Nova/Recoil - gaming laptop

[sodhi95]

Hi!

Had a few questions that I could use help on

My budget is around 1500-1700 pounds
Looking for a build which would last me 4-5 years and would let me play most games on Medium+ settings in that duration.
I'm a programmer and would be using it for my side projects as well, so would appreciate a good keyboard. I don't want the laptop to be super heavy.
I'd prefer a sleek'ish design with a decent battery life

Couple of specific questions:
1. Is the AMD Ryzen 7 better for my usecase, compared to the intel 10th gen i7 ?
2. I would like a US keyboard and tho I was able to select it, I just want to confirm that this is possible.

I am confused b/w the Nova and Recoil laptops

Chassis & Display
Nova Series: 15.6" Matte Full HD 144Hz 72% NTSC LED Widescreen (1920x1080)
Processor (CPU)
AMD Ryzen 7 3700X Eight Core CPU (3.6GHz-4.4GHz/36MB CACHE/AM4)
Memory (RAM)
16GB Corsair 2666MHz SODIMM DDR4 (2 x 8GB)
Graphics Card
NVIDIA® GeForce® RTX 2070 - 8.0GB GDDR6 Video RAM - DirectX® 12.1
1st Storage Drive
1TB SEAGATE BARRACUDA 120 2.5" SSD, (upto 560MB/sR | 540MB/sW)
1st M.2 SSD Drive
1TB ADATA SX6000 Pro PCIe M.2 2280 (2100 MB/R, 1500 MB/W)
Memory Card Reader
Integrated Micro-SD Memory Card Reader
AC Adaptor
1 x 230W AC Adaptor
Power Cable
1 x 1 Metre UK Power Cable (Kettle Lead)
Battery
Nova Series 4 Cell Lithium Ion Battery
Thermal Paste
ARCTIC MX-4 EXTREME THERMAL CONDUCTIVITY COMPOUND
Sound Card
2 Channel High Def. Audio + SoundBlaster™ Cinema
Bluetooth & Wireless
GIGABIT LAN & KILLER™ Wi-Fi 6 AX1650 M.2 GAMING + BLUETOOTH 5.0
USB/Thunderbolt Options
1 x USB 3.2 PORT (Type C) + 2 x USB 3.2 PORTS + 1 x USB 2.0 PORT
Keyboard Language
15" NOVA SERIES USA KEYBOARD
Operating System
Windows 10 Home 64 Bit - inc. Single Licence [KUK-00001]
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® Office® 365 (Operating System Required)
Anti-Virus
BullGuard™ Internet Security - Free 90 Day License inc. Gamer Mode
Browser
Microsoft® Edge (Windows 10 Only)
Notebook 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
1 Year Dead Pixel Guarantee Inc. Labour & Carriage Costs
Chassis
Clevo NH55AFW (8GB RTX-2070, 144Hz N7, Blank KB)
Delivery
STANDARD INSURED DELIVERY TO UK MAINLAND (MON-FRI)
Build Time
Standard Build - Approximately 6 to 8 working days
Price: £1,674.00 including VAT and Delivery

Unique URL to re-configure: https://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/saved-configurations/nova-15/qYJM2hkEH8/

 

[SpyderTracks]

The Nova isn't a laptop, it's a DTR (Desktop replacement), that means it has desktop CPU in it, and therefor is very big and bulky to fit the extra cooling required. It also means it has extremely poor battery life and a very large power brick to add to the weight. It's one of the heaviest chassis on PCS.

If you're looking for a laptop for portability, then you'd want a different chassis. The Vyper is excellent and has the added benefit of being able to fit an eGPU in the future to elongate the lifespan for gaming.

 

[sodhi95]

Ah, ok. That makes sense. Thanks @SpyderTracks

Do you know about the US-layout keyboard?

What do you think about:
if I were to strip it down a bit in terms of cost, what do you think is okay to sacrifice

Chassis & Display
Vyper Series: 15.6" Matte Full HD 144Hz 72% NTSC LED Widescreen (1920x1080)
Processor (CPU)
Intel® Core™ i7 Eight Core Processor 10875H (2.3GHz, 5.1GHz Turbo)
Memory (RAM)
16GB Corsair 2666MHz SODIMM DDR4 (2 x 8GB)
Graphics Card
NVIDIA® GeForce® RTX 2070 - 8.0GB GDDR6 Video RAM - DirectX® 12.1
1st M.2 SSD Drive
500GB SAMSUNG 970 EVO PLUS M.2, PCIe NVMe (up to 3500MB/R, 3200MB/W)
2nd M.2 SSD Drive
512GB INTEL® 660p M.2 NVMe PCIe SSD (upto 1500MB/sR | 1000MB/sW)
Memory Card Reader
Integrated 3 in 1 Card Reader (Full Size SD / SDHC / SDXC)
AC Adaptor
1 x 230W AC Adaptor
Power Cable
1 x 1 Metre UK Power Cable (Kettle Lead)
Battery
Vyper Series 62WH Lithium Ion Battery
Thermal Paste
ARCTIC MX-4 EXTREME THERMAL CONDUCTIVITY COMPOUND
Sound Card
2 Channel High Def. Audio + THX Spatial Audio
Bluetooth & Wireless
GIGABIT LAN & WIRELESS INTEL® Wi-Fi 6 AX201 (2.4 Gbps) + BT 5.0
USB/Thunderbolt Options
1 x THUNDERBOLT 3 PORT + 3 x USB 3.1 PORTS
Keyboard Language
VYPER SERIES RGB BACKLIT USA KEYBOARD
Operating System
Windows 10 Home 64 Bit - inc. Single Licence [KUK-00001]
Operating System Language
US International/USA - US English Language
Windows Recovery Media
Windows 10 Multi-Language Recovery Image - Unlimited Downloads from Online Account
Office Software
FREE 30 Day Trial of Microsoft® Office® 365 (Operating System Required)
Anti-Virus
NO ANTI-VIRUS SOFTWARE
Browser
Microsoft® Edge (Windows 10 Only)
Notebook 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
1 Year Dead Pixel Guarantee Inc. Labour & Carriage Costs
Chassis
TongFang GM5MP7Y (8GB RTX-2070, i7-10875H, 144Hz, Blank KB)
Delivery
STANDARD INSURED DELIVERY TO UK MAINLAND (MON-FRI)
Build Time
Standard Build - Approximately 6 to 8 working days
Price: £1,749.00 including VAT and Delivery

Unique URL to re-configure: https://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/saved-configurations/vyperIII-15/BT0KZaqvK6/

 

[SpyderTracks]

Just swapped the drives for 1 x 1Tb PCS drive, they're very good drives, don't be put off by how cheap they are and still perform very fast, in fact faster than the Intel that was a secondary:

Chassis & Display
Vyper Series: 15.6" Matte Full HD 144Hz 72% NTSC LED Widescreen (1920x1080)
Processor (CPU)
Intel® Core™ i7 Eight Core Processor 10875H (2.3GHz, 5.1GHz Turbo)
Memory (RAM)
16GB Corsair 2666MHz SODIMM DDR4 (2 x 8GB)
Graphics Card
NVIDIA® GeForce® RTX 2070 - 8.0GB GDDR6 Video RAM - DirectX® 12.1
1st M.2 SSD Drive
1TB ADATA SX6000 Pro PCIe M.2 2280 (2100 MB/R, 1500 MB/W)
Memory Card Reader
Integrated 3 in 1 Card Reader (Full Size SD / SDHC / SDXC)
AC Adaptor
1 x 230W AC Adaptor
Power Cable
1 x 1 Metre UK Power Cable (Kettle Lead)
Battery
Vyper Series 62WH Lithium Ion Battery
Thermal Paste
ARCTIC MX-4 EXTREME THERMAL CONDUCTIVITY COMPOUND
Sound Card
2 Channel High Def. Audio + THX Spatial Audio
Bluetooth & Wireless
GIGABIT LAN & WIRELESS INTEL® Wi-Fi 6 AX201 (2.4 Gbps) + BT 5.0
USB/Thunderbolt Options
1 x THUNDERBOLT 3 PORT + 3 x USB 3.1 PORTS
Keyboard Language
VYPER SERIES RGB BACKLIT UK KEYBOARD
Operating System
Windows 10 Home 64 Bit - inc. Single Licence [KUK-00001]
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® Office® 365 (Operating System Required)
Anti-Virus
NO ANTI-VIRUS SOFTWARE
Browser
Microsoft® Edge (Windows 10 Only)
Notebook 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
1 Year Dead Pixel Guarantee Inc. Labour & Carriage Costs
Chassis
TongFang GM5MP7Y (8GB RTX-2070, i7-10875H, 144Hz, Blank KB)
Delivery
STANDARD INSURED DELIVERY TO UK MAINLAND (MON-FRI)
Build Time
Standard Build - Approximately 6 to 8 working days
Price: £1,699.00 including VAT and Delivery
Unique URL to re-configure: https://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/saved-configurations/vyperIII-15/9z8pZF4wrH/

 

[SpyderTracks]

RE: the keyboard, yes it will be a proper US layout. They do most regional variations around the world, very good like that.

If you want confirmation of the key positioning, probably worth phoning PCS tomorrow, sure they could send a photo so you can see it firsthand.

 

[sodhi95]

Thank you so much @SpyderTracks !

One final question.
Do you think it's worth to consider the Recoil IV as well?
I am attracted by the extra battery and the mechanical keyboard

Was looking at:


Chassis & Display
Recoil Series: 15.6" Matte Full HD 240Hz 72% NTSC LED Widescreen (1920x1080)
Processor (CPU)
Intel® Core™ i7 Eight Core Processor 10875H (2.3GHz, 5.1GHz Turbo)
Memory (RAM)
16GB Corsair 2666MHz SODIMM DDR4 (2 x 8GB)
Graphics Card
NVIDIA® GeForce® RTX 2070 - 8.0GB GDDR6 Video RAM - DirectX® 12.1
1st M.2 SSD Drive
1TB ADATA SX6000 Pro PCIe M.2 2280 (2100 MB/R, 1500 MB/W)
Memory Card Reader
Integrated 3 in 1 Card Reader (Full Size SD / SDHC / SDXC)
AC Adaptor
1 x 230W AC Adaptor
Power Cable
1 x 1 Metre UK Power Cable (Kettle Lead)
Battery
Recoil Series 94WH Lithium Ion Battery
Thermal Paste
ARCTIC MX-4 EXTREME THERMAL CONDUCTIVITY COMPOUND
Sound Card
2 Channel High Def. Audio + THX Spatial Audio
Bluetooth & Wireless
GIGABIT LAN & WIRELESS INTEL® Wi-Fi 6 AX201 (2.4 Gbps) + BT 5.0
USB/Thunderbolt Options
1 x THUNDERBOLT 3 PORT + 3 x USB 3.1 PORTS
Keyboard Language
PER-KEY RGB BACKLIT USA MECHANICAL KEYBOARD
Operating System
Windows 10 Home 64 Bit - inc. Single Licence [KUK-00001]
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® Office® 365 (Operating System Required)
Anti-Virus
NO ANTI-VIRUS SOFTWARE
Browser
Microsoft® Edge (Windows 10 Only)
Notebook 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
1 Year Dead Pixel Guarantee Inc. Labour & Carriage Costs
Chassis
TongFang GM5MP7W (8GB RTX-2070, i7-10875H, 240Hz)
Delivery
STANDARD INSURED DELIVERY TO UK MAINLAND (MON-FRI)
Build Time
Standard Build - Approximately 6 to 8 working days
Price: £1,789.00 including VAT and Delivery

Unique URL to re-configure: https://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/saved-configurations/recoil-IV-15/23cAme8JeZ/

 

[SpyderTracks]

The keyboard isn't actually mechanical, it's faux mechanical, so it's still a membrane but with clicks.

If it were me, simply for the addition of Thunderbolt and the possibility of an eGPU, I would go for the Vyper, literally doubles the lifespan of the laptop.

Plus, I just don't get the appeal of 240Hz screens, the 2070 wouldn't be enough to push 240Hz, but even without that, personally, I can't notice any difference above about 120Hz. I realise there's a niche group of competitive players that will appreciate it, but I'm not one of them. If you are, then it's probably going to be the deciding factor.

 

[sodhi95]

That makes sense. Thanks again!

 

[SpyderTracks]

The keyboard isn't actually mechanical, it's faux mechanical, so it's still a membrane but with clicks.

If it were me, simply for the addition of Thunderbolt and the possibility of an eGPU, I would go for the Vyper, literally doubles the lifespan of the laptop.

Plus, I just don't get the appeal of 240Hz screens, the 2070 wouldn't be enough to push 240Hz, but even without that, personally, I can't notice any difference above about 120Hz. I realise there's a niche group of competitive players that will appreciate it, but I'm not one of them. If you are, then it's probably going to be the deciding factor.

God, I just loaded the configuration and it DOES have thunderbolt..... that totally changes everything, in that case it's well worth it! Sorry, ignore everything I previously said!

 

[sodhi95]

Yeah, both vyper and recoil have thunderbolt.
I guess it's down to a more sleek vyper or a recoil with a bigger battery.

Does anyone know if one of these is thermally the better one ?

 

[SpyderTracks]

Yeah, both vyper and recoil have thunderbolt.
I guess it's down to a more sleek vyper or a recoil with a bigger battery.

Does anyone know if one of these is thermally the better one ?

We haven't had any reviews from people who've got them yet, and I did a search for 3rd party reviews the other day and still nothing out. They're both literally only a week or so old.

 

[sodhi95]

ah wow
Didn't realise that.

Guess I'll be on the lookout for reviews then!

 

[sodhi95]

The recoil I ordered finally got delivered today!

Everything seems fine.

30 minutes of Apex legends on my qhd monitor gave me around a 100 fps and temps seemed to top at 83 degrees.

I had a few questions
1. I couldn't find the control center app in my PCS downloads (The program that I need to change my keyboard backlight settings)
2. What's the recommended things to do to verify that everything is working fine?
the fans get really loud when gaming, but keep the laptop cool atleast.
Should I be running benchmarks or something else to make sure that everything is working fine ?

@SpyderTracks and @Scott: Thanks for your suggestions with this machine!
I'm loving it as of now

 

[SpyderTracks]

1. I couldn't find the control center app in my PCS downloads (The program that I need to change my keyboard backlight settings)

Is it not already installed? I think it's called gaming center on Tong Fang chassis.

2. What's the recommended things to do to verify that everything is working fine?
the fans get really loud when gaming, but keep the laptop cool atleast.
Should I be running benchmarks or something else to make sure that everything is working fine ?

Personally, I'd run a few things just to make sure you're seeing the results we want while running HWMonitor to overlook temps:

1/. Furmark - https://geeks3d.com/furmark/

It's a simple torture test on the GPU, if the laptop reboots, there's a problem either with the GPU hardware or drivers or temps. If it actually Blue Screens, then take a note of the BSOD code and upload it as that will pin point where the issue lies. DON'T RUN THIS FOR MORE THAN 15 minutes, that will tell you all you need.

2/. Prime95 - https://www.guru3d.com/files-details/prime95-download.html

CPU torture test, purely to guage temps and make sure paste job is satisfactory. Also to make sure drivers are correct

3/. Firestrike (3d Mark, download demo from steam and then download firestrike separately which is free) - https://store.steampowered.com/app/...2.1195014330.1589913370-1065842594.1589913370

Graphical and CPU benchmark, once completed you can compare your scores against others to see where you sit, good way to guage you're getting the performance expected. Take a screenshot of your results and upload it here if you need any advice.

4/. CrystalDiskMark (standard edition): https://crystalmark.info/en/download/

Simple benchmark for SSD performance (not really necessary unless you're curious).

 

[barlew]

The recoil I ordered finally got delivered today!

Everything seems fine.

30 minutes of Apex legends on my qhd monitor gave me around a 100 fps and temps seemed to top at 83 degrees.

I had a few questions
1. I couldn't find the control center app in my PCS downloads (The program that I need to change my keyboard backlight settings)
2. What's the recommended things to do to verify that everything is working fine?
the fans get really loud when gaming, but keep the laptop cool atleast.
Should I be running benchmarks or something else to make sure that everything is working fine ?

@SpyderTracks and @Scott: Thanks for your suggestions with this machine!
I'm loving it as of now

If you want you can purchase and run 3D Mark but smashing a load of Apex and keeping an eye on the temps using something like MSI afterburner would give you a better idea. If you want you could run synthetic benchmarks using something like Aida64 but the usefullness of those tests is limited as it doesn't really immitate real life scenairios.

The 83 degree temps you are seeing, was that for the GPU or the CPU?

 

[sodhi95]

Makes sense.

I'll try these out and post here.

I have just realised tho, that my windows key (on my keyboard) isn't working.

I also tried https://www.passmark.com/products/keytest/ and it doesn't seem like that key is registering.

Could this be a software issue ?

 

[SpyderTracks]

Makes sense.

I'll try these out and post here.

I have just realised tho, that my windows key (on my keyboard) isn't working.

I also tried https://www.passmark.com/products/keytest/ and it doesn't seem like that key is registering.

Could this be a software issue ?

Doubtful, there’s no special keyboard driver on a laptop. I would register that with PCS, worst comes to the worst (I’m guessing that’s a hardware issue with the keyboard) they can send a replacement keyboard to you next day delivery and advise you how to fit it.

Test all the other keys to make sure they’re working.

 

[barlew]

Makes sense.

I'll try these out and post here.

I have just realised tho, that my windows key (on my keyboard) isn't working.

I also tried https://www.passmark.com/products/keytest/ and it doesn't seem like that key is registering.

Could this be a software issue ?

In theory it could be a software issue but it sounds like a hardware issue to me mate.

 

[sodhi95]

Yeah, tested all the other keys

others seem to be working fine.

I'll contact PCS then

Also, @SpyderTracks I had done a clean windows install after I received it and that must have wiped the gaming center.

I wasn't able to find out the download link. Do you have it handy ?

I'll run those benchmarks and post results here

83 was the GPU temp.

CPU temps seems to go upto 93-94 while gaming.

 

[SpyderTracks]

Yeah, tested all the other keys

others seem to be working fine.

I'll contact PCS then

Also, @SpyderTracks I had done a clean windows install after I received it and that must have wiped the gaming center.

I wasn't able to find out the download link. Do you have it handy ?

I'll run those benchmarks and post results here

83 was the GPU temp.

CPU temps seems to go upto 93-94 while gaming.

I don’t have a link I’m afraid, but contact PCS in the morning (they’re open at 9am) and they’ll be able to put it on your PCS account pretty sharpish.

Unfortunately Tong Fang don’t have a public repository where they host their drivers like most manufacturers, they leave it up to the OEMs to host.