# Heavy Workload Laptop at 60-70K



## edurgesh (Sep 30, 2020)

Hello friends,

My current laptop (Asus Vivibook, almost 3 years old) is going good, but need a new laptop for software development; the old one will do duty for online classes.

*1) What is your budget? *(INR or USD)

60-70K INR

*2) What size & weight consideration (if any) would you prefer?*

Mainstream 15"-16" FHD, no weight constraint

*3) What are the primary tasks you will be performing with this notebook? *

Software development using Visual Studio, SQL Server, PostgreSQL Server, Docker, WSL2, Windows 10 Pro.

*5) Any typical configuration in your mind you're eying for ?*

Min 16GB RAM, 512 GB storage

*4) Are there any brands that you prefer or any you really don't like?*

Any reliable brand is fine

*6) Anything else you would like to say?*

There is no gaming requirement, so even the basic GPU should be fine.

Saw this laptop on Amazon; how is this?

*www.amazon.in/ASUS-Graphics-Window...ywords=asus+tuf+laptop&qid=1601452722&sr=8-12
Please suggest more options.
Thanks in advance!


----------



## omega44-xt (Sep 30, 2020)

A15 is a great choice for its price, but that model was 62k just a few days ago. This one is cheaper:
Buy ASUS TUF Gaming A15 Laptop 15.6" FHD 144Hz Ryzen 5 4600H, GTX 1650 4GB Graphics (8GB RAM/1TB HDD + 256GB NVMe SSD/Windows 10/Bonfire Black/2.30 Kg), FA506IH-AL057T Online at Low Prices in India - Amazon.in


----------



## edurgesh (Sep 30, 2020)

omega44-xt said:


> A15 is a great choice for its price, but that model was 62k just a few days ago. This one is cheaper:
> Buy ASUS TUF Gaming A15 Laptop 15.6" FHD 144Hz Ryzen 5 4600H, GTX 1650 4GB Graphics (8GB RAM/1TB HDD + 256GB NVMe SSD/Windows 10/Bonfire Black/2.30 Kg), FA506IH-AL057T Online at Low Prices in India - Amazon.in



Thanks dear for the quick reply!

I saw this model also, but the one which I selected earlier has 16 GB RAM already installed. If I buy a 8 GB version, I need to install another 8GB stick (maybe 4-5k). Though this has 256GB SSD +  ITB HDD.
What do you suggest?

Regards


----------



## omega44-xt (Sep 30, 2020)

edurgesh said:


> Thanks dear for the quick reply!
> 
> I saw this model also, but the one which I selected earlier has 16 GB RAM already installed. If I buy a 8 GB version, I need to install another 8GB stick (maybe 4-5k). Though this has 256GB SSD +  ITB HDD.
> What do you suggest?
> ...


Oh, my bad, didn't see 16GB. Then its good for the price. If you know how to open a laptop & put a 2.5" HDD/SSD later, better opt for 16/512GB variant because of higher capacity SSD & pre-installed RAM. 1TB 2.5" HDD costs 3.5-4k in general. I think Asus should include a cable for connecting it to mobo of laptop. Another difference is refresh rate, cheaper one has 144Hz panel, but since you aren't gaming, 60Hz will suffice, both panels are similar in colour reproduction, etc.


----------



## edurgesh (Sep 30, 2020)

omega44-xt said:


> Oh, my bad, didn't see 16GB. Then its good for the price. If you know how to open a laptop & put a 2.5" HDD/SSD later, better opt for 16/512GB variant because of higher capacity SSD & pre-installed RAM. 1TB 2.5" HDD costs 3.5-4k in general. I think Asus should include a cable for connecting it to mobo of laptop. Another difference is refresh rate, cheaper one has 144Hz panel, but since you aren't gaming, 60Hz will suffice, both panels are similar in colour reproduction, etc.



OK great! That looks good.. yes I can install the HDD later if required. I also missed the refresh rate 144Hz; don't think it will matter as long as the screen quality is same. Maybe 60Hz will have slightly better battery life.. 

Not sure if any further price reduction or offers are possible during the upcoming sale?

Thanks!


----------



## omega44-xt (Sep 30, 2020)

edurgesh said:


> OK great! That looks good.. yes I can install the HDD later if required. I also missed the refresh rate 144Hz; don't think it will matter as long as the screen quality is same. Maybe 60Hz will have slightly better battery life..
> 
> Not sure if any further price reduction or offers are possible during the upcoming sale?
> 
> Thanks!


Price reduction is possible but there are supply issues & A15 has been out of stock for most days since when it was launched.

Yes, 60Hz will have slightly better battery life, maybe 10% or so better.


----------



## edurgesh (Sep 30, 2020)

omega44-xt said:


> Price reduction is possible but there are supply issues & A15 has been out of stock for most days since when it was launched.
> 
> Yes, 60Hz will have slightly better battery life, maybe 10% or so better.



Yes, it's a gamble now! It has become really tough to get a good laptop at reasonable price these days.
Also I don't think there are better options from other companies. Already checked HP, Lenovo, Acer; couldn't find anything better.
Looks like I need to pull the trigger soon!


----------



## omega44-xt (Sep 30, 2020)

edurgesh said:


> Yes, it's a gamble now! It has become really tough to get a good laptop at reasonable price these days.
> Also I don't think there are better options from other companies. Already checked HP, Lenovo, Acer; couldn't find anything better.
> Looks like I need to pull the trigger soon!


HP has Pavilion Gaming with similar specs sans 144Hz panel for a similar rate but OOS now. Lenovo's Ideapad Gaming 3 with 1650Ti was 70k but you aren't into gaming, again OOS now.


----------



## edurgesh (Oct 1, 2020)

omega44-xt said:


> HP has Pavilion Gaming with similar specs sans 144Hz panel for a similar rate but OOS now. Lenovo's Ideapad Gaming 3 with 1650Ti was 70k but you aren't into gaming, again OOS now.



Yes, lot of laptops are OOS these days. But I found HP Pavilion models to be costlier at more than 70K with 8GB RAM; and Omen even more. Don't remember the Lenovo pricing. Let's wait for few days; I'll keep checking.
Thanks!


----------



## omega44-xt (Oct 1, 2020)

edurgesh said:


> Yes, lot of laptops are OOS these days. But I found HP Pavilion models to be costlier at more than 70K with 8GB RAM; and Omen even more. Don't remember the Lenovo pricing. Let's wait for few days; I'll keep checking.
> Thanks!


Omen has superior build & thermals compared to other 3, so that is bound to be more expensive. Still R5 + 1650Ti model was available for 76k, which was a good price IMO.


----------



## 123hero (Oct 1, 2020)

edurgesh said:


> Hello friends,
> 
> My current laptop (Asus Vivibook, almost 3 years old) is going good, but need a new laptop for software development; the old one will do duty for online classes.
> 
> ...



The model you mentioned is Value for money- 16GB RAM + 512 GB SSD is a great buy at 68K just note that  its a 60Hz display (anyways 60Hz, 120Hz, 144Hz displays aren't much of a deal breaker since all laptops come with 45% NTSC colour gamut - anyways you would be using laptop for development and coding so not an issue)


----------



## edurgesh (Oct 1, 2020)

omega44-xt said:


> Omen has superior build & thermals compared to other 3, so that is bound to be more expensive. Still R5 + 1650Ti model was available for 76k, which was a good price IMO.



Yes, Omen seems to be better model, but now it's more than 80K for 8GB model. So doesn't look VFM.


----------



## edurgesh (Oct 1, 2020)

123hero said:


> The model you mentioned is Value for money- 16GB RAM + 512 GB SSD is a great buy at 68K just note that  its a 60Hz display (anyways 60Hz, 120Hz, 144Hz displays aren't much of a deal breaker since all laptops come with 45% NTSC colour gamut - anyways you would be using laptop for development and coding so not an issue)


Yes, this looks the most VFM for now considering 16GB RAM. Refresh rate is not very important for me. Let's see if I can find anything better, otherwise will order this only.
Thanks!


----------



## 123hero (Oct 1, 2020)

edurgesh said:


> Yes, Omen seems to be better model, but now it's more than 80K for 8GB model. So doesn't look VFM.



There is an HP Omen model with R5 4600H + 4GB 1660Ti  which was retailing at 86K. This was a great VFM since 1660Ti GPU with Intel CPU were retailing over 90K.

Between ASUS and HP - I would recommend to go for the HP since its internals are much better and overall better build quality.


----------



## edurgesh (Oct 1, 2020)

123hero said:


> There is an HP Omen model with R5 4600H + 4GB 1660Ti  which was retailing at 86K. This was a great VFM since 1660Ti GPU with Intel CPU were retailing over 90K.
> 
> Between ASUS and HP - I would recommend to go for the HP since its internals are much better and overall better build quality.



Yes, HP Omen with 1660Ti would be great for gaming, but that GPU is not very useful for me (not into gaming). Also after adding another 8GB RAM it will touch 90K!


----------



## edurgesh (Oct 1, 2020)

Found few more, though costlier:

*www.flipkart.com/msi-bravo-15-ryze...=sp&ppn=sp&ssid=7fqvg6y9thdsdp1c1601538185264
*www.flipkart.com/lenovo-ideapad-ga...id=COMFUGF8EHQ4RMK7.LSTCOMFUGF8EHQ4RMK7MQJRQ9
How are these? The Lenovo will require additional 8GB RAM though.
Thanks!


----------



## omega44-xt (Oct 1, 2020)

edurgesh said:


> Found few more, though costlier:
> 
> *www.flipkart.com/msi-bravo-15-ryze...=sp&ppn=sp&ssid=7fqvg6y9thdsdp1c1601538185264
> *www.flipkart.com/lenovo-ideapad-ga...id=COMFUGF8EHQ4RMK7.LSTCOMFUGF8EHQ4RMK7MQJRQ9
> ...


You don't need the better GPU, so why consider them? All options except Omen have similar build & thermals. Dell G5 SE has worst thermals, avoid that.


----------



## 123hero (Oct 1, 2020)

edurgesh said:


> Found few more, though costlier:
> 
> *www.flipkart.com/msi-bravo-15-ryze...=sp&ppn=sp&ssid=7fqvg6y9thdsdp1c1601538185264
> *www.flipkart.com/lenovo-ideapad-ga...id=COMFUGF8EHQ4RMK7.LSTCOMFUGF8EHQ4RMK7MQJRQ9
> ...



Since your requirements does not involve any graphic intensive task, I really don't see a need for a higher spec GPU like Radeon MX5500M. A similar config with the Dell heats up like a Dosa Tawa. , so I would advise against the same.

For your requirements, I would recommend the below

1. ASUS TUF 15 - Base variant (R5 4600H , 4GB GTX 1650, 8 GB RAM + 512 GB SSD or (1 TB HDD + 256 GB SSD) depending on availability and price - Then add 8GB or 16GB RAM to be used in dual channel. I guess the 1 TB + 256GB SSD variant is available for around 65K + around 5/6K more for the RAM = 70 K

2. HP Pavilion Gaming  - Base variant with 1 TB HDD only variant (R5 4600H , 4GB GTX 1650, 8 GB RAM ) - Add a 500GB SSD and 8 GB RAM (It supports a max of 16GB RAM). The base variant was available sometime back for 61K + 5K for RAM + 5K for SSD = 71 K

Both of them would be cheaper than the MSI @75K and Lenovo Ideapad @70K + 5K for RAM.


----------



## edurgesh (Oct 1, 2020)

omega44-xt said:


> You don't need the better GPU, so why consider them? All options except Omen have similar build & thermals. Dell G5 SE has worst thermals, avoid that.


Oh OK, you are right! Better GPU will not be helpful for me; I was mainly looking if those models have better quality and thermals. If that's not the case, then I think the Asus A15 16GB is the best option for now! Thanks!


----------



## edurgesh (Oct 1, 2020)

123hero said:


> Since your requirements does not involve any graphic intensive task, I really don't see a need for a higher spec GPU like Radeon MX5500M. A similar config with the Dell heats up like a Dosa Tawa. , so I would advise against the same.



Yes, higher GPU will not help, and not aware of the Dell Dosa Tawa 
Then I think then my first selection is better VFM at 68K. Thanks!


----------



## edurgesh (Oct 2, 2020)

Hello friends, I'm not getting any better model with 16GB RAM.
Shall I wait for the upcoming Amazon sale, or go ahead and order the A15 16GB model.

Any other suggestion?


----------



## edurgesh (Oct 2, 2020)

Also I noticed that there is a Fortress Grey finish of this laptop which looks much better than the black one.
But couldn't find any model with R5 in that finish. Any idea?


----------



## omega44-xt (Oct 2, 2020)

edurgesh said:


> Also I noticed that there is a Fortress Grey finish of this laptop which looks much better than the black one.
> But couldn't find any model with R5 in that finish. Any idea?


That is metallic built, partly, I think. Cost 2-3k more over other variant.


----------



## omega44-xt (Oct 2, 2020)

edurgesh said:


> Hello friends, I'm not getting any better model with 16GB RAM.
> Shall I wait for the upcoming Amazon sale, or go ahead and order the A15 16GB model.
> 
> Any other suggestion?


Your call. These are uncertain times & there are supply issues for electronics, including laptops.


----------



## edurgesh (Oct 2, 2020)

omega44-xt said:


> That is metallic built, partly, I think. Cost 2-3k more over other variant.


Ah ok, actually I saw one model sometime back on Amazon; it's over 75K for 8GB, not worth.
*www.amazon.in/ASUS-GTX-1650-Graphi...ild=1&keywords=asus+tuf&qid=1601646263&sr=8-3
Also there is one more with R7 4800 at 76K; is that really worth, though over my budget?
*www.amazon.in/ASUS-Graphics-Window...ild=1&keywords=asus+tuf&qid=1601646263&sr=8-7


----------



## edurgesh (Oct 2, 2020)

omega44-xt said:


> Your call. These are uncertain times & there are supply issues for electronics, including laptops.


Yes, this is really uncertain time; will order soon!


----------



## omega44-xt (Oct 2, 2020)

edurgesh said:


> Ah ok, actually I saw one model sometime back on Amazon; it's over 75K for 8GB, not worth.
> *www.amazon.in/ASUS-GTX-1650-Graphi...ild=1&keywords=asus+tuf&qid=1601646263&sr=8-3
> Also there is one more with R7 4800 at 76K; is that really worth, though over my budget?
> *www.amazon.in/ASUS-Graphics-Window...ild=1&keywords=asus+tuf&qid=1601646263&sr=8-7


Do you need an 8 core CPU that is faster than any 6 core desktop CPUs? If yes, that is the laptop for you.


----------



## edurgesh (Oct 2, 2020)

omega44-xt said:


> Do you need an 8 core CPU that is faster than any 6 core desktop CPUs? If yes, that is the laptop for you.


Oh, is that faster than 6-core desktop processors? How much better is that compared to R5 4600?
Also it will not cause more heat, because thermals are not so good.


----------



## omega44-xt (Oct 2, 2020)

edurgesh said:


> Oh, is that faster than 6-core desktop processors? How much better is that compared to R5 4600?
> Also it will not cause more heat, because thermals are not so good.


Since your workload is CPU only, it should be fine. Even for gaming, it shouldn't be as bad as higher-end A15 models as 1660Ti/2060 consumes more power as well, which generates more heat.


----------



## omega44-xt (Oct 2, 2020)

edurgesh said:


> Oh, is that faster than 6-core desktop processors? How much better is that compared to R5 4600?
> Also it will not cause more heat, because thermals are not so good.



I think R7 4800H is 15% faster than R5 3600, approx.


----------



## edurgesh (Oct 2, 2020)

omega44-xt said:


> I think R7 4800H is 15% faster than R5 3600, approx.


Oh OK, now this looks like batter option and will go long way, but budget is also going up. In the meantime, I was also searching and found it to be 25% faster than R5. Of course, it depends on lot of factors. Really tough to decide.


----------



## edurgesh (Oct 2, 2020)

edurgesh said:


> Oh OK, now this looks like batter option and will go long way, but budget is also going up. In the meantime, I was also searching and found it to be 25% faster than R5. Of course, it depends on lot of factors. Really tough to decide.


Oops sorry! I found R7 4800 to be 25% better that R5 4600 (mobile proc). R5 3600 is desktop processor.


----------



## 123hero (Oct 2, 2020)

R7 4800H at 76K is a reasonable buy. I think you should go for it since laptops are going OOS like crazy.


----------



## edurgesh (Oct 2, 2020)

123hero said:


> R7 4800H at 76K is a reasonable buy. I think you should go for it since laptops are going OOS like crazy.


Yes, thinking on same line though it's going over budget.


----------



## 123hero (Oct 2, 2020)

edurgesh said:


> Yes, thinking on same line though it's going over budget.



Think of it this way, though its a very crude analogy.

R5 4600H with 16GB RAM - INR 68000
R7 4800H with 16GB RAM - INR 77000

Incremental processing power of R7 over R5 = 18%
Incremental price of R7 over R5 = 13%

Take a call accordingly.
REF : Processor Comparison - Head 2 Head


----------



## edurgesh (Oct 2, 2020)

Finally placed the order for Asus A15 R7 4800 model at ₹ 76,837/- !!! Should get delivered on 5th October!
Hope this 8-core CPU will go long way and remain usable several years down the line!

Thanks a lot dear friends @omega44-xt and @123hero for your valuable inputs and suggestions!

I'll update here once I get the laptop!


----------



## omega44-xt (Oct 3, 2020)

edurgesh said:


> Finally placed the order for Asus A15 R7 4800 model at ₹ 76,837/- !!! Should get delivered on 5th October!
> Hope this 8-core CPU will go long way and remain usable several years down the line!
> 
> Thanks a lot dear friends @omega44-xt and @123hero for your valuable inputs and suggestions!
> ...


Good, just looked into it in more detail. Apparently, it has a superior cooling system than R5 + 1650 model (I knew that R7 + 1660Ti/2060 model had it but wasn't sure of R7 + 1650 model). You can easily notice this by the presence of 3rd exhaust vent on the right side of the laptop, vs no vents on R5 model. Another advantage is the presence of 2nd M.2 SSD slot (free). Both of these stuff are mentioned in amazon & I know for a fact that R7 + 1660Ti models have it, so good for your that R7 + 1650 has it as well.

For CPU intensive tasks, that R7 will help a lot. Free M.2 slot can be used in future if you want more SSD storage without the need to replace factory installed SSD or HDD.


----------



## edurgesh (Oct 3, 2020)

omega44-xt said:


> Good, just looked into it in more detail. Apparently, it has a superior cooling system than R5 + 1650 model (I knew that R7 + 1660Ti/2060 model had it but wasn't sure of R7 + 1650 model). You can easily notice this by the presence of 3rd exhaust vent on the right side of the laptop, vs no vents on R5 model. Another advantage is the presence of 2nd M.2 SSD slot (free). Both of these stuff are mentioned in amazon & I know for a fact that R7 + 1660Ti models have it, so good for your that R7 + 1650 has it as well.
> 
> For CPU intensive tasks, that R7 will help a lot. Free M.2 slot can be used in future if you want more SSD storage without the need to replace factory installed SSD or HDD.


Thanks dear for the details!

After this, I also checked both the models on Amazon India but right side images look exactly same; not sure if the extra vent is available on Indian models or Amazon is using the same images. Even for the same laptop they are showing two images of right side (one at top left, and one in the detail section in the meddle), one with air vents and another without it!

Anyway, I will not be using the GPU much, so it should be fine for me even without extra vents. Also their storage description is very confusing.


----------



## omega44-xt (Oct 3, 2020)

edurgesh said:


> Thanks dear for the details!
> 
> After this, I also checked both the models on Amazon India but right side images look exactly same; not sure if the extra vent is available on Indian models or Amazon is using the same images. Even for the same laptop they are showing two images of right side (one at top left, and one in the detail section in the meddle), one with air vents and another without it!
> 
> Anyway, I will not be using the GPU much, so it should be fine for me even without extra vents. Also their storage description is very confusing.


It should be an error for 16GB model with R5 & 1650 as other models, even R5 + 1650Ti doesn't have a vent nor 2nd M.2 mentioned. Anyways, do update us when you get your laptop, would be a good info to confirm.


----------



## edurgesh (Oct 3, 2020)

omega44-xt said:


> It should be an error for 16GB model with R5 & 1650 as other models, even R5 + 1650Ti doesn't have a vent nor 2nd M.2 mentioned. Anyways, do update us when you get your laptop, would be a good info to confirm.


Yes, quite possible; the details on these websites are not always accurate.
Sure, I'll update the details after getting the laptop!


----------



## 123hero (Oct 3, 2020)

edurgesh said:


> Finally placed the order for Asus A15 R7 4800 model at ₹ 76,837/- !!! Should get delivered on 5th October!
> Hope this 8-core CPU will go long way and remain usable several years down the line!
> 
> Thanks a lot dear friends @omega44-xt and @123hero for your valuable inputs and suggestions!
> ...



Great.

Keep us posted on the impressions and how you feel about the laptop once it reaches you.


----------



## edurgesh (Oct 3, 2020)

123hero said:


> Great.
> 
> Keep us posted on the impressions and how you feel about the laptop once it reaches you.


Sure! I'll update after getting the laptop.


----------



## edurgesh (Oct 4, 2020)

Friends, I'm expecting my laptop to be delivered tomorrow!

This laptop comes with Windows 10 Home OEM license, and I need to upgrade to Windows 10 Pro. Now I have two options:

1. Upgrade officially from Home to Pro (costs ₹ 6779); in this case, do I get the retail license?
2. Install fresh Windows 10 Pro and keep unactivated; in this case, do I lose even the OEM license?

Is there any other way to upgrade to Win 10 Pro?

Also any reliable way to clean and de-bloat Windows without messing up anything?

Thanks!


----------



## omega44-xt (Oct 4, 2020)

edurgesh said:


> Friends, I'm expecting my laptop to be delivered tomorrow!
> 
> This laptop comes with Windows 10 Home OEM license, and I need to upgrade to Windows 10 Pro. Now I have two options:
> 
> ...


Why do you want Win10 Pro?

An official upgrade is the convenient way, but costs money for sure. Not sure how they handle the upgrade but should be a smooth process.

In 2nd case you shouldn't lose the OEM license embedded in mobo.

3rd option, grey market Win10 Pro OEM key. Sometimes you can just upgrade, otherwise fresh install.


----------



## edurgesh (Oct 4, 2020)

omega44-xt said:


> Why do you want Win10 Pro?
> 
> An official upgrade is the convenient way, but costs money for sure. Not sure how they handle the upgrade but should be a smooth process.
> 
> ...



I want Win 10 Pro mainly for Docker; Docker containers don't work on Win 10 Home.

Also I've a retail license copy of Win 10 Home on my home PC; if somehow I can switch laptop license and home PC license, then I'll have the retail license on laptop which can be upgraded to retail Pro license. Maybe I'm complicating too much.  

If it's too complicated or risky I'll just install Win 10 Pro and keep it unactivated for now!


----------



## omega44-xt (Oct 5, 2020)

edurgesh said:


> I want Win 10 Pro mainly for Docker; Docker containers don't work on Win 10 Home.
> 
> Also I've a retail license copy of Win 10 Home on my home PC; if somehow I can switch laptop license and home PC license, then I'll have the retail license on laptop which can be upgraded to retail Pro license. Maybe I'm complicating too much.
> 
> If it's too complicated or risky I'll just install Win 10 Pro and keep it unactivated for now!


You are overcomplicating stuff. You can upgrade the license loaded by default in laptops to Win10 Pro for ₹6779 through Windows (MS store). MS wouldn't want to complicate this & lose money, would they?


----------



## edurgesh (Oct 5, 2020)

omega44-xt said:


> You are overcomplicating stuff. You can upgrade the license loaded by default in laptops to Win10 Pro for ₹6779 through Windows (MS store). MS wouldn't want to complicate this & lose money, would they?


Ah yes, it seems too complicated! First I'll try to avoid the upgrade, if possible. If nothing works then upgrade in the last!

BTW, I got the laptop today! It looks nice, sturdy and much better in real than pictures!

And yes, the right side air vents are NOT present in this model; I guess it comes with GTX 1660Ti and higher GPU models. Anyway, having same TDP as R5 and a lower end GPU, this should be fine.

Thanks a lot dear friend!


----------



## omega44-xt (Oct 5, 2020)

edurgesh said:


> Ah yes, it seems too complicated! First I'll try to avoid the upgrade, if possible. If nothing works then upgrade in the last!
> 
> BTW, I got the laptop today! It looks nice, sturdy and much better in real than pictures!
> 
> ...


Good to know, then no 2nd M.2 slot as well.

Congrats & enjoy


----------



## edurgesh (Oct 5, 2020)

omega44-xt said:


> Good to know, then no 2nd M.2 slot as well.
> 
> Congrats & enjoy


Oh OK, that means I need to replace SSD in case I want to upgrade that in future! I think 256GB should be fine for now; will see later when required.
Thanks!


----------



## edurgesh (Oct 7, 2020)

Finally my new laptop is setup; did the following:

1. Updated Windows to the latest version 2004 along with several other updates.
2. Updated system BIOS and latest device drivers.
3. Removed most of the bloatware programs/apps.
4. Installed WSL 2 and Ubuntu Linux within that.
5. Installed Docker Desktop (under WSL 2); so no need to upgrade to Win 10 Pro!

Everything is working great! Now I need to install other required software.

Here I've have a question:

(Q) While installing the drivers, it installed by default into a folder C:\DRIVERS. All the new drivers are installed into that folder. Is that folder really required now, or I can delete that; I think drivers should get installed somewhere inside C:\Windows\System32 folder? That folder C:\DRIVERS is taking 1.2GB disk space, and I also have the downloaded executables for drivers? Any idea about that?

Thanks!


----------



## omega44-xt (Oct 7, 2020)

The C/Drivers should be a temporary space for driver setup files, generally. Drivers are usually installed in Program Files. Check carefully before deleting.


----------



## edurgesh (Oct 7, 2020)

omega44-xt said:


> The C/Drivers should be a temporary space for driver setup files, generally. Drivers are usually installed in Program Files. Check carefully before deleting.


Oh OK, I was also guessing the same. I'm verifying installed drivers location from Device Manager, then delete this folder if it's not being referred anywhere.
Googling also didn't provide any clear answer; though people say it can be deleted safely for HP/Lenovo laptops.


----------



## whitestar_999 (Oct 7, 2020)

edurgesh said:


> Oh OK, I was also guessing the same. I'm verifying installed drivers location from Device Manager, then delete this folder if it's not being referred anywhere.
> Googling also didn't provide any clear answer; though people say it can be deleted safely for HP/Lenovo laptops.


C Drivers location is almost always a temporary location for extraction of driver setup files before they are installed. You can check it simply by renaming the folder to something like BackupDrivers & then restart laptop. If everything works correctly then safely delete it else rename it back to Drivers & then check deeply for which driver is actually installed there using device manager & task manager.


----------



## edurgesh (Oct 7, 2020)

whitestar_999 said:


> C Drivers location is almost always a temporary location for extraction of driver setup files before they are installed. You can check it simply by renaming the folder to something like BackupDrivers & then restart laptop. If everything works correctly then safely delete it else rename it back to Drivers & then check deeply for which driver is actually installed there using device manager & task manager.


OK great! I checked by renaming the folder itself, then verified in the device Manager and all the drivers are loaded from Window\System folder & there is no exclamation anywhere. Everything worked fine; not sure what to check from Task Manager though.
Thanks a lot!


----------



## whitestar_999 (Oct 8, 2020)

edurgesh said:


> OK great! I checked by renaming the folder itself, then verified in the device Manager and all the drivers are loaded from Window\System folder & there is no exclamation anywhere. Everything worked fine; not sure what to check from Task Manager though.
> Thanks a lot!


As expected  Task Manager is just to double check some driver related process is not running from that location(like some audio wizard etc).


----------



## edurgesh (Oct 8, 2020)

whitestar_999 said:


> As expected  Task Manager is just to double check some driver related process is not running from that location(like some audio wizard etc).


Oh OK, got it now. I need to check the properties of processes (which shows the location) under Task Manager. I'll check it out; btw, I've already deleted that folder; it seems fine.
Thanks dear!


----------



## whitestar_999 (Oct 8, 2020)

edurgesh said:


> Oh OK, got it now. I need to check the properties of processes (which shows the location) under Task Manager. I'll check it out; btw, I've already deleted that folder; it seems fine.
> Thanks dear!


No problem then


----------



## edurgesh (Oct 8, 2020)

Oh noticed one change in the system; Windows Restore Points are getting lost.

Not sure if this is due to that deleted DRIVERS folder, but it happened twice. Initially those got lost once, so I created one manually and that also got lost after shutdown/restart cycle.

Any clue? Or does it really matter; I never used restore points on my current laptop?


----------



## whitestar_999 (Oct 9, 2020)

This should have no relation with drivers. Check how much space is allotted to system restore.


----------



## edurgesh (Oct 9, 2020)

whitestar_999 said:


> This should have no relation with drivers. Check how much space is allotted to system restore.


Yes, I also thought so that it should not be related to the drivers folder.
Currently 1% (2.19 GB approx) storage space is allocated; maybe I can try increasing to 2% in case if this is due to less space.


----------



## mitraark (Oct 11, 2020)

edurgesh said:


> Finally placed the order for Asus A15 R7 4800 model at ₹ 76,837/- !!! Should get delivered on 5th October!
> Hope this 8-core CPU will go long way and remain usable several years down the line!
> 
> Thanks a lot dear friends @omega44-xt and @123hero for your valuable inputs and suggestions!
> ...


*ASUS TUF Gaming A15 Laptop 15.6" FHD AMD Ryzen 7 4800H, GTX 1650 4GB GDDR6 Graphics (16GB RAM/1TB HDD + 256GB NVMe SSD/Windows 10/Bonfire Black/2.30 Kg), FA506IH-BQ182T*


Great buy at ₹76,837.00

Just holding off because the looks arent very subtle. Hoping the Legion 7 or Slim 7 is going to be in stock during the festive sale season.


----------



## edurgesh (Oct 12, 2020)

mitraark said:


> *ASUS TUF Gaming A15 Laptop 15.6" FHD AMD Ryzen 7 4800H, GTX 1650 4GB GDDR6 Graphics (16GB RAM/1TB HDD + 256GB NVMe SSD/Windows 10/Bonfire Black/2.30 Kg), FA506IH-BQ182T*
> 
> 
> Great buy at ₹76,837.00
> ...


Yes, I this is  good buy considering current time and availability of laptops!
Actually it looks much better in person that pictures; definitely not like a slim laptop, but not so wild either.  

Only negative I noticed is the screen and camera; screen looks little dull and washed out, and camera too just average quality. Otherwise this is an excellent laptop!


----------



## edurgesh (Oct 12, 2020)

whitestar_999 said:


> This should have no relation with drivers. Check how much space is allotted to system restore.


After increasing the allotted space to 2% (4.39 GB), I think it's retaining the restore points; observed for 2-3 days.
Thanks dear @whitestar_999 !!


----------



## whitestar_999 (Oct 13, 2020)

edurgesh said:


> After increasing the allotted space to 2% (4.39 GB), I think it's retaining the restore points; observed for 2-3 days.
> Thanks dear @whitestar_999 !!


Good to know it worked, still keep checking for 3-4 days more.


----------



## edurgesh (Oct 13, 2020)

whitestar_999 said:


> Good to know it worked, still keep checking for 3-4 days more.


Sure! I'll keep an eye on that for next few days, and then maybe watch less frequently for some more time!!


----------



## whitestar_999 (Oct 13, 2020)

edurgesh said:


> Sure! I'll keep an eye on that for next few days, and then maybe watch less frequently for some more time!!


Btw I suggest to try macrium reflect free(& its differential image function) as it is much better than windows restore at the cost of much more disk space.


----------



## edurgesh (Oct 13, 2020)

whitestar_999 said:


> Btw I suggest to try macrium reflect free(& its differential image function) as it is much better than windows restore at the cost of much more disk space.


OK great! I'll check it out for sure. Thanks!


----------



## edurgesh (Oct 26, 2020)

whitestar_999 said:


> Btw I suggest to try macrium reflect free(& its differential image function) as it is much better than windows restore at the cost of much more disk space.


Hello @whitestar_999 , this looks like a great tool for backup and imaging the discs; obviously it will take much more space to store all this. Explored the features and even the Free version is quite useful; will definitely setup that soon! If I image just the C: drive, it should take around 200GB approx.
Thanks for informing such a great tool!


----------



## edurgesh (Oct 26, 2020)

Hello friends, here are my observation after using my laptop for three weeks:

PROs:
1. Looks much better in real than pictures.
2. Feels solid built while not too heavy and bulky.
3. Keyboard is quite good; numpad is also present.
4. CPU is really fast for multitasking; everything runs smoothly.
5. 16GB RAM is more than enough for now; has scope to upgrade.

CONs:
1. Screen is not so good; brightness, contrast & colors are average. Looks dull.
2. Web camera is below average; though this can be replaced if really required.

Btw, while I got it for 76.xxx K, this is now available for 72K!


----------

