Time to Update the Laptop

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Randy A

Randy A

Party Time Hobbyist
Jan 4, 2007
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Indianapolis, IN
www.partytunesdjservice.com
I'm an Acer fanboy. Always have owned them & they've been solid. Current rig is from 2011, so it's time to move it into backup and update the main.

Any thoughts on:


Or:

Amazon.com: Acer Nitro 5 AN515 Laptop: Core i5-8300H, 15.6inch Full HD IPS Display, 8GB RAM, 1TB HDD, NVidia GTX 1050 4GB Graphics: Computers & Accessories

Amazon.com: Acer Nitro 5 AN515 Laptop: Core i5-8300H, 15.6inch Full HD IPS Display, 8GB RAM, 1TB HDD, NVidia GTX 1050 4GB Graphics: Computers & Accessories
www.amazon.com
 
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I'm not an Acer fanboy - but it looks fine for what it is. :)

Some comments have noted the system crashing, but they don't say what they're doing when it crashes.
 
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Randy A said:
I'm an Acer fanboy. Always have owned them & they've been solid. Current rig is from 2011, so it's time to move it into backup and update the main.

Any thoughts on:


Or:

Amazon.com: Acer Nitro 5 AN515 Laptop: Core i5-8300H, 15.6inch Full HD IPS Display, 8GB RAM, 1TB HDD, NVidia GTX 1050 4GB Graphics: Computers & Accessories

Amazon.com: Acer Nitro 5 AN515 Laptop: Core i5-8300H, 15.6inch Full HD IPS Display, 8GB RAM, 1TB HDD, NVidia GTX 1050 4GB Graphics: Computers & Accessories
www.amazon.com
Click to expand...
I have an Acer Laptop from about the same era as your old laptop, Randy. I’ve had many Acer monitors too over the years, and have been reasonably satisfied with all the Acre products I’ve owned. Overall I think Acer makes pretty good consumer grade products. the laptop you’re looking at fits that mold.

I used to be wary of AMD CPU’s. They never seemed to perform as well as I expected. I think the Ryzen chips might actually be OK. The CPU in the laptop you’re considering is a mid-level chip. It should be more than adequate for DJing. I noticed some of the reviews referenced an i5 8300, which is NOT the chip in the posted laptop. The i5 8300 is a much better performer than the Ryzen 5, which is more comparable to a dual core i7 7650U. You can expect 2.3-2.4Ghz speed without overclocking. Not bad, but not great. If I was looking for a mid-level 15.6” laptop at a good price, the one you posted would deserve consideration.
 
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DJ Bobcat said:
I have an Acer Laptop from about the same era as your old laptop, Randy. I’ve had many Acer monitors too over the years, and have been reasonably satisfied with all the Acre products I’ve owned. Overall I think Acer makes pretty good consumer grade products. the laptop you’re looking at fits that mold.

I used to be wary of AMD CPU’s. They never seemed to perform as well as I expected. I think the Ryzen chips might actually be OK. The CPU in the laptop you’re considering is a mid-level chip. It should be more than adequate for DJing. I noticed some of the reviews referenced an i5 8300, which is NOT the chip in the posted laptop. The i5 8300 is a much better performer than the Ryzen 5, which is more comparable to a dual core i7 7650U. You can expect 2.3-2.4Ghz speed without overclocking. Not bad, but not great. If I was looking for a mid-level 15.6” laptop at a good price, the one you posted would deserve consideration.
Click to expand...

Should be two different links in my post above. An AMD & i5 unit.
 
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As Bobcat mentioned, I am also leery of AMD processors. Of those 2, I would go with the i5 one.

Here's another option:

www.officedepot.com

Lenovo Legion Y540 15 PG0 Gaming Laptop 15.6 Screen Intel Core i7 8GB Memory 256GB Solid State Drive Windows 10 81SY0008US - Office Depot

Thank to this laptops expandable memory and powerful hexa core processor you can dive into games with lifelike realism. The nVidia graphics card delivers clear detailed images and Bluetooth technology makes it easy to connect cable free.
www.officedepot.com www.officedepot.com
 
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It seems to me you're not in need of a new computer. The machine you suggest buying doesn't offer much over the one you are currently using.
If VDJ is the only thing you care about running then don't fix something that's not broken. Certainly don't waste $500 on an AMD Acer with HDD when you could get a much better refurbished i7 Dell or HP for the same money.

I would upgrade the RAM in your current machine (if possible) and perhaps replace the older hard drive with an SSD to get better performance. You've got a lot of good years left on your current Acer if DJing is the primary application you intend.

Acer is not a quality line, and AMD processors create issues with certain applications or hardware. If VDJ has been working flawlessly for you on this machine the smart money says stay put.

Coincidentally, I'm typing this on a Dell using Windows Vista because this computer does all the office stuff I need it to do the way I want it done. I also own 3 Intel i7 machines (Dell and HP models) that are used for DJ and AV. The majority of those were bought for no more than you are willing to pay for an Acer.

Not trying to rain on your parade - but when it comes to buying computers consider the fact that this will be a tool for work rather than something you are going to wash, wax, and drive down the street. Every month that it fulfills this purpose for you (VDJ) is money in the bank.
 
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Proformance said:
It seems to me you're not in need of a new computer. The machine your propose buying doesn't offer much of anything over the one you are currently using.
If VDJ is the only thing you care about running then don't fix something that's not broken. Certainly don't waste $500 on an AMD Acer with HDD when you could get a much better refurbished i7 Dell or HP for the same money.

I would upgrade the RAM in your current machine (if possible) and perhaps replace the older hard drive with an SSD to get better performance. You've got a lot of good years left on your current Acer if DJing is the application you intend use it for.

Acer is not a quality line, and AMD processors create issues with certain applications or hardware. It seems that VDJ has been working flawlessly for you on this machine si the smart money says stay put and simply maintain the HD and memory capability.
Click to expand...

To each his own with your opinion of Acer. Not fact. I'm not a big fan of the AMD myself, but it's been several years since buying so I'm enjoying getting feedback on them. I've also worked with Dell & HP with my 9-5 and both have had issues. Granted they are expected to do much more.

Unfortunately, the backup has crapped out so I'm running one machine for my last gig of the year. Much like I do with my speaker components, I replace every few years as part of my preventative maintenance.
 
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Randy A said:
Granted they are expected to do much more.
Click to expand...

Then you already know your conclusion about these brands is faulty. When you take away all the network, security, and cloud applications a business machine has to keep current with. You're Acer doesn't have to deal with any of that and neither would an HP or Dell stripped down for your preferred application.

You can get a much better machine for the same money or significantly less.

Since it's only an $89 difference I'd go with an i5 over the AMD unless someone can point out significant benefit of that AMD over the older i5. Either machine will do what you want it to do, but if you run video with VDJ you're eventually going to have to raise the bar.
 
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Randy A said:
Much like I do with my speaker components, I replace every few years as part of my preventative maintenance.
Click to expand...

Which is good discussion to have for any business.

In today's business climate it's upgrades rather than maintenance that dictates change. So much depends on software compatibility and features - this is what drives change. The danger is that manufacturers now operate on the basis of very short term functional obsolescence. Conspicuous consumption is what now drives revenue. It takes some serious forethought and planning to avoid getting caught in that mouse trap.

Buying new stuff isn't preventative maintenance and you can maximize your profit by exploiting those aspects of the job that are sheltered from today's tech pressures. For example, DJing requires very little computing power. It is wiser to use older applications that are dedicated to that purpose rather than the newest bloat-versions.

Buying new stuff will not prevent that new product from failing nor does it point to an imminent failure of an older model. Speakers don't have a shelf life for example. How long they last depends on how well you care for them and the environment or conditions you store them. Change should be based on you need for better or a different kind of performance - not simply age or change for change's sake.

One of the things that really stands out to me among today's DJs is how many unwittingly reside in a state of perceived amateurism due to the perpetual learning curve of repetitive buying. At each gig they are stymied by a lack of experience with new product features or menu structures which from the client's perspective leaves them looking far less professional than their experience should deliver.
 
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Here's a very good deal on last year's model (similar to the 2nd ACER you listed):

www.ebay.com

PC Laptops & Netbooks for sale | eBay

Get the best deals on PC Laptops & Netbooks and find everything you'll need to improve your home office setup at eBay.com. Fast & Free shipping on many items!
www.ebay.com
 
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