12 GB Ryzen laptop - 50k?

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1) What is your budget? (INR or USD)
50k INR

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

Mainstream; 15" - 16" screen

3) What are the primary tasks you will be performing with this notebook?
I will be running Ubuntu. Watching movies or listening to music in one of the players or in Netflix/Youtube. Gaming is not a requirement, but if some light gaming can be done occasionally within this budget, why not?

5) Any typical configuration in your mind you're eying for ?
Ryzen 5 laptops seem to be suitable in this budget. But since I think there will only be two RAM slots, can I get a laptop with 12GB instead of swapping one 4GB stick for an 8GB one later? I probably would be using this for 5 or 6 years and I don't want to be hunting for RAM when its no longer available.

Also I don't intend to run Windows on this, so can I get a laptop not bundled with Windows and shave some price off it?

4) Are there any brands that you prefer or any you really don't like?
a. Like: Any brands known for good service and long term reliability.
b. Dislike:

6) Anything else you would like to say?

Screen resolution ( 1080p (Full HD) )
Battery back up ( normal (3-4hrs) )
Purchase place ( Online (eg - flipkart, infibeam) / Local ) Are there any local places open now and offering the same price as online stores? I am in Kerala, btw.

Few options :

1. Buy ASUS VivoBook 15 X512DA-EJ501T AMD Quad Core Ryzen 5-3500U 15.6-inch FHD Thin and Light Laptop (8GB RAM/512GB NVMe SSD/Windows 10/Integrated Graphics/FP Reader/Backlit KB/1.60 Kg), Transparent Silver Online at Low Prices in India - Amazon.in

2. Buy ASUS VivoBook 15 M509DA-EJ581T AMD Quad Core Ryzen 5-3500U 15.6-inch FHD Compact and Light Laptop (8GB RAM/1TB HDD/Windows 10/Integrated Graphics/FP Reader/1.9 kg), Transparent Silver Online at Low Prices in India - Amazon.in

3. Buy Acer Aspire 5 Slim A515-43 15.6-inch Laptop (AMD Ryzen 5 3500U qual-core processor/8GB/512GB SSD/Window 10, Home 64-Bit/MSO/AMD Radeon Vega 8 Mobile Graphics), Silver Online at Low Prices in India - Amazon.in

4. Gaming : Buy ASUS TUF Gaming FX505DY-BQ024T 15.6-inch FHD Laptop (AMD Ryzen 5-3550H/8GB RAM/512GB NVMe SSD/Windows 10/Radeon RX 560X 4GB Graphics/2.20 Kg), Black Plastic Online at Low Prices in India - Amazon.in

Sent from my vivo 1807 using Tapatalk

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I don't see them giving option for 12GB. Do these have two RAM slots with 8GB distributed between them. What are my options in getting them with 12 or 16GB RAM?

I might once in a while use Eclipse on this, hence the ask.

Asus VivoBook 15 X512: Soldered RAM + 1 RAM slot.

Asus VivBook 15 M509: I don't know.

Acer Aspire 5 Slim A515-43: Two RAM Slots OR Soldered RAM + 1 RAM slot (depends on the country).

ASUS Tuf Gaming FX505: Two RAM slots.

Generally I'd say, expect a budget laptop to have soldered RAM + 1 RAM slot empty. Unless, you are buying the really expensive ultra portables like Dell XPS 13.

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Is ThinkBook 15-IIL | Lenovo India this comparable to the above specs. Its overpriced though.

elbin.p said:
Is ThinkBook 15-IIL | Lenovo India this comparable to the above specs. Its overpriced though.

Ones above would be better performing, especially SSD ones. You can almost get a MacBook air at this ones price.

Sent from my vivo 1807 using Tapatalk

thetechfreak said:
Few options :

1. Buy ASUS VivoBook 15 X512DA-EJ501T AMD Quad Core Ryzen 5-3500U 15.6-inch FHD Thin and Light Laptop (8GB RAM/512GB NVMe SSD/Windows 10/Integrated Graphics/FP Reader/Backlit KB/1.60 Kg), Transparent Silver Online at Low Prices in India - Amazon.in

2. Buy ASUS VivoBook 15 M509DA-EJ581T AMD Quad Core Ryzen 5-3500U 15.6-inch FHD Compact and Light Laptop (8GB RAM/1TB HDD/Windows 10/Integrated Graphics/FP Reader/1.9 kg), Transparent Silver Online at Low Prices in India - Amazon.in

3. Buy Acer Aspire 5 Slim A515-43 15.6-inch Laptop (AMD Ryzen 5 3500U qual-core processor/8GB/512GB SSD/Window 10, Home 64-Bit/MSO/AMD Radeon Vega 8 Mobile Graphics), Silver Online at Low Prices in India - Amazon.in

4. Gaming : Buy ASUS TUF Gaming FX505DY-BQ024T 15.6-inch FHD Laptop (AMD Ryzen 5-3550H/8GB RAM/512GB NVMe SSD/Windows 10/Radeon RX 560X 4GB Graphics/2.20 Kg), Black Plastic Online at Low Prices in India - Amazon.in

Sent from my vivo 1807 using Tapatalk

I recently (< 1 year) bought an Orange ASUS X512DA EJ-504T with SSD and Windows 10, and I can assure you it is very quick and responsive for everything I've thrown at it so far.

The exact model is Buy ASUS VivoBook 15 X512DA-EJ504T AMD Quad Core Ryzen 5-3500U 15.6-inch FHD Thin and Light Laptop (8GB RAM/512GB NVMe SSD/Windows 10/Integrated Graphics/FP Reader/Backlit KB/1.60 Kg), Coral Crush Online at Low Prices in India - Amazon.in

It is made out clearly it comes with 8GB RAM, and you can upgrade it to 12GB with 1 expansion slot.

Hope this helps.

From the post no 2 - Looks like Acer Model comes with 8GB RAM in Single slot and another slot is empty - So user can upgrade one more 8 GB stick as total 16GB - Right ?

At least one buyer posted picture indicate this...The rest of Vivo books comes 4 GB (Fixed) + 4 GB (Installed) config.

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dissel said:
From the post no 2 - Looks like Acer Model comes with 8GB RAM in Single slot and another slot is empty - So user can upgrade one more 8 GB stick as total 16GB - Right ?

At least one buyer posted picture indicate this...The rest of Vivo books comes 4 GB (Fixed) + 4 GB (Installed) config.

No upgrading anything on acer on your own, even opening a screw will void warranty because acer put stickers everywhere(even below screws & inside laptop). As far as I know only cheapest/lowest end vivobooks come with both ram slots occupied else most common config is 1 ram soldered & other ram slot empty.

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Buy ASUS VivoBook 15 X512DA-EJ502T AMD Quad Core Ryzen 5-3500U 15.6-inch FHD Thin and Light Laptop (8GB RAM/512GB NVMe SSD/Windows 10/Integrated Graphics/FP Reader/Backlit KB/1.60 Kg), Slate Gray Online at Low Prices in India - Amazon.in
and 8GB RAM (for 3200)

I contacted the seller, they can ship with 16GB installed. Said there is no Asus seal but just a lock. Is this the case?

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I suggest you to avoid buying laptops from unknown/new sellers/anyone other than appario retail. Check asus site to see which is the nearest service centre & contact them to know how much charge & time they will take to install additional 8gb ram if you take the laptop there.

elbin.p said:
Buy ASUS VivoBook 15 X512DA-EJ502T AMD Quad Core Ryzen 5-3500U 15.6-inch FHD Thin and Light Laptop (8GB RAM/512GB NVMe SSD/Windows 10/Integrated Graphics/FP Reader/Backlit KB/1.60 Kg), Slate Gray Online at Low Prices in India - Amazon.in
and 8GB RAM (for 3200)

I contacted the seller, they can ship with 16GB installed. Said there is no Asus seal but just a lock. Is this the case?

Usually to access the RAM slots there is no seal.

The decision to buy is yours. Do look at the seller's reviews.

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So if there is no Asus seal that voids warranty can I order them independently and install myself?

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elbin.p said:
So if there is no Asus seal that voids warranty can I order them independently and install myself?

Yes but make sure about it because I unless you are skilled in opening & putting back together a laptop(at least the entire back panel along with keyboard & touchpad) there are good chances you may break something. Of course if there is a separate ram panel in base panel which can be opened to just add ram then it is the ideal option.

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I just got this one delivered Buy Acer Aspire 5 Slim A515-43 15.6-inch Laptop (AMD Ryzen 5 3500U qual-core processor/8GB/512GB SSD/Window 10, Home 64-Bit/MSO/AMD Radeon Vega 8 Mobile Graphics), Silver Online at Low Prices in India - Amazon.in There's a free RAM slot, figure I will add an 8GB from the service center once the Covid situation clears.

PassMark Software - Display Baseline ID# 1257691 Benchmark seems to be similar to other laptops with similar specs.

^ Congrats!

But don't use Passmark to compare.

Cinebench single+multithreaded and 7-zip multithreaded are decent benchmarks.

elbin.p said:
I just got this one delivered Buy Acer Aspire 5 Slim A515-43 15.6-inch Laptop (AMD Ryzen 5 3500U qual-core processor/8GB/512GB SSD/Window 10, Home 64-Bit/MSO/AMD Radeon Vega 8 Mobile Graphics), Silver Online at Low Prices in India - Amazon.in There's a free RAM slot, figure I will add an 8GB from the service center once the Covid situation clears.

PassMark Software - Display Baseline ID# 1257691 Benchmark seems to be similar to other laptops with similar specs.

Congrats.....Can you confirm this
(1) that there are temper proof sticker (which will void the warranty if broken) at the back of the laptop where the screws are located,
(2) This model got any SATA bay for additional HDD / SDD space - SATA Port and Cage provided or you need to buy one ?
(3) 8GB RAM fixed on the Board but there is Empty slot for another 8 GB RAM module.
(4) How big is the AC Charger Brick?
(5) Keyboard is not backlit - Right ?

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(1) that there are temper proof sticker (which will void the warranty if broken) at the back of the laptop where the screws are located,
See the attached pic, I can only see a sticker at the center

(2) This model got any SATA bay for additional HDD / SDD space - SATA Port and Cage provided or you need to buy one ?
Don't know.

(3) 8GB RAM fixed on the Board but there is Empty slot for another 8 GB RAM module.
CPUID shows only 1 slot occupied and 1 slot free.

(4) How big is the AC Charger Brick?
See attached pic

(5) Keyboard is not backlit - Right ?
Not backlit.

elbin.p said:
(1) that there are temper proof sticker (which will void the warranty if broken) at the back of the laptop where the screws are located,
See the attached pic, I can only see a sticker at the center
View attachment 19169

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dissel said:
(1) that there are temper proof sticker (which will void the warranty if broken) at the back of the laptop where the screws are located,

If it is acer then don't even try to open a single screw, they put stickers in locations you won't even know until you break them.

@elbin.p How is the ips screen.

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How is the ips screen. Bright enough, good enough view angles, but my reference is only my work desktop monitor and an 8 year old laptop.

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elbin.p said:
How is the ips screen. Bright enough, good enough view angles, but my reference is only my work desktop monitor and an 8 year old laptop.

TN panels of today's laptops are more or less same as TN panels of 8 years old laptops.

Acer doesn't do this sticker buffoonery in EU and USA.

ico said:
Acer doesn't do this sticker buffoonery in EU and USA.

Maybe because stricter laws for right to repair

Sent from my vivo 1807 using Tapatalk

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Hi, i was planning to buy the same model. But some reviews said it is plasticky and cheap build.
And how is battery life?
My friend is leaning towards lenovo.

*www.flipkart.com/lenovo-ideapad-s1...s82u1htp8yyo1592805215677&qH=161c8e3fab4e96bc

Sent from my SM-M315F using Tapatalk

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Battery life is pretty decent. I reckon I got about 4 hours on a full charge watching movies. The laptop does feel like a budget laptop, light and plasticky, but its definitely not a cheap build.

Some cons I have noticed are.

1) Very low sound

Speakers must be down firing, you need to place the laptop on a hard surface to hear clearly. Not good when the laptop is in your "lap" or propped up on a pillow.
Sound quality with wired headphones is oh so slightly worse that what I am used to in desktops. Could just be my perception.

2) Laptop camera -> is not good enough, is grainy

And others in Amazon review have pointed to hearing something loose inside the laptop. I can hear that as well. :-?

And just like others have mentioned there are two different serial numbers and SNIDs on the back of the laptop. I was able to register with one of them. checking with Acer support if that is correct or not.

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The camera stopped working. Today is the last day I can return this. But let me see what the support team says.

elbin.p said:
The camera stopped working. Today is the last day I can return this. But let me see what the support team says.

See if this software shows your camera in working or not Yawcam - Yet Another Webcam Software

Sent from my vivo 1807 using Tapatalk

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The device gets detected, but the view is just a black screen.

Did you check in Ubuntu?

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Contacted customer support, I am taking the laptop to the service center to get checked

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Hello All,

I am also looking for Laptop in same budget and have gone through various threads on Digit today. it seems it is hotly suggested to delay purchase and wait for Ryzen 4600H. Wants to know what kind of Edge Ryzen 4600H and abv. is having over i5 9300H.
thanks all

chintan786 said:
Wants to know what kind of Edge Ryzen 4600H and abv. is having over i5 9300H.

*www.notebookcheck.net/i5-9300H-vs-R5-4600H_11356_11679.247596.0.html

More cores, threads, cache and lower temperatures. R5 4600H bests i7 9750H and has similar performance as an i7 10750H.

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SaiyanGoku said:
*www.notebookcheck.net/i5-9300H-vs-R5-4600H_11356_11679.247596.0.html
More cores, threads, cache and lower temperatures. R5 4600H bests i7 9750H and has similar performance as an i7 10750H.

Thanks SaiyanGoku.. It seems Ryzen 5 4600H is more future proof. will wait for next 2 months. I am looking for
Ryzen 5 4600H + 256 GB ssd (min.) +8Gb Ram +1650 card. Budget is 60K max. hope I get such deal by next 2 months.
prefer Lenovo over other brands... Rest please advice what I can look out for. thanks in Advance

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chintan786 said:
Thanks SaiyanGoku.. It seems Ryzen 5 4600H is more future proof. will wait for next 2 months. I am looking for
Ryzen 5 4600H + 256 GB ssd (min.) +8Gb Ram +1650 card. Budget is 60K max. hope I get such deal by next 2 months.
prefer Lenovo over other brands... Rest please advice what I can look out for. thanks in Advance

Prefer Lenovo only for Legion series & even then considering it is Chinese owned there may be issues in supply etc making its pricing not that good so keep an eye open for models from asus,acer & hp too.

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whitestar_999 said:
Prefer Lenovo only for Legion series & even then considering it is Chinese owned there may be issues in supply etc making its pricing not that good so keep an eye open for models from asus,acer & hp too.

oh..ok

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whitestar_999 said:
Prefer Lenovo only for Legion series & even then considering it is Chinese owned there may be issues in supply etc making its pricing not that good so keep an eye open for models from asus,acer & hp too.

Some Good news:

*m.hexus.net/tech/news/laptop/144202-lenovo-heralds-arrival-amd-ryzen-powered-legion-systems/

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chintan786 said:
Some Good news:

*m.hexus.net/tech/news/laptop/144202-lenovo-heralds-arrival-amd-ryzen-powered-legion-systems/

Too early to say anything, people were expecting good pricing from asus ryzen 4xxx laptops but when they finally launched people were disappointed.

Here is 4700U listed in Amazon @59K

*www.amazon.in/gp/product/B087D3VVW...&pf_rd_p=649eac15-05ce-45c0-86ac-3e413b8ba3d4

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dissel said:
Here is 4700U listed in Amazon @59K

Too much overpriced & bad configuration combination. Those who need more cores would be better off with a 4600H which will perform better than this U version processor & those who need graphics card for games will also stay away from this laptop.

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Why does the SSD show that much temp? The laptop is hot to touch on the left underside. Is that where the SSD is?

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elbin.p said:
Why does the SSD show that much temp? The laptop is hot to touch on the left underside. Is that where the SSD is?

Adata SX6000 NVMe ssd was/is infamous for its high temps. I am surprised acer used this particular NVMe model for their laptops. However it should not be this high under idle conditions, were you doing some intense read/write operation(or maybe some scan taking place) when you took this measurement.

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Steam client was downloading a game. I did try gaming for some 30 minutes before that.

Temps are down when I turn the laptop on after a while.

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elbin.p said:
Steam client was downloading a game. I did try gaming for some 30 minutes before that.

Temps are down when I turn the laptop on after a while.

View attachment 19300

Then that's normal, this SX6000 series runs hot so any intensive read write task will easily push it to 70C+ but try not to use it in such way often.e.g.wait for ~1 min before using steam client after just finishing a game etc.

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elbin.p said:
View attachment 19301

This is with just a 10 minute download going on in Steam. Is this bad enough to contact Acer support?

No, as high temps should automatically throttle the nvme ssd speed(kind of like processor thermal throttling). Remove the serial number from the pic by using software like paint etc.

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I see this crack in the laptop case after my visit to the Acer service center. I am pretty certain this happened during their service. But the chat support team says this won't come under warranty. How should I resolve this?

I have sent mail to their support team, is there any other contact where I can escalate this?

elbin.p said:
View attachment 19804
I see this crack in the laptop case after my visit to the Acer service center. I am pretty certain this happened during their service. But the chat support team says this won't come under warranty. How should I resolve this?

I have sent mail to their support team, is there any other contact where I can escalate this?

Pretty sure service center guys tightened the screw a bit harder and this lead to the crack.

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Is there an escalation mail id I can use?

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elbin.p said:
Is there an escalation mail id I can use?

Try this:

*confonet.nic.in/manuals/AcerService.pdf

You could also register an online complaint with the consumer forum if they refuse.

Why is it so difficult to get competent service in this godforsaken country?

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Yes, they escalated my mail to next level and then refused, saying the damage did not occur at their service center. Let me check how to complaint with consumer forum.

elbin.p said:
Yes, they escalated my mail to next level and then refused, saying the damage did not occur at their service center. Let me check how to complaint with consumer forum.

Ask them if the laptop was taken out from service center during the RMA period then.

elbin.p said:
Yes, they escalated my mail to next level and then refused, saying the damage did not occur at their service center. Let me check how to complaint with consumer forum.

Please do post the location of this service center and name so that we can warn other forum members in case anyone have to deal with these guys.

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How much approximately does a laptop case back cost, just to figure out how much money I am losing.

The service center is
Petra Info soft
Kadavanthra
Kochi

Try searching aliexpress

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New problem. Occasionally the processor speed gets limited to 300MHz in battery power. In Windows and Linux. Even reboot does not fix it. But I can just plugin the charger and then remove the charger and all's back to normal. Something's wonky with the power management.

This Acer buy has been a real bummer for me.

try ryzen master

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elbin.p said:
New problem. Occasionally the processor speed gets limited to 300MHz in battery power. In Windows and Linux. Even reboot does not fix it. But I can just plugin the charger and then remove the charger and all's back to normal. Something's wonky with the power management.

This Acer buy has been a real bummer for me.

I don't think kochi has reliable service centres for laptops. Better get it repaired at chennai/bangalore acer service centre.