11800H or 5900HX (Recoil 15.6")

[samwa]

Good evening folks,

Split between the 11800H or the 5900HX on the Recoil 15.6". I understand the 5900HX is a better option for power consumption and the 11800H has a minor performance benefit for gaming (and Thunderbolt 4 support), but I'm finding it hard to be objective and overcome my decision paralysis.

My use case is spread across gaming (FFXIV, indie Steam) and digital forensic research (mainly running performance-heavy VMs from both local storage and a NAS, processing data images), keeping the option for VR open when I get around to sorting out a proper space for it. It'll spend 80-90% of existence attached to the mains on a cooling pad and connected to an external monitor with the lid shut, but will travel with me (sans external display) on courses, etc. The monitor I have is a Gigabyte G34WQC that'll be connected via the USB-C for the DP connection.

My budget ceiling is £2500 so I'm not worried about the cost difference. Incidentally, this means I have the budget to upgrade to the 3080 (I understand the chipset with the 5900HX isn't available at the moment), but I've read that the performance benefit is incredibly marginal for the cost - I'm very open to being corrected on this, but I'm also very open to spending the extra £300 on something else.

Can anyone shed any more light on the matter/speak from personal experience?

Obligatory build spec here:

Chassis & Display
Recoil Series: 15.6" Matte QHD 165Hz sRGB 100% LED Widescreen (2560x1440)
Processor (CPU)
Intel® Core™ i7 Eight Core Processor 11800H (2.4GHz, 4.6GHz Turbo)
Memory (RAM)
64GB Corsair 2666MHz SODIMM DDR4 (2 x 32GB)
Graphics Card
NVIDIA® GeForce® RTX 3070 - 8.0GB GDDR6 Video RAM - DirectX® 12.1
1st M.2 SSD Drive
1TB SAMSUNG 970 EVO PLUS M.2, PCIe NVMe (up to 3500MB/R, 3300MB/W)
1st M.2 SSD Drive
1TB SAMSUNG 970 EVO PLUS M.2, PCIe NVMe (up to 3500MB/R, 3300MB/W)
Memory Card Reader
Integrated SD Memory Card Reader
AC Adaptor
1 x 230W AC Adaptor
Power Cable
1 x 1 Metre UK Power Cable (Kettle Lead)
Battery
Recoil Series Integrated 94WH Lithium Ion Battery
Thermal Paste
ARCTIC MX-4 EXTREME THERMAL CONDUCTIVITY COMPOUND
Sound Card
2 Channel High Definition Audio + MIC/Headphone Jack
Wireless Network Card
GIGABIT LAN & KILLER™ Wi-Fi 6 AX1650 M.2 GAMING + BLUETOOTH 5.0
USB/Thunderbolt Options
1 x USB 3.2 PORT (Type C) + 3 x USB 3.2 PORTS
Keyboard Language
PER-KEY RGB BACKLIT UK MECHANICAL KEYBOARD
Operating System
Windows 10 Professional 64 Bit - inc. Single Licence
Operating System Language
United Kingdom - English Language
Windows Recovery Media
Windows 10 Multi-Language Recovery Image - Unlimited Downloads from Online Account
Office Software
FREE 30 Day Trial of Microsoft 365® (Operating System Required)
Anti-Virus
NO ANTI-VIRUS SOFTWARE
Browser
Microsoft® Edge (Windows 10 Only)
Keyboard & Mouse
INTEGRATED 2 BUTTON TOUCHPAD MOUSE
Webcam
INTEGRATED 1MP HD WEBCAM
Warranty
3 Year Silver Warranty (1 Year Collect & Return, 1 Year Parts, 3 Year Labour)
Dead Pixel Guarantee
30 Day Dead Pixel Guarantee Inc. Labour & Carriage Costs
Chassis
TongFang GM5TG7W (8GB RTX-3070, i7-11800H, 165Hz QHD)
Delivery
DPD PICKUP - COLLECT FROM YOUR LOCAL SHOP FROM 12 NOON
Build Time
Standard Build - Approximately 8 to 10 working days
Price: £2,166.00 including VAT and Delivery

Unique URL to re-configure: https://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/saved-configurations/recoil-V-15/3Zx4aajsXe/

 

[Vergaro98]

That’s a good config. I’ve The recoil with 5900hx and it’s a beast. I use The laptop for VM and heavy multi-thread tasks. I recommend the 5900hx for everyone unless you need TB 4 or pci 4.0. For everything else go with 5900hx.

 

[Dutchos]

I bought the Recoil 15" with the Intel and 3080 and all I can say is this thing runs HOT! GPU averages around 85'c and CPU 87'c-90'c while gaming on ultra settings. Perhaps not surprising given the parts inside but just thought worth mentioning. I'm yet to undervolt or get a cooling pad however...It's also very hot in the UK at the moment 😀

 

[Vergaro98]

FYI Ryzen can't be undervolt while intel must be undervolt because of temps.

 

[Mnemonic]

Glad I stumbled across this post. I'm in the same predicament at the moment - trying to decide between the 5900HX and the 11800H. I'm leaning heavily towards the 5900HX right now.

Would the AMD have better battery life if running in "iGPU" mode ("office mode")? Do the fans also run quieter on the AMD model (when not pushing the laptop)?

 

[Vergaro98]

It's a gaming laptop so it runs hotter than 'normal' laptop, but I never had temps problem with the 5900hx, in gaming it runs between 75 and 80 for RDR2 and 70-75 for Warzone (at max settings in 1440p). If you use correct setup in the control center you can have lower temps for basic use like office or watching video/film (40-45°).

 

[Mnemonic]

I believe there is an option it the BIOS to completely power off the Nvidia GPU so it runs off the Vega 8 iGPU. Can you confirm this? I believe it's under Advanced > Display Settings (something like that).

 

[Vergaro98]

There is a switch in the CC for Hybrid/dGPU but idk what's in the BIOS. I can't confirm because I don't have the laptop with me right now.