
Pamplemousse
09-02-21, 15:49
You can have malware and not be aware of it :) A chunk of the Internet are zombies in a botnet and they don't even realize.
Oh, I know. There's adequate protection on this heap to protect against it - I hope. It has Bitdefender AV+ upon it. Do you think adding good ol' Malwarebytes to it is a good idea, or not worth the effort?
Pamplemousse
09-02-21, 15:59
Copy off Ebay, probably OEM, so won't install. Not sure if there is a way around the tightened installation (i assumed it was this so thanks for telling me you can run it) of W10 as I've not looked that far but it won't even recognise the disk.
Here you go Terry, proof positive (and mine came from eBay too):
5297
It's worth remembering though that Office 2003 will truncate the huge Excel spreadsheets such as the one lurking in the background as it can't support the huge number of columns. I did have a copy of Office 2010 and I found it utterly hateful (it lied when I tried to produce a table in Word with fixed cell sizes).
For some reason (it is explained on the Internet) you can't change the default colour scheme of the programs on this machine (Windows 10 64-bit) but it's a small price to pay.
ankietyjoe
09-02-21, 16:03
I've used Open Office (free) for years and never had an issue with it. Compatible with MS Office.
You can have malware and not be aware of it :) A chunk of the Internet are zombies in a botnet and they don't even realize.FYI - https://blogs.quickheal.com/beware-12-5-million-emails-hiding-ransomware-let-loose-necurs-botnet/ at the end of the article, you can download a scanner that is well received and from a trustworthy company [quickheal). Cheers :)
WiredIncorrectly
09-02-21, 16:43
I've used Open Office (free) for years and never had an issue with it. Compatible with MS Office.
Libre Office user here :)
WiredIncorrectly
09-02-21, 16:47
FYI - https://blogs.quickheal.com/beware-12-5-million-emails-hiding-ransomware-let-loose-necurs-botnet/ at the end of the article, you can download a scanner that is well received and from a trustworthy company [quickheal). Cheers :)
Not to sound condescending (right word?) but I can write malware that can bypass that.
No problem WI :) I don't consider any amtimalware/spyware tool (s) to be "foolproof" 100%; nonetheless, they are just 1 step to keeping your system safeguarded against the evil intent of some lost, bitter, spiteful, and hateful souls out there. Truthfully, it (normally) comes down to what the user 'allows' in via the browser(s) ie scripting. Of course.. there will always lonely, pathetic, bored, miserable folks out there that are relentless at catching unassuming and trusting people off guard. No disrespect; of course. Final posting in this thread. ~All the best ... Bye Bye :)
No real advice but I love the Sims as well!
We play it on an oldish PC but I’m going to have to update that soon too.
Let us know what you get!
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
MyNameIsTerry
09-02-21, 19:23
Here you go Terry, proof positive (and mine came from eBay too):
5297
It's worth remembering though that Office 2003 will truncate the huge Excel spreadsheets such as the one lurking in the background as it can't support the huge number of columns. I did have a copy of Office 2010 and I found it utterly hateful (it lied when I tried to produce a table in Word with fixed cell sizes).
For some reason (it is explained on the Internet) you can't change the default colour scheme of the programs on this machine (Windows 10 64-bit) but it's a small price to pay.
Thanks Pamplemousse. Mine were OEMs though and already installed on other older laptops. So non transferable. Last I tried though I think it thought the disk was corrupted.
Will have another go though just in case. I thought I might have used the same copy on an old XP and W7 laptop (leaving one spare) but can't be sure. I thought OEMs could transfer but they tightened that up for W10?
I used Access for anything big. Far faster. These days it's small stuff but graphing would be useful.
My GF uses 10 and much prefers earlier versions. Easier for new users but slower for the more advanced. Same with Windows really.
No real advice but I love the Sims as well!
We play it on an oldish PC but I’m going to have to update that soon too.
Let us know what you get!
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Yes I will do! I've had some very helpful advice and information on here and am very grateful. My daughter hates making decisions like this and I know the transition period to the new laptop won't be easy but needs must.. Her old laptop is struggling and so is she..Being able to access the Sims again would be a welcome distraction from her overwhelming anxiety.
Pamplemousse
09-02-21, 20:06
Thanks Pamplemousse. Mine were OEMs though and already installed on other older laptops. So non transferable. Last I tried though I think it thought the disk was corrupted.
That copy of Office 2003 Professional I bought was less than £20 - you should be able to pick up a copy for around that, complete with key. Download the Compatibility Pack for the XML variants that came later and you're laughing.
Although my installation is getting cranky with old age, I still think Windows 2000 was Microsoft's best OS: but some professionals I know are doggedly sticking with 7.
ankietyjoe
09-02-21, 20:38
Yes I will do! I've had some very helpful advice and information on here and am very grateful. My daughter hates making decisions like this and I know the transition period to the new laptop won't be easy but needs must.. Her old laptop is struggling and so is she..Being able to access the Sims again would be a welcome distraction from her overwhelming anxiety.
Does it have to be a laptop? Desktop computer no good to her?
I know she wants a laptop. She doesn't do change so replacing anything is very anxiety-inducing for her. It'll have to look and feel just right.
Honestly your advice has really helped, Joe. We've now got some definite options to look at. Thank you!
Hi Pulisa
If you go with mac just know they have a new OS (M1 replacing Intel i5/i7) out late last year. So check out the reviews for gaming. I always thought mac was best for gaming but researching your question now I'm not so sure. I've been in the market for a new laptop for awhile myself now. It has to be geared towards music both recorded and using while playing my drums. But enough about me...:D Can't wait to hear what you go with. It's like waiting for a new baby!:yesyes:
ankietyjoe
09-02-21, 21:33
No problemo. Just post a link to anything you consider here. I'm sure one of us will be able to mull over the specs and give you a heads up on suitability :)
ankietyjoe
09-02-21, 21:36
Hi Pulisa
If you go with mac just know they have a new OS (M1 replacing Intel i5/i7) out late last year. So check out the reviews for gaming. I always thought mac was best for gaming but researching your question now I'm not so sure. I've been in the market for a new laptop for awhile myself now. It has to be geared towards music both recorded and using while playing my drums. But enough about me...:D Can't wait to hear what you go with. It's like waiting for a new baby!:yesyes:
OSX/Mac was never a gaming platform, although Macs can play games. The newer M1 powered Macs are far better suited for games though as the GPU is now integrated with the CPU and RAM offering much greater performance out of a far simpler processor.
For music making in a laptop, Mac is the only choice imo. Core audio is so well integrated with OSX that you can run audio software without the need for an external audio interface with ASIO drivers like you do on PC. Even the newer base model Macbook Airs are on a par with current mid level Mac Pros and top end iMacs because of this.
Oh, I work in audio by the way.
WiredIncorrectly
10-02-21, 09:23
Joe you don't want to look at the new mac pro. Leave it alone. You don't need it :roflmao:
FYI Pulisa. Joe has suggested 2 things to me that I've ended up buying because of his audio knowledge. He knows his stuff in general.
ankietyjoe
10-02-21, 12:42
Joe you don't want to look at the new mac pro. Leave it alone. You don't need it :roflmao:
I'm back on PC for the moment bud, but more and more of my work is video related which means eventually going back to a Mac too is likely to be the way I go. I'll never get a Mac Pro as I don't need one, but I'm keen to see what this years M2 powered Macbook Pro's are like. Being able to edit on the sofa is quite appealing and the PC laptops would require a poxy ASIO interface hanging out the side because of what I do.
I'm back on PC for the moment bud, but more and more of my work is video related which means eventually going back to a Mac too is likely to be the way I go. I'll never get a Mac Pro as I don't need one, but I'm keen to see what this years M2 powered Macbook Pro's are like. Being able to edit on the sofa is quite appealing and the PC laptops would require a poxy ASIO interface hanging out the side because of what I do.
Ok here's my issue with laptops for drum practice sessions, AJ. The music in the headphones just doesn't get loud enough to meet the actual sound level of the drums. Thanks in advance.
Hey wait a minute! This thread is supposed to be about Pulisa!😂
ankietyjoe
10-02-21, 15:41
Ok here's my issue with laptops for drum practice sessions, AJ. The music in the headphones just doesn't get loud enough to meet the actual sound level of the drums. Thanks in advance.
Hey wait a minute! This thread is supposed to be about Pulisa!
One of the reasons you'd need an external interface for music work, but you could also try a decent pair of closed back headphones too.
https://www.argos.co.uk/product/9198119?clickSR=slp:term:acer%20aspire%205:1:37:1
Any views on this one?
Pamplemousse
10-02-21, 21:59
https://www.argos.co.uk/product/9198119?clickSR=slp:term:acer%20aspire%205:1:37:1
Any views on this one?
My first thought is "wot, no DVD drive?"
ankietyjoe
10-02-21, 22:26
https://www.argos.co.uk/product/9198119?clickSR=slp:term:acer%20aspire%205:1:37:1
Any views on this one?
Bigger hard drive than the one I listed, but no proper graphics card. As they're more or less the same money, I would still strongly recommend the one I listed as also has the rather important feature of upgradability.
Laptops haven't had DVD drives in them for years. Virtually all software is downloaded now.
Pamplemousse
10-02-21, 23:08
What about previously-purchased software (thinking about the cost of unnecessary upgrades of AutoCAD and SolidWorks)?
ankietyjoe
10-02-21, 23:22
What about previously-purchased software (thinking about the cost of unnecessary upgrades of AutoCAD and SolidWorks)?
Just buy an external one for £25. The benefits of not having one (bigger battery, better cooling etc) outweigh the loss for the most part.
MyNameIsTerry
11-02-21, 01:50
Yeah, dead easy to buy an external drive now. I thought the same at first but the additional space and ability to keep the weight down/make them thinner has pushed them this way along with the shift away from disks as Joe says. It's a slight inconvenience but you do get the flexibility to get a better spec one too if you want if you can't get the spec all in that you would normally be looking for.
Depends how demanding the gaming, it's so long since I gamed on PC's that I'm well out of it so Joe is knows the market, but separate graphics cards were always the way. These new chips that have built in GPU's are an improvement but no substitute for a dedicated card with a good spec of ram and up to date DDR. And a SSD drive too I would have thought but many have a smaller SSD with a larger, slower IDE don't they Joe?
MyNameIsTerry
11-02-21, 01:56
That copy of Office 2003 Professional I bought was less than £20 - you should be able to pick up a copy for around that, complete with key. Download the Compatibility Pack for the XML variants that came later and you're laughing.
Although my installation is getting cranky with old age, I still think Windows 2000 was Microsoft's best OS: but some professionals I know are doggedly sticking with 7.
That's true. Had a quick look and there are some on there that would be fine for me. I'll have another go first just in case I missed a copy (had at least 2) then go on there.
At the time I got mine many years ago Ebay would be flooded with OEM's so you could always pick up cheap ones bidding. Far fewer now but <£20 is good. I always had to buy with Access included so Pro.
Must admit I also prefer the older formats for various reasons and my GF says the same. She's still in the compliance game and does a lot of analysis, file converting from the national networks, etc so the larger the better for her but that's been the thing she most liked about the updates. Turning everything into an app just slows down people who need a lot on screen at the same time.
ankietyjoe
11-02-21, 10:39
These new chips that have built in GPU's are an improvement but no substitute for a dedicated card with a good spec of ram and up to date DDR. And a SSD drive too I would have thought but many have a smaller SSD with a larger, slower IDE don't they Joe?
Yeah they're ok for basic stuff, but a dedicated GPU is the way to go.
The laptop I listed has a newer M1 SSD drive as the main storage, and a secondary 2.5" slot for additional drives later. You can buy either SSD or IDE drives in the 2.5" laptop size, so it would be easy to stay all SSD. Either way, you're relatively future proofed (as much as you can be with a laptop) for longer.
Pamplemousse
11-02-21, 11:44
Just to be awkward, my previous HP had a 1.8" drive... first time I encountered an M1 SSD was in a Panasonic ToughPad I found in a skip!
GPUs seem to be getting expensive again but at least driven by gaming, rather than using them to process the crypto blockchain... it's been suggested to me that a GPU is the way to build a television standards converter for older analogue standards (e.g. 405 lines) but I wouldn't even know where to start.
Is this one the same as the one you picked out, Joe?
https://www.laptopsdirect.co.uk/msi-gf63-thin-10scsr-1055uk-core-i5-10300h-8gb-256gb-ssd-15.6-inch-geforce-9s7-16r412-1055/version.asp#!#mai
https://www.lenovo.com/gb/en/laptops/ideapad/300-series/IdeaPad-Gaming-3i-15%E2%80%9D/p/88IPG301387 (https://www.laptopsdirect.co.uk/msi-gf63-thin-10scsr-1055uk-core-i5-10300h-8gb-256gb-ssd-15.6-inch-geforce-9s7-16r412-1055/version.asp#!#maindesc)
Pamplemousse
11-02-21, 13:04
This is the one Joe picked out: https://www.laptopsdirect.co.uk/msi-gf63-thin-core-i5-10300h-8gb-256gb-ssd-geforce-gtx-1650-max-q-15.6-inch-9s7-16r412-426/version.asp
ankietyjoe
11-02-21, 13:39
This is the one Joe picked out: https://www.laptopsdirect.co.uk/msi-gf63-thin-core-i5-10300h-8gb-256gb-ssd-geforce-gtx-1650-max-q-15.6-inch-9s7-16r412-426/version.asp
That's the same one.
Pulisa, the one you linked to is basically the same, but with a more powerful version of the graphics chip, which you don't really need.
https://www.argos.co.uk/product/9198119?clickSR=slp:term:acer%20aspire%205:1:37:1
Any views on this one?
Wow that looks nice. Might you want more than 8GB though? I'm thinking about taking a look at this one for myself. Thanks!
https://www.acer.com/ac/en/US/content/series/aspire5
No dvd/cd drive? Oh I gotta have that. There's still a lot out there with it. At least here in the US.
https://www.argos.co.uk/product/8440710
My daughter likes this one as well
Wow that looks nice. Might you want more than 8GB though? I'm thinking about taking a look at this one for myself. Thanks!
https://www.acer.com/ac/en/US/content/series/aspire5
Thanks-this one looks really good too!
ankietyjoe
12-02-21, 19:23
https://www.argos.co.uk/product/8440710
My daughter likes this one as well
Very similar to the one I linked to. Your one has slightly faster CPU (all round performance), my one has much faster GPU (gaming performance). Both are upgradeable.
I would still push towards the faster GPU as you cannot upgrade this particular component in any laptops, and is the most likely part that will cause issues for future gaming....IF it's important to your daughter.
Both will run the Sims just fine for now though.
Your choice is definitely the superior model, Joe. I know my daughter won't be making any decision in a hurry because she is terrified of making a "mistake" and it's a major expenditure for her. She will study every review meticulously and will be thrown into doubt if there is one negative comment out of a hundred opinions.
You and everyone else have really helped me and we have narrowed the search right down now. The MSI one is the best choice but it's down to her at the end of the day.
Thank you so much for all your help and expert advice!
ankietyjoe
13-02-21, 18:23
Your choice is definitely the superior model, Joe. I know my daughter won't be making any decision in a hurry because she is terrified of making a "mistake" and it's a major expenditure for her. She will study every review meticulously and will be thrown into doubt if there is one negative comment out of a hundred opinions.
You and everyone else have really helped me and we have narrowed the search right down now. The MSI one is the best choice but it's down to her at the end of the day.
Thank you so much for all your help and expert advice!
Mine isn't necessarily superior, it's just better slanted towards the kind of thing that's more difficult to upgrade down the line (impossible in the case of a laptop). The one you listed is more or less equivalent apart from that one criteria, and actually slightly better for CPU so you could call them round about evens.
Tell your daughter this is a sweet spot in terms of price/performance. There is no 'mistake' in choosing either, and I can't see a way of getting more for your money in terms of what her usage requirements are. They both have an easy 5 years plus of life in them as they can both be upgraded in terms of RAM and hard drive space.
Mine isn't necessarily superior, it's just better slanted towards the kind of thing that's more difficult to upgrade down the line (impossible in the case of a laptop). The one you listed is more or less equivalent apart from that one criteria, and actually slightly better for CPU so you could call them round about evens.
Tell your daughter this is a sweet spot in terms of price/performance. There is no 'mistake' in choosing either, and I can't see a way of getting more for your money in terms of what her usage requirements are. They both have an easy 5 years plus of life in them as they can both be upgraded in terms of RAM and hard drive space.
That's reassuring to know. I'm very grateful for all your input because I'd have been floundering otherwise and it's not easy when you have to choose a laptop online with zero knowledge!:D
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