Please advice on Optimus Pro or Nova

V

VPATEL

Member
Hello Everyone,

I am a new user to the forum and PCSpecialist.

I think I am close to buying a new laptop and would like to get an opinion from you guys.
I need a laptop with good computational speed to run CPU intensive Python-Cantera simulations.
I am a Linux user and will install Manjaro ( I know there is no support from PCS)

Initially, I was thinking either to go with 15,6" Optimus Pro (Ryzen 7 4800H, GTX 1660 Ti) or Nova (Ryzen 9 3900X, GTX 1660 Ti), however, after going through many posts related Nova in Forum. So now I am leaning towards Nova only because of its Computational speed.

I have a few questions before I finalize my decision. It would be great if anyone could provide some insights or suggestions. Thank you so much.

1. has someone tested Linux on Nova?
2. Do I have to tinker clock speed and voltage to help to reduce the fan noise ( there is no Ryzen Master for Linux)?
3. I am not a gamer though however, I will play some games with this beast. Will the GTX 1660 Ti works fine with Ryzen 9 3900X or it's better to get a higher Graphics card?
4. How is the built quality? Is it sturdy, does it has flex?

Chassis & Display
Nova Series: 15.6" Matte Full HD 144Hz 72% NTSC LED Widescreen (1920x1080)
Processor (CPU)
AMD Ryzen 9 3900 12 Core CPU (3.1GHz-4.3GHz/70MB CACHE/AM4)
Memory (RAM)
32GB Corsair 2666MHz SODIMM DDR4 (2 x 16GB)
Graphics Card
NVIDIA® GeForce® GTX 1660 Ti - 6.0GB 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)
Memory Card Reader
Integrated Micro-SD Memory Card Reader
AC Adaptor
1 x 180W AC Adaptor
Power Cable
1 x 1 Metre Cloverleaf UK Power Cable
Battery
Nova Series Detachable 4 Cell Lithium Ion Battery
Thermal Paste
STANDARD THERMAL PASTE FOR SUFFICIENT COOLING
Sound Card
2 Channel High Def. Audio + SoundBlaster™ Cinema
Wireless/Wired Networking
GIGABIT LAN & WIRELESS INTEL® Wi-Fi 6 AX200 (2.4 Gbps) + BT 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 GERMAN KEYBOARD
Operating System
NO OPERATING SYSTEM REQUIRED
Operating System Language
United Kingdom - English Language
Windows Recovery Media
NO RECOVERY MEDIA REQUIRED
Office Software
FREE 30 Day Trial of Microsoft 365® (Operating System Required)
Anti-Virus
NO ANTI-VIRUS SOFTWARE
Browser
Firefox™
Keyboard & Mouse
INTEGRATED 2 BUTTON TOUCHPAD MOUSE
Webcam
INTEGRATED 1MP HD WEBCAM
Warranty
3 Year Gold Warranty (2 Year Collect & Return, 2 Year Parts, 3 Year Labour)
Dead Pixel Guarantee
1 Year Dead Pixel Guarantee Inc. Labour & Carriage Costs
Delivery
2 - 3 DAY DELIVERY TO REPUBLIC OF IRELAND
Build Time
Standard Build - Approximately 7 to 9 working days
 
Last edited:
SpyderTracks

SpyderTracks

We love you Ukraine
The Nova is a DTR, not a laptop, so long as you understand the tradeoffs, the Nova is without a doubt the better option. As a DTR it uses desktop CPU's and therefor is much larger and heavier to accomodate the better cooling, plus has next to no battery life. It's not designed to be used on trains or mobile. It's designed to be used off a plug socket.

VPATEL said:
1. has someone tested Linux on Nova?
Click to expand...
Not that we've had posted on the forum, but it should be a lot more standard compatability as the Nova is a DTR (desktop replacement) rather than a laptop and so uses a modified B450 desktop motherboard and desktop CPU's. So the USB controller and chipset should be just like on a desktop. I can't see any issues there.

VPATEL said:
2. Do I have to tinker clock speed and voltage to help to reduce the fan noise ( there is no Ryzen Master for Linux)?
Click to expand...
It will likely need some tinkering with voltage regulation to get it running optimally. We have a few guys on here who have successfully got theirs working absolutely perfectly, and I'm sure they'd be happy to advise you how to proceed with that.

VPATEL said:
3. I am not a gamer though however, I will play some games with this beast. Will the GTX 1660 Ti works fine with Ryzen 9 3900X or it's better to get a higher Graphics card?
Click to expand...
Any GPU will work with any processor. You pair the GPU with the monitor, so in this case 1080p 144Hz. The 1660ti is just about going to run that monitor right now, but won't be very futureproof. It's worth speccing the GPU as high as you can as it will be the first bottleneck in the system.

VPATEL said:
4. How is the built quality? Is it sturdy, does it has flex?
Click to expand...
Solid! As a DTR, they tend to be built a lot more sturdy than a laptop. I'm still using a DTR from 2014 with 4th Gen i7 from PCS, and I've used it every day since I got it, and there are not even any scratches or dents. DTR's are absolulely fantastic bits of kit. The Nova in particular is amazing value for what you're getting.
 
V

VPATEL

Member
Thanks, @SpyderTracks, that's great advice.

I understand that Nova is DTR and that's the reason I am leaning towards it. Considering my situation, I can't buy a desktop at the moment and the next best is DTR. I also think that Ryzen 9 3900x would be very future proof.
Regarding the GPU I think then, I will go with RTX 2060.
As per my experience using Linux, I thought so too that there shouldn't be any issue running on it, however, just wanted to know, if there are any minor issue.
It's good to know that a modified B450 desktop motherboard is used in Nova.
 
SpyderTracks

SpyderTracks

We love you Ukraine
VPATEL said:
Thanks, @SpyderTracks, that's great advice.

I understand that Nova is DTR and that's the reason I am leaning towards it. Considering my situation, I can't buy a desktop at the moment and the next best is DTR. I also think that Ryzen 9 3900x would be very future proof.
Regarding the GPU I think then, I will go with RTX 2060.
As per my experience using Linux, I thought so too that there shouldn't be any issue running on it, however, just wanted to know, if there are any minor issue.
It's good to know that a modified B450 desktop motherboard is used in Nova.
Click to expand...
Yeah, I think for your uses, it's definitely the best of the bunch of chassis, it does take a bit of tweaking, but once you've got it running correctly, it will be an absolute monster performance wise :)
 
SpyderTracks

SpyderTracks

We love you Ukraine
@VPATEL Should you decide on the Nova, there's a very informative thread here on adjusting voltages and clocks, and I'm sure any of the guys on there who have very successfully optimised their Nova's would be happy to help you with yours:

Nova 3700X - Benchmarking & Manual OC\UV

Guys, this is worth a look, a tool to help undervolt and overclock Ryzen, it dynamically reads the capabilities of each CCX to determine how far they can clock, looks quite impressive, works in conjunction with Ryzen Master.
www.pcspecialist.co.uk www.pcspecialist.co.uk

Just to add, the configuration you posted would be fantastic.
 
V

VPATEL

Member
Hi SpyderTracks, SuicidalChick3n and Fevieira,

Thanks, guys for all the advice and sharing the info.
As I have now relocated. Finally, I have just placed the order for NOVA. I am excited to work on this beast.
Here is the final config.

Chassis & Display
Nova Series: 15.6" Matte Full HD 144Hz 72% NTSC LED Widescreen (1920x1080)
Processor (CPU)
AMD Ryzen 9 3900 12 Core CPU (3.1GHz-4.3GHz/70MB CACHE/AM4)
Memory (RAM)
32GB Corsair 2666MHz SODIMM DDR4 (2 x 16GB)
Graphics Card
NVIDIA® GeForce® RTX 2060 - 6.0GB 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)
Memory Card Reader
Integrated Micro-SD Memory Card Reader
AC Adaptor
1 x 230W AC Adaptor
Power Cable
1 x 1 Metre European Power Cable (Kettle Lead)
Battery
Nova Series Detachable 4 Cell Lithium-Ion Battery
Thermal Paste
STANDARD THERMAL PASTE FOR SUFFICIENT COOLING
Sound Card
2 Channel High Def. Audio + SoundBlaster™ Cinema
Wireless/Wired Networking
GIGABIT LAN & WIRELESS INTEL® Wi-Fi 6 AX200 (2.4 Gbps) + BT 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 GERMAN KEYBOARD
Operating System
NO OPERATING SYSTEM REQUIRED
Operating System Language
United Kingdom - English Language
Windows Recovery Media
NO RECOVERY MEDIA REQUIRED
Office Software
FREE 30 Day Trial of Microsoft 365® (Operating System Required)
Anti-Virus
NO ANTI-VIRUS SOFTWARE
Browser
Firefox™
Keyboard & Mouse
INTEGRATED 2 BUTTON TOUCHPAD MOUSE
Webcam
INTEGRATED 1MP HD WEBCAM
Warranty
3 Year Gold Warranty (2 Year Collect & Return, 2 Year Parts, 3 Year Labour)
Dead Pixel Guarantee
1 Year Dead Pixel Guarantee Inc. Labour & Carriage Costs
Chassis
Clevo NH55ADY (6GB RTX-2060, 144Hz N7, Blank KB)
Delivery
2 - 3 DAY DELIVERY TO REPUBLIC OF IRELAND
Build Time
Standard Build - Approximately 6 to 8 working days
 
SpyderTracks

SpyderTracks

We love you Ukraine
VPATEL said:
Hi SpyderTracks, SuicidalChick3n and Fevieira,

Thanks, guys for all the advice and sharing the info.
As I have now relocated. Finally, I have just placed the order for NOVA. I am excited to work on this beast.
Here is the final config.

Chassis & Display
Nova Series: 15.6" Matte Full HD 144Hz 72% NTSC LED Widescreen (1920x1080)
Processor (CPU)
AMD Ryzen 9 3900 12 Core CPU (3.1GHz-4.3GHz/70MB CACHE/AM4)
Memory (RAM)
32GB Corsair 2666MHz SODIMM DDR4 (2 x 16GB)
Graphics Card
NVIDIA® GeForce® RTX 2060 - 6.0GB 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)
Memory Card Reader
Integrated Micro-SD Memory Card Reader
AC Adaptor
1 x 230W AC Adaptor
Power Cable
1 x 1 Metre European Power Cable (Kettle Lead)
Battery
Nova Series Detachable 4 Cell Lithium-Ion Battery
Thermal Paste
STANDARD THERMAL PASTE FOR SUFFICIENT COOLING
Sound Card
2 Channel High Def. Audio + SoundBlaster™ Cinema
Wireless/Wired Networking
GIGABIT LAN & WIRELESS INTEL® Wi-Fi 6 AX200 (2.4 Gbps) + BT 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 GERMAN KEYBOARD
Operating System
NO OPERATING SYSTEM REQUIRED
Operating System Language
United Kingdom - English Language
Windows Recovery Media
NO RECOVERY MEDIA REQUIRED
Office Software
FREE 30 Day Trial of Microsoft 365® (Operating System Required)
Anti-Virus
NO ANTI-VIRUS SOFTWARE
Browser
Firefox™
Keyboard & Mouse
INTEGRATED 2 BUTTON TOUCHPAD MOUSE
Webcam
INTEGRATED 1MP HD WEBCAM
Warranty
3 Year Gold Warranty (2 Year Collect & Return, 2 Year Parts, 3 Year Labour)
Dead Pixel Guarantee
1 Year Dead Pixel Guarantee Inc. Labour & Carriage Costs
Chassis
Clevo NH55ADY (6GB RTX-2060, 144Hz N7, Blank KB)
Delivery
2 - 3 DAY DELIVERY TO REPUBLIC OF IRELAND
Build Time
Standard Build - Approximately 6 to 8 working days
Click to expand...
That’s going to be fantastic!
 
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