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...I can understand the need for something compact as I live in a very small studio flat.
Make sure then you get own with at least dual fan flow through cooling (most gaming notebooks have that feature) as the CPU will get hot during rendering.
Not sure what your price point is but if you primarily are sticking with 3DL this one has a 16 core 32 thread Ryzen 9 7940HX with a base clock of 2.4 GHz and boost to 5.2 GHz. It also has 32 GB DDR5 memory a RTX4050 (6 GB VRAM) GPU, and a 4TB SSD as well as a 17.3" display and "flow through" cooling.
Just a suggestion:
https://www.amazon.com/ASUS-Gaming-Laptop-16-Core-GeForce/dp/B0DH1FJGQN?th=1
That does look promising and is within my budget (after converting from dollars to pounds). Sadly it says it can't be shipped to my location (UK). I've never used Amazon before (my journey into the modern age is a reluctant one), but I will have a look and see if there is something like that on the uk version. Thank you for your reply.
I found the following on Amazon uk which I think is similar to the suggestion? There are so many options I ended up getting totally lost. I don't know if this link will work.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/HoMei-PCIe4-0-Dedicated-Graphics-Bluetooth5-3/dp/B0DYVN1GVL?crid=8VS865CCM8ZU&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.NIXulBLDZyWZTtsuWueYp8rn1aT6LEBSPPFztKirYM4n9e1_zaC4S359B3QL5JAsUXIS1a_LbyHOwWGhbrtQ4rgS6zU1lZ0bgG_7utfUil9Iwry5opwiMrSE4CJc89kh3uIrC97vV8-H4j-xOSPDb6NCaDtKB817MkJtBhyDKTWsOEkb4Q1njLani1ub8O60w_N_DTRlriddBIjYSVlVSCshKFXSvWBai8Jg8Jqu3O1fElQM4vC41kFOMlTG03wUOGkzahLtdg3O2b0yHoIR092lME79-ipKCfy5fY2coIAsjQUrSIHWZRYzGQMVmqOy0idJsg1wTxYCDqedRoyHYLEf23qtsG_s-_RlnHFTeo4.NIqfcwNBj0sSuFfSyxqAU67olAdFrgZXN_Xn2Yav6t8&dib_tag=se&keywords=2024+gaming+laptop&qid=1742031474&refinements=p_n_feature_twenty-four_browse-bin%3A27399090031%2Cp_n_pattern_browse-bin%3A937175031%2Cp_n_feature_twenty-nine_browse-bin%3A50870105031%2Cp_n_feature_forty_browse-bin%3A21761444031%2Cp_n_feature_twenty-one_browse-bin%3A27387799031&rnid=27387793031&s=computers&sprefix=2024+gaming+laptop%2Ccomputers%2C157&sr=1-10
AVA Direct and Origin both make great computers. Most of our systems were built by AVA, and I'm still using my last one, and it now is 13yr old. I think MicroCenter builds PC's as well, but I can't speak as to how well they hold up. I had mine built big at the time, so I really only needed to upgrade the GPU over the yrs. The only thing that has been replaced on it was the HDD, and added many more, and GPU. The thing I like with both of the companies is you get to pick the parts that go into it, so if you have a favorite brand, you can just pick those parts if they offer them. I have an Origin laptop but atm it needs a new hard drive so still waiting for a good sale that I can pick up an M.2 and an HDD but unfortunately with Win 11 being the standard OS and W10 support being dropped, I need to build a new computer cause none of the important parts are compatible with Win 11 so atm I'm pricing parts and just going to build it myself.
...I would not go with an "off brand" system particularly id something goes wrong with it. That one also has an Intel CPU with those "split cores" so you won't have the full 32 threads (total thread count for that CPU is 22). There have also been a few reports of issues with the newer Intel chips.
Seems system specs overseas are different than here in The States as most of tje ones I looked at only had 16 GB of memory (which is insufficient for working Daz) and/or only a 1TB SSD with no options for a larger one.
I also didn't take into account VAT which increases the final price.
I did a fair amount of "shopping" the UK sites and yes,was unable to that same system that I linked to above. .
I did look at AVA but the customisation for notebooks was pretty limited to memory and drives. The one I used as a base only offered an 8 core Ryzen 7 and DDR4 memory which is last generation tech.
With a little more searching I did come across this system which is close but not identical to the one I mentioned above. It is a 16" instead of 17" display and has a 12 instead of 16 core Ryzen but does have a 2 TB NVME SSD, 32 GB memory, and an 8 GB RTX 4070 GPU chip. It also features the same flow through cooling the other one has As I understand many of the newer notebooks have 2 NVME PCIe slots still add a second larger one later (on my ancient system I have a larger capacity drive for my content library in addition to the boot drive)
The rub, It goes for 2,199€
https://www.overclockers.co.uk/asus-tuf-gaming-a16-nvidia-rtx-4070-32gb-16.0-2.5k-165hz-amd-ryzen-ai-9-hx-lap-asu-02428.html.
Thanks for looking into this, it is appreciated. The laptop you link to would be great, but a bit above my budget sadly. I found one on the same site similar which I can afford, and (unless I'm reading the specs wrong, which is certainly possible), the main difference is screen size. It has 2 TB SSD, 32gb memory, 8 gb RTX 4060, 12 core Ryzen. A smaller screen size isn't great but I can live with it, as I use a small laptop for work. https://www.overclockers.co.uk/asus-tuf-gaming-a14-nvidia-rtx-4060-32gb-14-2.5k-165hz-amd-ryzen-ai-9-hx-3-lap-asu-03936.html
If you've found a spec that you can like you can google the EAN or MPN number to see if anyone else has it cheaper.
System ram and drive space are cheap and easy to upgrade, you can check the Crucial Upgrade Advisor webpage, get part numbers then buy cheap on Amazon.
My last couple of laptops were 12 month old refurbs, a dell one from dell uk and an Asus one from laptops direct. I only used them for browsing and light gaming but the dell lasted ten years and I've had the asus for about six. CEX also sell used with warranty.
...I saw that one and was almost going to link to it until I saw he screen size, However, the 2 TB SSD and RTX 4060 are a bonus along with the price. Then again when i first got into Daz many many years ago I was working on an old Toshiba notebook with a 13" screen. duo core 1.6 GHz CPU, 4 GB of memory, and an 80 GB HDD (which I later replaces with a 320 GB one)
BTW I still have it and it still works.
Here's a couple of the works I turned out on it:
..that's the ASUS TUF Gaming A14 correct?
As to the previous one you linked to, I never heard of the HoMei brand and something just didn't seem right about it. I could not find any independent review or even much information on that model other than the Amazon listing (on which there are no customer reviews either).
Have you tried PC specialist
...not just that, it may be poorly built..
While I was trying to find information on HoMei I came across several hits that warned of scams on Amazon, I found a video where the reviewer purchased a "low cost" notebook that sounded "too good to be true" like that HoMei system. In short, it was. This one was on sale marked down from about 1,100 USD to something like 330 USD.
When he unboxed it there was no logo or name of the maker on it anywhere (same with the HoMei system in the Amazon link) and it looked very similar. The system had 12 GB of DDR4 memory, no GPU (integrated graphics), and a 2.8 GHz Intel Celeron® CPU (Likely a 4 year old N5100 quad core, single threaded) but the 2.8 clock speed the company advertised was for "Burst" Mode (which somewhat similar to Turbo mode). The base clock speed was 1.1 GHz.
In short, the review pretty much came to the conclusion it was a scam. The system didn't even have a functional fan (though when he opened the case there was one inside but it had no intake or exhaust port).
Indeed, buyer beware as those "incredible sounding deals" may not be so incredible in the end.
Throwing in my 2 cents.
Never heard of HoMei, but the product listing doesn't even match the company name "HeMei Technology Co.,Ltd". Looking at the street address on Maps it is not encouraging.
It may be a decent machine, but as others pointed out - and I saw on some Reddit comments - people couldn't find anyone willing to repair it. It's a gamble imo.
On the other hand, I've used ASUS desktop products for 15 years and can at least vouch for their quality.
...that is why I tend to avoid "off the shelf" systems which is why I chose to learn how to build my own (of course that is hard to do with mobile systems) .
I like to know what and who's tech is in the case.
I dont know why everyone is fixated on 12 cores. AMD has had great 16 core / 32 thread options since 2019 (having 3delight fill 32 buckets at a time will look glorious)
Desktop options
Socket AM4 - Ryzen 9 5950X
Socket AM5 - Ryzen 9 7950X
Socket AM5 - Ryzen 9 9950X
Notebook options
Ryzen 9 7945HX
Ryzen 9 7940HX
At this point is is also worth mentioning AMDs newest "Mobile" processor tha tis starting to get put into laptops, tablets and desktops.
I would look at the Farmework Desktop.
Ryzen AI Max+ 395 (16 cores / 32 threads + 40 compute unit GPU)
...higher wattage and more expensive.
The 12 Core 9900X (120W) I chose can be sufficiently cooled with an Arctic Freezer 34 Duo (air cooled heat sink unit with dual fans) which is 53 USD
For the 16 core the 9950X (170 W) a Noctua NH D15 (twice the cost of eh Arctic Freezer) or closed loop water cooling system is recommended.
I personally don't care for water cooling unless it is a fully integrated custom system (which is rather expensive) because of the extra maintenance involved.
This of course applies to desktop systems.
I've had an AIO for 13 yrs now in my desktop, and all you need to do with it is to clean the radiator and fan every 4-6 months or so, dependent on whether you have pets or not. There is hardly no maintenance to them at all. My wife has a custom system and it's a pita. Depending on the fluid you use, it needs to be changed out 1-2 a year and then flushed once a year.
Do I like custom systems, absolutely, but it's not worth all the maintenance when I can get the same results with a good AIO? For as much as I'd like to have one, it's not worth the money to me. You can barely touch blocks for the CPU for less than $100 let alone a block for the GPU which is more expensive than the CPU block, typically. Then you need to get a pump, reservoir, tubing (rigid or flexible), all the fittings that are sold by the piece typically, and finally, fluid. Dependent on the fluid you buy, determines on the amount of extra work you have in store for yourself. It's super easy to drop $500-$600 on a very basic, custom system, where I can get a top-rated AIO for $150-$250.
If you're wanting to be able to change the fluid in your AIO now and then, a lot of AIO's now have fill plugs that you can empty the system out and refill it. I also have several fans for airflow and exhaust to the rest of the parts. My computer has never run hotter than about 45-50C on very heavy loads, On basic, every day use not requiring very heavy loads it barely goes about 25C. Honestly, I'm not entirely sure how my AIO has lasted this long without the pump taking a crap, lol. Unfortunately, I now have to build a new system that will support Win 11, because none of the parts in mine are compatible. At least with the wife's computer I only need to put in a new MB and CPU, whereas, my system is a couple of years older than hers, so I have to do a completely new build. The only thing I still have yet to decide on is whether I want to go to AMD again, or stick with intel. I like the benchmarks on one over the other, and the fact that the other only has 2-3 CPU's listed in the top 20 benchmarks, and you get more bang for the buck with the one.
It is a good thing that prices have really come down in recent years and according to my pricing spreadsheet, I can get a very big system that will last me another 15 yrs for about $2500-$3500 dependent upon the CPU and GPU I pick. After the initial cost, I will only need to upgrade the GPU now and then. I made sure to build a system that is completely upgradeable without having to replace everything several times.
Agree with all that with the caveat that if you choose parts and fluid for durability rather than looks then the maintenance requirements can be much lower. There's a couple of litres of DP Ultra wandering through my loop and in the eight months or so since I assembled it the flow rate, temps and conductivity haven't budged. Unless they change drastically or the fluid changes appearance or things start growing in there then I'm not going to touch it apart from blowing out the cat hair from the radiator occasionally. I'm expecting it to go 6 years or so.
Conrats. It's pretty quick and easy to install stuff with DIM. It's the organizing afterwards and fixing any weirdness that takes time.
...@SteveM17. Congratulations. hope itserves your needs well.
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As I've mentioned I'm in the same boat as Frank looking at upgrading a 13 year old system (that is going on 14) fir the same reason as well (no TPM2 module) . Decided on the AM5/DDR5 build I configured at PC Part Picker as last generation components (AM4/DDR4 have been slowly increasing in price to not be as much of a savings).
I chose air cooling as the case I have provides excellent airflow throughout. One of the features it as is a 200mm filtered intake fan where today most cases have the glass panel. This is lined up to pull fresh air in by both the GPU and CPU which is then exhausted through the top by two 120mm fans. The three front intake fans are also fitted with washable filters. With a n AIO I'd have to sacrifice the two top fans just for the CPU. Leaving the small 90mm at hte back to do the rest of the heavy work.
I recently picked up a hand held air blower for cleaning which works extremely well and has various attachments to get into tight places. which has already paid itself back compared to those disposable compressed air cans.
I built three systems for myself and one for my nephew about 3, 4 & 5 years ago (during COVID time). Intel i5 & i7, generation 8, 10 & 11, and an AMD-4 5600G. At the time I watched a lot of videos from on-line builders and reviewers (and still do). I thought about liquid cooling, because it was the "in" thing at the time, then I started seeing several videos about the downsides of liquid cooling, i.e. leaks, evaporation, liquid breakdown & corrosion, and debris buildup clogging the micro heat transfer vanes. That risk, complexity, maintainence, price and limited lifetime turned the tide. I stuck with air cooling because I really wasn't pushing the heat envelope. And air coolers just work forever, as long as you dust them a couple times a decade.
All in all, I'm happy with my machines, they replaced far older machines (that are still around and functional but not further upgradeable). But I still watch the on-line builders and reviewers and am glad that I built when I did. Machines these days put too much emphasis on elements that seem to be too weak to handle the effort. Big price increase for each generation yet with non-corresponding increase in capability. And the state & price of graphics cards is dismal. Yeah, yeah, graphic card prices in the early 2020s was dismal too, but you'd think that that would have settled out by now.
And what's going on with graphics card power connectors?. Oi.
Unless one is required to work at the "Poppa Bear" level ,state-of-the-art, the price and risk of modern, portable room heaters and fire starters doesn't seem rational.
Yet, rationality isn't always in style. In the '50s it was motor gearheads, in the '60s it was hi-fi gearheads, in the '70s & '80s it was TV gearheads, etc... Sometimes "Momma Bear" quality is quite satisfactory.
Yeah, my lines are covered so don't care. I most definitely prefer the closed loop so that I don't need to worry about it at all besides making sure the pump doesn't fail.
That reminded me to order the cable for my fan controller that shuts down the PC if anything stops working. Thanks for that.
If you're going for comic strips, you might try FilaToon rendering. It's pretty much instant renders (usually takes 2 seconds per render even on my old potato computer).