FM24 - PC/Laptop advice thread *** PLEASE READ OPENING POST BEFORE POSTING ***

[kevhamster]

7 hours ago, Lukecr1 said:

I hadn't to be fair, does it play the full version?

Yes.

[Gangor]

9 hours ago, Lukecr1 said:

I hadn't to be fair, does it play the full version?

I've played about 8 years with 15-20 leagues in my recent save with no issues. The thumb touch pads are almost as good as a mouse. Very impressive.

[Lukecr1]

30 minutes ago, Gangor said:

I've played about 8 years with 15-20 leagues in my recent save with no issues. The thumb touch pads are almost as good as a mouse. Very impressive.

Great, thank you

Much appreciated, definitely something to think about. Is it as customisable as the pc version?

[Lukecr1]

On the surface pro 9 would the 3d matches be OK? No lag etc?

 

I generally don't load too many nations/leagues - normally around 8 nations with approx 15 to 20 leagues on a large dB 

[kevhamster]

5 hours ago, Lukecr1 said:

On the surface pro 9 would the 3d matches be OK? No lag etc?

 

I generally don't load too many nations/leagues - normally around 8 nations with approx 15 to 20 leagues on a large dB 

You may need to turn the settings down a notch or two, but as long as you're happy with that it'll be fine.

[Lukecr1]

7 hours ago, kevhamster said:

You may need to turn the settings down a notch or two, but as long as you're happy with that it'll be fine.

Brilliant, thank you

Sorry final question, might be a stupid one but will the touchscreen work OK with fm?

[Smurf]

3 hours ago, Lukecr1 said:

Brilliant, thank you

Sorry final question, might be a stupid one but will the touchscreen work OK with fm?

There is a specific version of the game called Touch.

 

I can't see a reason why a touch screen for the full version wouldn't work - it's just an input device, a touch is a click on the mouse. 

If it doesn't work well - would adding a mouse be a killer?

 

[kevhamster]

2 hours ago, Smurf said:

There is a specific version of the game called Touch.

 

I can't see a reason why a touch screen for the full version wouldn't work - it's just an input device, a touch is a click on the mouse. 

If it doesn't work well - would adding a mouse be a killer?

 

FM Touch is only on Apple Arcade for FM23.  SI binned it off entirely for FM22 and brought it back this year as an Apple exclusive thing, I think for the iPad specifically.

But as you say, it is just an alternative input method.  I see no reason why it wouldn't work well. 

[Lukecr1]

3 hours ago, kevhamster said:

FM Touch is only on Apple Arcade for FM23.  SI binned it off entirely for FM22 and brought it back this year as an Apple exclusive thing, I think for the iPad specifically.

But as you say, it is just an alternative input method.  I see no reason why it wouldn't work well. 

I have just seen there may be an issue with the ARM processor on the surface 9 5g model for gaming....whatever arm means 

[Gangor]

13 hours ago, Lukecr1 said:

Brilliant, thank you

Sorry final question, might be a stupid one but will the touchscreen work OK with fm?

I used a Windows tablet to play FM a few years ago and while the touchscreen does work, I quickly got a portable bluetooth mouse. 

[Gangor]

3 hours ago, Lukecr1 said:

I have just seen there may be an issue with the ARM processor on the surface 9 5g model for gaming....whatever arm means 

The issue is that ARM processors use what's called a RISC architecture, while FM is designed to run on processors using the x86 architecture. In order to make x86 programs like FM run on ARM, you need an emulator which uses up a lot of the processing power, making everything run slowly and less reliably. Personally I'd strongly advise against getting an ARM equipped computer to play FM.

[Lukecr1]

4 minutes ago, Gangor said:

I used a Windows tablet to play FM a few years ago and while the touchscreen does work, I quickly got a portable bluetooth mouse. 

Great, thank you

How was the functionality generally? All OK?

[Lukecr1]

5 minutes ago, Gangor said:

The issue is that ARM processors use what's called a RISC architecture, while FM is designed to run on processors using the x86 architecture. In order to make x86 programs like FM run on ARM, you need an emulator which uses up a lot of the processing power, making everything run slowly and less reliably. Personally I'd strongly advise against getting an ARM equipped computer to play FM.

Thank you, so I wouldn't simply be able to download fm 23 from steam and play it?

[Gangor]

19 minutes ago, Lukecr1 said:

Great, thank you

How was the functionality generally? All OK?

Yes it was fine, it's just a PC after all.  It has to be borne in mind though that the cost per level of performance is quite a bit higher usually and often will be low power CPUs which are even slower for programs with a sustained load like FM. I had one of those old Intel m7 chips (I think they were 5w??) which chugged.

[Gangor]

32 minutes ago, Lukecr1 said:

Thank you, so I wouldn't simply be able to download fm 23 from steam and play it?

You would, it would just run poorly. Windows for ARM has an emulator but as I understand it's not great.

I should have also noted here actually that Apple's M1 and M2 CPUs are based on ARM too, but FM has a native Apple version so should work fine on Apple devices. 

[Lukecr1]

1 minute ago, Gangor said:

You would, it would just run poorly. Windows for ARM has an emulator but as I understand it's not great.

I should have also noted here actually that Apple's M1 and M2 CPUs are based on ARM too, but FM has a native Apple version so should work fine on Apple devices. 

Great, thank you

Would it be noticeably poor? If I was loading for example 8 nations with 15 leagues on a large dB, would it run do you think or be basically unplayable?

 

[Gangor]

On 23/03/2023 at 17:21, Lukecr1 said:

Great, thank you

Much appreciated, definitely something to think about. Is it as customisable as the pc version?

Sorry, just realised I didn't answer your question here. Yes it is as customisable - it's the same software after all. It's worth noting though that the Steam Deck runs Linux which you may find more difficult to use if you're not used to it. 

[Gangor]

33 minutes ago, Lukecr1 said:

Great, thank you

Would it be noticeably poor? If I was loading for example 8 nations with 15 leagues on a large dB, would it run do you think or be basically unplayable?

 

It would perform significantly and noticeably worse. Whether it would be playable would depend on the CPU and your patience. 

[Kelvin782]

Hi all, 

I have been looking for a new laptop for FM23, with a max budget of 550.

I play in 2D, and would like to be able to run games with a good amount of leagues to be able to do journeyman saves (major European leagues plus 1/2 obscure European leagues for smaller clubs).

I’ve looked through all of the suggested specs for fm on the various blogs, and then come across the laptop below for what seems a price that is too good to be true? Am I missing something here and should I avoid this?
 

https://ao.com/product/x1500eabq2182w-asus-vivobook-15-laptop-black-95384-251.aspx

If I should avoid it, could anyone make a recommendation for a good laptop in my price range? Thanks. (Based in UK)

[Nacaw]

3 hours ago, Kelvin782 said:

 

Hi all, 

I have been looking for a new laptop for FM23, with a max budget of 550.

I play in 2D, and would like to be able to run games with a good amount of leagues to be able to do journeyman saves (major European leagues plus 1/2 obscure European leagues for smaller clubs).

I’ve looked through all of the suggested specs for fm on the various blogs, and then come across the laptop below for what seems a price that is too good to be true? Am I missing something here and should I avoid this?
 

https://ao.com/product/x1500eabq2182w-asus-vivobook-15-laptop-black-95384-251.aspx

If I should avoid it, could anyone make a recommendation for a good laptop in my price range? Thanks. (Based in UK)

It's pretty clear to me that this is cheap because it has no graphics card. Do you need more than the on-board to play FM in 2D? I really don't know.

[Kelvin782]

41 minutes ago, Nacaw said:

It's pretty clear to me that this is cheap because it has no graphics card. Do you need more than the on-board to play FM in 2D? I really don't know.

Thanks for the reply. 
 

The laptop I am running now and have been for probably 6/7 years or more has Intel (R) HD Graphics - and runs 2D just fine for what I need it for. I’m guessing this is the older, non graphics card option to what the potential new laptop has - Intel® Iris® Xe Graphics ? 
 

I am more concerned about speed / quality of play than I am having the best  graphics.

[Gangor]

1 hour ago, Nacaw said:

It's pretty clear to me that this is cheap because it has no graphics card. Do you need more than the on-board to play FM in 2D? I really don't know.

It's cheap because it's two generations (three years) old. The graphics are sufficient for FM, but you may need to turn down some of the graphical options. My 2p is that it's not a bad price for what it is. 

[Nacaw]

11 minutes ago, Kelvin782 said:

Thanks for the reply. 
 

The laptop I am running now and have been for probably 6/7 years or more has Intel (R) HD Graphics - and runs 2D just fine for what I need it for. I’m guessing this is the older, non graphics card option to what the potential new laptop has - Intel® Iris® Xe Graphics ? 
 

I am more concerned about speed / quality of play than I am having the best  graphics.

My reply was mainly dealing with the question "Is this too good to be true" Most people who buy a laptop for gaming will need/want a dedicated GFX card. But you might fall into the niche that doesn't if you only play FM. 

 

Both things you mention are on-board / integrated graphics cards, so yes for you it will be an upgrade to get Iris Xe. Looking at the minimum specs, there's no reason you shouldn't be able to run FM23 on that laptop. As for the processor, i5 gen 11 is 2 years old and we're currently on gen 13. So the most important part of the computer, FM wise, won't be super up-to-date. That would be my biggest worry for speed. But within your budget I don't expect you'll be able to find anything from gen 13, gen 12 could be possible on sale or clearance, but you'd probably have to hunt for it for a while. 
 

[Nacaw]

10 minutes ago, Gangor said:

It's cheap because it's two generations (three years) old. The graphics are sufficient for FM, but you may need to turn down some of the graphical options. My 2p is that it's not a bad price for what it is. 

Yeah, I realize that's also a factor  In my head I was thinking gen 11 is only 2 years old, but that's of course only true for desktop CPUs, not mobile processors.

[kevhamster]

19 hours ago, Kelvin782 said:

 

Hi all, 

I have been looking for a new laptop for FM23, with a max budget of 550.

I play in 2D, and would like to be able to run games with a good amount of leagues to be able to do journeyman saves (major European leagues plus 1/2 obscure European leagues for smaller clubs).

I’ve looked through all of the suggested specs for fm on the various blogs, and then come across the laptop below for what seems a price that is too good to be true? Am I missing something here and should I avoid this?
 

https://ao.com/product/x1500eabq2182w-asus-vivobook-15-laptop-black-95384-251.aspx

If I should avoid it, could anyone make a recommendation for a good laptop in my price range? Thanks. (Based in UK)

Honestly, it's an excellent deal and the lack of a dedicated graphics card isn't a factor at all if you're playing in 2D and not playing other modern games.  In fact, the Iris XE integrated GPU is a very capable option for integrated graphics and will enable you to play the game in 3D, although probably not at the highest settings - will manage medium though, possibly higher.

[kevhamster]

16 hours ago, Nacaw said:

It's pretty clear to me that this is cheap because it has no graphics card. Do you need more than the on-board to play FM in 2D? I really don't know.

To answer your question;  No.

Modern iGPU's, especially those found in AMD Ryzen 5 and above and Intel i5 (11th gen) and above are absolutely fine for FM - including 3D albeit not at the highest graphical settings.

[Gee_Simpson]

Can anyone remember one of the highest prices paid in here for a new system? I'm trying to justify buying a whole new PC for just Fifa and FM 😂

[kevhamster]

7 minutes ago, Gee_Simpson said:

Can anyone remember one of the highest prices paid in here for a new system? I'm trying to justify buying a whole new PC for just Fifa and FM 😂

I'm thinking it was around £2,500.  But you could spend a fraction of that and still have a top tier PC for FIFA and FM.

Something like this would do a grand job: https://www.currys.co.uk/products/medion-erazer-engineer-p10-gaming-pc-intel-core-i7-rtx-3060ti-1-tb-ssd-10242445.html

[Gee_Simpson]

4 hours ago, kevhamster said:

I'm thinking it was around £2,500.  But you could spend a fraction of that and still have a top tier PC for FIFA and FM.

Something like this would do a grand job: https://www.currys.co.uk/products/medion-erazer-engineer-p10-gaming-pc-intel-core-i7-rtx-3060ti-1-tb-ssd-10242445.html

Thanks. I want to be able to play Fifa in 4K though, then I would probably just switch to PC gaming tbh and keep the PS5 for exclusives and PSVR2. 

Edited March 28, 2023 by Gee_Simpson

[jmb1403]

I am currently deciding on a new laptop (current one is 10 years old)

It does run FM - just really slowly. i7-3612QM processor. Nvidia GT 720M (which is no longer supported)

I have seen the below for £1k - I also have an amazon voucher for £225.

MSI Notebook Katana GF76 Gaming Laptop (12GE-469UK), Intel Core i7-12700H, 17.3" FHD 144Hz Panel, GeForce RTX 3060, 16GB, 512GB SSD, Windows 11 - Black https://amzn.eu/d/gRCMo57

The thing is I literally only use it for football manager. I do play it a lot. A thousand hours easily every year.

I know it'll run it but is it really worth getting it for just that even though itll last probably 10 years again anyway?

[Gangor]

1 hour ago, Gee_Simpson said:

Thanks. I want to be able to play Fifa in 4K though, then I would probably just switch to PC gaming tbh and keep the PS5 for exclusives and PSVR2. 

For FIFA (and indeed most games) the graphics card is going to be your primary consideration. If you're looking at current gen (Nvidia 4000 or AMD 7000) pretty much any of the cards currently available ought to do the trick for you. Depends on your budget really. Best value currently (of the current gen) is probably the 7900XT from AMD, while Nvidia's 4090 has the best performance. You might also find good value in the previous gen, AMD 6900XT and up and Nvidia 3080 and up. 

In terms of processors, it's a bit of a toss up between Intel and AMD with the latest generation. Intel just about edge performance while AMD have just moved to a new motherboard format which will likely allow upgrades in several years time. I would suggest i7 or Ryzen 7 at least. 

At this tier you want 32Gb of RAM as a minimum. Make sure it's DDR5. AMD processors prefer faster memory so if you have one of those processors look for 6000MT/s + if you can. RAM's pretty cheap right now so spending a little more here can be worthwhile. 

Try to find independent reviews of companies you're considering buying from if you're not familiar with them. 

Due to the increasing costs of graphics cards you can expect to pay (probably quite a bit) more than the £2500 previously mentioned for a top configuration. 

 

[Gangor]

17 minutes ago, jmb1403 said:

I am currently deciding on a new laptop (current one is 10 years old)

It does run FM - just really slowly. i7-3612QM processor. Nvidia GT 720M (which is no longer supported)

I have seen the below for £1k - I also have an amazon voucher for £225.

MSI Notebook Katana GF76 Gaming Laptop (12GE-469UK), Intel Core i7-12700H, 17.3" FHD 144Hz Panel, GeForce RTX 3060, 16GB, 512GB SSD, Windows 11 - Black https://amzn.eu/d/gRCMo57

The thing is I literally only use it for football manager. I do play it a lot. A thousand hours easily every year.

I know it'll run it but is it really worth getting it for just that even though itll last probably 10 years again anyway?

Do you mostly play plugged in or do you play on battery too?

[jmb1403]

11 minutes ago, Gangor said:

Do you mostly play plugged in or do you play on battery too?

Always plugged in yeah..very rare it is unplugged anyway

Edited March 28, 2023 by jmb1403

[Gangor]

29 minutes ago, jmb1403 said:

Always plugged in yeah..very rare it is unplugged anyway

I've had a look and that model does seem to be pretty good value currently. I found it for closer to £900 though so shop around

 

edit: something like this might also be worth considering if you don't mind a smaller screen: https://www.box.co.uk/NBCB15716-2-Horizon-Skyline-Intel-Core-i7-16GB-RAM-5_4319482.html

Edited March 28, 2023 by Gangor

[jmb1403]

Just now, Gangor said:

I've had a look and that model does seem to be pretty good value currently. I found it for closer to £900 though so shop around

Thanks mate, do you think it is too good to play FM or will it be better for longevity

[Gangor]

1 minute ago, jmb1403 said:

Thanks mate, do you think it is too good to play FM or will it be better for longevity

Honestly there's no point trying to future proof as if you save a few £££ you can just upgrade more often and still have a better overall experience. But this laptop (or really any in this price range) will play FM very well indeed. Even a £500 laptop is going to be light years better than your old one. 

[jmb1403]

11 hours ago, Gangor said:

I've had a look and that model does seem to be pretty good value currently. I found it for closer to £900 though so shop around

 

edit: something like this might also be worth considering if you don't mind a smaller screen: https://www.box.co.uk/NBCB15716-2-Horizon-Skyline-Intel-Core-i7-16GB-RAM-5_4319482.html

I was actually contemplating downgrading to a 15.6 inch screen but I have always had a bigger screen

Is there much noticeable difference between 17.3 at 1600 x 900 or 15.6 at 1920 x 1080 ?

[kevhamster]

14 hours ago, Gee_Simpson said:

Thanks. I want to be able to play Fifa in 4K though, then I would probably just switch to PC gaming tbh and keep the PS5 for exclusives and PSVR2. 

4K is where things can get demanding, so this should suffice: https://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/saved-configurations/amd-am4-gen3-pc/QB28wfBEPF/

[jmb1403]

1 hour ago, jmb1403 said:

I was actually contemplating downgrading to a 15.6 inch screen but I have always had a bigger screen

Is there much noticeable difference between 17.3 at 1600 x 900 or 15.6 at 1920 x 1080 ?

I have just found this one considerably cheaper

ASUS TUF Gaming FX506HCB 15.6" 144Hz Gaming Laptop (Intel i5-11400H, Nvidia GeForce RTX 3050, 8GB RAM, 512GB SSD, Windows 11) https://amzn.eu/d/6DrjRwv

[kevhamster]

1 hour ago, jmb1403 said:

I was actually contemplating downgrading to a 15.6 inch screen but I have always had a bigger screen

Is there much noticeable difference between 17.3 at 1600 x 900 or 15.6 at 1920 x 1080 ?

You'll get a sharper picture with the smaller, higher resolution display.

[jmb1403]

29 minutes ago, kevhamster said:

You'll get a sharper picture with the smaller, higher resolution display.

Thanks mate, Do you think it will show less information on the screen than 17.3 (I know that might sound stupid)

[jmb1403]

I have managed to whittle it down to the below 6 (I have put my current laptop on the bottom for comparison)

I am assuming that even RTX 3050 4GB will be perfectly fine anyway to run most games.

Off these which would be best value?

[kevhamster]

1 hour ago, jmb1403 said:

Thanks mate, Do you think it will show less information on the screen than 17.3 (I know that might sound stupid)

It should show more - resolution in theory should be a bigger factor than screen size.

[kevhamster]

18 minutes ago, jmb1403 said:

I have managed to whittle it down to the below 6 (I have put my current laptop on the bottom for comparison)

I am assuming that even RTX 3050 4GB will be perfectly fine anyway to run most games.

Off these which would be best value?

The 4GB RTX 3050's biggest drawback is the amount of VRAM.  It is certainly fine for the less demanding games, but if you're thinking of the big blockbuster AAA games I'd probably avoid it purely due to the lower VRAM amount.

For FM, it'll  have no issue.

[jmb1403]

8 minutes ago, kevhamster said:

The 4GB RTX 3050's biggest drawback is the amount of VRAM.  It is certainly fine for the less demanding games, but if you're thinking of the big blockbuster AAA games I'd probably avoid it purely due to the lower VRAM amount.

For FM, it'll  have no issue.

Yeah I am solely getting it for FM - I have a PS5 for other games.

I think I am leaning towards the TUF F17 over the Lenovo Gaming 3 solely due to the processor benchmark rating

Edited March 29, 2023 by jmb1403

[kevhamster]

2 minutes ago, jmb1403 said:

Yeah I am solely getting it for FM - I have a PS5 for other games.

So yeah, in that case I'd not worry about the 3050's limitations as it's more than enough to max out FM's graphics.

[jmb1403]

3 minutes ago, kevhamster said:

So yeah, in that case I'd not worry about the 3050's limitations as it's more than enough to max out FM's graphics.

Thanks mate, if you had to choose between the TUF 17 and the Ideapad which would you go for?

[kevhamster]

1 minute ago, jmb1403 said:

Thanks mate, if you had to choose between the TUF 17 and the Ideapad which would you go for?

I'd go for the ASUS TUF as the i5-12500H scores higher on the CPU benchmarks than the Ryzen 5 5600H.

[jmb1403]

30 minutes ago, kevhamster said:

I'd go for the ASUS TUF as the i5-12500H scores higher on the CPU benchmarks than the Ryzen 5 5600H.

Thanks for your help mate - I am a sucker for going for the best usually but I feel like with me solely using it for FM for £799.99 its probably more sensible

Actually managed to get it for £583 with my amazon vouchers

Edited March 29, 2023 by jmb1403

[Gee_Simpson]

On 28/03/2023 at 19:55, Gangor said:

For FIFA (and indeed most games) the graphics card is going to be your primary consideration. If you're looking at current gen (Nvidia 4000 or AMD 7000) pretty much any of the cards currently available ought to do the trick for you. Depends on your budget really. Best value currently (of the current gen) is probably the 7900XT from AMD, while Nvidia's 4090 has the best performance. You might also find good value in the previous gen, AMD 6900XT and up and Nvidia 3080 and up. 

In terms of processors, it's a bit of a toss up between Intel and AMD with the latest generation. Intel just about edge performance while AMD have just moved to a new motherboard format which will likely allow upgrades in several years time. I would suggest i7 or Ryzen 7 at least. 

At this tier you want 32Gb of RAM as a minimum. Make sure it's DDR5. AMD processors prefer faster memory so if you have one of those processors look for 6000MT/s + if you can. RAM's pretty cheap right now so spending a little more here can be worthwhile. 

Try to find independent reviews of companies you're considering buying from if you're not familiar with them. 

Due to the increasing costs of graphics cards you can expect to pay (probably quite a bit) more than the £2500 previously mentioned for a top configuration. 

 

Well I'm in 3 minds on this, lol. 

The kid in me wants to go all out and go for a top spec i9 13900k + RTX 4090 combo. The sensible me says I should settle for something in the middle, like a i9 13900k paired with a RTX 4070 Ti. Then Mr Scrooge says don't bother with the upgrade at all 😂

Edited March 29, 2023 by Gee_Simpson