Daily Chit-Chat: What even is this?

[donavannj]

APC is probably the leader in UPS devices.

Also I got myself a 500 GB 850 Evo SSD, a 1 TB WD Blue platter drive, and a new wireless router from MicroCenter last night. I'm hoping to have my new PC up and running by the end of tonight.

... I should probably get a UPS at some point in the near future, too, but that can wait.

 

[Tsutarja]

So with the Switch announced, NVIDIA has finally come forward stating their involvement with Nintendo on the console. Kinda nice to see Nintendo switch over from AMD's GPUs for once.

Maybe there was some sort of agreement that Nintendo and AMD had with each other for a long time that expired? Hmm...

 

[Legendary Silke]

Maybe there was some sort of agreement that Nintendo and AMD had with each other for a long time that expired? Hmm...

Or perhaps power efficiency on AMD's camp is simply a no-go on portable devices. ;)

 

[Tsutarja]

Or perhaps power efficiency on AMD's camp is simply a no-go on portable devices. ;)

Well I get that too, but it seems kinda weird when a company changes vendors/manufacturers after a long time like that.

 

[Legendary Silke]

Well I get that too, but it seems kinda weird when a company changes vendors/manufacturers after a long time like that.

Rumours have it that NVIDIA's Tegra division desperately needed a design win that isn't in a car and that one of the things they've been doing is offering the entire shebang on the cheap. Like, extremely cheap. Think of it as a make-it-or-break-it for not just Nintendo, but also NVIDIA's Tegra division, too. If the Switch fails, it'll hurt way more than just Nintendo.

 

[Tsutarja]

So right now, I'm trying to get a system image onto my new SSD but it keeps failing.. So now I'm trying to shrink my HDD volume but it won't shrink fully enough to fit onto the SSD >:(

 

[Legendary Silke]

So right now, I'm trying to get a system image onto my new SSD but it keeps failing.. So now I'm trying to shrink my HDD volume but it won't shrink fully enough to fit onto the SSD >:(

Try to get your extraneous data files out before trying to image your system drive.

Failing that, nuke and reinstall.

 

[Tsutarja]

Try to get your extraneous data files out before trying to image your system drive.

Failing that, nuke and reinstall.

Guess what: I got it installed and everything's transferred over!

 

[Nihilego]

Not exactly "science", but-

I was wondering if someone a bit more up-to-date than me on the state of Windows laptops can offer a bit of advice. In the next several months I'm looking to replace a 2012 MacBook Pro that I've got. Until recently I was a pretty big fan of Apple computers, but since building my own PC I've found Windows to be much more usable and Apple's new lapotop offerings are, bluntly, shit.

So I'm looking for some recommendations for a new laptop to take a look at (or, to keep an eye on for updated models coming soon). It must have an SSD and be reasonably portable (~2kg or less) with at least a 13" display, preferably high resolution. My desktop has a 1070 to do any graphics heavy lifting with, so I don't mind what GPU it has as long as it's powerful enough to push its own display. Long battery life is very important. Would like a reasonably powerful processor, but it's not a critical point - no requirement for quad i7s here, haha. Pretty indifferent towards having a touch screen, but if the laptop does have one, it also needs to have a proper keyboard; none of this Surface keyboard-mat-thing nonsense. An HDMI port and SD card slot would be very beneficial. USB-C is fine, but there must also be USB-3 port(s). Don't worry about any sort of budget for now, but don't let value for money go completely out of the window - after all, that's a big reason why I want to bail on the Apple computers, haha.

Any suggestions? :D

 

[Legendary Silke]

Not exactly "science", but-

I was wondering if someone a bit more up-to-date than me on the state of Windows laptops can offer a bit of advice. In the next several months I'm looking to replace a 2012 MacBook Pro that I've got. Until recently I was a pretty big fan of Apple computers, but since building my own PC I've found Windows to be much more usable and Apple's new lapotop offerings are, bluntly, ****.

So I'm looking for some recommendations for a new laptop to take a look at (or, to keep an eye on for updated models coming soon). It must have an SSD and be reasonably portable (~2kg or less) with at least a 13" display, preferably high resolution. My desktop has a 1070 to do any graphics heavy lifting with, so I don't mind what GPU it has as long as it's powerful enough to push its own display. Long battery life is very important. Would like a reasonably powerful processor, but it's not a critical point - no requirement for quad i7s here, haha. Pretty indifferent towards having a touch screen, but if the laptop does have one, it also needs to have a proper keyboard; none of this Surface keyboard-mat-thing nonsense. An HDMI port and SD card slot would be very beneficial. USB-C is fine, but there must also be USB-3 port(s). Don't worry about any sort of budget for now, but don't let value for money go completely out of the window - after all, that's a big reason why I want to bail on the Apple computers, haha.

Any suggestions? :D

Careful with that "high resolution" bit! At some point it's less a good thing and more a bad thing. Overly-high resolution displays need more power (both in terms of GPU and battery) to drive, and Windows scaling isn't as good as it should be if it's not exactly a 4K display. Better to focus on laptops with a good 1920x1080 panel than anything else. That's about the limit where 100% scaling is comfortable and battery life impact caused by the display is still relatively low.

Usually, for laptops, it's probably a lot easier if you just went to your favourite online PC retailer and searched for laptops that do match your criteria.

Try looking for a laptop from 12"-14", with a 1920x1080 or better display that doesn't have a TN panel (the description should tell you what type of display it has if it's not a TN panel), good colour coverage (again, check description, if it doesn't make a mention assume it probably doesn't hit sRGB), a dual-core i5 or better (just make sure you don't get an i3 or Core M, or anything worse), 8 GB of RAM, and enough SSD to carry your everything (you have a desktop, so 240-256 GB is a good target).

 

[Nihilego]

Careful with that "high resolution" bit! At some point it's less a good thing and more a bad thing. Overly-high resolution displays need more power (both in terms of GPU and battery) to drive, and Windows scaling isn't as good as it should be if it's not exactly a 4K display. Better to focus on laptops with a good 1920x1080 panel than anything else. That's about the limit where 100% scaling is comfortable and battery life impact caused by the display is still relatively low.

Usually, for laptops, it's probably a lot easier if you just went to your favourite online PC retailer and searched for laptops that do match your criteria.

Try looking for a laptop from 12"-14", with a 1920x1080 or better display that doesn't have a TN panel (the description should tell you what type of display it has if it's not a TN panel), good colour coverage (again, check description, if it doesn't make a mention assume it probably doesn't hit sRGB), a dual-core i5 or better (just make sure you don't get an i3 or Core M, or anything worse), 8 GB of RAM, and enough SSD to carry your everything (you have a desktop, so 240-256 GB is a good target).

Thanks for your advice - do you have specific models that you'd recommend? I'm aware of the spec range that'd work for me (although 256GB storage isn't nearly enough, which is a huge pain; the laptop is gonna be used for a lot of science which often features the collection gigantic datasets, and obviously my desktop isn't gonna be in whichever lab I'm working at. Plus I've got a lot of media which already pushes that limit), but I'm simply quite out-of-touch with what's actually out there and who the respected manufacturers are these days. Good point about the displays too... I feel like I'd find it hard to go back to 1920x1080 but if the next best thing is all the way up at 4K then it's probably kinda out of the question.

 

[Legendary Silke]

Thanks for your advice - do you have specific models that you'd recommend? I'm aware of the spec range that'd work for me (although 256GB storage isn't nearly enough, which is a huge pain; the laptop is gonna be used for a lot of science which often features the collection gigantic datasets, and obviously my desktop isn't gonna be in whichever lab I'm working at. Plus I've got a lot of media which already pushes that limit), but I'm simply quite out-of-touch with what's actually out there and who the respected manufacturers are these days. Good point about the displays too... I feel like I'd find it hard to go back to 1920x1080 but if the next best thing is all the way up at 4K then it's probably kinda out of the question.

As long as you avoid the lowest-end, "cheap" stuff expect it to last quite a while.

Seems like you're probably looking for an Ultrabook, though I suspect you would be fine with most laptops that aren't too thick and heavy. Just to make sure: you planning of playing video games on it?

 

[Nihilego]

As long as you avoid the lowest-end, "cheap" stuff expect it to last quite a while.

Seems like you're probably looking for an Ultrabook, though I suspect you would be fine with most laptops that aren't too thick and heavy. Just to make sure: you planning of playing video games on it?

Sounds like it. I had a Dell XPS 15 recommended to me and I liked it, but it seems expensive (although, admittedly, good) and the lack of customisation options available in the UK is likely to be a deal-breaker.

Video games are gonna be reserved for the desktop, so that's not a consideration. However it will be doing some Photoshop work, some light video editing, and likely on occasion some more power-hungry tasks like molecular rendering and modelling. I don't expect any laptop to be fully equipped for those last two tasks, though.

 

[Legendary Silke]

Sounds like it. I had a Dell XPS 15 recommended to me and I liked it, but it seems expensive (although, admittedly, good) and the lack of customisation options available in the UK is likely to be a deal-breaker.

Video games are gonna be reserved for the desktop, so that's not a consideration. However it will be doing some Photoshop work, some light video editing, and likely on occasion some more power-hungry tasks like molecular rendering and modelling. I don't expect any laptop to be fully equipped for those last two tasks, though.

Actually, these laptops do exist: laptops that come with an i7-6700HQ or better CPU.

Problem, though, is probably that you're basically looking at gaming laptops even though you probably didn't want one. Call it a happy coincidence. ;)

 

[Tsutarja]

Still loving my SSD! Windows Updates came in less than a minute :)

 

[Legendary Silke]

Still loving my SSD! Windows Updates came in less than a minute :)

Enjoying having fast everything? :)

Someday, I want to have a 2 TB SSD that doesn't cost an arm and a leg. ...make it two of them, since two computers.

 

[Tsutarja]

Enjoying having fast everything? :)

Sometimes I wish I could be even faster :P

But yes! It felt like a brand new OS install when it's just really a restored image from my laptop's original HDD.

 

[Legendary Silke]

So, lately I have been thinking of getting a new Android smartphone by the end of December. There's two phones I have been thinking about right now... One is the Samsung Galaxy A5 (2016), and the other is the A9 Pro (2016).

These phones cost RM 1399 and 1999 respectively, and let's see what I would get...

With the A5, 5.2" 1080p SAMOLED, 16 GB internal, 2 GB RAM, Snapdragon 615 or the Exynos equivalent, 13 MP rear with flash and 5 MP front cameras, and a 2900 mAh battery. Comes with 32 GB Samsung EVO microSDHC card, flip cover.

A9 Pro has a 6" display of the same resolution and tech, 32 GB internal, Snapdragon 652 or equivalent, 16 MP and 8 MP resolutions instead, and... get this... 5000 mAh battery. If assuming same battery voltage, that's positively insane. Also comes with a 64 GB microSDXC Samsung EVO+ memory card and if the offer isn't wrong, a Bluetooth headset (also Samsung). No cover though. 802.11ac Wi-Fi onboard, too.

Both phones have a fingerprint scanner, most sensors that are important outside of gyroscope and health-related stuff, the same design of glass and metal sandwich, and a 2-year warranty. NFC and Samsung Pay are standard, as are Wi-Fi direct, USB OTG, and fast charging... 5 GHz Wi-Fi is on both.

Should or should not?

 

[Legendary Silke]

Honest, with how you laid it out, the A9 Pro, hands down, is your better option. Don't go with anything that has a Exynos processor, they aren't Android Nougat compatible, and will mean that you won't get any OTA updates past 6.0.1 unless Samsung can pull a rabbit out of their hat and somehow get Nougat to work with the Exynos line.

Hmm, apparently the A9 Pro doesn't even have the possibility of getting an Exynos SoC - it's exclusively Snapdragon 652 as far as I could see.

Might need some time to get used though, moving from a 5" to a 6"... this is larger than even an S7 edge.

 

[Tsutarja]

This morning I powered up my iPod Touch 5th Gen for the first time since October 17th.. and it was purely dead because the time it showed was the last time it was successfully powered on. Obviously it corrected itself once it decided to find an internet connection. :P

Then after that, 38 total app updates. Yikes.