What's the advantage from purchasing from PCS or others like Currys?

[Yeldo]

I'm trying to decide where to buy a gaming laptop from which is roughly £1500 worth.

So I don't wan to be fooled again and purchase something that isnt going to last at all, 2 years ago I bought a laptop from currys which they advised it was a gaming laptop, I knew nothing about hardwore/laptops so I just went by their worth and purchasing a laptop worth of £1400 that is barely working today. I have done a alot of resets and cleaning and the laptops is just barely hanging on. This is due to the fact that it's not very good hardware, GTX 960M and I7-6700HQ CPU it's a Model : GL552VW if you want to google it.

Those specs do not seem to have been worth the money I spent back then so I dont want to be "robbed" again.

Is it more worth to buy a laptop from PCS? or is it the same?

Like for example, if I were to buy this from currys https://www.currys.co.uk/gbuk/compu...l-core-i7-rtx-2070-1-tb-ssd-10205998-pdt.html

Would it be better to get something else from PCS?

 

[SpyderTracks]

From PCS, you get to select all the individual components, that's the main benefit, but you'll also find they're a lot cheaper than off the shelf equivalents.

But also, we can give some pretty strong advice on tailoring that build to your individual requirements which means you can effectively reduce costs further and increase longevity.

Laptops are much more expensive than a desktop and don't last as long. With a laptop, you can't upgrade them very much, and the first thing to become a bottleneck will be the GPU, so it's best to get the strongest GPU you can afford to maximise life span.

That Acer you posted is a prebuilt, so a lot of the cost will be for the brandname.

Generally places like curry's will stock older hardware, or very budgetly constrained builds. So even if you look at their top tier setups, you'll find they have cut corners on things like the PSU and motherboard to maximise profits. PCS don't operate that way, you can select everything.

 

[Yeldo]

From PCS, you get to select all the individual components, that's the main benefit, but you'll also find they're a lot cheaper than off the shelf equivalents.

But also, we can give some pretty strong advice on tailoring that build to your individual requirements which means you can effectively reduce costs further and increase longevity.

Laptops are much more expensive than a desktop and don't last as long. With a laptop, you can't upgrade them very much, and the first thing to become a bottleneck will be the GPU, so it's best to get the strongest GPU you can afford to maximise life span.

That Acer you posted is a prebuilt, so a lot of the cost will be for the brandname.

Generally places like curry's will stock older hardware, or very budgetly constrained builds. So even if you look at their top tier setups, you'll find they have cut corners on things like the PSU and motherboard to maximise profits. PCS don't operate that way, you can select everything.

Thanks for your reply,

I did understand it to some extent but never fully how it works, so is it not riskier to got with not-known brand like acer/asus, since you're not going to get their customer support services etc...?

When you purchase a laptop from PCS does it come with all the components installed like any other laptop? Such as licensed windows , word etc...?

 

[SpyderTracks]

so is it not riskier to got with not-known brand like acer/asus, since you're not going to get their customer support services etc...?

So Acer and Asus laptops are prebuilt, you don't get any option of what's in it, you just have to select what they determine is the relevant spec. Plus you'll pay a premium as it's a branded laptop.

When you purchase a laptop from PCS does it come with all the components installed like any other laptop? Such as licensed windows , word etc...?

If you order it with windows, then it will come fully installed and configured, but it will only come preinstalled with the software you select at purchase, so office wouldn't come preinstalled unless you bought it. If you had your own copy of office, then you'd have to install that yourself. Same goes with any games etc.

 

[Yeldo]

So Acer and Asus laptops are prebuilt, you don't get any option of what's in it, you just have to select what they determine is the relevant spec. Plus you'll pay a premium as it's a branded laptop.


If you order it with windows, then it will come fully installed and configured, but it will only come preinstalled with the software you select at purchase, so office wouldn't come preinstalled unless you bought it. If you had your own copy of office, then you'd have to install that yourself. Same goes with any games etc.

Thats great....for someone like me not expert with building laptops, is there risks of me choosing incompatible parts? if I want to go with a £1500 worth gaming laptop is there things that I shouldnt build together ?

 

[SpyderTracks]

Thats great....for someone like me not expert with building laptops, is there risks of me choosing incompatible parts? if I want to go with a £1500 worth gaming laptop is there things that I shouldnt build together ?

If you let us know what you'll be using it for then we can advise.

Also, I'm guessing you may have a copy of windows you can transfer to the new machine? If so that would maximise the build further.

How to link your Windows 10 product key to a Microsoft account

If you're using a local account, use this guide to link your Windows 10 product key to your Microsoft account for easier re-activation.

www.windowscentral.com

 

[Yeldo]

If you let us know what you'll be using it for then we can advise.

Also, I'm guessing you may have a copy of windows you can transfer to the new machine? If so that would maximise the build further.

How to link your Windows 10 product key to a Microsoft account

If you're using a local account, use this guide to link your Windows 10 product key to your Microsoft account for easier re-activation.

www.windowscentral.com

It would be mainly for gaming (I know that gaming on a laptop is at times still argued about because of how quickly it gets old thats why Id like to invest in it for kind "future proof")

Games played on it would be from Monster Hunter World, Final Fantasy XIV, The witcher, Crysis 3 and possible more demanding games that might launch

 

[deanparkr]

One of the best reasons to go with PCS, is indeed this very forum. You can post your requirements and budget and the experts here will help sort you out This is particularly helpful for fine tuning a custom build to help ensure you pick a balanced set of hardware.

This place is top notch!

 

[SpyderTracks]

It would be mainly for gaming (I know that gaming on a laptop is at times still argued about because of how quickly it gets old thats why Id like to invest in it for kind "future proof")

Games played on it would be from Monster Hunter World, Final Fantasy XIV, The witcher, Crysis 3 and possible more demanding games that might launch

Nice choice of games! I wholeheartedly approve

I’ll spec something up for you in the morning, sorry it’s been a long day!

 

[SpyderTracks]

As an example build:

Chassis & Display
Defiance 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 Max-Q - 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)
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
Defiance Series Integrated 3 Cell Lithium Ion Battery (73WH)
Thermal Paste
STANDARD THERMAL PASTE FOR SUFFICIENT COOLING
Sound Card
2 Channel High Definition Audio + MIC/Headphone Jack
Wireless/Wired Networking
GIGABIT LAN & WIRELESS INTEL® Wi-Fi 6 AX200 (2.4 Gbps) + BT 5.0
USB/Thunderbolt Options
1 x THUNDERBOLT 3 PORT + 3 x USB 3.2 PORTS
Keyboard Language
15" DEFIANCE SERIES UK 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
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)
Chassis
Clevo PC50DF1 (8GB RTX-2070 Max-Q, i7-10875H, 144Hz N7, Blank KB)
Delivery
STANDARD INSURED DELIVERY TO UK MAINLAND (MON-FRI)
Build Time
Standard Build - Approximately 8 to 10 working days

Price: £1,508.00 including VAT and Delivery

Unique URL to re-configure: https://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/saved-configurations/defianceVII-15/x8vVxMY3u6/

 

[Yeldo]

As an example build:

Chassis & Display
Defiance 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 Max-Q - 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)
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
Defiance Series Integrated 3 Cell Lithium Ion Battery (73WH)
Thermal Paste
STANDARD THERMAL PASTE FOR SUFFICIENT COOLING
Sound Card
2 Channel High Definition Audio + MIC/Headphone Jack
Wireless/Wired Networking
GIGABIT LAN & WIRELESS INTEL® Wi-Fi 6 AX200 (2.4 Gbps) + BT 5.0
USB/Thunderbolt Options
1 x THUNDERBOLT 3 PORT + 3 x USB 3.2 PORTS
Keyboard Language
15" DEFIANCE SERIES UK 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
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)
Chassis
Clevo PC50DF1 (8GB RTX-2070 Max-Q, i7-10875H, 144Hz N7, Blank KB)
Delivery
STANDARD INSURED DELIVERY TO UK MAINLAND (MON-FRI)
Build Time
Standard Build - Approximately 8 to 10 working days

Price: £1,508.00 including VAT and Delivery

Unique URL to re-configure: https://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/saved-configurations/defianceVII-15/x8vVxMY3u6/

Thank you!
That looks superb, in your opinion is this the best time to buy it or should I wait for a few months for any reason? I know that ryzen was going to launch their new amd cpus which I was told are gonna be amazing with a good cost/price ratio

 

[SpyderTracks]

Thank you!
That looks superb, in your opinion is this the best time to buy it or should I wait for a few months for any reason? I know that ryzen was going to launch their new amd cpus which I was told are gonna be amazing with a good cost/price ratio

There are the Ryzen 4000 cpus but tbh, Intel have paid OEM's off so that you can't use anything higher than an RTX2060 in a Ryzen laptop, so at this level, it's not so important. I would say now is as good a time as any to buy.

 

[Yeldo]

There are the Ryzen 4000 cpus but tbh, Intel have paid OEM's off so that you can't use anything higher than an RTX2060 in a Ryzen laptop, so at this level, it's not so important. I would say now is as good a time as any to buy.

Thanks again!

And just last question, how long would you think that laptop would last for? You reckon it'd last 2-3 years before it starts struggling?

With laptops I understand its very dificult to predict these things thats why Id rather spend an extra x to make sure its not failing in just a year or two

(Also the PCS build that you've given me, isnt it pretty much the same as this one from currys [link to Acer laptop removed])

The price on both seems to be the same?

 

[SpyderTracks]

And just last question, how long would you think that laptop would last for? You reckon it'd last 2-3 years before it starts struggling?

Yes, easily, the 2070 is overspecced for the monitor, so should happily last over 3 years.

(Also the PCS build that you've given me, isnt it pretty much the same as this one from currys [link to Acer laptop removed])

We can't comment on competitor builds, but that's an off the shelf so entirely different product.

 

[Yeldo]

Yes, easily, the 2070 is overspecced for the monitor, so should happily last over 3 years.

We can't comment on competitor builds, but that's an off the shelf so entirely different product.

Could you just help me understand this payment plan?



Representative Example:
Buy Now Pay Later (12 Months / 60)
Price:
£1,508.00
Deposit:
£15.08
Total Amount of Credit:
£1,492.92
Interest Rate:
11.24% Fixed
Deferred Period:
Nothing to pay for 12 months (If you pay off the remaining balance of £1,492.92 during this period no interest will be charged, however a one-off early settlement fee of £29.00 will apply).
Monthly Instalments:
48 instalments of £48.58 per month.
Representative APR:
16.9% APR Representative
Total Charge For Credit:
£838.92
Balance Payable:
£2,331.84
Total Amount Payable (Inc. Deposit):
£2,346.92

------------------------------
So if your laptop costs £1,508.00 and interest rate is 11.24% how is the total amount payable inc.deposit £2,346.92?
And if I go 12 months it would be straight up just £1,508.00? Thats a big jump and I'm just confused

 

[Scott]

To pay it off in 12 months would cost £1,537, due to the early settlement fee.

£2.346.92 is what it costs spreading the money over 5 years. It's about the going rate I would suggest. Always better to pay off inside the 12 months where you can.

That being said, if you look at it from a purely monthly instalment, you can add significantly higher end hardware for an extra £10.

It depends how you want to look at it. I always baulk at the thought of high interest costs so I always pay off as soon as I can. You bite the bullet for the monthly outgoings though.