New Laptop/PC Advice -Please Read the Opening Post

[Sanel]

I don't see why they didn't change the requirements in general and why there aren't any recommended specs. Well yes, 4 GB is enough to run it but there is no way it should be a pleasant experience.

[Wivanee]

Hi @Smurfand @kevhamster

Found this https://www.argos.co.uk/product/8440710 

I've checked the processor and it seems to be decent enough...

Are there any glaring issues with this one?

Cheers again

[Smurf]

12 minutes ago, Wivanee said:

Hi @Smurfand @kevhamster

Found this https://www.argos.co.uk/product/8440710 

I've checked the processor and it seems to be decent enough...

Are there any glaring issues with this one?

Cheers again

Looks good to me.

[kevhamster]

59 minutes ago, roskatsa said:

hey guys, its me again   

so I really like this new huawei matebook 14 2020 with AMD Ryzen 5 4600H Hexa-core 3.0GHz and 16 gb ram, along with 512 gb ssd. Will the graphic card be a big problem/deal breaker in this case? 

https://www.stephanis.com.cy/en/products/information-technology/laptops-and-accessories/laptops/367202

Thanks in advance comrades!

Purely for FM, it should be fine to handle the 3D matches at medium to high settings. 

If you play other modern games though, you will need to look at one with a dedicated graphics card.

[roskatsa]

Just now, kevhamster said:

Purely for FM, it should be fine to handle the 3D matches at medium to high settings. 

If you play other modern games though, you will need to look at one with a dedicated graphics card.

Thanks a lot bro! Yeah Im not interested in anything else than playing fm tbh, so I may go for this one, since I really fancy the whole "notebook" package..

Cheers!

[kevhamster]

1 minute ago, roskatsa said:

Thanks a lot bro! Yeah Im not interested in anything else than playing fm tbh, so I may go for this one, since I really fancy the whole "notebook" package..

Cheers!

Should do a nice job. Very good CPU in it. 

[AK1927]

Hi guys, 

Looking to purchase a new laptop, not particularly clued up for this sort of stuff but id want it mainly for playing fm as i don't really play anything else but with a bit of web browsing, netflix etc as well. 

Would only be looking to have say 5 or 6 countries leagues playable. have a buy now pay later account with currys and a voucher to put towards so have been looking at the two below. 

https://www.currys.co.uk/gbuk/computing/laptops/laptops/acer-aspire-3-15-6-laptop-intel-core-i7-512-gb-ssd-black-10209189-pdt.html

or

https://www.currys.co.uk/gbuk/computing/laptops/laptops/hp-pavilion-15-cw1598sa-15-6-amd-ryzen-7-laptop-512-gb-ssd-silver-10193332-pdt.html?intcmpid=display~RR

 

would you say either of these are any good for what im looking for.

 

[kevhamster]

11 minutes ago, AK1927 said:

Hi guys, 

Looking to purchase a new laptop, not particularly clued up for this sort of stuff but id want it mainly for playing fm as i don't really play anything else but with a bit of web browsing, netflix etc as well. 

Would only be looking to have say 5 or 6 countries leagues playable. have a buy now pay later account with currys and a voucher to put towards so have been looking at the two below. 

https://www.currys.co.uk/gbuk/computing/laptops/laptops/acer-aspire-3-15-6-laptop-intel-core-i7-512-gb-ssd-black-10209189-pdt.html

or

 

 

would you say either of these are any good for what im looking for.

 

Out of the two, the HP is better I think, but for the same price I'd choose this over it: https://www.currys.co.uk/gbuk/gaming/pc-gaming/gaming-laptops/asus-tuf-fx505dt-15-6-gaming-laptop-intel-core-i5-gtx-1650-512-gb-ssd-10205615-pdt.html

You get a stronger CPU and a dedicated graphics card with the same amount of storage. 

The HP does have twice the RAM, but I'd choose the stronger CPU over more RAM.

I'd steer clear of the Acer as the CPU has a very low base clock speed. 

Edited November 1, 2020 by kevhamster

[kevhamster]

5 hours ago, Shwinerz said:

Hi there, I'm currently looking between 2 laptops. Both Dell Inspirons. The first is a 14":

• Intel Core i7-10510U (4 Core), 1.8 GHz (4.9 GHz Max Turbo)
• 16 GB (2 x 8 GB Fixed), DDR 3, 2133 MHz Ram
• 512 GB Solid State Drive (M.2 SSD)
• 14 inch 1920 x 1080 FHD, True Life LED-Backlit
• 2GB NVIDIA GeForce MX250

The second is a 15" touchscreen:

• Intel Core i7-10510U (4 Core), 1.8 GHz (4.9 GHz Max Turbo)
• 16 GB (2 x 8 GB), DDR 4, 2667 MHz Ram
• 512 GB Solid State Drive (M.2 SSD)
• 15.6 inch 3840 x 2160 UHD, IPS Truelife LED-Backlit Touch
• 2GB NVIDIA GeForce MX250

 

I've never played FM with great graphics (normally have to stick to 2D if I don't want my laptop to explode), so I would really like the opportunity to do that. I know the spec of the second laptop is better, but wondered:

- what the playability of the game would be like with 1920 x 1080 FHD and GeForceMX250 would be like, and if it will make a big differencce to upgrade to the second laptop?

- idea of what capacity of leagues I'd be able to load with the laptop running comfortably with that processor and ram.

 

I'd be interested to know what the prices are on those. I wouldn't touch the first one in the basis it's listed as DDR3 RAM, and that is going to be lot slower than a DDR4 equivalent. 

The CPU itself has a base clock speed lower than specified in the requirements for FM20 and at the lowest end for FM21, so I'd say approach with caution. I personally would not recommend. 

I don't know a huge amount about the mx250, but it seems similar in performance to a Geforce 750, which was a midrange card introduced in 2014.  So, it'll likely be OK for FM but it's not going to be recommended for many modern games.

[kevhamster]

6 hours ago, Shwinerz said:

Hi there, I'm currently looking between 2 laptops. Both Dell Inspirons. The first is a 14":

• Intel Core i7-10510U (4 Core), 1.8 GHz (4.9 GHz Max Turbo)
• 16 GB (2 x 8 GB Fixed), DDR 3, 2133 MHz Ram
• 512 GB Solid State Drive (M.2 SSD)
• 14 inch 1920 x 1080 FHD, True Life LED-Backlit
• 2GB NVIDIA GeForce MX250

The second is a 15" touchscreen:

• Intel Core i7-10510U (4 Core), 1.8 GHz (4.9 GHz Max Turbo)
• 16 GB (2 x 8 GB), DDR 4, 2667 MHz Ram
• 512 GB Solid State Drive (M.2 SSD)
• 15.6 inch 3840 x 2160 UHD, IPS Truelife LED-Backlit Touch
• 2GB NVIDIA GeForce MX250

 

I've never played FM with great graphics (normally have to stick to 2D if I don't want my laptop to explode), so I would really like the opportunity to do that. I know the spec of the second laptop is better, but wondered:

- what the playability of the game would be like with 1920 x 1080 FHD and GeForceMX250 would be like, and if it will make a big differencce to upgrade to the second laptop?

- idea of what capacity of leagues I'd be able to load with the laptop running comfortably with that processor and ram.

 

I'd be interested to know what the prices are on those. I wouldn't touch the first one in the basis it's listed as DDR3 RAM, and that is going to be lot slower than a DDR4 equivalent. 

The CPU itself has a base clock speed lower than specified in the requirements for FM20 and at the lowest end for FM21, so I'd say approach with caution. I personally would not recommend. 

I don't know a huge amount about the mx250, but it seems similar in performance to a Geforce 750, which was a midrange card introduced in 2014.  So, it'll likely be OK for FM but it's not going to be recommended for many modern games.

[EdL]

7 hours ago, Smurf said:

That was for FM 20 

You are correct FM21 has shifted the speed down - I'll have to get someone to check that out.

I didn't realise the specs were out!!! YIKES!

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1263850/Football_Manager_2021/

 

@EdL can you weigh on this - is this correct? I haven't seen it change in years!

Not sure - I recall the RAM going up, I doubt we would have lowered the clock speed (although really without knowing the gen of processor the clock speed isn;t much use, sadly the way minimum spec is done doesn't have much nauance)

[lynchian]

Hi Everyone,

Would anyone be kind enough to give me some steer on the better choice of laptop here? I've budgeted for around the £1,000 region as I've been stung previously going cheap on a gaming laptop. 
I spend the good majority of my time on FM, although I've been meaning to get more into other games only available on PC (stuff like Visage etc.). I've got a console so the good majority of intensive games such as Watchdogs etc. I'll be playing on there. I've always just felt a bit restricted by having fairly poor laptops so I'd like to option to play PC games without my laptop giving up on me.

HP Omen 15 - https://store.hp.com/UKStore/Merch/Product.aspx?id=13D29EA&opt=ABU&mastersku=13D29EA&masteropt=ABU&sel=NTB& - I've heard good things about this one & can use student discount to get £100 off it, although I'd be getting the three year care plan so should balance out on price. From what I've read, the AMD Ryzen 7 & 16GB of RAM all seem to be good specs. It also looks pretty sleek & is meant to have good thermals on it.

Acer Predator Helios 300 - https://ao.com/product/nhq7xek001-acer-laptop-black-76408-251.aspx - Again, I've read good things about the Acer Predator, although I can see that this only had 8GB of RAM & runs i7 which I've seen is meant to run hotter than Ryzen 7 & is supposedly the inferior choice for gaming. I'm not the most literate when it comes to graphics cards but I don't know how the GTX 1660 stacks up against the 2060 on the HP. There's another predator available via John Lewis who have a two year warranty, 16GB of RAM & the 2060 graphics card, although that is £1350 (I do get 5% off through work though) but I do fear that is pushing the boat out a bit too far. 

I've seen people say good things about the Lenovo Legion, although I'm not too keen about spending £999 on a system with i5 & I'm really struggling to find one which runs Ryzen 7. I also had a go at putting something through on PC Specialist but I was coming out at more than the price for the Omen.

Thanks so much in advance! 

[Sanel]

@lynchian I'd avoid both.

 

https://www.notebookcheck.net/HP-Omen-15-Gaming-laptop-with-good-battery-life.494680.0.html#toc-emissions

https://www.notebookcheck.net/Acer-Predator-Helios-300-Laptop-Review-A-modern-gaming-laptop-with-a-Turing-GPU.441292.0.html#toc-emissions-quiet-slightly-too-warm-and-underwhelming-speakers

[kevhamster]

13 minutes ago, lynchian said:

Hi Everyone,

Would anyone be kind enough to give me some steer on the better choice of laptop here? I've budgeted for around the £1,000 region as I've been stung previously going cheap on a gaming laptop. 
I spend the good majority of my time on FM, although I've been meaning to get more into other games only available on PC (stuff like Visage etc.). I've got a console so the good majority of intensive games such as Watchdogs etc. I'll be playing on there. I've always just felt a bit restricted by having fairly poor laptops so I'd like to option to play PC games without my laptop giving up on me.

HP Omen 15 - https://store.hp.com/UKStore/Merch/Product.aspx?id=13D29EA&opt=ABU&mastersku=13D29EA&masteropt=ABU&sel=NTB& - I've heard good things about this one & can use student discount to get £100 off it, although I'd be getting the three year care plan so should balance out on price. From what I've read, the AMD Ryzen 7 & 16GB of RAM all seem to be good specs. It also looks pretty sleek & is meant to have good thermals on it.

Acer Predator Helios 300 - https://ao.com/product/nhq7xek001-acer-laptop-black-76408-251.aspx - Again, I've read good things about the Acer Predator, although I can see that this only had 8GB of RAM & runs i7 which I've seen is meant to run hotter than Ryzen 7 & is supposedly the inferior choice for gaming. I'm not the most literate when it comes to graphics cards but I don't know how the GTX 1660 stacks up against the 2060 on the HP. There's another predator available via John Lewis who have a two year warranty, 16GB of RAM & the 2060 graphics card, although that is £1350 (I do get 5% off through work though) but I do fear that is pushing the boat out a bit too far. 

I've seen people say good things about the Lenovo Legion, although I'm not too keen about spending £999 on a system with i5 & I'm really struggling to find one which runs Ryzen 7. I also had a go at putting something through on PC Specialist but I was coming out at more than the price for the Omen.

Thanks so much in advance! 

I'll be honest, not sure on the thermals on AMD v Intel, so can't fairly comment there, but either way a gaming laptop is likely to generate a fair amount of heat by sheer virtue of the parts being used and being packed into a small chassis.

That said, here's another option for you: https://www.box.co.uk/1L6F7EAABU-HP-Pavilion-Gaming-15-ec1009na_2958259.html

The main difference here (aside from price) between this and the Omen is the graphics card - the Omen has the newer RTX 2060 compared to the  GTX1660Ti (which is effectively the immediate predecessor to the 2060).  The 1660Ti should be more than adequate to play most games very well at the 1080p resolution the display offers, but the 2060 will be better at handling ray tracing (contrary to popular belief, the Geforce 16 series card can handle ray tracing but based on my own experience with the 1660 Super it's not necessarily recommended as there's quite a hit to performance).

[PAFC_Dugout]

Hi guys, currently been playing FM19 and 20 on a HP 17" bog standard laptop, I've had it for about 3-4 years. 8GB Ram, AMD RADEON R5 3.00 Ghz, sorry don't know much else about it. 

Have been playing FM touch mode with small database for the last few years, but looking for a new laptop for FM21 as want to switch to full mode (especially during uk lockdown) and 3D match engine, as have been using 2D with 3D replays with  graphics have been set on low/very low. Have a budget of £500-£700, but really don't want to overspend on a system I  wont be using to its full potential as I only have plans to play FM21 on it. 

Have actually found it difficult to find exactly what i'm after, seems to be quite rare to have gaming laptops with 17" screen, especially when i do'nt really know what half of the specs mean.

The closest i have found to what i'm after is this, https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Acer-Predator-Helios-17-3-Inch-i5-8GB-128GB-SSD-1TB-HDD-GTX1050Ti-Gaming-Laptop/333316526562?epid=4030719172&hash=item4d9b3691e2%3Ag%3AE-sAAOSwdb5eNL~7&LH_ItemCondition=1000

Argos clearance on eBay, only reason i haven't bought it yet is i'm wary of Acer laptops as family have had issues with them in the past (many years ago) where they seem to pack in after a year of use, and i'm looking for at least 3-4 years use out of it for future FM's. Any advice anyone could give me? Have Acer laptops improved over the last few years and now more reliable?  Any other 17" laptops I should be looking at instead at that price range?

thanks in advance guys 

 

Edited November 1, 2020 by PAFC_Dugout

[kevhamster]

50 minutes ago, PAFC_Dugout said:

Hi guys, currently been playing FM19 and 20 on a HP 17" bog standard laptop, I've had it for about 3-4 years. 8GB Ram, AMD RADEON R5 3.00 Ghz, sorry don't know much else about it. 

Have been playing FM touch mode with small database for the last few years, but looking for a new laptop for FM21 as want to switch to full mode (especially during uk lockdown) and 3D match engine, as have been using 2D with 3D replays with  graphics have been set on low/very low. Have a budget of £500-£700, but really don't want to overspend on a system I  wont be using to its full potential as I only have plans to play FM21 on it. 

Have actually found it difficult to find exactly what i'm after, seems to be quite rare to have gaming laptops with 17" screen, especially when i do'nt really know what half of the specs mean.

The closest i have found to what i'm after is this, https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Acer-Predator-Helios-17-3-Inch-i5-8GB-128GB-SSD-1TB-HDD-GTX1050Ti-Gaming-Laptop/333316526562?epid=4030719172&hash=item4d9b3691e2%3Ag%3AE-sAAOSwdb5eNL~7&LH_ItemCondition=1000

Argos clearance on eBay, only reason i haven't bought it yet is i'm wary of Acer laptops as family have had issues with them in the past (many years ago) where they seem to pack in after a year of use, and i'm looking for at least 3-4 years use out of it for future FM's. Any advice anyone could give me? Have Acer laptops improved over the last few years and now more reliable?  Any other 17" laptops I should be looking at instead at that price range?

thanks in advance guys 

 

Specs wise, it's ok.  It seems a little overpriced for the specs to me, but looking around at the usual suspects (Currys, Box, Argos etc) there aren't any options other than this one I'd deem to be acceptable within your budget if you're insisting on a 17" screen.

But to give the specs a quick run-down:
 

CPU: Intel i5-8300H.  Solid, but a a couple of generations old now.

Graphics card: 1050Ti - this would be deemed as entry level these days in terms of dedicated graphics card.  However, if FM's graphical demands remain the same for the next few years, then FM should pose no problem to this card.

8GB RAM: The baseline of what should be aimed for based on current specs.

In summary, it's fine.  But, if you're happy to compromise on the screen size and go for a 15.6" screen, you could get this which has a better CPU with the same graphics card and twice the storage for £599.99: https://www.box.co.uk/81LK0039UK-Lenovo-IdeaPad-Gaming-L340-15_2934443.html

Or, you could get this for the same price which has a better CPU, better graphics card and twice the storage: https://www.box.co.uk/FX505GT-BQ008T-ASUS-TUF-Gaming-FX505GT-BQ008T_2940903.html

Edited November 2, 2020 by kevhamster

[Mattias333]

Haven’t checked this thread in a little bit but had this https://www.box.co.uk/1S0W8EAABU-HP-Pavilion-Gaming-17-cd1015na_2958262.html nearly a month now an runs Fm20 like a dream an with all the graphical additions (logo, faces, stadium packs etc) it looks absolutely beautiful. 
 

id forgotten what it was like to play fm on a machine that processes instantly an doesn’t take 5 mins to load a player up, let alone process a day 😂. 
 

highly recommend. 

[PAFC_Dugout]

9 hours ago, kevhamster said:

Specs wise, it's ok.  It seems a little overpriced for the specs to me, but looking around at the usual suspects (Currys, Box, Argos etc) there aren't any options other than this one I'd deem to be acceptable within your budget if you're insisting on a 17" screen.

But to give the specs a quick run-down:
 

CPU: Intel i5-8300H.  Solid, but a a couple of generations old now.

Graphics card: 1050Ti - this would be deemed as entry level these days in terms of dedicated graphics card.  However, if FM's graphical demands remain the same for the next few years, then FM should pose no problem to this card.

8GB RAM: The baseline of what should be aimed for based on current specs.

In summary, it's fine.  But, if you're happy to compromise on the screen size and go for a 15.6" screen, you could get this which has a better CPU with the same graphics card and twice the storage for £599.99: https://www.box.co.uk/81LK0039UK-Lenovo-IdeaPad-Gaming-L340-15_2934443.html

Or, you could get this for the same price which has a better CPU, better graphics card and twice the storage: https://www.box.co.uk/FX505GT-BQ008T-ASUS-TUF-Gaming-FX505GT-BQ008T_2940903.html

Thanks Kev, how about this one?

https://www.amazon.co.uk/HP-Pavilion-15-dk0010na-i5-9300H-Dedicated/dp/B07S9NZ92D/ref=mp_s_a_1_8?dchild=1&keywords=hp+pavilion+17”&qid=1604312052&sr=8-8

 

[kevhamster]

9 minutes ago, PAFC_Dugout said:

Thanks Kev, how about this one?

https://www.amazon.co.uk/HP-Pavilion-15-dk0010na-i5-9300H-Dedicated/dp/B07S9NZ92D/ref=mp_s_a_1_8?dchild=1&keywords=hp+pavilion+17”&qid=1604312052&sr=8-8

 

That's effectively the same spec as the Asus one I've linked from box.co.uk. but priced £100.00 more, and is still a 15.6" model, so I'd recommend going with the ASUS still. 

[EdL]

15 hours ago, EdL said:

Not sure - I recall the RAM going up, I doubt we would have lowered the clock speed (although really without knowing the gen of processor the clock speed isn;t much use, sadly the way minimum spec is done doesn't have much nauance)

Ok spoke to the boss the reasoning was that 2.2Ghz was the min spec for the worst CPU, the Pentium 4 and as that has been removed it moved to match the spec of the min CPU on Mac, which is now the same as Windows effectively, a Core 2 duo

[zep81]

Can anyone recommend a decent monitor for around max £130-40 ish? I'd like it to have full FM resolution so I can see all the info. I was looking at the Lenovo Q24i-10 Full HD 24 Inch IPS 75Hz Monitor.

Thanks for any help.

Edited November 2, 2020 by zep81

[kevhamster]

1 hour ago, zep81 said:

Can anyone recommend a decent monitor for around max £130-40 ish? I'd like it to have full FM resolution so I can see all the info. I was looking at the Lenovo Q24i-10 Full HD 24 Inch IPS 75Hz Monitor.

Thanks for any help.

Do you play any games other than FM?

[Fola]

I am looking for the most powerful laptop to use for Football Manager. I dont use the 3d match engine only 2d. I download facepacks and would probably use 7/8 countries and about 25 or so leagues. 

I am thinking this: https://www.apple.com/uk/shop/buy-mac/macbook-pro/13-inch-space-grey-1.4ghz-quad-core-processor-with-turbo-boost-up-to-3.9ghz-256gb# 

And paying the extra 200 to make it 16GB. My worry is forking out 1500 on a laptop that would run slow. If there are any recommendations for cheaper than would be a better job they would be much appreciated.

I just want a laptop that gets through fm21 as possible and also allows Facepacks etc. My previous laptop got extremely slow as seasons went by which meant I couldn't do anymore than 1/2 seasons. 

Please let me know if the new macbook would be advised or anything else. Just wanted the most powerful and quickest laptop possible. Budget up to 1500 but would prefer cheaper.

With obviously such a big purchase, I want to get something that will fit what I need. Football manager performing quick and easily able to handle. I want to only play 1 save on fm21 if possible.

Thanks

[zep81]

4 minutes ago, kevhamster said:

Do you play any games other than FM?

Na mate. Just FM and general everyday use.

[kevhamster]

19 minutes ago, zep81 said:

Na mate. Just FM and general everyday use.

https://www.ebuyer.com/720607-aoc-e2470swh-24-full-hd-monitor-e2470swh

This is what I have for my PC.  Love the image quality - very clear and crisp.  And if you're not playing other games, the 60hz refresh rate is all you need.

You will want a pair of speakers if you don't already have them though, as the in-built speakers in the monitor are rubbish.

[kevhamster]

1 hour ago, Fola said:

I am looking for the most powerful laptop to use for Football Manager. I dont use the 3d match engine only 2d. I download facepacks and would probably use 7/8 countries and about 25 or so leagues. 

I am thinking this: https://www.apple.com/uk/shop/buy-mac/macbook-pro/13-inch-space-grey-1.4ghz-quad-core-processor-with-turbo-boost-up-to-3.9ghz-256gb# 

And paying the extra 200 to make it 16GB. My worry is forking out 1500 on a laptop that would run slow. If there are any recommendations for cheaper than would be a better job they would be much appreciated.

I just want a laptop that gets through fm21 as possible and also allows Facepacks etc. My previous laptop got extremely slow as seasons went by which meant I couldn't do anymore than 1/2 seasons. 

Please let me know if the new macbook would be advised or anything else. Just wanted the most powerful and quickest laptop possible. Budget up to 1500 but would prefer cheaper.

With obviously such a big purchase, I want to get something that will fit what I need. Football manager performing quick and easily able to handle. I want to only play 1 save on fm21 if possible.

Thanks

My first suggestion is to ignore the idea of a MacBook altogether, as you are paying a massive premium for the fact you're buying an Apple product. 

You could get a machine equivalent to the specs on a Mac for around half the price of what you'd pay for the Apple. 

If you're happy to consider a Windows machine, then I'll be able to give you some suggestions. 

[Fola]

1 minute ago, kevhamster said:

My first suggestion is to ignore the idea of a MacBook altogether, as you are paying a massive premium for the fact you're buying an Apple product. 

You could get a machine equivalent to the specs on a Mac for around half the price of what you'd pay for the Apple. 

If you're happy to consider a Windows machine, then I'll be able to give you some suggestions. 

Happy to ignore macbook. As I said I just want the quickest and most powerful laptop for football manager but smoothly flies through football manager without any issues but also have the possibility to run a number of countries and leagues. Just want the most powerful laptop I can get really for my requirements. Ideally not spend 1500 if I can help it haha 

[Smurf]

6 hours ago, EdL said:

Ok spoke to the boss the reasoning was that 2.2Ghz was the min spec for the worst CPU, the Pentium 4 and as that has been removed it moved to match the spec of the min CPU on Mac, which is now the same as Windows effectively, a Core 2 duo

When you say min spec has little nuanace, how does a U processor on 1.8ghz or slightly lower matter in the battle of the processor. My gut feeling was always fo avoid if possible due to TDP throttling. 

Or is that a thing of the past with newer gen processors? 

Are we ok promoting processors at 1.8ghz on the 45TDP or go slightly higher with 2.0 or with 2.2ghz?

It is a bit of a game changer if 1.8ghz was always the minimum spec outside of a Pentium 4.

Just trying to figure out how best to advise folks parting with a lot of cash to play FM.

 

[kevhamster]

3 hours ago, Fola said:

Happy to ignore macbook. As I said I just want the quickest and most powerful laptop for football manager but smoothly flies through football manager without any issues but also have the possibility to run a number of countries and leagues. Just want the most powerful laptop I can get really for my requirements. Ideally not spend 1500 if I can help it haha 

This is an extremely strong system: https://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/saved-configurations/nova-15/tCM8ZfXQNQ/  total: £1,294.00

The CPU (AMD Ryzen 9 3900)  is one of the most powerful CPU's currently out there.  It will handle whatever FM can throw it it.

The Graphics Card (GeForce RTX 2060) I would describe absolute overkill for FM.  However, the next one down (the 1660Ti) is currently out of stock and the price difference is only £14 and that one is out of stock currently anyway for the next week or so.

 

Another one you could go for: https://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/saved-configurations/optimusXI-17/ZBQwthx!WQ/ - total £951.00

The CPU here (Intel i7-10750H) is still extremely capable, and again one of the better CPU's currently available.  Not quite as strong as the Ryzen, but still excellent and will have no issue with FM at all.

The Graphics Card here (GeForce GTX 1650), is still more than enough for FM (and unless SI do something drastic with the 3D engine, I don't see that changing).

This one is a 17.3" display, so is a bit larger than the first one.

 

I'm not sure what @Smurf would think in terms of use for FM between the two.  Although the Ryzen one is more powerful, I don't know if there would be enough of a difference in how they handle FM to justify the extra £300+ for the first one.  Personally, I'd be inclined to go for the less expensive of the two if you're not playing other games as that one should be more than enough for a few years at least.  But that is just my own opinion!

If you do play other modern games, then the extra power of the 2060 is definitely the better option.

 

 

Edited November 2, 2020 by kevhamster

[Smurf]

16 minutes ago, kevhamster said:

This is an extremely strong system: https://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/saved-configurations/nova-15/tCM8ZfXQNQ/  total: £1,294.00

The CPU (AMD Ryzen 9 3900)  is one of the most powerful CPU's currently out there.  It will handle whatever FM can throw it it.

The Graphics Card (GeForce RTX 2060) I would describe absolute overkill for FM.  However, the next one down (the 1660Ti) is currently out of stock and the price difference is only £14 and that one is out of stock currently anyway for the next week or so.

 

Another one you could go for: https://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/saved-configurations/optimusXI-17/ZBQwthx!WQ/ - total £951.00

The CPU here (Intel i7-10750H) is still extremely capable, and again one of the better CPU's currently available.  Not quite as strong as the Ryzen, but still excellent and will have no issue with FM at all.

The Graphics Card here (GeForce GTX 1650), is still more than enough for FM (and unless SI do something drastic with the 3D engine, I don't see that changing).

This one is a 17.3" display, so is a bit larger than the first one.

 

I'm not sure what @Smurf would think in terms of use for FM between the two.  Although the Ryzen one is more powerful, I don't know if there would be enough of a difference in how they handle FM to justify the extra £300+ for the first one.  Personally, I'd be inclined to go for the less expensive of the two if you're not playing other games as that one should be more than enough for a few years at least.  But that is just my own opinion!

If you do play other modern games, then the extra power of the 2060 is definitely the better option.

The one you picked with the i7 - change that to the Ryzen 4800H - faster base speed, ok not as much Turbo, but not sure what heights you'd reach anyway.

Also has more cores/threads.

If you can afford the other one though the Ryzen 9 3900 is amazing. 

 

The 108750H is similar enough to the Ryzen - and configured one here with the 2060 graphics card too

Unique URL to re-configure: https://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/saved-configurations/optimusXI-pro-15/p3jxKgx5m6/

 

I'd be gunning for that OP to go for the Ryzen 9 - stunning.

[kevhamster]

1 minute ago, Smurf said:

The one you picked with the i7 - change that to the Ryzen 4800H - faster base speed, ok not as much Turbo, but not sure what heights you'd reach anyway.

Also has more cores/threads.

If you can afford the other one though the Ryzen 9 3900 is amazing. 

 

The 108750H is similar enough to the Ryzen - and configured one here with the 2060 graphics card too

Unique URL to re-configure: https://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/saved-configurations/optimusXI-pro-15/p3jxKgx5m6/

 

I'd be gunning for that OP to go for the Ryzen 9 - stunning.

Coolio, just wanted your thoughts.  When it comes to stuff that high up the list, there's a little niggle at the back of my mind which wonders if there's a point of diminishing returns, but I did note that the Ryzen is an absolute beast!

[Fola]

Thanks @kevhamster and @Smurf your help is greatly appreciated.

Just to clarify, you both agree if I can afford it, that I should go for this one?

I dont need to change any spec on that link? 

I will get it bought this evening 😁 this want to make sure I get it all right before spending so much 

https://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/saved-configurations/nova-15/tCM8ZfXQNQ/

[kevhamster]

Just now, Fola said:

Thanks @kevhamster and @Smurf your help is greatly appreciated.

Just to clarify, you both agree if I can afford it, that I should go for this one?

I dont need to change any spec on that link? 

I will get it bought this evening 😁 this want to make sure I get it all right before spending so much 

https://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/saved-configurations/nova-15/tCM8ZfXQNQ/

It's about as future-proof as you can make a laptop at the moment.  Especially after Smurf allayed my fears about it being too OTT, I'd say go for it!

[Fola]

Excellent thanks so much @kevhamster

[Smurf]

22 minutes ago, Fola said:

Thanks @kevhamster and @Smurf your help is greatly appreciated.

Just to clarify, you both agree if I can afford it, that I should go for this one?

I dont need to change any spec on that link? 

I will get it bought this evening 😁 this want to make sure I get it all right before spending so much 

https://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/saved-configurations/nova-15/tCM8ZfXQNQ/

Might get it myself!

[DJapp]

On 30/10/2020 at 21:49, kevhamster said:

https://www.box.co.uk/81LK0039UK-Lenovo-IdeaPad-Gaming-L340-15_2934443.html

Decent laptop CPU, Graphics Card is ample for FM.  Should do the job quite nicely.

Thanks for the feedback. I've seen mentioned a few times about Ryzen processors. Is it worthwhile paying a little bit extra to get a laptop with a Ryzen processor? 

Hope I don't sound to useless!

[EdL]

1 hour ago, Smurf said:

When you say min spec has little nuanace, how does a U processor on 1.8ghz or slightly lower matter in the battle of the processor. My gut feeling was always fo avoid if possible due to TDP throttling. 

Or is that a thing of the past with newer gen processors? 

Are we ok promoting processors at 1.8ghz on the 45TDP or go slightly higher with 2.0 or with 2.2ghz?

It is a bit of a game changer if 1.8ghz was always the minimum spec outside of a Pentium 4.

Just trying to figure out how best to advise folks parting with a lot of cash to play FM.

 

I wouldn't worry massively about clock frequencies, especially base frequencies, I'd generally avoid really low TDP, but I don't think I'd really say 45W is too low - I'd be worried about the ones dipping towards 15W, as they aren't going to be able to sustain the performance for long at all.

Other than that I'd gauge the general CPU performance based on https://www.cpubenchmark.net/ and similar. (and for most people the single thread score is likely most important unless they plan to run a lot of leagues and/or if the match is in full detail for non-user controlled leagues)

[kevhamster]

4 minutes ago, DJapp said:

Thanks for the feedback. I've seen mentioned a few times about Ryzen processors. Is it worthwhile paying a little bit extra to get a laptop with a Ryzen processor? 

Hope I don't sound to useless!

Not necessarily.  There are good and "not so good" with both Ryzen and Intel processors.

[DJapp]

Ok thanks

[Johnsey]

Hey @Smurf-RFC,

Firstly, just wanted to say thank you. I bought the laptop you recommended for me and it has been a dream! 

Secondly, could you recommend another one? Family member (also an FM addict) is looking for a new FM capable machine. His budget is approx £800.

Thanks again for all the help! 

[Fola]

2 hours ago, Fola said:

Thanks @kevhamster and @Smurf your help is greatly appreciated.

Just to clarify, you both agree if I can afford it, that I should go for this one?

I dont need to change any spec on that link? 

I will get it bought this evening 😁 this want to make sure I get it all right before spending so much 

https://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/saved-configurations/nova-15/tCM8ZfXQNQ/

Just bought this nova 15 

[Zemahh]

Guys, how would a Ryzen 5 3400G do when it comes to FM? How many leagues in Full Detail could it handle at an acceptable speed? Not really very familiar with the numbers myself, so hard to judge.

It seems like a decent choice for FM due to the fact it has a very capable integrated graphics card (apparently way better than Intel's graphics). I play no other games, so spending money on a dedicated graphics card seems like a waste of money, but I'd still like to play FM in 3D. Judging by how Vega 11 graphics do in some more graphically intense games, surely it should handle FM no problem?

Would you recommend any other CPU with integrated graphics in roughly the same price range (solely for FM and web browsing)?

Thanks!

[Smurf]

9 minutes ago, Zemahh said:

Guys, how would a Ryzen 5 3400G do when it comes to FM? How many leagues in Full Detail could it handle at an acceptable speed? Not really very familiar with the numbers myself, so hard to judge.

It seems like a decent choice for FM due to the fact it has a very capable integrated graphics card (apparently way better than Intel's graphics). I play no other games, so spending money on a dedicated graphics card seems like a waste of money, but I'd still like to play FM in 3D. Judging by how Vega 11 graphics do in some more graphically intense games, surely it should handle FM no problem?

Would you recommend any other CPU with integrated graphics in roughly the same price range (solely for FM and web browsing)?

Thanks!

As per the Opening Post - please read this - we can't know what level of detail is good for you to play at.

Have you got a link to this - and what's your budget?

Despite this - the 3400G is a good processor - the graphics card is integrated, so might struggle with 3d matches a high detail, so you might have to reduce your settings in 3D matches.

 

 

[Zemahh]

2 minutes ago, Smurf said:

Despite this - the 3400G is a good processor - the graphics card is integrated, so might struggle with 3d matches a high detail, so you might have to reduce your settings in 3D matches.

Judging by how well it does in graphically much more intense games, I'm pretty sure it could handle FM in high detail with no issues. Especially with 3200MHz RAM.

I'm more interested in the CPU side of things, I like to load a lot of leagues and players and I'm wondering how much could it handle realistically. If anyone has any experience with it, I'd appreciate it very much. @EdL

 

[kevhamster]

2 minutes ago, Zemahh said:

Judging by how well it does in graphically much more intense games, I'm pretty sure it could handle FM in high detail with no issues. Especially with 3200MHz RAM.

I'm more interested in the CPU side of things, I like to load a lot of leagues and players and I'm wondering how much could it handle realistically. If anyone has any experience with it, I'd appreciate it very much. @EdL

 

This is the thing that it's hard to give guidance on, as not everyone will find the same processing speed acceptable.

The 3400G offers fairly decent single core performance, so the processing will be reasonable, but whether it's acceptable to you is impossible for us to say.

I was going to suggest looking at the benchmarking thread here, but it seems nobody has tested a rig with that CPU yet: 

 

[Smurf]

11 minutes ago, Zemahh said:

Judging by how well it does in graphically much more intense games, I'm pretty sure it could handle FM in high detail with no issues. Especially with 3200MHz RAM.

I'm more interested in the CPU side of things, I like to load a lot of leagues and players and I'm wondering how much could it handle realistically. If anyone has any experience with it, I'd appreciate it very much. @EdL

 

FM is very different to other games and I don't know how the graphics work, but my understanding is the graphics are quite basic.

But nonetheless, you might need to tweak the detail levels until it's satisfactory.

I don't think speed of RAM will have any affect.

What is 'a lot of leagues and players'? For me that could be 10 nations and 2 league levels in each and a medium database. For you it could be 30 nations with every league level and a large database.

Understand, what is fast for me may be slow for you and vice versa. What you consider a lot, I might consider not to be a lot.

Hit us with what you're trying to do - and the actual specs of what it is you're doing - you never mentioned RAM previously.

Edited November 2, 2020 by Smurf

[Zemahh]

1 minute ago, Smurf said:

I don't think speed of RAM will have any affect.

Ryzen APUs benefit from RAM speed greatly, so 3200 MHz CL14 would be optimal for the said processor, although CL16 is still okay.

Graphically I'm not worried it couldn't handle the next few iterations of FM, but I don't really know where it stands in terms of processing speed.

For example, top 5 leagues in Full Detail, 5 more just as Playable with No Detail and a bunch of extra players for a good scouting database. Could it handle that at a reasonable speed, or would I need a better CPU?

My price range is around €600 just for the rig.

[Zemahh]

34 minutes ago, kevhamster said:

I was going to suggest looking at the benchmarking thread here, but it seems nobody has tested a rig with that CPU yet

Yeah, can't find it on the site below either, that's the one SI recommend for benchmarking, as far as I know.

https://www.notebookcheck.net/Mobile-Processors-Benchmark-List.2436.0.html

Was hoping someone has experience with it, seems like a pretty popular choice for budget gaming.

[kevhamster]

Just now, Zemahh said:

Yeah, can't find it on the site below either, that's the one SI recommend for benchmarking, as far as I know.

https://www.notebookcheck.net/Mobile-Processors-Benchmark-List.2436.0.html

Was hoping someone has experience with it, seems like a pretty popular choice for budget gaming.

It's not on there because that site is for laptop processors, and this is a desktop processor.

That said, I see no reason why it shouldn't handle the sort of setup you've described.

As we've already alluded to, we can't fairly judge it by anyone's standards but our own, but it's a pretty decent budget processor.

 

[Workington-afc]

Hi guys, I Missed out playing much fm20 due to my laptop being rubbish and Google stadia having bugs meaning I couldn't save the game after a few seasons. However the short time I did get to play on stadia I noticed journeyman type saves with lots of leagues ran very quick and I got really into it. I did however miss being able to add kits and badges etc.

With all that in mind I'm Looking to Buy a pc or laptop for fm21. I'm assuming a desktop pc would be the cheaper option. I have a budget of around £500. I've found these 2 deals on amazon. Will they run a decent journeyman (30 to 40 divisions large data base) save OK? Which one is better? Or does any one know of a better option?
Very unlikely I will Use this pc for anything other than fm so I'm assuming graphics cards aren't too important? 

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B08HRWGJY6/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_jwjOFb9E8YY1B?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B08DW3LFYQ/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_VwjOFbG279MC8?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1

Thanks for the help
Ryan
 

Edited November 3, 2020 by Workington-afc
Edit added rough amount of divisions