Where have all the laptop deals gone?!?!?! Especially Ryzen 4800U!

seraphim2017 on 07/03/2021 - 21:00

Was the Ryzen 4800u ever even real? Did I dream it? Was it a Unicorn?

A year on from my laptop, it's parped itself on multiple fronts. Manufacturer is happy to refund fully but there's no way I can find anything that is:

2 in 1 pen supported 1080P with a decent gen 8 (or better) i7, Nvidia graphics (low but enough), nvme AND 7.5mm Sata bays internally and 2 x 8gb ram slots.

So instead, I thought, with Ryzen 4800u, who needs integrated graphics. But NO! They are nowhere to be found!

A month or two ago, the nitro 5 10300H 1650ti 144Hz screen model was in hardly normal for $999. now there seem to be zero deals on any laptops?

Is it a lull, or a supply issue from overseas/chip shortage due to covid?

Is there a 'best' time of the year to buy a new laptop?

Computing Computer Laptop

Comments

  • DASHCAM NOW DUDE on 07/03/2021 - 21:14

    EOFYS
    Cyber Monday
    Black Friday
    Boxing Day

    • seraphim2017 on 07/03/2021 - 21:16

      So june or before xmas then? damn!

    • netjock on 08/03/2021 - 03:32

      LOL soon there will be a shortage of smart fridges if they can mine on them.

      There is the theory that Tesla car + roof = option to crypto mine link

  • jnewau on 08/03/2021 - 09:38

    There are significant supply issues for semiconductors atm. Not so much CPUs this time, but panels and other chips are causing shortages. In the commercial world we're being told custom configurations of laptops have a 3 month ETA from most vendors.
    It's affecting other industries too - car makers are struggling to get supply

  • TheLurker on 08/03/2021 - 10:24
    +1

    I've been in the same situation. I had two HP laptops both refunded after a multitude of issues in Sept last year. HP offered a replacement but I couldn't find a decent touchscreen 4700U/4800U, and Intel Tiger Lake wasn't yet released. I built a SFF PC as a workstation to get me through during WFH lockdowns. It has a Renoir APU (cheap on ebay) so I could wait for Zen 3 + RTX3000. It is quick enough for any major processing tasks and I spent more on quality 'longer-term' parts like PSU, Cooler, Fans, Case, 32GB 3600 C16 RAM, PCIe 4.0 SSD until a better CPU and GPU is 'affordable'.

    Now I need to do work offsite. I bought the Amazon $870 Lenovo Flex 5 4500U, but returned it and bought the Dell Inspiron 15 7506 for $1258 with 3-year warranty. These are lower tier laptops than I usually get but as my PC does the most of the workload it was an easier choice for mobile work (I wanted a light laptop with touchscreen so gaming laptops weren't an option). The Intel i7-1165G7 processor is surprisingly fast (incl. Iris iGPU) and outperforms the 4800U in single-core and graphics tests by a small margin. The only compromise was multi-core which I'm using the desktop for now regardless. Despite some issues I am happy with the choices and still have change leftover from the refunds.

    TL;DR: How about finding a cheaper laptop to last a year or so until supply settles, and/or starting on a desktop build with an iGPU/APU temporarily?

    • seraphim2017 on 08/03/2021 - 14:26

      I did notice the new 11th gen i5 and i7 are remarkable, but they need 4266MHz ram to shine, and most come with 3200. Can i ask, does your Dell support 4266MHz ram? (Is there an option at order to get the faster ram?)

      • TheLurker on 09/03/2021 - 02:08

        Mine has DDR-3200 dual channel (the deal listed single-channel but they changed it when building it, which is good). Note that DDR-4266x is a low power RAM so isn't exactly 1066MHz better in real terms. It is a lot more expensive so you'd need to step up a price tier to get it I suspect. I ran User Benchmark on the Dell and it seemed quite strong. For me, a good laptop is one I like the 'feel' of incl. display quality, portability, less battery anxiety, case quality etc so I don't judge a system based on raw power alone. If performance is your main goal, you might spot some good clevo based machines like metabox for value for money?

  • TheLurker on 08/03/2021 - 11:49
    +1

    If you wanted a gaming laptop this is a cheap option… https://www.ozbargain.com.au/node/608931

    • seraphim2017 on 08/03/2021 - 13:02

      Thanks. I'm just grumpy because it was 999 last month with 16gb and a 144hz screen! (Anyone have a time machine?)

      • TheLurker on 08/03/2021 - 14:22
        +1

        I missed that one. Definitely a cheap decent option on that deal if gaming laptop suits your needs.
        Yeah, the missed deal regret is real and always makes it harder to buy again. The past year sucks when prices keep climbing. Hope you find a cracking deal on your next machine

        • seraphim2017 on 08/03/2021 - 20:21

          Do you think this would be more powerful/better than the nitro? (If priced the same?)

          https://www.dell.com/en-au/shop/gaming-and-games/dell-g5-15-…

          • TheLurker on 09/03/2021 - 02:01

            @seraphim2017: Assuming you're after a 15" gaming machine (with compromise on weight, portability, touchscreen, etc vs others) then I think the Dell may be a shade better, but it depends what you're running on it. The 1650ti is a lot slower than the 1660ti, and the RX5600M outperforms both apparently. CPU has pro's and cons of performance on both with Intel having better single-core for gaming, but AMD having better multi-core. Dell has a better reputation than Acer (IMO) but the G15 has been known for cooling issues. It was the first machine with SmartShift to use the iGPU dynamically and burns less battery with CPU. I'd lean to Dell G15 for same money, but would definitely look for recent reviews to see if they've fixed the earlier issues from last year. A 3-year onsite warranty was fairly cheap for mine and is a good insurance

            • seraphim2017 on 15/03/2021 - 13:25

              @TheLurker: All else being more or les equal, would you buy?

              Intel i5-10300H RTX 2060 6gb (nitro 5) or;
              Ryzen 5 4600H GTX 1650 ti 4gb (Lenovo ideapad 3 gaming)
              i.e good processor vs good graphics card.
              screens, expandability, battery etc all pretty similar otherwise, prices also similar.

              • TheLurker on 15/03/2021 - 13:31

                @seraphim2017: I would need to know the use case. Is it purely gaming focused, or workstation, or portable productivity etc?

                • seraphim2017 on 15/03/2021 - 14:40

                  @TheLurker: Just general use really! Some photos and a bit of video editing, nothing hardcore. Maybe GTA v or battlefront 2 as they are epic freebies.

                  I could probably get away with a ryzen 4500u and no graphics card at all or even a 3500u for half the cost!

                  • TheLurker on 15/03/2021 - 14:59

                    @seraphim2017: Image editing is a little harder on CPU than light gaming. Are you certain you want a higher voltage, lower battery performance system? The 11th Gen Intel and Ryzen 4xxxU CPU's aren't that far behind in performance vs losing the touchscreen you're used to. Harder to get discrete graphics though.

                    If video editing connectivity includes connecting a thunderbolt device (e.g. 4k camera) then you might want to choose the intel. Thunderbolt is rare on AMD systems.

                    For value for money, this is very strong, and unless those you mentioned are extremely cheap, it's what I'd buy.

                    https://www.ozbargain.com.au/node/610275

                    Better CPU and GPU than both you mentioned with local stock and warranty. Buy on Amex with deal for $100 off, plus CR or SB

                    • seraphim2017 on 15/03/2021 - 16:23

                      @TheLurker: Thanks. is the 1660ti better than the rtx2060? I didn't know that! I run everything normal on my i7-8565u with mx130 card, I can live without touch screen, so I'm not a power user by any stretch of the word. I liked the smaller form factor but looking at whats around (I like to install a second SSD for files and it makes transcoding quicker).

                      Both the laptops I mentioned were less than $1100 with that expandability, it seems all the rage to have soldered single channel ram which would be awful for both Vega and XE graphics by the look, but by the sound of it, a better cpu with standard graphics card (4600+1650ti) would fit be better than a weaker cpu and better gpu (10300h+2060) for my use. The 4600h is made by lenovo so i'm assuming build quality will be reasonable.

                      • TheLurker on 15/03/2021 - 19:39

                        @seraphim2017: 1660ti is a tad faster than 2060 Max-q (Max is low TDP and clock, hence slower) but if games aren't your priority, and you're doing video editing, get a better CPU. Both GPU support NVENC which you would need.

                        If you want very fast disk, upgrade to a larger m2 Nvme drive. Up to 3500mbps on pcie 3.0 (no pcie 4.0 on current gen). You'd also likely upgrade memory too as 8gb probably will be a constraint. A 2nd sata drive won't be all that fast by comparison. I've got a Samsung T7 which is surprisingly fast (quicker than sata internal) on usb c 3.2 and has been cheap recently

                        On the Lenovo, mixed reviews on support if you get issues. I'd prefer that to Acer. After massive problems with various laptops in recent years, I think premium on site support is worth it.

                        I still think a laptop that feels right is a big factor. If you hate the case (sharp edges, flex), poor quality screen, bad sound, poor mouse touch pad, etc they will bug you more than small differences in cpu or gpu performance

  • TheLurker on 09/03/2021 - 14:31

    There is a cheap MSI RTX 3060 gaming laptop just posted if you're looking still
    https://www.ozbargain.com.au/node/609231

  • Starcraftmazter on 10/03/2021 - 03:22

    All stock of those laptops was mostly sold around holidays (there were a fair few discounts) because the 5000 series is coming very soon (for laptops I mean).

    Unfortunately in Australia there were very few 4800u variants available to begin with, but it should improve with this next generation. I really hope Dell picks it up as well.

  • seraphim2017 on 15/03/2021 - 09:25

    OK brains trust.
    If i go the laptop route.

    All else being more or les equal, would you buy?

    1. Intel i5-10300H RTX 2060 6gb or;
    2. Ryzen 5 4600H GTX 1650 ti 4gb

    i.e good processor vs good graphics card.
    screens, expandability, battery etc all pretty similar otherwise, prices also similar.

    • [Deactivated] on 20/03/2021 - 21:56

      The 2060 some games you'll be able to use slightly higher graphics settings, not a major difference though.

      The 4600H will really shine if you plan on streaming or doing anything beyond just gaming. The 10300H is really sluggish in that area - it's literally on par with 4th gen desktop CPUs from 2014. The 4600H compares well to the 2600x from 2018.

      That said, there is a lot of people still running 4th gen CPUs with simply upgraded graphics cards - if you are only gaming they do still keep up…

      TL;DR: if you're ONLY gaming, 2060 will allow for slightly higher graphics settings, though not overly that noticeable.

      If you're doing anything like streaming, the 4600H is a no brainer.

      The fact you were asking about the 4800u, you're likely wanting the 4600H

  • [Deactivated] on 20/03/2021 - 21:38

    There's supply issues on the 4th gen U series processors.

    Best you can get is a H series atm, ie https://www.ozbargain.com.au/node/607511

    • seraphim2017 on 20/03/2021 - 23:29

      I saw that, specs look good and reviews online too, but 45wh battery with a full fat gaming chip and you? Wouldn't that literally suck?(battery juice that is!)

      Also, 1 year warranty on this kind of thing? What are Lenovo like for honouring ACL like warranties?

      Considering forfeiting any gaming chops at all for the HN aspire 5 ryzen 4500u deal at $698. 4500u can't be that bad a chip for daily use and very light gaming can it?

      • [Deactivated] on 21/03/2021 - 18:26

        Yeah the battery is a joke, it's basically just a UPS lol

        Enough time to move between power points or finish what you're doing and shut down if the power goes out…

        Not sure how they are with ACL, I've not yet needed to make a claim with Lenovo (though I've owned two Lenovo's over the past few years)

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