Upgrade or New purchase

OP
T

theterminator

Wise Old Owl
Digit recommends this as the best mainstream laptop of 2020.... is it worth buying?

Acer Swift 3 AMD Ryzen 5 4500U 14-inch Display Ultra Thin and Light Laptop (8GB Ram/512GB SSD/Window 10, Home/AMD Radeon Graphics/ Pure Silver/1.2kgs), SF314-42 *www.amazon.in/dp/B08NXYT6VY/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_tpabGbMPJWE1A
 

whitestar_999

Super Moderator
Staff member
Digit recommends this as the best mainstream laptop of 2020.... is it worth buying?

Acer Swift 3 AMD Ryzen 5 4500U 14-inch Display Ultra Thin and Light Laptop (8GB Ram/512GB SSD/Window 10, Home/AMD Radeon Graphics/ Pure Silver/1.2kgs), SF314-42 Amazon.in
In my opinion definition of "best" is subjective when it comes to audio & video devices like these. Someone who find 14" screen a bit small & lack of numpad a con in laptops, this certainly isn't the "best" laptop. However if your usage does not demand a dedicated graphics card like 1650, a bigger screen & numpad then this certainly is one of the best 14" models available currently.
 
OP
T

theterminator

Wise Old Owl
In my opinion definition of "best" is subjective when it comes to audio & video devices like these. Someone who find 14" screen a bit small & lack of numpad a con in laptops, this certainly isn't the "best" laptop. However if your usage does not demand a dedicated graphics card like 1650, a bigger screen & numpad then this certainly is one of the best 14" models available currently.

personally i was looking for
1. 15” screen with numpads
2. Atleast 300 nits brightness screen
3. Screen should be non reflective, my current screen is too much reflective so when i take it to office where there is too much lighting, I have a hard time working on it.
4. Must have very good battery life , I really hate having to charge a laptop when you need it the most.
5. Must be lightweight, easy to carry around.
6. Have good processing power & memory since my usage will include heavy excel files.
 

powerstarprince

In the zone
Can someone recommend me what type of Internal SSD for laptop should I buy for my 8 year old HP Pavilion g4 Laptop? I recently see a lot of BSOD errors with the hard drive failing. I thought why not buy an SSD within 50 pounds to give this laptop a fresh new life. Recommend me options on Amazon UK please. I saw a couple within my budget of 40 pounds but I am not sure which one is compatible with my laptop. What is the difference between 2.5" SATA and M.2? I want to replace my 500GB internal HDD with a new internal SSD. Can I also do it myself at home or will I need some professional help to replace hard drive?
 

powerstarprince

In the zone
Forgot to say my laptop runs on Windows 8.1 because when I upgraded it to Windows 10 via the free upgrade the laptop was running hot and the performance slow in some applications with the fan noise a little too loud. It maybe due to missing or incompatible drivers. I switched back to Windows 8.1 and everything ran fine. Should I install Windows 10 on the new SSD or stick to the old Windows 8.1? I don't have any issue with current Windows 8.1 however, I just wanted to know if maybe the new SSD would run fast on Windows 10 without running hot and lagging in online games.
 

whitestar_999

Super Moderator
Staff member
Can someone recommend me what type of Internal SSD for laptop should I buy for my 8 year old HP Pavilion g4 Laptop? I recently see a lot of BSOD errors with the hard drive failing. I thought why not buy an SSD within 50 pounds to give this laptop a fresh new life. Recommend me options on Amazon UK please. I saw a couple within my budget of 40 pounds but I am not sure which one is compatible with my laptop. What is the difference between 2.5" SATA and M.2? I want to replace my 500GB internal HDD with a new internal SSD. Can I also do it myself at home or will I need some professional help to replace hard drive?
*www.amazon.co.uk/Samsung-MZ-76E500B-EU-Solid-State/dp/B078WQT6S6
M.2 is a new slot type not present in 8 years old laptops, M.2 slot can support sata(not 2.5" but same regular sata ssd in M.2 form factor, basically a regular 2.5" sata ssd like samusng 860 above with its external covering removed) or NVMe(newer interface & much faster than sata) or both(in newer laptops usually the M.2 slot is NVMe compatible). You should be able to replace the hdd with ssd on your own after watching some youtube videos(search in youtube for your laptop model followed by ssd upgrade).

Forgot to say my laptop runs on Windows 8.1 because when I upgraded it to Windows 10 via the free upgrade the laptop was running hot and the performance slow in some applications with the fan noise a little too loud. It maybe due to missing or incompatible drivers. I switched back to Windows 8.1 and everything ran fine. Should I install Windows 10 on the new SSD or stick to the old Windows 8.1? I don't have any issue with current Windows 8.1 however, I just wanted to know if maybe the new SSD would run fast on Windows 10 without running hot and lagging in online games.
Use win 8.1, win 10 on ssd is not really required for older hardware.
 

powerstarprince

In the zone
*www.amazon.co.uk/Samsung-MZ-76E500B-EU-Solid-State/dp/B078WQT6S6
M.2 is a new slot type not present in 8 years old laptops, M.2 slot can support sata(not 2.5" but same regular sata ssd in M.2 form factor, basically a regular 2.5" sata ssd like samusng 860 above with its external covering removed) or NVMe(newer interface & much faster than sata) or both(in newer laptops usually the M.2 slot is NVMe compatible). You should be able to replace the hdd with ssd on your own after watching some youtube videos(search in youtube for your laptop model followed by ssd upgrade).


Use win 8.1, win 10 on ssd is not really required for older hardware.

Thanks, for the suggestion I think that SSD is great. I got 40 pounds of free money to spend on Amazon so I'm not sure if I should choose the 500GB or 250GB version in this case. Need to shell out 20 pounds more to get the 500GB SSD. Can you suggest maybe one or two more options available which are within the 40 pounds budget. Okay, so basically I remove the 2.5" SATA HDD from my laptop and replace with the same 2.5" SATA SSD this time. Haven't disassembled my laptop on my own before, but Yeah it would be great if I don't have to remove the keyboard before inserting this new SSD. Also, thanks I think Win 8.1 should be running more than efficient due to the official driver support available from HP.
 

powerstarprince

In the zone
I finally ordered the new Samsung 870 EVO 250GB SSD from here Samsung SSD 870 EVO, 250 GB, Form Factor 2.5”, Intelligent Turbo Write, Magician 6 Software, Black: Amazon.co.uk: Computers & Accessories which recently released in the market 2 days ago. Thank you again for helping me choose this item.
 

TheSloth

The Slowest One
I finally ordered the new Samsung 870 EVO 250GB SSD from here Samsung SSD 870 EVO, 250 GB, Form Factor 2.5”, Intelligent Turbo Write, Magician 6 Software, Black: Amazon.co.uk: Computers & Accessories which recently released in the market 2 days ago. Thank you again for helping me choose this item.
Please also update about the import fee and other extra charges you had to pay to get it delivered to you.
 

whitestar_999

Super Moderator
Staff member
Thanks, for the suggestion I think that SSD is great. I got 40 pounds of free money to spend on Amazon so I'm not sure if I should choose the 500GB or 250GB version in this case. Need to shell out 20 pounds more to get the 500GB SSD. Can you suggest maybe one or two more options available which are within the 40 pounds budget. Okay, so basically I remove the 2.5" SATA HDD from my laptop and replace with the same 2.5" SATA SSD this time. Haven't disassembled my laptop on my own before, but Yeah it would be great if I don't have to remove the keyboard before inserting this new SSD. Also, thanks I think Win 8.1 should be running more than efficient due to the official driver support available from HP.
Space requirement depends on your usage & I see that you already got the 250gb one. Noadays most typical laptops don't have a separate accessible panel for hdd slot so you will have to open the entire back panel & remove the keyboard to access the hdd slot. Samsung 870 evo seems to be the best sata ssd in its price range though so good choice.
 

powerstarprince

In the zone
Please also update about the import fee and other extra charges you had to pay to get it delivered to you.
Yes, I am in the U.K. it will be delivered to me in 4 days.
Space requirement depends on your usage & I see that you already got the 250gb one. Noadays most typical laptops don't have a separate accessible panel for hdd slot so you will have to open the entire back panel & remove the keyboard to access the hdd slot. Samsung 870 evo seems to be the best sata ssd in its price range though so good choice.
Yeah, I think the 250GB one should be alright for my requirements. I could have got the 500GB but I didn't wanted to spend extra money on the SSD. I will have to check a YouTube video and try later, I hope it wouldn't be that difficult. The only reason I don't want to remove my keyboard is that I had it neatly fixed by the service center guys so that it doesn't bump or jump near the arrow keys like it did before. Yes, I read Samsung 860 EVO set the standards for SSD in the last 2 years and now it's good to have found the 870 EVO with faster speeds at almost the same price. This will be my first experience of using an SSD in a Windows laptop.
 
OP
T

theterminator

Wise Old Owl
I went to a showroom last night where got to see dozens of laptops of HP, Dell & Microsoft. I was impressed by 13.3” HP Envy AU0045. It’s very compact & lightweight & I think its R5 4500U processor seemed powerful. The display is FHD and text were crisp and clear.
I don’t know about its longevity since I’ve never owned a 2-in-1 before so I don’t know how much useful will that be.
The other machine I thought was good was HP 14 Thin and Light. It’s weight was similar if not lighter than the Envy.
I currently own a 15.6” laptop with resolution 1366*768 so it’s my opinion that having a bigger screen will be beneficial to view those large excel files. Will the 13.3” screen with 1080p resolution be enough or will I miss the bigger screen?
I viewed another device on YT the LG Gram 17” which people said was very very compact but again I’m not sure about its longevity.
 
I went to a showroom last night where got to see dozens of laptops of HP, Dell & Microsoft. I was impressed by 13.3” HP Envy AU0045. It’s very compact & lightweight & I think its R5 4500U processor seemed powerful. The display is FHD and text were crisp and clear.
I don’t know about its longevity since I’ve never owned a 2-in-1 before so I don’t know how much useful will that be.
The other machine I thought was good was HP 14 Thin and Light. It’s weight was similar if not lighter than the Envy.
I currently own a 15.6” laptop with resolution 1366*768 so it’s my opinion that having a bigger screen will be beneficial to view those large excel files. Will the 13.3” screen with 1080p resolution be enough or will I miss the bigger screen?
I viewed another device on YT the LG Gram 17” which people said was very very compact but again I’m not sure about its longevity.
Only you can answer the screen size question as everyone has different requirements.

LG Gram has received a lot of praise but even I don't know about its longevity. But I'd pick LG over Xiaomi or Honor, esp at a good price.
 
OP
T

theterminator

Wise Old Owl
Only you can answer the screen size question as everyone has different requirements.

LG Gram has received a lot of praise but even I don't know about its longevity. But I'd pick LG over Xiaomi or Honor, esp at a good price.

But LG Gram 17” is costing 1 lac on Amazon
 
OP
T

theterminator

Wise Old Owl
Went to the showrooms again .. Not able to finalize what I want .

I’ve kept MacBook out of the way coz I don’t want to learn a new operating system all from scratch. My use case is simply excel files right now, tomorrow it may change but one thing is sure that i’ll be carrying the laptop on the go often so only need thin and light laptops. with the best battery life. i’m looking at 8 to 10 hours or even more.
HP Envy x360 13.3” has the perfect specs and is available for 56k after exchanging my old one. But only thing stopping me is its display size. I’m currently using 15.6” which I find most comfortable.
I looked at Acer Swift 3 and its specs look good but a lot of people complained about its display that its poor.
 
OP
T

theterminator

Wise Old Owl
Finally I ordered Lenovo ThinkPad E14 of 58k 10th Gen i5/8GB/128GB SSD+1TB HDD with exchange of 10.5k of my existing laptop & after getting a discount final price was 40.5k. Will take out the newly purchased SSD and pop it in my desktop.
 
Finally I ordered Lenovo ThinkPad E14 of 58k 10th Gen i5/8GB/128GB SSD+1TB HDD with exchange of 10.5k of my existing laptop & after getting a discount final price was 40.5k. Will take out the newly purchased SSD and pop it in my desktop.
BTW, another forum user had issues with using WD SN550 as a SSD in E14, AMD variant though. So if you buy another SSD for E14, make sure you get Kingston A2000. I'm not even sure if Intel model has 2nd SSD slot as my choice would be the Ryzen variant, if its in stock.
 
OP
T

theterminator

Wise Old Owl
BTW, another forum user had issues with using WD SN550 as a SSD in E14, AMD variant though. So if you buy another SSD for E14, make sure you get Kingston A2000. I'm not even sure if Intel model has 2nd SSD slot as my choice would be the Ryzen variant, if its in stock.

Why the AMD variant, any significant improvement than its i5 counterpart?
Battery life claimed is almost the same in both.
 
Top Bottom