New Laptop Advice Please

[Aiddar]

Hi there.

Current desktop is having issues and needs replacing, so... as I am on the road a lot, thought it was time to bite the bullet and go for a laptop. I am looking for advice with the following objectives:-

Primary purpose:- gaming (some games graphic heavy, others more processor-y type games like Civ) and Office use (large office files, but nothing too processor heavy I would guess)
Main considerations:-
1) I'd like to have a decent sized screen for use while on the road
2) I would suggest a lot of RAM (16GB I would suspect); based on past experience (and I fully accept I may be wrong here!!!), RAM helps more with being able to run stuff on the PC later in life than the core processor.
3) Storage - at least 1Tb - not sure what the current state is on storage - is it SSD all the way these days?
4) Sound - not too important. i.e. I want basic capabilities, but a) I use headphones all the time so speakers not essential and b) at my age, you tend to lose the fine definition at the upper reaches anyway ;-)
5) Battery life - not critical consideration, but always useful to have
6) Connectivity/output - I want to be able to use my current external monitors when I am at home, so some way of getting twin monitors (DVI etc.) connections apprecaited
7) Critical - reliability. I need something that will be working fine in 2-3 years time, so probably no bleeding-edge components. Does not need to be squaddie-proof, but a solid case is essential
8) Budget - probably £1,500-£1,800.

... Anyone any suggestions?

Thank you in advance!!

 

[Oussebon]

Potentially something like:


Chassis & Display
Recoil Series: 17.3" Matte Full HD 144Hz 72% NTSC LED Widescreen (1920x1080)
Processor (CPU)
Intel® Core™ i7 Six Core Processor 8750H (2.2GHz, 4.1GHz Turbo)
Memory (RAM)
16GB Corsair 2666MHz SODIMM DDR4 (2 x 8GB)
Graphics Card
NVIDIA® GeForce® RTX 2070 - 8.0GB GDDR6 Video RAM - DirectX® 12.1
1st Storage Drive
NOT REQUIRED
1st M.2 SSD Drive
1TB SAMSUNG 970 EVO PLUS M.2, PCIe NVMe (up to 3500MB/R, 3300MB/W)
The Division 2 FREE with select SAMSUNG NVMe SSDs!
Memory Card Reader
Integrated 3 in 1 Card Reader (SD / SDHC / SDXC)
AC Adaptor
1 x 230W AC Adaptor
Battery
Recoil II Series 46WH Lithium Ion Battery
Power Cable
1 x 1 Metre UK Power Cable (Kettle Lead)
Thermal Paste
STANDARD THERMAL PASTE FOR SUFFICIENT COOLING
Sound Card
2 Channel High Def. Audio + SoundBlaster™ Cinema
Bluetooth & Wireless
GIGABIT LAN & WIRELESS INTEL® AC-9260 M.2 (1.73Gbps, 802.11AC) +BT 5.0
USB/Thunderbolt Options
1 x USB 3.1 PORT (Type C) + 2 x USB 3.1 PORTS + 1 x USB 2.0 PORT
Keyboard Language
PER-KEY RGB BACKLIT UK QUIET MECHANICAL KEYBOARD
Operating System
Genuine 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
BullGuard™ Internet Security - Free 90 Day License inc. Gamer Mode
Browser
Microsoft® Edge (Windows 10 Only)
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)
Delivery
STANDARD INSURED DELIVERY TO UK MAINLAND (MON-FRI)
Build Time
Standard Build - Approximately 5 to 7 working days
Quantity
1

Price £1,788.00 including VAT and Delivery

Unique URL to re-configure : https://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/saved-configurations/recoil-ii-rtx-17/c48cu2!hB!/

1) I'm assuming by large screen, 17.3" is fine (?)
6) What exactly are your current monitors? The models

The main ways to save on the spec above would be to drop the GPU to an RTX 2060, or to change the storage arrangements.

e.g. if you dropped the M.2 SSD and went for a decent enough Sata SSD like the WD Blue, you'd slice £105 off at current pricing. Gaming performance would be unaffected.

 

[Aiddar]

Wow - thank you, nice specification. A couple of questions if I may (I am not so familiar with laptops):-

1) Do I need to worry about overheating? I often work in a sadly very warm, non-air conditioned environment. On a desktop I would simply look for a better fan.. is there anything of that type that might be required? Or if I am worried, just go for a better thermal paste? ;-)
2) As re. the storage.... The SSD drive. If I want to save money, as you suggest, I could get a SATA. However, I LIKE the idea of the SSD... but... will it have much impact on game performance?
3) The monitors I have are a BenQ BL2400 and BenQ EW2770QZ (one is modern (ish) the other fairly old). I do have a potential docking station I could re-use (USB type), so that might help. What is the standard monitor output these days - HDMI?
4) Stupid question of the day.... if I plug the laptop into a USB docking station, can I leave the laptop closed (but functioning) and use an external keyboard, mouse and the screens? i.e. use it in "desktop" mode?

Thank you again

 

[Oussebon]

1) The thermal paste can help. A laptop cooling pad with fans is worth looking at.
You may also decide to undervolt the CPU, reducing temps and power consumption.

2) There are NVMe SSDs like the 970 Evo in the spec I posted. These are very fast, and would have the fastest load times for the OS, games, etc, and have the highest IOPS.

But a 'regular' Sata SSD like the WD Blue I mentioned is still an SSD (and the WD Blue is one of the better Sata SSDs on offer at PCS). It might not be quite as fast at loading as an NVMe SSD, but framerates will be the same and loading speeds will still be way better than with a regular HDD.

If it helps, here is an example:

Anthem load times tested: HDD vs SATA SSD vs NVMe SSD

How much will an SSD help Anthem's load times compared to a hard drive?

www.pcgamer.com

Loading times between a decent Sata SSD and a very good NVMe SSD were actually almost identical.

If you are super into modded games like modded Skyrim or FO4, the faster SSD will almost certainly give appreciable quality of life gains (all those large zip files and multiple installs...).

For this budget level, you do probably want an SSD of some description.

Whether to go for the 970 Evo or a WD Blue depends on what else you'd want to do with those £100.

If the answer is not very much, then by all means get the 970 Evo.

3) So 1 x 1080p (with DVI and DP?) and 1 x 1440p (with HDMI and DP)? In which case you should be fine with appropriate adapter cables (e.g. mDP to DP

4) I'll let others answer about docking stations in detail. But yes, if you have a docking station with works with the laptop, you can close the lid and use it as a desktop. Or keep the lid open and have a 3rd screen.

 

[Aiddar]

Thank you again - appreciated. Time to open up the wallet I guess.

Cheers

 

[Mustafo95]

I was actually planning to order the exact same laptop with those specs. I don't know about you but the rumours of new 1440p 144hz panels coming out in may and also the new i7 9750H had me reconsider. Those potential new specs aren't gonna change the world but if you're like me and not in a hurry, don't upgrade your daily computer often, it might be worth waiting.

 

[Aiddar]

Hmmmm - good point. I may be able to last month or so. Even if I do not go for the higher spec, the new kit may have a downward pressure on the kit I *do* go for.
Thank you

 

[Mustafo95]

Hmmmm - good point. I may be able to last month or so. Even if I do not go for the higher spec, the new kit may have a downward pressure on the kit I *do* go for.
Thank you

Yeah it can be a difficult decision, to wait or not to wait. In my case I just need it by July, but having said that, I'd not mind having it right now either. Initially I was gonna wait for i7 9750H because intel refreshes their processor lineup in spring but then the new upcoming display panels were brought to my attention as well and that basically confirmed it for me. With 1080p display, you've 2 million pixels, with 1440p, it's 3.6 million. That many pixels combined with rtx 2070 and 144hz refresh rate, it's just worth every penny.

 

[SpyderTracks]

Yeah it can be a difficult decision, to wait or not to wait. In my case I just need it by July, but having said that, I'd not mind having it right now either. Initially I was gonna wait for i7 9750H because intel refreshes their processor lineup in spring but then the new upcoming display panels were brought to my attention as well and that basically confirmed it for me. With 1080p display, you've 2 million pixels, with 1440p, it's 3.6 million. That many pixels combined with rtx 2070 and 144hz refresh rate, it's just worth every penny.

I would agree 1440p 144hz on a laptop is the ultimate sweet spot both for gaming and productivity. 4K is just too much on such a small screen. 1080p is old now, really old and gpu’s can handle far more.

 

[Pokkai]

The key thing for me is G-Sync support, even the RTX cards can't maintain 144hz, and the last thing you want on a 2k rig is tearing. I'm amazed they removed them from all options bar the Optane. I assume as the price of RTX cards has gone up, something had to be sacrificed to maintain the pricepoint and so out it went. Shame...

 

[Aiddar]

Mind you.... one of things that makes me chuckle over buying a PC.... there is *always* something new just on the horizon . I used to tell myself it was less important when I had the desktop, as I could just swap components out (new graphic cards, mainly). Not so much with a laptop I suspect!

Still.... I may wait anyway to see what it does to prices ;-)

 

[debiruman665]

Mind you.... one of things that makes me chuckle over buying a PC.... there is *always* something new just on the horizon . I used to tell myself it was less important when I had the desktop, as I could just swap components out (new graphic cards, mainly). Not so much with a laptop I suspect!

Still.... I may wait anyway to see what it does to prices ;-)

I'm almost regretting getting an RTX card, something deep inside me tells me they might just be a fad card after they released another GTX and didn't make the RTX the defacto range.

At best I could hope to use them for machine learning but i dunno if any of the frameworks could even leverage them at this moment

 

[Aiddar]

Hi all.

Finally in a position to hit the button and buy.... Does anyone have any time to check the above spec and see if it is still current? As mentioned at the time, I am looking for a good general use/games machine with a budget of around £1,700-£1, 800 with a good sized screen. I have tried the above link, but it is no longer current.....

Many thanks!

A

 

[Oussebon]

New CPUs are out, so it's the Recoil III now, hence why the link doesn't work.

Updated version would be something like:

Chassis & Display
Recoil Series: 17.3" Matte Full HD 144Hz 72% NTSC LED Widescreen (1920x1080)
Processor (CPU)
Intel® Core™ i7 Six Core Processor 9750H (2.6GHz, 4.5GHz Turbo)
Memory (RAM)
16GB Corsair 2666MHz SODIMM DDR4 (2 x 8GB)
Graphics Card
NVIDIA® GeForce® RTX 2070 - 8.0GB GDDR6 Video RAM - DirectX® 12.1
1st Storage Drive
NOT REQUIRED
1st M.2 SSD Drive
1TB SAMSUNG 970 EVO PLUS M.2, PCIe NVMe (up to 3500MB/R, 3300MB/W)

The Division 2 FREE with select SAMSUNG NVMe SSDs!
Memory Card Reader
Integrated 3 in 1 Card Reader (SD / SDHC / SDXC)
AC Adaptor
1 x 230W AC Adaptor
Battery
Recoil II Series 46WH Lithium Ion Battery
Power Cable
1 x 1 Metre UK Power Cable (Kettle Lead)
Thermal Paste
STANDARD THERMAL PASTE FOR SUFFICIENT COOLING
Sound Card
2 Channel High Def. Audio + SoundBlaster™ Cinema
Bluetooth & Wireless
GIGABIT LAN & WIRELESS INTEL® AC-9260 M.2 (1.73Gbps, 802.11AC) +BT 5.0
USB/Thunderbolt Options
1 x USB 3.1 PORT (Type C) + 2 x USB 3.1 PORTS + 1 x USB 2.0 PORT
Keyboard Language
PER-KEY RGB BACKLIT UK QUIET MECHANICAL KEYBOARD
Operating System
Genuine 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
BullGuard™ Internet Security - Free 90 Day License inc. Gamer Mode
Browser
Microsoft® Edge (Windows 10 Only)
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)
Delivery
STANDARD INSURED DELIVERY TO UK MAINLAND (MON-FRI)
Build Time
Standard Build - Approximately 4 to 6 working days
Price: £1,734.00 including VAT and Delivery

Unique URL to re-configure: https://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/saved-configurations/recoil-iii-rtx-17/EjjYkRcM6v/

 

[Aiddar]

Thank you!!

I have been looking at the options.... Allowing for an additional spend of around £100-00, is this wisely spent as attached? I am looking at enhanced support (dead pixel insurance, better cooling options) Other than the bag ( ), the main differences seems to be the battery and the 6-in-1 card reader?

Is there anything you think that for "just" another £30-40 would make a dramatic difference in either reliability (very important to me) or capability where the money might go better?

Chassis & Display
Defiance Series: 17.3" Matte Full HD 144Hz 72% NTSC LED Widescreen (1920x1080)
Processor (CPU)
Intel® Core™ i7 Six Core Processor 9750H (2.6GHz, 4.5GHz Turbo)
Memory (RAM)
16GB Corsair 2133MHz SODIMM DDR4 (2 x 8GB)
Graphics Card
NVIDIA® GeForce® RTX 2070 Max-Q - 8.0GB GDDR6 Video RAM - DirectX® 12.1
1st Storage Drive
NOT REQUIRED
1st M.2 SSD Drive
1TB SAMSUNG 970 EVO PLUS M.2, PCIe NVMe (up to 3500MB/R, 3300MB/W)

The Division 2 FREE with select SAMSUNG NVMe SSDs!
Memory Card Reader
Integrated 6 in 1 Card Reader (SD /Mini SD/ SDHC / SDXC / MMC / RSMMC)
AC Adaptor
1 x 180W AC Adaptor
Battery
Defiance Series 4 Cell Lithium Ion Battery (62WH)
Power Cable
1 x 1 Metre Cloverleaf UK Power Cable
Thermal Paste
COOLER MASTER MASTERGEL MAKER THERMAL COMPOUND
Sound Card
2 Channel High Definition Audio + MIC/Headphone Jack
Bluetooth & Wireless
GIGABIT LAN & WIRELESS INTEL® AC-9260 M.2 (1.73Gbps, 802.11AC) +BT 5.0
USB/Thunderbolt Options
2 x USB 3.1 PORTS (Type C) + 2 x USB 3.1 PORTS
Keyboard Language
RGB BACKLIT UK KEYBOARD
Operating System
Genuine 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
BullGuard™ Internet Security - Free 90 Day License inc. Gamer Mode
Browser
Microsoft® Edge (Windows 10 Only)
Carry Case
Trust Sydney 17.3" Notebook Carry Bag
Laptop Cooling Stands
CoolerMaster NotePal L2 Laptop Cooler, upto 17.3 inch
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)
Dead Pixel Guarantee
1 Year Dead Pixel Guarantee Inc. Labour & Carriage Costs
Delivery
STANDARD INSURED DELIVERY TO UK MAINLAND (MON-FRI)
Build Time
Standard Build - Approximately 4 to 6 working days

 

[Oussebon]

Why the Defiance? It has a weaker GPU. The 2070 Max-Q is often barely better than a laptop RTX 2060.

 

[Aiddar]

I am not up to speed on latest graphics cards... this was a the default one that came with the base laptop. Perhaps I started in a bad place ;-) What would you suggest?

 

[Oussebon]

At this budget range there are 2 GPUs you're most likely to encounter - RTX 2060 and RTX 2070.

The laptop versions of these cards are a bit less powerful than their desktop namesakes, as you'd expect.

There are also Max-Q versions of the laptop graphics cards, which are lower powered versions, generally designed to go into chassis where the cooling isn't as powerful and it couldn't take a 'full' laptop GPU of that kind.

So the Recoil III RTX 17.3" offers a full laptop RTX 2070. Whereas the Defiance only offers the Max-Q version.

Chassis & Display
Recoil Series: 17.3" Matte Full HD 144Hz 72% NTSC LED Widescreen (1920x1080)
...
Graphics Card
NVIDIA® GeForce® RTX 2070 - 8.0GB GDDR6 Video RAM - DirectX® 12.1

Chassis & Display
Defiance Series: 17.3" Matte Full HD 144Hz 72% NTSC LED Widescreen (1920x1080)
....
Graphics Card
NVIDIA® GeForce® RTX 2070 Max-Q - 8.0GB GDDR6 Video RAM - DirectX® 12.1

The 2070 Max-Q, however, is barely any more powerful than a laptop RTX 2060.

So the Defiance's gaming performance will be significantly lower than the Recoil's.

My question was, why do you want the Defiance rather than the Recoil in view of this?

 

[Aiddar]

Aha! Thank you - that makes more sense Righto, off to use the recoil series....

Incidentally, one of the reason I use you guys is because of this sort of advice - much much appreciated!

A

 

[Mustafo95]

Aha! Thank you - that makes more sense Righto, off to use the recoil series....

Incidentally, one of the reason I use you guys is because of this sort of advice - much much appreciated!

A

Yeah don't get defiance series if you care about performance. Chassis is thinner, weaker gpu, more premium price because it's harder to engineer thin powerful laptops etc.
Also it's only 300g lighter compared to Recoil series. No one is gonna break their back because of extra 300g if they decide to carry it around