Planning to buy a laptop in around a month, got some questions

[Conrad-N7]

I'm currently setting up the specs of Valeon 17'3, going pretty much max specs except for just 1 evo 1tb ssd.

First question is how long does it usually take for the laptop to be assembled and to arrive?

Secondly, how do I know if the hardware is available and I won't have to wait ages for the laptop?

Last question, how worried should I be about cooling? I plan to play total war games, bannerlord, fallout 4 and few of the popular mmos on atm as well as use it for games design stuff, like art and games engines.

 

[SpyderTracks]

First question is how long does it usually take for the laptop to be assembled and to arrive?

Laptops are usually much quicker than desktops as there's less to put together because most of it is integrated into the motherboard, I think currently wait times are around 15 working days so about 3 weeks.

Secondly, how do I know if the hardware is available and I won't have to wait ages for the laptop?

In the configurator it will normally be highlighted if any parts are currently out of stock or on pre order, and once you go through to buy the build, it will give a final warning of any parts that could delay it.

Last question, how worried should I be about cooling? I plan to play total war games, bannerlord, fallout 4 and few of the popular mmos on atm as well as use it for games design stuff, like art and games engines.

Unfortunately these days, due to how powerful CPU's are generally, they all run hot, it's just the way of it. AMD CPU's as in the Valeon tend to run cooler.

Also, in any custom performance laptop with a dGPU, a part of the normal maintenance to maintain optimum temps is to service it once a year or so which just means taking the back off and cleaning it out of dust, and repasting the CPU once a year or so as the paste degrades over that time. A lot of people don't realise this and think there's a fault with the laptop when it starts overheating after some time.

Furthermore, a cooling pad doesn't hurt, it's worth investing in a decent one, this can lower temps by around 5c, and every little helps in that regard.

But with proper maintenance, thermals should be absolutely fine. Just don't expect 70c, it's not a thing anymore, it's high 80's, low 90's most of the time, but that's expected, it's just how CPU's run these days.

 

[Conrad-N7]

Laptops are usually much quicker than desktops as there's less to put together because most of it is integrated into the motherboard, I think currently wait times are around 15 working days so about 3 weeks.


In the configurator it will normally be highlighted if any parts are currently out of stock or on pre order, and once you go through to buy the build, it will give a final warning of any parts that could delay it.


Unfortunately these days, due to how powerful CPU's are generally, they all run hot, it's just the way of it. AMD CPU's as in the Valeon tend to run cooler.

Also, in any custom performance laptop with a dGPU, a part of the normal maintenance to maintain optimum temps is to service it once a year or so which just means taking the back off and cleaning it out of dust, and repasting the CPU once a year or so as the paste degrades over that time. A lot of people don't realise this and think there's a fault with the laptop when it starts overheating after some time.

Furthermore, a cooling pad doesn't hurt, it's worth investing in a decent one, this can lower temps by around 5c, and every little helps in that regard.

But with proper maintenance, thermals should be absolutely fine. Just don't expect 70c, it's not a thing anymore, it's high 80's, low 90's most of the time, but that's expected, it's just how CPU's run these days.

OK that's a lot of useful info, I think i got only 1 last question. Which parts can be replaced / upgrades? Or are all parts soldered on to the motherboard?

 

[SpyderTracks]

OK that's a lot of useful info, I think i got only 1 last question. Which parts can be replaced / upgrades? Or are all parts soldered on to the motherboard?

You can upgrade the RAM and drives basically, the rest is soldered these days.

 

[Tron1982]

In the recoil, you can replace the CPU (but, it's Intel ^^") and theorycally, the GPU
The ssd and the ram too ^^

But it's an other chassis that more expensive ^^"

 

[Conrad-N7]

You can upgrade the RAM and drives basically, the rest is soldered these days.

Cuz basically I'm thinking what to cut corners on at the moment. Like I'm currently only planning to go 1 TB ssd, and perhaps cut down on RAM, since I i might be running out of my planned budget xD

 

[SpyderTracks]

Cuz basically I'm thinking what to cut corners on at the moment. Like I'm currently only planning to go 1 TB ssd, and perhaps cut down on RAM, since I i might be running out of my planned budget xD

if you post your budget and uses we can advise. On a laptop you really have to overdo it to get the most out of it, the gpu will be tge first bottleneck and cant be replaced so you overspec it as far as you can and that extends tye life of the system

 

[Bhuna50]

Cuz basically I'm thinking what to cut corners on at the moment. Like I'm currently only planning to go 1 TB ssd, and perhaps cut down on RAM, since I i might be running out of my planned budget xD

As @SpyderTracks has said - post us your budget and your usage and we can advise for you. For example, I have a couple of questions:

- What draws you to the Valeon? Is it the AMD processor option - if so, you have the Ionico choice as well for that

- Why £2k-ish on a laptop and not a desktop where your options would get you better spec/choice?

- If laptop for portability, how reliable are you on battery requirements - as these gaming laptops do not have the best battery life.

- are you 'retiring' a system at all - if so you could save yourself £100 by transferring the Windows 10 license.

 

[Conrad-N7]

So im basically rolling with £2200 (maybe 2300, but not fond of that range) and currently on valeon with the amd cpu, a 3080, 1tb ssd evo 970, and now stuck on the ram. I initially considering getting 32gb, but tbh I doubt I will need that much.

As for my uses, games like warhammer total war, bannerlord, Fo4, witcher 3 etc; as well as for my Games Design course, so I will be using zbrush, maya, blender (the usual tools) and engines like unity and unreal. Photoshop as well probably since I'm going for games art specifically.

Why Valeon? The 3080 xP

Why laptop? It's pretty obvious if it has to be a laptop then for personal reasons I can't buy a desktop xP
It needs to be a laptop for uni and so I can play on breaks 😅

Battery? Varies, 4 hours without charging minimum would be perfect tbh.

Retiring something? No.

 

[SpyderTracks]

So im basically rolling with £2200 (maybe 2300, but not fond of that range) and currently on valeon with the amd cpu, a 3080, 1tb ssd evo 970, and now stuck on the ram. I initially considering getting 32gb, but tbh I doubt I will need that much.

As for my uses, games like warhammer total war, bannerlord, Fo4, witcher 3 etc; as well as for my Games Design course, so I will be using zbrush, maya, blender (the usual tools) and engines like unity and unreal. Photoshop as well probably since I'm going for games art specifically.

Why Valeon? The 3080 xP

Why laptop? It's pretty obvious if it has to be a laptop then for personal reasons I can't buy a desktop xP
It needs to be a laptop for uni and so I can play on breaks 😅

Battery? Varies, 4 hours without charging minimum would be perfect tbh.

Retiring something? No.

Valeon would be a good fit then for those uses for the multicore benefit over Intel, and 32Gb is definitely going to help, I wouldn't bother with 64Gb off the cuff, you can always add more should you wish to in the future, not only will it help with games like Witcher 3 (if you're adding mods), but also definitely for zbrush, maya and blender.

 

[Conrad-N7]

Valeon would be a good fit then for those uses for the multicore benefit over Intel, and 32Gb is definitely going to help, I wouldn't bother with 64Gb off the cuff, you can always add more should you wish to in the future, not only will it help with games like Witcher 3 (if you're adding mods), but also definitely for zbrush, maya and blender.

So a 32gb is a must then? Was going to cut off ram to 16gb. Cuz I only see cutting down on ram rn 😅

 

[SpyderTracks]

So a 32gb is a must then? Was going to cut off ram to 16gb. Cuz I only see cutting down on ram rn 😅

Gaming won't need any more unless you're using mods.

But the uni work will definitely require more than 16Gb.

 

[Conrad-N7]

Gaming won't need any more unless you're using mods.

But the uni work will definitely require more than 16Gb.

Argh. This is putting me in a pickle lol

OK, well, this answered everything for me. Thanks, anything else recommended? I assume buy cooling pad separately?

 

[SpyderTracks]

Argh. This is putting me in a pickle lol

OK, well, this answered everything for me. Thanks, anything else recommended? I assume buy cooling pad separately?

Yep, I'd check out cooling pads elsewhere like amazon, the coolermaster range are pretty good, generally look for larger fans as they're lower noise and higher airflow. But there are loads of options ranging in price, but do look at review before buying as some literally have no effect whatsoever.

A good one should lower the temps by around 5c.

 

[Bhuna50]

OK - this is not quite ideal for two reasons:

i) usually the Windows OS would go on the fastest drive, but my suggestion here would be to put it on the smaller 512 drive with applications etc and use the 1TB for your storage / games etc.

ii) paying over £2k I would certainly recommend you took GOLD warranty, but Im trying to keep this close to your budget.

But if you went Valeon for the 3080 then this build is a possible for you:

PCSPECIALIST.CO.UK SPECIFICATION

The specification below has been formatted so you can easily copy and paste this to our forums when discussing your specification. Once you've copied the specification, please click here to continue.
Chassis & Display
Valeon Series: 17.3" Matte QHD 165Hz sRGB 100% LED Widescreen (2560x1440)
Processor (CPU)
AMD Ryzen™ 9 Eight Core Processor 5900HX (3.3GHz, 4.6GHz Turbo)
Memory (RAM)
32GB Corsair 2933MHz SODIMM DDR4 (2 x 16GB)
Graphics Card
NVIDIA® GeForce® RTX 3080 - 16.0GB GDDR6 Video RAM - DirectX® 12.1
1st M.2 SSD Drive
512GB INTEL® 670p M.2 NVMe PCIe SSD (up to 3000MB/sR | 1600MB/sW)
1st M.2 SSD Drive
1TB INTEL® 670p M.2 NVMe PCIe SSD (up to 3500MB/sR | 2500MB/sW)
Memory Card Reader
Integrated SD Memory Card Reader
AC Adaptor
1 x 230W AC Adaptor
Power Cable
1 x 1 Metre UK Power Cable (Kettle Lead)
Battery
Valeon Series Integrated 62WH Lithium Ion Battery
Thermal Paste
STANDARD THERMAL PASTE FOR SUFFICIENT COOLING
Sound Card
2 Channel High Definition Audio + MIC/Headphone Jack
Wireless Network Card
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) + 3 x USB 3.2 PORTS
Keyboard Language
VALEON 17 SERIES RGB 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 365® (Operating System Required)
Anti-Virus
NO ANTI-VIRUS SOFTWARE
Browser
Microsoft® Edge (Windows 10 Only)
Keyboard & 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
TongFang GM7ZN8M (16GB RTX-3080, R9-5900HX, 165Hz QHD, Blank KB)
Delivery
STANDARD INSURED DELIVERY TO UK MAINLAND (MON-FRI)
Build Time
Standard Build - Approximately 5 to 7 working days
Price: £2,222.00 including VAT and Delivery
Unique URL to re-configure: https://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/saved-configurations/valeon-17/erbHkFVCpG/

i know you want the 3080, but as the screen on laptop is only 1440p anyway, then a 3070 would be just as good for your laptop, so the other consideration would be the Ionico:

this comes in under the £2200 with GOLD warranty then and gives you an extra 1TB drive and a faster drive for the OS / applications:

PCSpecialist
PCSPECIALIST.CO.UK SPECIFICATION

The specification below has been formatted so you can easily copy and paste this to our forums when discussing your specification. Once you've copied the specification, please click here to continue.
Chassis & Display
Ionico Series: 17.3" Matte QHD 165Hz sRGB 100% LED Widescreen (2560x1440)
Processor (CPU)
AMD Ryzen™ 9 Eight Core Processor 5900HX (3.3GHz, 4.6GHz Turbo)
Memory (RAM)
32GB Corsair 2933MHz SODIMM DDR4 (2 x 16GB)
Graphics Card
NVIDIA® GeForce® RTX 3070 - 8.0GB GDDR6 Video RAM - DirectX® 12.1
1st M.2 SSD Drive
500GB SAMSUNG 970 EVO PLUS M.2, PCIe NVMe (up to 3500MB/R, 3200MB/W)
1st M.2 SSD Drive
2TB INTEL® 670p M.2 NVMe PCIe SSD (up to 3500MB/sR | 2700MB/sW)
Memory Card Reader
Integrated Micro-SD Memory Card Reader
AC Adaptor
1 x 230W AC Adaptor
Power Cable
1 x 1 Metre UK Power Cable (Kettle Lead)
Battery
Ionico Series Integrated 91WH Lithium Ion Battery
Thermal Paste
ARCTIC MX-4 EXTREME THERMAL CONDUCTIVITY COMPOUND
Sound Card
2 Channel High Definition Audio + MIC/Headphone Jack
Wireless Network Card
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) + 3 x USB 3.2 PORTS
Keyboard Language
IONICO 17 SERIES RGB 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 365® (Operating System Required)
Anti-Virus
NO ANTI-VIRUS SOFTWARE
Browser
Microsoft® Edge (Windows 10 Only)
Keyboard & Mouse
INTEGRATED 2 BUTTON TOUCHPAD MOUSE
Webcam
INTEGRATED 1MP HD WEBCAM
Warranty
3 Year Gold Warranty (2 Year Collect & Return, 2 Year Parts, 3 Year Labour)
Chassis
TongFang GM7ZN7P (8GB RTX-3070, R9-5900HX, 165Hz QHD, Blank KB)
Delivery
STANDARD INSURED DELIVERY TO UK MAINLAND (MON-FRI)
Build Time
Standard Build - Approximately 5 to 7 working days
Price: £2,187.00 including VAT and Delivery

Unique URL to re-configure: https://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/saved-configurations/ionico-II-17/R8HbGzeh48/

 

[Bhuna50]

Forgot to add, you wont need 64gig RAM - take it from someone that has 64gig RAM and even when stitching several photos together in Lightroom / Photoshop, only ever seen it go to about 35/40 gig RAM usage once...

Also a recommendation for cooling pad too - Ive used this one for many years on both an old Defiance laptop and now my Optimus Pro laptop:

TECKNET 12"-17" Quiet Laptop Cooler Cooling Pad Stand With 3 USB Powered Fans, 1200 RPM, Light Weight & Ultra-Slim Design - TECKNET

Buy TECKNET 12"-17" Quiet Laptop Cooler Cooling Pad Stand With 3 USB Powered Fans, 1200 RPM, Light Weight & Ultra-Slim Design at Amazon.

www.amazon.co.uk

 

[Conrad-N7]

The pad is a great recommendation so will certainly look into it, as for the laptops, I dunno, I feel like I'm more inclined to go for the 3080 one. I honestly think spyder has a point with overkilling laptops, and I need it to last minimum 3 years and I want to be able to play almost any game that comes on the market (obviously not 2077). Also, as far as I know having 2 disks won't change much, just having a fast one is what matters

But I don't know 100%... the pressure is rising on to me 🤣

 

[SpyderTracks]

The pad is a great recommendation so will certainly look into it, as for the laptops, I dunno, I feel like I'm more inclined to go for the 3080 one. I honestly think spyder has a point with overkilling laptops, and I need it to last minimum 3 years and I want to be able to play almost any game that comes on the market (obviously not 2077). Also, as far as I know having 2 disks won't change much, just having a fast one is what matters

But I don't know 100%... the pressure is rising on to me 🤣

its also that laptop gpus arent as powerful as a desktop, so a 3080 laptop card is about a 3070 desktop card

 

[Bhuna50]

The pad is a great recommendation so will certainly look into it, as for the laptops, I dunno, I feel like I'm more inclined to go for the 3080 one. I honestly think spyder has a point with overkilling laptops, and I need it to last minimum 3 years and I want to be able to play almost any game that comes on the market (obviously not 2077). Also, as far as I know having 2 disks won't change much, just having a fast one is what matters

But I don't know 100%... the pressure is rising on to me 🤣

Truthfully, I would go for the Valeon with the 3080 too, I only put the Ionico there to make you think a bit regarding what your budget can get you.

 

[Conrad-N7]

Yeah. Luckily. LUCKILY, I think I might be able to increase my budget, still a maybe but...
It should increase my cap to 2300 and let me buy a gold warranty. Still waiting if its certain but...