How big of a data suck is this game

Phumade

These aren't bad PCs, but its also on the back 1/2 of the technology cycle for that generation. Old for what would be commericially sold, but still fully usable with an OS that receives regular development and security updates. You can reasonably expect software updates for at least 5 years, so its fine for home users.

$399 is a decent price. In Aliexpress terms, (dealing with the manufacturers), you would expect to pay around 275 no monitor or keyboard.

https://www.aliexpress.us/item/3256807996075963.html?spm=a2g0o.productlist.main.15.11ed64c9aSmM7N&aem_p4p_detail=20250125061629126691663193040004067143&algo_pvid=fbf7b3c0-5585-4080-a04f-43c4ade46cd7&algo_exp_id=fbf7b3c0-5585-4080-a04f-43c4ade46cd7-7&pdp_ext_f={"order":"-1","eval":"1"}&pdp_npi=4@dis!USD!332.72!226.25!!!2411.00!1639.48!@2103010e17378145889145130e1d77!12000044142027499!sea!US!0!ABX&curPageLogUid=EKi4lBtU5JLV&utparam-url=scene:search|query_from:&search_p4p_id=20250125061629126691663193040004067143_2

While I'm not at all advocating buy this machine or any hardware from Aliexpress, its a good pricing guide for what OEM manufacturers expect. If you look at the hp (amd 7430) vs generic 'nuc (amd 6600), the hp cpu is just 1 manufacturing cycle newer, and next year, the hp specs will be the default specs sold by the OEMs who are essentially using new stock that wasn't sold into laptop manufacturing into special purpose minicomputers.

The real criticism is that the laptop case assembly/construction is gonna be an order of magnitude worse than the workstation/engineering standard laptop. The real test is goto any best buy grab the laptop and flex it/twist it. you'll feel the flex and give on cheap consumer grade hardware, that won't be present in Prosumer or higher grades of retail products. The 2nd knock is the trackpad always glazes away from finger/hand oils. Thats not a big deal when you can buy replacement keyboard/mice. As a comparison, even cheap android phone/tablets use touch on a glass screen. Simply take out any old phone and compare it the touchpad/trackpad on a 3 to 4 year old pc. You'll see the glass interface looks immaculate compared to an old used trackpad. (even macbooks suffer from this issue)

tldr If you need to buy a laptop, then this a resonable purchase that won't become software obsolete for at least 5 years.

Phumade

https://www.aliexpress.us/item/3256805581557141.html?spm=a2g0o.productlist.main.23.11ed64c9aSmM7N&aem_p4p_detail=20250125061629126691663193040004067143&algo_pvid=fbf7b3c0-5585-4080-a04f-43c4ade46cd7&algo_exp_id=fbf7b3c0-5585-4080-a04f-43c4ade46cd7-11&pdp_ext_f={"order":"1","eval":"1"}&pdp_npi=4@dis!USD!336.26!174.86!!!336.26!174.86!@2103010e17378145889145130e1d77!12000036832031641!sea!US!0!ABX&curPageLogUid=gQuXQfHqnOrp&utparam-url=scene:search|query_from:&search_p4p_id=20250125061629126691663193040004067143_3

Actually this version has the same processor, so you can see that hardware "tier" is in the 280 price range. No keyboard/mouse/monitor.

These are all reasonable equivalent PC parts. These components could have easily been used by hp asus, whoever. just happens that this batch got made into mini computersever

KGB

@Phumade said:
The real criticism is that the laptop case assembly/construction is gonna be an order of magnitude worse than the workstation/engineering standard laptop. The real test is goto any best buy grab the laptop and flex it/twist it. you'll feel the flex and give on cheap consumer grade hardware, that won't be present in Prosumer or higher grades of retail products. The 2nd knock is the trackpad always glazes away from finger/hand oils. Thats not a big deal when you can buy replacement keyboard/mice. As a comparison, even cheap android phone/tablets use touch on a glass screen. Simply take out any old phone and compare it the touchpad/trackpad on a 3 to 4 year old pc. You'll see the glass interface looks immaculate compared to an old used trackpad. (even macbooks suffer from this issue)

This is a very valid point.

Slidecage, how are you planning to use this laptop? Are you going to sit with it in your lap like a tablet or have it on a PC desk and use the laptop keyboard/keypad? If you are, the points Phumade really matter. But if you plan to attach a 24 inch plus monitor and your own USB keyboard/mouse so that the laptop itself just 'sits' there way out of the way like a workstation and never gets touched they it doesn't matter near as much.

KGB

slidecage

@KGB said:

@Phumade said:
The real criticism is that the laptop case assembly/construction is gonna be an order of magnitude worse than the workstation/engineering standard laptop. The real test is goto any best buy grab the laptop and flex it/twist it. you'll feel the flex and give on cheap consumer grade hardware, that won't be present in Prosumer or higher grades of retail products. The 2nd knock is the trackpad always glazes away from finger/hand oils. Thats not a big deal when you can buy replacement keyboard/mice. As a comparison, even cheap android phone/tablets use touch on a glass screen. Simply take out any old phone and compare it the touchpad/trackpad on a 3 to 4 year old pc. You'll see the glass interface looks immaculate compared to an old used trackpad. (even macbooks suffer from this issue)

This is a very valid point.

Slidecage, how are you planning to use this laptop? Are you going to sit with it in your lap like a tablet or have it on a PC desk and use the laptop keyboard/keypad? If you are, the points Phumade really matter. But if you plan to attach a 24 inch plus monitor and your own USB keyboard/mouse so that the laptop itself just 'sits' there way out of the way like a workstation and never gets touched they it doesn't matter near as much.

KGB

I need a good cheap laptop cause right now don't have a place to put a PC at new house. Laptop I can put on kitchen table.

I might just use my 256gb tablet

dianetics

@slidecage said:
I need a good cheap laptop cause right now don't have a place to put a PC at new house. Laptop I can put on kitchen table.

I might just use my 256gb tablet

If you have a tablet, then just use that. I use my tablet at home and generally it is the best version of the game.

Phumade

@dianetics said:

@slidecage said:
I need a good cheap laptop cause right now don't have a place to put a PC at new house. Laptop I can put on kitchen table.

I might just use my 256gb tablet

If you have a tablet, then just use that. I use my tablet at home and generally it is the best version of the game.

And you can get very usable bluetooth keyboard/track pad combos very very cheaply. And to be honest, for email, light duty spreadsheet, light word processing, its a great experience and very usable.

and certainly much better than those awful netbook email machines from 10-15 years ago.

slidecage

Man i wonder if i screwed myself on this... thinking even if it cant run marvel snap or this game it can still run some games

HP - 17.3" Full HD Laptop - Intel Core i3 - 8GB Memory - 256GB SSD - Natural Silver

https://www.bestbuy.com/site/hp-17-3-full-hd-laptop-intel-core-i3-8gb-memory-256gb-ssd-natural-silver/6569428.p?skuId=656942

open box Excellent

Price new 550 bucks

Paid open box excellent
135.99

4 year warranty 69.99

total price 215 after tax.... was going to spend over 600 for same thing with a I 5 core

was this a good buy for 200 bucks or overpaid also comes with 4 year warranty so if i bust it they got to fix it

Phumade

@slidecage said:
Man i wonder if i screwed myself on this... thinking even if it cant run marvel snap or this game it can still run some games

HP - 17.3" Full HD Laptop - Intel Core i3 - 8GB Memory - 256GB SSD - Natural Silver

https://www.bestbuy.com/site/hp-17-3-full-hd-laptop-intel-core-i3-8gb-memory-256gb-ssd-natural-silver/6569428.p?skuId=656942

open box Excellent

Price new 550 bucks

Paid open box excellent
135.99

4 year warranty 69.99

total price 215 after tax.... was going to spend over 600 for same thing with a I 5 core

was this a good buy for 200 bucks or overpaid also comes with 4 year warranty so if i bust it they got to fix it

core i3/i5 isn't that big of a deal for a home user. In a light duty environment, I doubt you'll ever cross the 50% cpu utilization. it only makes a difference if your running virtualized operating systems and MULTIPLE heavy duty apps/services.

If the laptop is just for you/1 person at a time personal use, then its not gonna be an issues. You only really run into cpu saturation, when your running a plex media servers and hosting services that are actively supporting simulataneous people

slidecage

**** now not sure even going to pick up due to reviews

says laptop is locked in window 11 S mode and can not get out of it .

I bought one, and returned it. Bought another one, and returned it. Both had the same issue. You couldn't turn off "S Mode" which inhibits you from downloading anything that isn't from the Microsoft store

wonder if you can even play this game

Phumade

@slidecage said:
**** now not sure even going to pick up due to reviews

says laptop is locked in window 11 S mode and can not get out of it .

I bought one, and returned it. Bought another one, and returned it. Both had the same issue. You couldn't turn off "S Mode" which inhibits you from downloading anything that isn't from the Microsoft store

wonder if you can even play this game

you'd probably have to reformat the entire drive and install from a fresh win10/11 usb disk. These can be obtained freely/legally but you might want a tech buddy to assist.
Your essentially gonna download the windows10/11 ISO (6-10gb) to your HDD and then burn it to a fresh usb drive (essentially the goober from "into the spiderverse". When you reboot the pc. your gonna hold down the del button to power up into the laptop bios and set the boot drive to the usb disk.
from there its just a simple reboot and let the system install itset on the HD

If you do decide to reinstall. I'll publlically link here one of the public guides and a link to the MS archives. This is all legal and supported by Microsoft, so 3rd party trust isn't a major concern. but it can be considered an intermediate level tech task.

Phumade

@slidecage said:
**** now not sure even going to pick up due to reviews

says laptop is locked in window 11 S mode and can not get out of it .

I bought one, and returned it. Bought another one, and returned it. Both had the same issue. You couldn't turn off "S Mode" which inhibits you from downloading anything that isn't from the Microsoft store

wonder if you can even play this game

Windows S mode is a specialiezed version of windows. you can either reinstall the std home version or gothrough a one way exit out of s-mode.

https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/switching-out-of-s-mode-in-windows-4f56d9be-99ec-6983-119f-031bfb28a307

So regardless of the current software situation. Its all standard commodity parts.

Phumade

@Phumade said:

@slidecage said:
**** now not sure even going to pick up due to reviews

says laptop is locked in window 11 S mode and can not get out of it .

I bought one, and returned it. Bought another one, and returned it. Both had the same issue. You couldn't turn off "S Mode" which inhibits you from downloading anything that isn't from the Microsoft store

wonder if you can even play this game

you'd probably have to reformat the entire drive and install from a fresh win10/11 usb disk. These can be obtained freely/legally but you might want a tech buddy to assist.
Your essentially gonna download the windows10/11 ISO (6-10gb) to your HDD and then burn it to a fresh usb drive (essentially the goober from "into the spiderverse". When you reboot the pc. your gonna hold down the del button to power up into the laptop bios and set the boot drive to the usb disk.
from there its just a simple reboot and let the system install itset on the HD

If you do decide to reinstall. I'll publlically link here one of the public guides and a link to the MS archives. This is all legal and supported by Microsoft, so 3rd party trust isn't a major concern. but it can be considered an intermediate level tech task.

S-mode is not inherently a bad thing in this context. It only means that you can install Microsoft vetted apps. Usually thats "part of the warm loving embrace". But you can safely exit out of it and use the OS in the standard fashion.

KGB

@Phumade said:

@slidecage said:
**** now not sure even going to pick up due to reviews

says laptop is locked in window 11 S mode and can not get out of it .

I bought one, and returned it. Bought another one, and returned it. Both had the same issue. You couldn't turn off "S Mode" which inhibits you from downloading anything that isn't from the Microsoft store

wonder if you can even play this game

you'd probably have to reformat the entire drive and install from a fresh win10/11 usb disk. These can be obtained freely/legally but you might want a tech buddy to assist.
Your essentially gonna download the windows10/11 ISO (6-10gb) to your HDD and then burn it to a fresh usb drive (essentially the goober from "into the spiderverse". When you reboot the pc. your gonna hold down the del button to power up into the laptop bios and set the boot drive to the usb disk.
from there its just a simple reboot and let the system install itset on the HD

If you do decide to reinstall. I'll publlically link here one of the public guides and a link to the MS archives. This is all legal and supported by Microsoft, so 3rd party trust isn't a major concern. but it can be considered an intermediate level tech task.

I'd advise against going this route. If you do, you'll lose all the special laptop software that the manufacturer includes. This is stuff like sleep/suspect to disk mode and other specialty drivers for the exact hardware that the laptop has (you might also lose a free year of anti virus if it comes with that).

I've done this with corporate laptops at work (re-installed to get rid of corporate lockdown software) and the laptops are never quite as useful as they were when they had all the extra custom goodies from the manufacturer.

KGB