What a modern laptop should do

[PhilTheFragger]

There have been a number of recent threads about new laptops and what to buy, so I thought I would show you what is possible with a top spec windows laptop

Here is a short video of a laptop i've just set up for a customer

Intel I7 CPU, 8Gb RAM, 250Gb SSD Hard Drive, Windows 10, Dell Inspiron 15 5000 £579 plus £93 for the SSD drive.

Time from pressing the button to Desktop, then to the BBC webpage appearing is a mindnumbing 13 seconds

Enjoy


[video=youtube_share;rlVMROn79vs]https://youtu.be/rlVMROn79vs[/video]

 

[Lump]

Is that down to windows 10 or more to the SSD?
My Mac is quick, but that proper wow!

 

[PhilTheFragger]

Its mostly the SSD, although Windows 10 is no slouch

I really dont see why SSD hard drives are not standard in most mid/ high level laptops, OK it might add £45 to the price, (on the basis that a standard 1TB Hdd is about £45), but the performance boost and the power savings are well worth it

maybe they are waiting for the price of a 500Gb SSD to drop further as the 250 Gb one I have is really only for those without loads of data

 

[sev112]

Phil
I am in the market for a desktop with similar specs - should I expect to pay similar or less for a desktop and cud?
Thanks

 

[PhilTheFragger]

Phil
I am in the market for a desktop with similar specs - should I expect to pay similar or less for a desktop and cud?
Thanks

What's a cud?
Generally there won't be much in the price, between similar spec laptops and desktops , but you will always get better performance from a desktop as the extra ventilation allows the full power of the CPU to be active, mobile CPUs are turned down a bit to produce less heat or they would fry.

What this means in practice is that if you buy a desktop with an I5 CPU and put in a SSD then you are getting I7plus performance.

If anyone wants details of how to put in a SSD , feel free to PM me

 

[sev112]

Thanks Phil
My spell checker is a bit odd
I meant VDU

 

[PhilTheFragger]

Thanks Phil
My spell checker is a bit odd
I meant VDU

We call them screens or monitors

 

[Robster59]

I've got to say, that is impressive. I know that Windows 10 is pretty good at booting up but when I think of the old boot times, or the archaically slow boot up time of my work laptop, I am incredibly jealous.

 

[CliveW]

What is the point if you don't have decent broadband speeds?

 

[chrisd]

Can't work it out Phil - did you make it quicker or more like your golf swing?

 

[PhilTheFragger]

I've got to say, that is impressive. I know that Windows 10 is pretty good at booting up but when I think of the old boot times, or the archaically slow boot up time of my work laptop, I am incredibly jealous.

Putting it in perspective , I have just timed my 2 1/2 year old desktop which has an I7 3rd generation CPU ( laptop is 5th generation) 8 GB Ram 120gb SSD hdd and windows 10

That boots to the web in 28 seconds

Liking windows 10 with classic shell installed very much indeed

 

[drdel]

Surely buying a laptop has now't to do with what a machine 'can do' -that's just how much cash you want to spend which is like kids arguing in the playground, saying mines bigger than yours - so what?

Its simply deciding what you need it to do; home 'office' and emails etc. wont need the expensive video graphics that a CAD?CAM, video manipulation or games player would find essential. Then again portability /weight might be a major criteria if you're frequently on aircraft.

 

[PhilTheFragger]

Surely buying a laptop has now't to do with what a machine 'can do' -that's just how much cash you want to spend which is like kids arguing in the playground, saying mines bigger than yours - so what?

Its simply deciding what you need it to do; home 'office' and emails etc. wont need the expensive video graphics that a CAD?CAM, video manipulation or games player would find essential. Then again portability /weight might be a major criteria if you're frequently on aircraft.

Cheaper than a mac

 

[Duckster]

Putting it in perspective , I have just timed my 2 1/2 year old desktop which has an I7 3rd generation CPU ( laptop is 5th generation) 8 GB Ram 120gb SSD hdd and windows 10

That boots to the web in 28 seconds

Liking windows 10 with classic shell installed very much indeed

It's pretty similar times on a normal HDD, not just the SSD.

Actually already testing it into work, but I'll take at least 3 or 4 years before it rolls in.

 

[Deleted member 1740]

Cheaper than a mac

But it's not a Mac :whoo:

 

[PhilTheFragger]

It's pretty similar times on a normal HDD, not just the SSD.

Actually already testing it into work, but I'll take at least 3 or 4 years before it rolls in.

Had a customer yesterday with a 1 year old Dell I5 CPU .4 GB ram desktop who had installed Windows 10 on a standard SATA hard drive.

Still took the best part of a minute to load and while better in normal use than W7 was still well sluggish compared to a machine with SSD

 

[Imurg]

So what are you going to do with the 15 seconds you save every time you turn it on....?

Just askin'....

 

[Duckster]

Had a customer yesterday with a 1 year old Dell I5 CPU .4 GB ram desktop who had installed Windows 10 on a standard SATA hard drive.

Still took the best part of a minute to load and while better in normal use than W7 was still well sluggish compared to a machine with SSD

We did a few time tests and it came up similar time but it doesn't help when you using the worlds largest AD domain

 

[PhilTheFragger]

So what are you going to do with the 15 seconds you save every time you turn it on....?

Just askin'....

30 seconds and if you currently have an older PC it's much more,
It's not just boot times, everything is quicker.

But as a techie I'm not that interested in how "fast" the PC is I. Terms of how quickly does word open,
I'm more interested in the usable longevity of the machine, before it gets overtaken by the ever increasing software.
I've just seen the lifespan of a decent laptop increase by 2 years

 

[Imurg]

30 seconds and if you currently have an older PC it's much more,
It's not just boot times, everything is quicker.

But as a techie I'm not that interested in how "fast" the PC is I. Terms of how quickly does word open,
I'm more interested in the usable longevity of the machine, before it gets overtaken by the ever increasing software.
I've just seen the lifespan of a decent laptop increase by 2 years

Unless its in the hands of a spotty teenage yoof...