Is the laptop worth buying?

[nicebutdim]

The Acer Aspire 3 in your first link has a better processor, a bigger SSD, more memory, and a bigger screen. That's the one I would go for between these two and the one recommended by nicebutdim.

I might have got this wrong, but I think it's the initially linked laptop that's going back.

On paper it should be a reasonable device, but I've added Intel core processors to this conversation because of how they operate. The laptop I've linked is far from all singing and dancing, but should easily outperform the other contenders - at least until Microsoft force their next os.

Edit: just realised you meant the first of today's links. Should be a decent machine, but I've not been confident in AMD processors of late, after being a firm advocate of them for many years.

 

[plugsandsparks]

I do hope HHD left it switched on for a day whilst all the updates were being processed otherwise it would have been un-usable. Retail products are very frustrating to deal with as the build you really really need is rarely available cos most retail folk dont have a scooby and buy on make and price. RAM is like a switch, great when you have enough but the performance collapses when more is called for as mentioned earlier.
If HHD still has the slow one and its done all its updates, suggest fire it up, open all the work you normally have open, inc Ef forum, then hit ctrl alt delete to bring up task manager and you will see cpu memory and HD usage, if its running slow the answer is there BUT it nearly always cos of RAM....... or updates, lol

 

[Vortigern]

So Ryzen is the go to for gamers. The cores the CPU has is the important thing. Two cores is pretty obselete nowadays. You should be looking at 4/5 core processors. Graphics are one the major bottlenecks in processing so the better graphics you can get the faster it goes.
Nvidia is good Gforce series. I would tend to buy second hand personally as the cost of new is out of proportion to the value of the item. Lenovo is good. They are actually IBM machines and very solid architecture and time tested build and internals. A five core lenovo is something to consider. I think it is not so much the computer but the above considerations when looking at various models you need to take into account. Don't forget IBM was the first (I think) to produce computers for businesses.
Ryzen is at the moment at least a very desirable computer. The Ryzen 5 just out of fashion being superceded by Ryzen 7 and up, is good value for money. Hope that helps.

 

[kropaske]

I do hope HHD left it switched on for a day whilst all the updates were being processed otherwise it would have been un-usable.

That's spot on. Laptop with that specs should comfortably run what HHD want. My old laptop circa 8yr old with less specs then that one in the first post could do all that and more comfortably.
Its unbelievable how much c..p is installed on those retail laptops, free trials of everything from antivirus to ms office etc.
That's why I usually buy laptops with no OS and install it myself, cheaper and I install what I want and not what someone else thinks I should have

 

[HappyHippyDad]

So Ryzen is the go to for gamers. The cores the CPU has is the important thing. Two cores is pretty obselete nowadays. You should be looking at 4/5 core processors. Graphics are one the major bottlenecks in processing so the better graphics you can get the faster it goes.
Nvidia is good Gforce series. I would tend to buy second hand personally as the cost of new is out of proportion to the value of the item. Lenovo is good. They are actually IBM machines and very solid architecture and time tested build and internals. A five core lenovo is something to consider. I think it is not so much the computer but the above considerations when looking at various models you need to take into account. Don't forget IBM was the first (I think) to produce computers for businesses.
Ryzen is at the moment at least a very desirable computer. The Ryzen 5 just out of fashion being superceded by Ryzen 7 and up, is good value for money. Hope that helps.

So how many 'core processors' does the aspire 3 16gb have in my link? I've tried to find it, but I just don't understand the lingo! Here it is again https://www.argos.co.uk/product/9611342?istCompanyId=a74d8886-5df9-4baa-b776-166b3bf9111c&istFeedId=c290d9a9-b5d6-423c-841d-2a559621874c&istItemId=rwimilmxm&istBid=t&&cmpid=GS001&_$ja=tsid:59157|acid:804-627-9544|cid:20264799336|agid:|tid:|crid:|nw:x|rnd:9856420897002928524|dvc:c|adp:|mt:|loc:9045578&utm_source=Google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=20264799336&utm_term=9611342&utm_content=shopping&utm_custom1=&utm_custom2=804-627-9544&GPDP=true&gclid=CjwKCAjwwb6lBhBJEiwAbuVUStXMlHxjntSrz0HOEEAj3BYjDB8euGNCzC2ASXD1osZ3QH_hgDOx_BoCTYEQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

edit... It says 'octa core' which means 8... does that mean its good?

 

[loz2754]

So how many 'core processors' does the aspire 3 16gb have in my link? I've tried to find it, but I just don't understand the lingo! Here it is again https://www.argos.co.uk/product/9611342?istCompanyId=a74d8886-5df9-4baa-b776-166b3bf9111c&istFeedId=c290d9a9-b5d6-423c-841d-2a559621874c&istItemId=rwimilmxm&istBid=t&&cmpid=GS001&_$ja=tsid:59157|acid:804-627-9544|cid:20264799336|agid:|tid:|crid:|nw:x|rnd:9856420897002928524|dvc:c|adp:|mt:|loc:9045578&utm_source=Google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=20264799336&utm_term=9611342&utm_content=shopping&utm_custom1=&utm_custom2=804-627-9544&GPDP=true&gclid=CjwKCAjwwb6lBhBJEiwAbuVUStXMlHxjntSrz0HOEEAj3BYjDB8euGNCzC2ASXD1osZ3QH_hgDOx_BoCTYEQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

edit... It says 'octa core' which means 8... does that mean its good?

Argos spec says octacore, so 8 cores.

 

[jeffreylray77]

This is kind of electrical, so I hope it's ok in this section. Apologies @westward10 if not, I'm sure it will be moved very quickly

My laptop has had it's day. There is such a huge range of laptops out there that I am getting overloaded. Also, I don't understand half of the spec. AMD athlov vs ryzen 7 ??!! Intel i3??!! No idea which is better or what it really means.

basically, I want a laptop that can handle web browsing and writing up certificates on a pdf, that's it. Is this reasonably priced laptop worth buying... https://www.argos.co.uk/product/3110973?istCompanyId=a74d8886-5df9-4baa-b776-166b3bf9111c&istFeedId=30f62ea9-9626-4cac-97c8-9ff3921f8558&istItemId=rrmatraqw&istBid=t&&cmpid=GS001&_$ja=tsid:59157|acid:804-627-9544|cid:20264799336|agid:|tid:|crid:|nw:x|rnd:7182686531165566896|dvc:c|adp:|mt:|loc:9045578&utm_source=Google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=20264799336&utm_term=3110973&utm_content=shopping&utm_custom1=&utm_custom2=804-627-9544&GPDP=true&gclid=Cj0KCQjwtamlBhD3ARIsAARoaExC4aiXOoZ8bgZUUybTpf7DNMZOS_DaXRiSWabRqGsoNRbA9fB9moAaAs26EALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds

Thanks all.

For your needs of web browsing and writing up certificates on a PDF, you don't require a high-end laptop. Look for an affordable laptop with an Intel i3 or AMD Athlon processor, 8GB of RAM, and a solid-state drive (SSD) for faster performance. This configuration should handle your tasks efficiently without breaking the bank.

 

[HappyHippyDad]

Argos spec says octacore, so 8 cores.

I'm finding it a little hard to work out if it's a good buy.

It has 8 cores and 16GB RAM, sounds good to me??

Will I noticeably see a difference in speed compared to the dual core 8GB RAM aspire 3?

 

[nicebutdim]

I'm finding it a little hard to work out if it's a good buy.

It has 8 cores and 16GB RAM, sounds good to me??

Will I noticeably see a difference in speed compared to the dual core 8GB RAM aspire 3?

Most definitely.

 

[Vortigern]

Yes octacore is eight core, nearly. It is really a dual quad core. The thing is the more cores the more tasks that can be dealt with at the same time. So dual quad is going to be good. I don't personally like Acer anything, check customer service and check reviews! Hewlett packard, anyone? Intel chips have got a bit of a bad rep currently with recalls and the such like. What is not up an front in all of this is does the laptop have TPM? THis is an inbuilt security hard built into the motherboard and gives a significant uplift in computer security against such things as root kits and machine level hacks. Most computers have it built in today. But worth checking. TPM is trusted platform module.
The processor speed is important and 1.8 ghz is pants I would not buy that. I want 3 Ghz minimum. With a quad upward around 3Gig is usually standard.

 

[HappyHippyDad]

Sorry to keep this thread going, but I've seen another laptop now that I 'think' ticks more of the boxes. @Vortigern put me of the acer because of the 1.8Ghz processor speed!

How about this one...?
2.8Ghz speed,
Quad core,
16gb RAM,
Ryzen 5

https://www.argos.co.uk/product/3088782

 

[DPG]

Sorry to keep this thread going, but I've seen another laptop now that I 'think' ticks more of the boxes. @Vortigern put me of the acer because of the 1.8Ghz processor speed!

How about this one...?
2.8Ghz speed,
Quad core,
16gb RAM,
Ryzen 5

https://www.argos.co.uk/product/3088782

That will cope with a lot more than the basic stuff you need it for. Which is probably a good thing - it would save upgrading when you decide you need to use different software.

i suppose it depends how important it is to keep cost to a minimum.

 

[kropaske]

You are going up with price every post, in that case consider this one:

M1503QA-L1119W, ASUS Vivobook 15X AMD Ryzen 5 16GB | Box.co.uk

www.box.co.uk

It will give you couple more cores, even more clock speed and great screen.

And in case you buy laptop with windows in S-mode, Google how to switch it off as you will be swearing at Bill soon as you attempt to install any software. Many laptoos comes with Windows in S-mode now.

 

[HappyHippyDad]

That will cope with a lot more than the basic stuff you need it for. Which is probably a good thing - it would save upgrading when you decide you need to use different software.

i suppose it depends how important it is to keep cost to a minimum.

Thanks DPG... Unfortunately I've taken so long to think about it, it is now no longer available at my local Argos! In fact, I think I could correctly use the word 'tardy' here

You are going up with price every post, in that case consider this one:

M1503QA-L1119W, ASUS Vivobook 15X AMD Ryzen 5 16GB | Box.co.uk

www.box.co.uk

It will give you couple more cores, even more clock speed and great screen.

And in case you buy laptop with windows in S-mode, Google how to switch it off as you will be swearing at Bill soon as you attempt to install any software. Many laptoos comes with Windows in S-mode now.

What is the processor speed Kropaske? All I can find is what it bursts up to (4.2Ghz). All the others I have looked at seem to have a lower figure (i.e around 1.3 to 2.8 Ghz) and then the higher figure of what it burst up to. What is the lower figure for this model?
Also, have you bought from these guys before without issue?

 

[kropaske]

It's 3.3Ghz

https://www.amd.com/en/products/apu/amd-ryzen-5-5600h

I own laptop with Ryzen 7 5800H which is very similar to this one but with 2 more cores and i find it very fast and responsive

 

[nicebutdim]

Sorry to keep this thread going, but I've seen another laptop now that I 'think' ticks more of the boxes. @Vortigern put me of the acer because of the 1.8Ghz processor speed!

How about this one...?
2.8Ghz speed,
Quad core,
16gb RAM,
Ryzen 5

https://www.argos.co.uk/product/3088782

Take a look at the HP machine I linked again - £120 less and not much difference in spec.

Edit: it had 8gb RAM - hard to keep up

 

[HappyHippyDad]

Take a look at the HP machine I linked again - £120 less and not much difference in spec.

Edit: it had 8gb RAM - hard to keep up

Thanks for the heads up. I've had a proper look now I've had your nudge. yes, it's now a contender. Being risk averse I kind of only want to buy it from a large, well known company that wont quibble at a return. Argos took the other back without any hassle. I'm guessing currys is similar.
One question.... It's £120 cheaper, what's to stop me buying 8GB RAM and putting it in for £30? Have I then got a 16GB RAM machine which is equally good to an advertised 16GB laptop?

It's 3.3Ghz

https://www.amd.com/en/products/apu/amd-ryzen-5-5600h

I own laptop with Ryzen 7 5800H which is very similar to this one but with 2 more cores and i find it very fast and responsive

I'll have a think if I want to spend the extra bucks for the one you suggest. if it's crap, I'll be back on line giving you a poor review ;-)
Have you bought anything from that site before?
I did read that the clock speed is different to processor speed, albeit I think it is relative to processor speed?

 

[kropaske]

Have you bought anything from that site before?

Yep, a lenovo laptop for the wife, came next day, no issues. It was so good a bought another one few days later for myself, again delivered next day, no issues. If you have any concerns buying from unknown online shops always use credit card as transaction can be reversed

 

[HappyHippyDad]

Right.... I just cant spend any more time sat at my existing laptop looking at laptops.

It doesn't have a battery in it as they don't seem to work anymore and it switches itself off twice per hour (randomly).

I am going to take on board anymore replies up until 9pm and then I'm ----ing a coin!

 

[pirate]

Sorry I can't contribute much here. I have 3 laptops and a big desktop PC. My pal fixes them for me. I am very lucky!
I did ask him to have a look at my intercom system...He shook his head and said "That's two Tate & Lyle syrup tins with a bit of string between them...try thicker string!"
PS: Nobody under the age of 50 will understand this, sorry!