LogFAQs > #966375168

@berlyman101 posted...

seems even better than the one with worse specs at the bottom of the screen shot. is it a good deal in general, though?

NOoOoo...!
Unless you need the laptop RIGHT NOW, skip it TC.

Usually you can get a pretty good deal from a sale like this but assuming you can wait, this one is honestly not worth it even with the 16GB+512GB specs.

1.) Ryzen 5000 vs 6000 series
A poster mentioned about Ryzen 6000 for gaming; this is true. The Ryzen 5500U "Lucienne" above came out last year with GCN5 iGPU (GCN5 = 5th iteration of GCN architecture). Ryzen 6000 series "Rembrandt" laptop should come out sooner or later this year with RDNA2 iGPU.

So, what's the deal with GCN5 vs RDNA2? Well...
PS4 = GCN2
PS4 Pro = GCN4
PS5 = RDNA2(!!)

Of course, this DOESN'T mean 6000 series iGPU has PS5 graphic (different tech specs). However this illustrates a massive iGPU jump from 5000 to 6000 series compared to say, from 4000 to 5000 series.

2.) HP's Spare Parts Availability
Another poster mentioned, "Don't buy HP!" I obviously don't know his/her reasoning but I tend to agree here.

Laptop in this price range doesn't exactly have the best QC. Sooner or later something will break. This by itself is not a con specific to HP. It's a cheap laptop afterall, can't expect Nintendo's level of indestructibility here.

But the thing is, I found out that HP's service center would stop providing spare parts after a period of time that's shorter than their competitors' period of time. I hope that make sense. You can import the part yourself after said period but HP (and other brands) will refuse to install it, forcing you to find a 3rd party repair or buy a new laptop.

I need to mention that this is my own personal observation. Your local service center may have a different policy.

3.) Alternatives
What's your maximum budget TC? Any preferred specs? Use case?

In a nutshell, for your budget ($500 - $600) :
- Want to play game? Wait for Ryzen 6000 series.
- Want something looong lasting, repairable, and built like an aircraft carrier? Used ThinkPad laptop.
- Want something small and stylish? Used Dell XPS 13. Carefully check the thermal here, search google for further review.

You can also try a used gaming laptop assuming you can find one for your budget. Remember that if you want Windows 11, you'll need at least an 8th gen Intel.

EDIT: Thermal, gaming laptop