General PC Help Thread - OP updated with useful links - READ

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That's not a growth
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PostRe: General PC Help Thread - OP updated with useful links - READ
by That's not a growth » Sat Apr 08, 2017 8:14 am

I'm looking for some advice on laptops. I'm not looking for a gaming one, but i would like to get a decently powerful one if possible, due to my desire to get back into animation at some point. I wouldn't use the laptop for rendering, I'd use my desktop for that, but i want it to be capable for a few years.
The main things I'm looking for are high Res touch screen with decent pen support, i5, 256gb+ HDD, about £1.5k max, nice form factor.
I'm tempted by the Dell XPS 2 in 1, which does pretty much meets my requirements (it has an option for a higher resolution screen), but Microsoft's surface book pretty much does too, and has a dedicated graphics chip but is almost a year and a half old. There are rumours there will be a new surface book, but it's difficult to know how accurate they are since the performance base is only just being released over here after being in the US since last year.
There's no harm in waiting a little bit i suppose, but i don't want to get into the trap of waiting a few months and for nothing to be announced from Microsoft. I'm not sure.

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PostRe: General PC Help Thread - OP updated with useful links - READ
by That's not a growth » Sat Apr 08, 2017 9:16 pm

Hmm, there's a hp that looks like it might be what i want:
https://arstechnica.co.uk/gadgets/2017/ ... -review/2/
And another rumour today of no new surface book. Hmm.

Edit, seems the track pad is pants and the pen has lag. Damn.

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PostRe: General PC Help Thread - OP updated with useful links - READ
by That's not a growth » Sun Apr 09, 2017 12:16 pm

Actually, I found this about the 15" hp and she seems pretty happy:

https://youtu.be/T-s6cZv-Yp0

I'll give it a little bit of time, but a 15" inch laptop with an i7, 4k screen, dedicated graphics, pen included, 500GB SSD and looks nice is bloody tempting.

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PostRe: General PC Help Thread - OP updated with useful links - READ
by SugarCubes » Wed Apr 12, 2017 11:03 am

Is this hdd boned or can it somehow be made usable again?

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This smart error makes my computer load for about 3 minutes on boot, Win 10 explorer locks up when selecting drive. The OS isn't installed on it, nothing can access so I can see the files and transfer :evil:

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Death's Head
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PostRe: General PC Help Thread - OP updated with useful links - READ
by Death's Head » Wed Apr 12, 2017 11:14 am

Is it possible to reformat from the BIOS?

Yes?
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PostRe: General PC Help Thread - OP updated with useful links - READ
by SugarCubes » Wed Apr 12, 2017 12:54 pm

No, I can't even use the Windows disc to reformat.

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KjGarly
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PostRe: General PC Help Thread - OP updated with useful links - READ
by KjGarly » Wed Apr 12, 2017 11:29 pm

Should have gotten an SSD drive when I got my PC back in January, any recommendations and what size would people go for? Obviously I'd like to also keep my current 1tb drive installed. And is it easy installing and copying Windows over to it?

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PostRe: General PC Help Thread - OP updated with useful links - READ
by That's not a growth » Thu Apr 13, 2017 7:14 am

I'd recommend a Samsung, probably the 850evo, at least 256gb, and do a clean install.

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Winckle
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PostRe: General PC Help Thread - OP updated with useful links - READ
by Winckle » Thu Apr 13, 2017 9:13 am

I wouldn't bother with a clean install, just clone it to the new SSD using a usb caddy and something like Easeus backup.

We should migrate GRcade to Flarum. :toot:
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PostRe: General PC Help Thread - OP updated with useful links - READ
by KjGarly » Fri Apr 14, 2017 7:21 am

That's not a growth wrote:I'd recommend a Samsung, probably the 850evo, at least 256gb, and do a clean install.


HyperX Savage 240GB

I'm leaning towards this one over the Evo and it comes with the caddy, cable and cloning software. I'd go with a clean W10 install but don't own an install disk, it is a genuine copy of W10 so can I make a boot disk from an ISO file and just use that? Also, with it being 240GB I'm obviously not going to have room for games bar 1 or 2 so even when I'm still using the other HDD will I see any performance benefits?

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PostRe: General PC Help Thread - OP updated with useful links - READ
by Errkal » Fri Apr 14, 2017 7:57 am

Yeah what ever you get to for a clean install, there are too many parts of Windows that won't tune right with a charge of drive type. It will be better than if you move W7 but still not perfect so clean install to get the best result long term.

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PostRe: General PC Help Thread - OP updated with useful links - READ
by KjGarly » Fri Apr 14, 2017 9:36 am

Sound, went with the HyperX off Amazon.

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PostRe: RE: Re: General PC Help Thread - OP updated with useful links - READ
by Death's Head » Fri Apr 14, 2017 10:10 am

KjGarly wrote:
That's not a growth wrote:I'd recommend a Samsung, probably the 850evo, at least 256gb, and do a clean install.


[url=https://www.amazon.co.uk/HyperX-Savage-240-SATA-Bundle/dp/B00W35L5S6/ref=cm_wl_huc_item?th=1]HyperX Savage 240GB[/url]

I'm leaning towards this one over the Evo and it comes with the caddy, cable and cloning software. I'd go with a clean W10 install but don't own an install disk, it is a genuine copy of W10 so can I make a boot disk from an ISO file and just use that? Also, with it being 240GB I'm obviously not going to have room for games bar 1 or 2 so even when I'm still using the other HDD will I see any performance benefits?

I only have a 128GB SSD for my Windows and Office install, using a 3TB second drive for games. You will definitely see improvements with this kind of setup - everything runs from Windows which is now running on an SSD.

Yes?
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PostRe: General PC Help Thread - OP updated with useful links - READ
by HSH28 » Fri Apr 14, 2017 12:51 pm

KjGarly wrote:
That's not a growth wrote:I'd recommend a Samsung, probably the 850evo, at least 256gb, and do a clean install.


HyperX Savage 240GB

I'm leaning towards this one over the Evo and it comes with the caddy, cable and cloning software. I'd go with a clean W10 install but don't own an install disk, it is a genuine copy of W10 so can I make a boot disk from an ISO file and just use that? Also, with it being 240GB I'm obviously not going to have room for games bar 1 or 2 so even when I'm still using the other HDD will I see any performance benefits?


The Samsung is cheaper and better, the cloning software you don't need, the caddy is a piece of metal which you can buy for a few pounds if you need one and the cable is just a cable.

There is also no requirement to have a Windows 10 install disc, you get download everything you need to create a bootable Windows 10 installation media from Microsoft's website...

https://www.microsoft.com/en-gb/softwar ... earch=true

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PostRe: General PC Help Thread - OP updated with useful links - READ
by blackoutHERO » Sat Apr 15, 2017 11:07 am

I recently got a job as a Junior Graphic Designer :toot: So I'm looking to get myself a laptop to use at work and when traveling. I have a budget of around £1200 and I'm looking for a laptop that can handle heavy design work primarily (Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign etc.) but would be nice if it could play a couple games too most importantly FIFA. A 4K screen would be ideal but not essential.

Summary:
-new Junior Graphic Designer job
-need a laptop primarily for design work (Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign)
-would be nice if it could play some games especially FIFA but not essential
-budget of around £1200
-4k screen preferred but no essential

Can anyone help me out? I've found this which looks good - https://www.johnlewis.com/dell-inspiron ... k/p3149854

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PostRe: General PC Help Thread - OP updated with useful links - READ
by Green Gecko » Sun Apr 16, 2017 12:40 am

Congratulations.:) I'm a designer.

If you need it at work why don't they pay for it?

Also 4K will make your eyes bleed unless you up the dpi.

Tbh that laptop looks janky for work, don't buy gaming laptops. You will hate your job after a month carrying it there.

https://www.johnlewis.com/new-apple-mac ... our=Silver

Get a connection for your screen at work. If they won't give you a screen, quit.

I'm not a "Mac guy" but it ticks all the boxes, works for me for exactly what you're talking about.

OSX handles memory intensive tasks and multi tasking well, although it's missing window snapping, its multiple desktop support is great. UI scaling for 4K/retina is great.

No you don't need 16GB of RAM. I still use 4GB. That's how good memory management is. Intel Iris isn't bad -it's powerful enough to play games.

This is a nice professional/travel laptop for Win

https://www.johnlewis.com/asus-zenbook- ... d/p3169947

If you want a large comfortable viewing but I wouldn't vouch for the screen (if you want that get a Mac) and decent specs how about this, total arse to carry though https://www.johnlewis.com/asus-n-series ... y/p2803868

I'd go for another Mac or an Asus zenbook if I could choose again. I don't rate Dell.

In 6 years I've had to fix a wifi hardware problem with my MacBook and replace a key, add an SSD but apart from that little maintenance and all that time I've done design work to video editing. Oh and demand a new charger from the Apple Store. Now I do CAD. So it will last. It's also survived a few brutal drops on the daily commute.

John Lewis are doing 3 year warranties at the moment which is great as laptops generally suck in the reliability department. I've only ever seen Asus and Sony hold out ok. Toshiba way back and IBM. Acer and HP are shaky unless you pay up.

Again don't buy a gaming laptop. I've seen them. They're ugly. They're hot and heavy and loud. You look like a tool. Literally no one I've seen professionally uses one, maybe 1 or 2 programmers.

"It should be common sense to just accept the message Nintendo are sending out through their actions."
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PostRe: General PC Help Thread - OP updated with useful links - READ
by Green Gecko » Sun Apr 16, 2017 1:48 am

That's not a growth wrote:Actually, I found this about the 15" hp and she seems pretty happy:

https://youtu.be/T-s6cZv-Yp0

I'll give it a little bit of time, but a 15" inch laptop with an i7, 4k screen, dedicated graphics, pen included, 500GB SSD and looks nice is bloody tempting.

I'm not convinced by anything I've seen but Wacom cintiq or iPad Pro. Get a graphics tablet for 50 quid? You're easel trained aren't you?

"It should be common sense to just accept the message Nintendo are sending out through their actions."
_________________________________________

❤ btw GRcade costs money and depends on donations - please support one of the UK's oldest video gaming forums → HOW TO DONATE
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PostRe: General PC Help Thread - OP updated with useful links - READ
by That's not a growth » Sun Apr 16, 2017 9:43 am

Green Gecko wrote:
That's not a growth wrote:Actually, I found this about the 15" hp and she seems pretty happy:

https://youtu.be/T-s6cZv-Yp0

I'll give it a little bit of time, but a 15" inch laptop with an i7, 4k screen, dedicated graphics, pen included, 500GB SSD and looks nice is bloody tempting.

I'm not convinced by anything I've seen but Wacom cintiq or iPad Pro. Get a graphics tablet for 50 quid? You're easel trained aren't you?


Sorry mate, I don't understand what you're trying to say, but to answer your question no I haven't really used easels that much.

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PostRe: General PC Help Thread - OP updated with useful links - READ
by KjGarly » Sun Apr 16, 2017 3:39 pm

Green Gecko wrote:John Lewis are doing 3 year warranties at the moment which is great as laptops generally suck in the reliability department. I've only ever seen Asus and Sony hold out ok. Toshiba way back and IBM. Acer and HP are shaky unless you pay up.


Add in MSi laptops for reliability. Mines still going after over 5 years and the only problem I had with it was my graphics card had went kabang which I'm putting down to a dodgy wall socket which also nearly ruined my new PC after I noticed a fishy smell and the lights on my PC going weird, not to mention the switch on the wall being fused to 'on' and couldn't be turned off. Disabled updates for the GPU in it and my missus uses it still and it works fine from the i7 cpu.

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PostRe: General PC Help Thread - OP updated with useful links - READ
by KjGarly » Fri Apr 21, 2017 12:22 am

<]:^D wrote:if you insist on trying random things then you can try re-seating all your hardware and giving everything a dusting; that often clears random/odd BSODs


Connected up my new SSD earlier and considering my PC is 4 months old inside was quite bad with my old dogs fine floaty hair (little strawberry floater is gone now after biting my daughter) so picked the clumps out and carefully got the Dyson in there making sure to keep clear of the motherboard. Now I just need to wait for a sata cable to get delivered tomorrow to connect up my 1tb HDD.

So fast now though at booting up. No more than 15 seconds for it to boot up and have every start up program to, well, start up!

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