The computer and electronics super geek thread

[azrael]

44 minutes ago, davidwhangchoi said:

but what laptops do you guys use for non gaming tasks? I have a spare low spec'd lappy for basic tasks and work (a recent pick up of an open box sub $400 yoga 2in1 14 oled).

I'm debating about returning it and getting a better work laptop.  

M3 Macbook Air. 

FYI, CES is next week (Jan 6-9). I'm not expecting too many big announcements but this year's monitors are getting their press releases ahead of the show. Since components will see price increases this year, this may be a good year to upgrade monitors. 

[mikeszekely]

3 hours ago, davidwhangchoi said:

Mike, I know you have a g14,

but what laptops do you guys use for non gaming tasks? I have a spare low spec'd lappy for basic tasks and work (a recent pick up of an open box sub $400 yoga 2in1 14 oled).

I'm debating about returning it and getting a better work laptop.  

Honestly, because the G14 is small but powerful with a gorgeous OLED screen it's usually my go-to when I'm not at my desk. 

That said, I have an Asus Vivobook 15 with a Core i3 I bought for around $300 probably 4 years ago that I replaced Windows with Linux Mint and upgraded the RAM from 8 to 12 GB. For light duty it still holds up pretty well, and when it does slow down I can always switch from the Cinnamon desktop to a lighter one. It's useful to have whenever there's something I need to do that's just easier with Linux, like copying a ton of files to an SSD I set up for Batocera.

I also picked up an Asus CX15 Chromebook for something like $120 during the back-to-school season. I was mostly curious because I'd never used ChromeOS before. As an Android phone user I liked that it was super easy to read and reply to my text messages on it, but for something basically just running a browser I found it to be kinda slow. Since I have one big ultra wide monitor for my desktop, the Chromebook mostly gets used when I want to use the Internet at my desk when my desktop is running a game. 

Finally, because I used to work in IT and I prided myself on being versed in both Windows and MacOS, I have an M1 MacBook Air. It still runs pretty great, but I may sell it to a friend who only uses Macs but is stuck with a very old Intel Mac Mini if I can find a good deal on a M3 or M4 Air. Mind you, a good deal is rarely less than $700, so I wouldn't say that a MacBook is ever a "cheap" secondary device. But for non-gamers that don't need a specific Windows utility the way Apple wrings the performance they do out of a system with just 8GB of RAM, the solid battery life, and the unrivaled stand-by battery makes them a strong choice for a primary device.

What specs on that Yoga? Unless you really need more power I'd keep it just for the OLED display.

Edited January 1 by mikeszekely

[davidwhangchoi]

On 1/1/2026 at 2:44 PM, mikeszekely said:

What specs on that Yoga? Unless you really need more power I'd keep it just for the OLED display.

here's the spec sheet:

SPECS:

• 14" FHD+ (1920x1200, WUXGA+) 16:10, 60Hz, 600-nits (peak) / 400-nits (typical) Glossy / Anti-fingerprint, 100% DCI-P3, Dolby Vision, TÜV Low Blue Light, DisplayHDR True Black 500, OGM, 10-point Multi-touch, 360-degree, OLED Display
• AMD Ryzen AI 7 350 (8C / 16T, 2.0 / 5.0GHz, 8MB L2 / 16MB L3)
• Integrated AMD Ryzen AI, up to 50 TOPS
• Integrated AMD Radeon 860M Graphics
• 16GB Soldered LPDDR5x-7500
• 1TB SSD M.2 2242 PCIe 4.0x4 NVMe
• Wi-Fi 7, 802.11be 2x2 + BT5.4
• 5.0MP + IR with Privacy Shutter
• Backlit, English Keyboard
• 4 stereo speakers, 2W x2 (woofers), 2W x2 (tweeters), optimized with Dolby Atmos, Smart Amplifier (AMP)
• Aluminium (Top), Aluminium (Bottom)
• Pen Upgradable (Purchase Separately)
• 70Whr Battery
• 1.38 kg (3.04 lbs.)
• Model: 83JR0001US

Ports:

• 1x USB-A (USB 5Gbps / USB 3.2 Gen 1), Always On
• 1x USB-C (USB 10Gbps / USB 3.2 Gen 2), with USB PD 3.1 and DisplayPort™ 2.1 UHBR10
• 1x USB-C (USB 10Gbps / USB 3.2 Gen 2), with USB PD 3.1 and DisplayPort™ 1.4a
• 1x HDMI 2.1, up to 4K/60Hz
• 1x Headphone / microphone combo jack (3.5mm)
• 1x microSD card reader

[mikeszekely]

4 hours ago, davidwhangchoi said:

SPECS

I mean, yeah, those aren't gaming specs, but unless you feel you really only want one laptop and better gaming performance is a must I'd definitely keep it, the non-gaming specs are pretty solid. I'd go so far as to suggest if I saw the same laptop under $400 I'd buy it myself, as it's better than what my wife uses.

[azrael]

7 hours ago, davidwhangchoi said:

here's the spec sheet:

SPECS:

What are the specs on the laptop you are currently using for work or what field of work are you in where Yoga would not work? Weight? The Yoga will do for most work-related tasks. The 860M and RAM are the only things holding it back from being a "gaming" laptop. Need more context. 

[davidwhangchoi]

6 hours ago, azrael said:

What are the specs on the laptop you are currently using for work or what field of work are you in where Yoga would not work? Weight? The Yoga will do for most work-related tasks. The 860M and RAM are the only things holding it back from being a "gaming" laptop. Need more context. 

the only laptop i have that is the yoga. I do alot of presentation with power point so i need a touchpad that's reliable on the go. where i don't have to set up a separate mouse.

the trackpad is inconsistent on this yoga, i'm looking to possible keep and live with it or swap with another laptop in the same range and get a separate gaming laptop.

or get a decent laptop that can do both. this 860m is pretty weak in the ryzen 7 AI 350, i read the prev gen's  ryzen7's gpu was stronger. 

10 hours ago, mikeszekely said:

I mean, yeah, those aren't gaming specs, but unless you feel you really only want one laptop and better gaming performance is a must I'd definitely keep it, the non-gaming specs are pretty solid. I'd go so far as to suggest if I saw the same laptop under $400 I'd buy it myself, as it's better than what my wife uses.

yeah, i might keep it since it was open box for 392 dirt cheap. 

 

Azreal and Mike,

i was thinking of looking for the intel arc version in the same class since the gpu is much better for gaming. 

like this one open box is $530:

ASUS ZenBook 14 Laptop: 14" FHD+ OLED Touch, Ultra 7 255H, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD

or this Ryzen 7 one:

Open Box: ASUS ZenBook 14: 14" FHD+ OLED Touch, Ryzen 7 8840HS, 16GB LPDDR5, 512GB SSD $476

 

[mikeszekely]

Somehow I forgot that setting Batocera up properly involves literal days of scraping box art...

Aside from that, I'm coming along.  I've got the following set up with (nearly) complete North American retail sets (with a smattering of Japanese and European games) with box art for:

Atari 2600
Atari 5200
Atari 7800
Atari Lynx
Atari Jaguar
Colecovision
Intellivision
Magnavox Odyssey 2
NES
SNES
Gameboy
Gameboy Color
Gameboy Advance
Virtual Boy
N64
Turbo Grafx 16
Sega Master System
3DO

I should also have (nearly) complete sets, but hit my daily scraping limit so box art, for

Sega Genesis
Sega CD
Sega 32X
Sega 
Sega Saturn
Sega Dreamcast
Neo Geo AES

Then, due to storage constraints, I have more curated collections with art for

A variety of arcade ROMS that run in MAME
TurboGrafx Turbo CD
Bandai Wonderswan
Nintendo Gamecube

As well as curated sets that still need box art for

Sony PlayStation
Sony PlayStation 2
Sony PSP

I've tested at least one game for every included platform successfully, so I know I at least have the emulator cores and BIOS files set up right.  I'll start scraping again tomorrow, then I have to wait for my Sinden gun to come so I can see how it works.

[mikeszekely]

13 minutes ago, davidwhangchoi said:

the only laptop i have that is the yoga. I do alot of presentation with power point so i need a touchpad that's reliable on the go. where i don't have to set up a separate mouse.

the trackpad is inconsistent on this yoga, i'm looking to possible keep and live with it or swap with another laptop in the same range and get a separate gaming laptop.

or get a decent laptop that can do both. this 860m is pretty weak in the ryzen 7 AI 350, i read the prev gen's  ryzen7's gpu was stronger. 

yeah, i might keep it since it was open box for 392 dirt cheap. 

 

Azreal and Mike,

i was thinking of looking for the intel arc version in the same class since the gpu is much better for gaming. 

like this one open box is $530:

ASUS ZenBook 14 Laptop: 14" FHD+ OLED Touch, Ultra 7 255H, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD

or this Ryzen 7 one:

Open Box: ASUS ZenBook 14: 14" FHD+ OLED Touch, Ryzen 7 8840HS, 16GB LPDDR5, 512GB SSD $476

 

It might help if I knew a bit more about what kinds of tasks you do besides presentations, and what kinds of games you want to run.

On paper, both of those Zenbooks should have similar GPU performance (Arc is slightly more capable, but Radeon is more stable with more mature drivers), both capable of playing most modern games at 1080p low-to-medium.  Both also should offer more CPU performance than the Yoga, with the Intel CPU pulling away from the Ryzen by a wider margin.

If you do decide to pull the trigger on another laptop shoot me a PM.  I'm not sure if she'd actually want it, since she mostly uses her laptop for spreadsheets and web browsing, but that Yoga you already have should still be better than what she's using, so I might be interested in buying it off you if you're not going to use it.

[davidwhangchoi]

1 hour ago, mikeszekely said:

It might help if I knew a bit more about what kinds of tasks you do besides presentations, and what kinds of games you want to run.

On paper, both of those Zenbooks should have similar GPU performance (Arc is slightly more capable, but Radeon is more stable with more mature drivers), both capable of playing most modern games at 1080p low-to-medium.  Both also should offer more CPU performance than the Yoga, with the Intel CPU pulling away from the Ryzen by a wider margin.

yeah, this is the review i was looking at that also compares Intel vs. AMD plus last gen AMD that i linked.  review says it's about the same performance as the Ryzen 7 350 AI for this particular laptop. 

 

1 hour ago, mikeszekely said:

If you do decide to pull the trigger on another laptop shoot me a PM.  I'm not sure if she'd actually want it, since she mostly uses her laptop for spreadsheets and web browsing, but that Yoga you already have should still be better than what she's using, so I might be interested in buying it off you if you're not going to use it.

 Yeah, i'll pm you if i get another laptop and will ship it to you. 

 

[azrael]

5 hours ago, davidwhangchoi said:

the only laptop i have that is the yoga. I do alot of presentation with power point so i need a touchpad that's reliable on the go. where i don't have to set up a separate mouse.

the trackpad is inconsistent on this yoga, i'm looking to possible keep and live with it or swap with another laptop in the same range and get a separate gaming laptop.

or get a decent laptop that can do both. this 860m is pretty weak in the ryzen 7 AI 350, i read the prev gen's  ryzen7's gpu was stronger. 

yeah, i might keep it since it was open box for 392 dirt cheap. 

 

Azreal and Mike,

i was thinking of looking for the intel arc version in the same class since the gpu is much better for gaming. 

like this one open box is $530:

ASUS ZenBook 14 Laptop: 14" FHD+ OLED Touch, Ultra 7 255H, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD

or this Ryzen 7 one:

Open Box: ASUS ZenBook 14: 14" FHD+ OLED Touch, Ryzen 7 8840HS, 16GB LPDDR5, 512GB SSD $476

 

If this will be used solely for work, I would not care about what GPU it comes with as long as it can handle 2-3 external monitors at 4K 120Hz (which either will do). If some gaming will be thrown in, the Intel Arc GPU will likely last you longer but the 780M is more than capable of 1080p gaming.  Productivity tends to favor Intel CPUs more than AMD. But yes, some more context will help. If you don't want to say what you do exactly, just the general field of work will do. Any laptop could do Powerpoint/Excel/Word/Office so that doesn't really help narrow things. 

[davidwhangchoi]

6 hours ago, azrael said:

If this will be used solely for work, I would not care about what GPU it comes with as long as it can handle 2-3 external monitors at 4K 120Hz (which either will do). If some gaming will be thrown in, the Intel Arc GPU will likely last you longer but the 780M is more than capable of 1080p gaming.  Productivity tends to favor Intel CPUs more than AMD. But yes, some more context will help. If you don't want to say what you do exactly, just the general field of work will do. Any laptop could do Powerpoint/Excel/Word/Office so that doesn't really help narrow things. 

It's for small business, not too demanding tasks. running quickbooks, a bit of light photo editing for ads, IG posts, handbrake for videos but mainly battery life and a good trackpad since I have to travel and present and don't want to carry a mouse.  love to game on it but that's optional. 

 

 

[azrael]

3 hours ago, davidwhangchoi said:

It's for small business, not too demanding tasks. running quickbooks, a bit of light photo editing for ads, IG posts, handbrake for videos but mainly battery life and a good trackpad since I have to travel and present and don't want to carry a mouse.  love to game on it but that's optional. 

So either option will work for this scenario. Battery life and price seems to favor the AMD model. Overall performance favors Intel. I have no idea about the trackpad, YMMV. 

[davidwhangchoi]

 

[azrael]

AMD’s Ryzen 7 9850X3D promises 7% uplift over Ryzen 7 9800X3D – AMD fights itself with ‘new fastest gaming processor’

Seeing how most upgrading is currently not possible, anyone running an AM5 CPU, here's your upgrade. No pricing so...AMD also announced Gorgon Point laptop CPUs. We'll have to wait for reviews to see how that does.

Intel doubles down on gaming with Panther Lake, claims 76% faster gaming performance — new X-series chips can match discrete RTX 4050

The rest of AMD was all AI-related, so 😑🙄. Nvidia's keynote was basically a "🖕, we're AI". Nvidia was AI-ing-their AI so you can buy more AI for your AI and AI-ing- an AI.

AI.

And here I thought the "C" in CES was for "Consumer", not AI. 

AI.

 

[davidwhangchoi]

@mikeszekely pm'ing you.