Laptop for university use and some gaming

[theb52s]

My daughter needs a new laptop to use at university. She wants to be able to do some gaming online with friends and, having once had a very basic laptop that was very very slow, she is keen on more speed. She has a budget of between £500 to £1000 and wants a laptop that will last a few years.
I've tweaked a few things such as the RAM. Any thoughts? Does this look ok or is there anything else I should think about tweaking, either to save money or improve the specs?

Chassis & Display
Cosmos Series: 15.6" Matte Full HD 120Hz 45% NTSC LED Widescreen (1920x1080)
Processor (CPU)
Intel® Core™ i5 Quad Core Processor 10300H (2.5GHz, 4.5GHz Turbo)
Memory (RAM)
8GB Corsair 2666MHz SODIMM DDR4 (1 x 8GB)
Graphics Card
NVIDIA® GeForce® GTX 1650 - 4.0GB GDDR5 Video RAM - DirectX® 12.1
1st Storage Drive
512GB PCS 2.5" SSD, SATA 6 Gb (520MB/R, 450MB/W)
Memory Card Reader
Integrated 6 in 1 Card Reader (SD /Mini SD/ SDHC / SDXC / MMC / RSMMC)
AC Adaptor
1 x 120W AC Adaptor
Power Cable
1 x 1 Metre Cloverleaf UK Power Cable
Battery
Cosmos Series 4 Cell Lithium Ion Battery
Thermal Paste
STANDARD THERMAL PASTE FOR SUFFICIENT COOLING
Sound Card
2 Channel High Def. Audio + SoundBlaster™ Cinema
Bluetooth & Wireless
GIGABIT LAN & WIRELESS INTEL® Wi-Fi 6 AX200 (2.4 Gbps) + BT 5.0
USB/Thunderbolt Options
1 x USB 3.2 PORT (Type C) + 1 x USB 3.2 PORT + 1 x USB 2.0 PORT
Keyboard Language
15" COSMOS SERIES UK KEYBOARD
Operating System
Windows 10 Home 64 Bit - inc. Single Licence [KK3-00002]
Operating System Language
United Kingdom - English Language
Windows Recovery Media
Windows 10 Multi-Language Recovery Image - Unlimited Downloads from Online Account
Office Software
FREE 30 Day Trial of Microsoft® Office® 365 (Operating System Required)
Anti-Virus
NO ANTI-VIRUS SOFTWARE
Browser
Microsoft® Edge (Windows 10 Only)
Carry Case
Tech Air 15.6 Classic Toploading Case
Notebook Mouse
INTEGRATED 2 BUTTON TOUCHPAD MOUSE
Webcam
INTEGRATED 1MP HD WEBCAM
Warranty
3 Year Silver Warranty (1 Year Collect & Return, 1 Year Parts, 3 Year Labour)
Chassis
Clevo NP50DB (4GB GTX-1650, i5-10300H, 120Hz N4, Blank KB)
Delivery
STANDARD INSURED DELIVERY TO UK MAINLAND (MON-FRI)
Build Time
Standard Build - Approximately 10 to 12 working days
Price: £907.00 including VAT and Delivery

Unique URL to re-configure: https://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/saved-configurations/cosmosIX-15/UX5s5epED3/

 

[Grumpywurzel]

Deffo consider doubling up on the RAM, for the sake of £50. Is that enough storage for her Uni work? Or has she got cloud backup or an external hard drive knocking around?

 

[mamp]

That's a good laptop for the budget to be fair.

Would definitely add the £9 for the 'better' thermal paste. Laptops run hot, and that £9 could improve cooling and therefore device performance / lifespan.

I do like the design of the Cosmos too. It's a thin, elegant chassis - albeit with the 45% NTSC display.
It could be argued that in a few years an upgrade may be required if this is for a regular gamer. By that time, university may have been completed with a desktop system being a better solution. It all depends how much of a gamer this will be for.

With a laptop, you are stuck with the core components for it's lifespan generally. The way I look at it would be paying £900 every 2-4 years, or £1500 every 4-6 years. Either way you're looking at £300~ per year, so I don't think you would be going wrong with this system. You can always buy extra storage and ram down the line too.

 

[Tony1044]

Definitely get her to use Microsoft OneDrive (OD) - she may well get an Office 365 license via the University. These tend to be A1 (Educational) so she wouldn't have access to installable version of Office (but can use the online versions in the portal). She can, however, use OneDrive and the email client built into Windows.

Even if not, there is a free version of OD.

OneDrive will ensure that not only are her files available anywhere but they are version-controlled so should the worst happen, and a document is corrupt there will be earlier versions available and all is not lost.

I'd still backup to a USB drive or something as well for convenience.

 

[theb52s]

Thanks for the replies. At this point she hasn't done any gaming and from what she says it's likely to be fairly casual, just a way of connecting with some of her friends so I'm not sure doubling the RAM would be strictly necessary. Would it make that much of a difference? I wasn't sure about the size of the hard drive. I don't think she would have a massive amount to store on there. I was going to suggest a way of backing up her work to be on the safe side. I had been thinking about an external hard drive but I'll definitely look into Microsoft OneDrive.

 

[ubuysa]

If you always have access to decent Internet bandwidth then cloud backup is the way to go. But when you go somewhere with a low bandwidth or poor quality connection it's as useful as a chocolate teapot. Horses for courses.

On that build I'd keep 8GB of RAM but I would suggest a faster M.2 SSD. The storage device is the main bottleneck in most systems and for best performance you want the fastest SSD you can afford.

 

[Tony1044]

If you always have access to decent Internet bandwidth then cloud backup is the way to go. But when you go somewhere with a low bandwidth or poor quality connection it's as useful as a chocolate teapot. Horses for courses.

On that build I'd keep 8GB of RAM but I would suggest a faster M.2 SSD. The storage device is the main bottleneck in most systems and for best performance you want the fastest SSD you can afford.

'S why I also suggested a USB drive ;-)

 

[theb52s]

Thanks for the replies so far. Options keep changing on the pc specialist site. Taking into account the advice so far I have a couple of specs to choose from. Further thoughts would be appreciated.

s & Display
Optimus Series: 15.6" Matte Full HD 120Hz 45% NTSC LED Widescreen (1920x1080)
Processor (CPU)
Intel® Core™ i7 Six Core Processor 9750H (2.6GHz, 4.5GHz Turbo)
Memory (RAM)
8GB Corsair 2666MHz SODIMM DDR4 (1 x 8GB)
Graphics Card
NVIDIA® GeForce® GTX 1650 - 4.0GB GDDR5 Video RAM - DirectX® 12.1
1st Storage Drive
500GB SEAGATE BARRACUDA 120 2.5" SSD, (up to 560MB/sR | 540MB/sW)
Memory Card Reader
Integrated 6 in 1 Card Reader (SD /Mini SD/ SDHC / SDXC / MMC / RSMMC)
AC Adaptor
1 x 120W AC Adaptor
Power Cable
1 x 1 Metre Cloverleaf UK Power Cable
Battery
Optimus X Series 4 Cell Lithium Ion Battery
Thermal Paste
ARCTIC MX-4 EXTREME THERMAL CONDUCTIVITY COMPOUND
Sound Card
2 Channel High Def. Audio + SoundBlaster™ Cinema
Bluetooth & Wireless
GIGABIT LAN & WIRELESS INTEL® Wi-Fi 6 AX200 (2.4 Gbps) + BT 5.0
USB/Thunderbolt Options
1 x USB 3.1 PORT (Type C) + 2 x USB 3.0 PORTS + 1 x USB 2.0 PORT
Keyboard Language
MULTI COLOUR BACKLIT UK KEYBOARD
Operating System
Windows 10 Home 64 Bit - inc. Single Licence [KUK-00001]
Operating System Language
United Kingdom - English Language
Windows Recovery Media
Windows 10 Multi-Language Recovery Image - Unlimited Downloads from Online Account
Office Software
FREE 30 Day Trial of Microsoft® Office® 365 (Operating System Required)
Anti-Virus
NO ANTI-VIRUS SOFTWARE
Browser
Microsoft® Edge (Windows 10 Only)
Carry Case
Tech Air 15.6 Classic Toploading Case
Notebook Mouse
LOGITECH® OPTICAL USB MOUSE
Webcam
INTEGRATED 1MP HD WEBCAM
Warranty
3 Year Silver Warranty (1 Year Collect & Return, 1 Year Parts, 3 Year Labour)
Chassis
Clevo NH55RAQ (4GB GTX-1650, i7-9750H, 120Hz N4)
Delivery
STANDARD INSURED DELIVERY TO UK MAINLAND (MON-FRI)
Build Time
Standard Build - Approximately 9 to 11 working days
Price: £920.00 including VAT and Delivery

Unique URL to re-configure: https://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/saved-configurations/optimusX-15/qawShnw0wG

 

[theb52s]

Also this. I know it was mentioned that Cosmos is a nice design but it's a little more expensive and the optimus to my uneducated eyes seems to have a better processor. As I say any opinions are valued.

.
Chassis & Display
Cosmos Series: 15.6" Matte Full HD 120Hz 45% NTSC LED Widescreen (1920x1080)
Processor (CPU)
Intel® Core™ i5 Quad Core Processor 10300H (2.5GHz, 4.5GHz Turbo)
Memory (RAM)
8GB Corsair 2666MHz SODIMM DDR4 (1 x 8GB)
Graphics Card
NVIDIA® GeForce® GTX 1650 - 4.0GB GDDR5 Video RAM - DirectX® 12.1
1st Storage Drive
500GB SEAGATE BARRACUDA 120 2.5" SSD, (up to 560MB/sR | 540MB/sW)
Memory Card Reader
Integrated 6 in 1 Card Reader (SD /Mini SD/ SDHC / SDXC / MMC / RSMMC)
AC Adaptor
1 x 120W AC Adaptor
Power Cable
1 x 1 Metre Cloverleaf UK Power Cable
Battery
Cosmos Series 4 Cell Lithium Ion Battery
Thermal Paste
ARCTIC MX-4 EXTREME THERMAL CONDUCTIVITY COMPOUND
Sound Card
2 Channel High Def. Audio + SoundBlaster™ Cinema
Bluetooth & Wireless
GIGABIT LAN & WIRELESS INTEL® Wi-Fi 6 AX200 (2.4 Gbps) + BT 5.0
USB/Thunderbolt Options
1 x USB 3.2 PORT (Type C) + 1 x USB 3.2 PORT + 1 x USB 2.0 PORT
Keyboard Language
15" COSMOS SERIES UK KEYBOARD
Operating System
Windows 10 Home 64 Bit - inc. Single Licence [KK3-00002]
Operating System Language
United Kingdom - English Language
Windows Recovery Media
Windows 10 Multi-Language Recovery Image - Unlimited Downloads from Online Account
Office Software
FREE 30 Day Trial of Microsoft® Office® 365 (Operating System Required)
Anti-Virus
NO ANTI-VIRUS SOFTWARE
Browser
Microsoft® Edge (Windows 10 Only)
Carry Case
Tech Air 15.6 Classic Toploading Case
Notebook Mouse
LOGITECH® OPTICAL USB MOUSE
Webcam
INTEGRATED 1MP HD WEBCAM
Warranty
3 Year Silver Warranty (1 Year Collect & Return, 1 Year Parts, 3 Year Labour)
Chassis
Clevo NP50DB (4GB GTX-1650, i5-10300H, 120Hz N4, Blank KB)
Delivery
STANDARD INSURED DELIVERY TO UK MAINLAND (MON-FRI)
Build Time
Standard Build - Approximately 9 to 11 working days
Price: £931.00 including VAT and Delivery
Unique URL to re-configure: https://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/saved-configurations/cosmosIX-15/8sUUMtt8hf/

 

[theb52s]

The Cosmos is also currently out of stock until 18th May. I know that's only a couple of days but I'm wondering if the current covid situation might delay things further.

 

[ubuysa]

I still think you can do better on the storage. The 512GB INTEL® 660p M.2 NVMe PCIe SSD is only another £5 but it's 2.5 times faster than the Barracuda you've selected, that will make a difference. Plus, it leaves the SATA bay free for a relatively cheap HDD drive for more data storage at a later date.

Chassis & Display
Cosmos Series: 15.6" Matte Full HD 120Hz 45% NTSC LED Widescreen (1920x1080)
Processor (CPU)
Intel® Core™ i5 Quad Core Processor 10300H (2.5GHz, 4.5GHz Turbo)
Memory (RAM)
8GB Corsair 2666MHz SODIMM DDR4 (1 x 8GB)
Graphics Card
NVIDIA® GeForce® GTX 1650 - 4.0GB GDDR5 Video RAM - DirectX® 12.1
1st Storage Drive
NOT REQUIRED
1st M.2 SSD Drive
512GB INTEL® 660p M.2 NVMe PCIe SSD (up to 1500MB/sR | 1000MB/sW)
Memory Card Reader
Integrated 6 in 1 Card Reader (SD /Mini SD/ SDHC / SDXC / MMC / RSMMC)
AC Adaptor
1 x 120W AC Adaptor
Power Cable
1 x 1 Metre Cloverleaf UK Power Cable
Battery
Cosmos Series 4 Cell Lithium Ion Battery
Thermal Paste
ARCTIC MX-4 EXTREME THERMAL CONDUCTIVITY COMPOUND
Sound Card
2 Channel High Def. Audio + SoundBlaster™ Cinema
Bluetooth & Wireless
GIGABIT LAN & WIRELESS INTEL® Wi-Fi 6 AX200 (2.4 Gbps) + BT 5.0
USB/Thunderbolt Options
1 x USB 3.2 PORT (Type C) + 1 x USB 3.2 PORT + 1 x USB 2.0 PORT
Keyboard Language
15" COSMOS SERIES UK KEYBOARD
Operating System
Windows 10 Home 64 Bit - inc. Single Licence [KK3-00002]
Operating System Language
United Kingdom - English Language
Windows Recovery Media
Windows 10 Multi-Language Recovery Image - Unlimited Downloads from Online Account
Office Software
FREE 30 Day Trial of Microsoft® Office® 365 (Operating System Required)
Anti-Virus
NO ANTI-VIRUS SOFTWARE
Browser
Microsoft® Edge (Windows 10 Only)
Carry Case
Tech Air 15.6 Classic Toploading Case
Notebook Mouse
LOGITECH® OPTICAL USB MOUSE
Webcam
INTEGRATED 1MP HD WEBCAM
Warranty
3 Year Silver Warranty (1 Year Collect & Return, 1 Year Parts, 3 Year Labour)
Chassis
Clevo NP50DB (4GB GTX-1650, i5-10300H, 120Hz N4, Blank KB)
Delivery
STANDARD INSURED DELIVERY TO UK MAINLAND (MON-FRI)
Build Time
Standard Build - Approximately 9 to 11 working days
Price: £936.00 including VAT and Delivery

Unique URL to re-configure: https://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/saved-configurations/cosmosIX-15/WkhMtvtMuj/

 

[theb52s]

Thanks. And what about the optimus with i7 processor vs cosmos with i5?

 

[mamp]

The Cosmos is also currently out of stock until 18th May. I know that's only a couple of days but I'm wondering if the current covid situation might delay things further.

My order has an estimated 3-4 weeks until it's built while in stock, so I don't think that will make any difference - a vyper 3.
Also I would guess for uni it's needed in July or September, so should be ok.

The cosmos is 3mm thinner (15%?), has usb 3.2 over the 3.1 and a mini display port which may not be needed though. I would go as far as to say it looks 'cuter' which could be appealing to a young lady.

I agree with going for the faster m2 drive too. This is where the every day system speed will be noticed most - booting windows, finding files etc.

When it comes to backing up my own data, personally I won't touch cloud saving. I don't like the idea of someone else owning my data and being responsible for my accessing it over an internet connection. For me it's usb sticks and external drives every time, but each to their own. I'm sure there's lots of good arguments, but I would rather physically be in possession of something like that.

Bare in mind once you place an order you can make further changes while it's in pre production, which could be 2-3 weeks. you won't be able to change the chassis, but I suppose you effectively hold your place in line with the ability to change all the other components within. So I would suggest making your order before Monday (they only progress builds on working days) safe in the knowledge you can still change things like ram and hard drives.

 

[theb52s]

Thanks. I'll check with my daughter. I'm guessing she'll say whatever you think so no pressure there! I'm thinking the i5 processor will be fine for what she needs so I'll just put it to her as paying slightly more for a slightly lighter and more streamlined laptop.

 

[AX10]

Thanks for the replies. At this point she hasn't done any gaming and from what she says it's likely to be fairly casual, just a way of connecting with some of her friends so I'm not sure doubling the RAM would be strictly necessary. Would it make that much of a difference? I wasn't sure about the size of the hard drive. I don't think she would have a massive amount to store on there. I was going to suggest a way of backing up her work to be on the safe side. I had been thinking about an external hard drive but I'll definitely look into Microsoft OneDrive.

From my personal experience at uni, I didn't actually do an awful lot of offline work on my personal laptop.

Having many group projects, a lot was done through Google Drive/university computers (stored online). 500 or so GB should easily be enough!

Of course it depends on the course though!

 

[theb52s]

So it looks like this is what we'r are going for. Thanks to everyone who commented and made suggestions. Much appreciated. I'm hoping to get it ordered tonight. If anyone does have Any last minute suggestions they would be welcomed.

Chassis & Display
Cosmos Series: 15.6" Matte Full HD 120Hz 45% NTSC LED Widescreen (1920x1080)
Processor (CPU)
Intel® Core™ i5 Quad Core Processor 10300H (2.5GHz, 4.5GHz Turbo)
Memory (RAM)
8GB Corsair 2666MHz SODIMM DDR4 (1 x 8GB)
Graphics Card
NVIDIA® GeForce® GTX 1650 - 4.0GB GDDR5 Video RAM - DirectX® 12.1
1st Storage Drive
NOT REQUIRED
1st M.2 SSD Drive
512GB INTEL® 660p M.2 NVMe PCIe SSD (up to 1500MB/sR | 1000MB/sW)
Memory Card Reader
Integrated 6 in 1 Card Reader (SD /Mini SD/ SDHC / SDXC / MMC / RSMMC)
AC Adaptor
1 x 120W AC Adaptor
Power Cable
1 x 1 Metre Cloverleaf UK Power Cable
Battery
Cosmos Series 4 Cell Lithium Ion Battery
Thermal Paste
ARCTIC MX-4 EXTREME THERMAL CONDUCTIVITY COMPOUND
Sound Card
2 Channel High Def. Audio + SoundBlaster™ Cinema
Bluetooth & Wireless
GIGABIT LAN & WIRELESS INTEL® Wi-Fi 6 AX200 (2.4 Gbps) + BT 5.0
USB/Thunderbolt Options
1 x USB 3.2 PORT (Type C) + 1 x USB 3.2 PORT + 1 x USB 2.0 PORT
Keyboard Language
15" COSMOS SERIES UK KEYBOARD
Operating System
Windows 10 Home 64 Bit - inc. Single Licence [KK3-00002]
Operating System Language
United Kingdom - English Language
Windows Recovery Media
Windows 10 Multi-Language Recovery Image - Unlimited Downloads from Online Account
Office Software
FREE 30 Day Trial of Microsoft® Office® 365 (Operating System Required)
Anti-Virus
NO ANTI-VIRUS SOFTWARE
Browser
Microsoft® Edge (Windows 10 Only)
Carry Case
Tech Air 15.6 Classic Toploading Case
Notebook Mouse
LOGITECH® OPTICAL USB MOUSE
Webcam
INTEGRATED 1MP HD WEBCAM
Warranty
3 Year Silver Warranty (1 Year Collect & Return, 1 Year Parts, 3 Year Labour)
Chassis
Clevo NP50DB (4GB GTX-1650, i5-10300H, 120Hz N4, Blank KB)
Delivery
STANDARD INSURED DELIVERY TO UK MAINLAND (MON-FRI)
Build Time
Standard Build - Approximately 9 to 11 working days
Price: £936.00 including VAT and Delivery

Unique URL to re-configure: https://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/saved-configurations/cosmosIX-15/Qm4!e0nfpC/

 

[bluiska]

Are you capable of installing Windows yourself? Universities often provide Microsoft licences for students (mine did). You could save £60-80 ish on the licence. Do check with the university for a big saving if you are willing to install Windows yourself.

UPDATE: And for that matter, if you can save on Windows, you could double the RAM. Though not necessary.

 

[bluiska]

I would also get rid of the bag for £18. You can get very good ones from Amazon for cheaper. Also consider, will she be using a backpack? In that case a sleeve for the laptop would be a better considering combined with a backpack that has a laptop pocket in it. The mouse you included is fine but it's more convenient to use wireless mice at university (I'm just finish and found it super helpful) as you can use it as a remote when doing presentations...etc.

 

[Silenced]

I would also get rid of the bag for £18. You can get very good ones from Amazon for cheaper. Also consider, will she be using a backpack? In that case a sleeve for the laptop would be a better considering combined with a backpack that has a laptop pocket in it. The mouse you included is fine but it's more convenient to use wireless mice at university (I'm just finish and found it super helpful) as you can use it as a remote when doing presentations...etc.

I'd second that. That case inside a back pack looks like it'd be pretty beefy. I'd go for an Arvok sleeve £8.99 it's slim. I currently use this Homiee sleeve and comes with the extra storage bag which i put my charger in sometimes wireless mouse (MX Master 3) currently £12.99 but save £2 with Amazon voucher. Tech air case is alright if no back pack or anything as can wack it over your shoulder or handle.

I'd assume she's going with the no backpack option as you've gone for the bag version £18 and not the sleeve £19.

 

[theb52s]

Thanks. The bag is open to debate. We were already thinking of taking it off. Same reason we didn't have a headset on there. We can see them cheaper on Amazon. Just went for a basic cheap mouse. She can pick up something anytime if she wants anything different.