[petrolhead_chn]

BHPians, Please share your views


Lenovo Z50-75
AMD Quadcore A10-7300
Radeon R6 Graphics
1TB HDD
8GB RAM (upto 16gb)
Win 10 SL preinstalled
@35000/-

Has anyone used this? I am on a budget and would like to know more about the specifications especially the graphics card. Few sites say it is dedicated card and few confirm it is integrated/shared.

However the seller sold it by saying this is the top of the line laptop in AMD with a dedicated graphics which can be compared to i6/i7.
I just hope I took the right decision. Machine is primarily for PhotoShop, browsing and videos/editing.

[agambhandari]

Originally Posted by petrolhead_chn

BHPians, Please share your views


Lenovo Z50-75
AMD Quadcore A10-7300
Radeon R6 Graphics
1TB HDD
8GB RAM (upto 16gb)
Win 10 SL preinstalled
@35000/-

Has anyone used this? I am on a budget and would like to know more about the specifications especially the graphics card. Few sites say it is dedicated card and few confirm it is integrated/shared.

However the seller sold it by saying this is the top of the line laptop in AMD with a dedicated graphics which can be compared to i6/i7.
I just hope I took the right decision. Machine is primarily for PhotoShop, browsing and videos/editing.

It is not a dedicated graphics exactly, but better than the Integrated ones on any i5/i7 you will find.

The APU in this will have CPU similar to an i3 performance(multithread) but with a much better gpu.

Photoshop and mild video editing don't require a lot of GPU horsepower, so I think an i5 would be better suited

But in case you use it for video editing, such as after effects etc, then the GPU would be useful.

The price seems okay. In this price you could get an i5 if you are looking at team Blue

[petrolhead_chn]

Originally Posted by agambhandari

It is not a dedicated graphics exactly, but better than the Integrated ones on any i5/i7 you will find.

The APU in this will have CPU similar to an i3 performance(multithread) but with a much better gpu.

Photoshop and mild video editing don't require a lot of GPU horsepower, so I think an i5 would be better suited

But in case you use it for video editing, such as after effects etc, then the GPU would be useful.

The price seems okay. In this price you could get an i5 if you are looking at team Blue

Thank you for responding agambhandari

It is so annoying to hear the sales guys proving it so strong that this is a dedicated card only and even trying to demonstrate that configuration in laptop. I realised what is APU only after purchasing it.

Nevertheless, I think this configuration is awesome for moderate to high usage. I looked at the CPU's performance through resource monitoring tool and saw that the processing speeds goes up to 3.5GHz though the specs mentioned are 1.9GHz. Is this what they call Turbo boost?

I do not hear any sound of fan turning on or the HDD spinning.
Tried few games from Gameloft and it showed up good.

I was dealing with the windows update 1607 errors and did not get a chance to install Photoshop/Photodex.
The DVD drive is not displayed in 'My computer' though I can find it in BIOS and device manager.

By the way, do you have any specific model numbers with i5 that you've mentioned above?

[agambhandari]

Originally Posted by petrolhead_chn

Thank you for responding agambhandari

It is so annoying to hear the sales guys proving it so strong that this is a dedicated card only and even trying to demonstrate that configuration in laptop. I realised what is APU only after purchasing it.

Nevertheless, I think this configuration is awesome for moderate to high usage. I looked at the CPU's performance through resource monitoring tool and saw that the processing speeds goes up to 3.5GHz though the specs mentioned are 1.9GHz. Is this what they call Turbo boost?

I do not hear any sound of fan turning on or the HDD spinning.
Tried few games from Gameloft and it showed up good.

I was dealing with the windows update 1607 errors and did not get a chance to install Photoshop/Photodex.
The DVD drive is not displayed in 'My computer' though I can find it in BIOS and device manager.

By the way, do you have any specific model numbers with i5 that you've mentioned above?

Yes, that is the Turbo boost.

It could probably be a driver issue if you can't see the DVD drive. Gameloft games would run fine on any system, even a celeron. I would suggest you to first try installing the apps that you would use day to day. Even before installing the updates.

The i5 models include
This HP
and This Acer Though this comes with Linux.

DO check the task manager for the resoources being utilised, since you will use Photoshop and some video editing then you would most likely benefit from an SSD, do look at your disk utilisation at task manager when loading photoshop or imprting videos into timeline.

By any chance, is this what you bought?

[petrolhead_chn]

Originally Posted by agambhandari

Yes, that is the Turbo boost.

It could probably be a driver issue if you can't see the DVD drive. Gameloft games would run fine on any system, even a celeron. I would suggest you to first try installing the apps that you would use day to day. Even before installing the updates.

The i5 models include
This HP
and This Acer Though this comes with Linux.

DO check the task manager for the resoources being utilised, since you will use Photoshop and some video editing then you would most likely benefit from an SSD, do look at your disk utilisation at task manager when loading photoshop or imprting videos into timeline.

By any chance, is this what you bought?

Sure thing. Will take note of monitoring advice.
The laptop model is Z50-75 (80EC00N9IH).

[mvadg]

Originally Posted by petrolhead_chn

Sure thing. Will take note of monitoring advice.
The laptop model is Z50-75 (80EC00N9IH).

One important point to add - check if the AMD and the GPU will get regular driver updates and software updates. This is where AMD/Radeon falls short. This may also apply to other devices in the laptop, though Lenovo is very good at providing driver support normally. With a poor driver, GPU as well as other devices may not function well (sometimes not at all).

[spookey]

Originally Posted by 5hadow

After much deliberation, day before yesterday, I took a risk(imo) on ebay and bought a refurbished Thinkpad T420 with 256 GB SSD.

but be prepared to replace the CPU fan soon. I also bought 2 used thinkpads ( x201 & T410) from ebay 2 yrs back and both showed up fan error in 2 months time. Replaced them personally and while at it also replaced heatsink compound to Arctic silver 5. Both are working perfectly since then (Touchwood).

[5hadow]

Originally Posted by spookey

but be prepared to replace the CPU fan soon.

Thanks for the heads-up. I shall keep my fingers crossed.

[petrolhead_chn]

Originally Posted by mvadg

One important point to add - check if the AMD and the GPU will get regular driver updates and software updates. This is where AMD/Radeon falls short. This may also apply to other devices in the laptop, though Lenovo is very good at providing driver support normally. With a poor driver, GPU as well as other devices may not function well (sometimes not at all).

You are right. I wrote to AMD tech support seeking assistance and they have given a link to download their latest updates/drivers.

Update:

I am returning the Lenovo Z50-75 AMD A10-7300 with Radeon R6 graphics. Turns out that the DVD drive was not detected under 'My Computer'. An engineer came home and did all he could under the sun. Later he asked me if he could open up to check and I refused. Eventually a replacement was offered. I should thank the customer service guy for facilitating this who was in constant touch (literally) with me. I have received the letter for replacement and am looking to replace the machine with a new one tomorrow.

Now- May I go for the same machine or do you guys have any recommendation? I need options only for Lenovo machines under 35k.
I have been googling as many lenovo models as I could but nothing seemed better than this at this price range.

[agambhandari]

Originally Posted by petrolhead_chn

You are right. I wrote to AMD tech support seeking assistance and they have given a link to download their latest updates/drivers.

Update:

I am returning the Lenovo Z50-75 AMD A10-7300 with Radeon R6 graphics. Turns out that the DVD drive was not detected under 'My Computer'. An engineer came home and did all he could under the sun. Later he asked me if he could open up to check and I refused. Eventually a replacement was offered. I should thank the customer service guy for facilitating this who was in constant touch (literally) with me. I have received the letter for replacement and am looking to replace the machine with a new one tomorrow.

Now- May I go for the same machine or do you guys have any recommendation? I need options only for Lenovo machines under 35k.
I have been googling as many lenovo models as I could but nothing seemed better than this at this price range.

Look for an i5 if possible, the dedicated graphics are not required most likely if you are just going to be doing photoshop

If you still feel like a dedicated graphics is required, look at an i3 with dGPU
http://dl.flipkart.com/dl/lenovo-g50...oduct.share.pp

[mvadg]

Originally Posted by petrolhead_chn

I am returning the Lenovo Z50-75 AMD A10-7300 with Radeon R6 graphics. ... May I go for the same machine or do you guys have any recommendation? I need options only for Lenovo machines under 35k.

I have been googling as many lenovo models as I could but nothing seemed better than this at this price range.

Having been through this conundrum many times, here is my take:
Up your budget a bit and go for a better laptop. There are 3 companies that offer 'enterprise grade' laptops - Lenovo, HP and Dell. They all have pretty good support (updates for drivers). I would stick to i5 and look for a NVIDIA graphics.

Remember that it is ** NOT ** possible to upgrade a laptop. You can increase memory, swap the hard drive (check the max memory allowed).

If you need a GPU, look for a popular model, some sell in large numbers and will have much better support. I am stuck with a Radeon that hardly gets used because there is no way for me to force it on. I fact I have never seen the GPU show any activity, except may be with dedicated benchmarks - so it is there, but useless most of the time. That is why a good driver and software is essential.

Support for the enterprise grade laptop will be much much better. This is something that people don't understand.

This way you can get maximum ROI for your money. Sorry, I have not been looking at laptops recently to give you a specific model. But this is because I splurged a bit and got myself a Samsung Ultrabook quite a while back and it is zippy as ever with a SSD and 12 GB RAM. (I don't use Photoshop so don't know about the Graphics part).

[sgiitk]

My laptop (Lenovo Ideapad 14") has served my for three plus years. My main platform is now the Macbook Pro, but still need one Windows unit. I have the option of either dual boot or something like Parallels on the Mac. However, I like to keep a second system handy. So what will you suggest for ₹50k max, with official Win10. I do not think I need more than a 500GB HDD.

Incidentally, my license for McAfee has run its course, so I removed it and just used the native Win10 Anti-virus. It has made my system quite a bit faster. I had bought Kaspersky, but it was having trouble with the early Win10.

[mvadg]

Originally Posted by petrolhead_chn

Sure thing. Will take note of monitoring advice.
The laptop model is Z50-75 (80EC00N9IH).

Looks like its available for 20K (There is some reason why it is not popular)
Here Croma online

But like I said go for better laptop with i5 (5th or 6th gen), NVidia GPU.

[mvadg]

Originally Posted by agambhandari

Look for an i5 if possible, the dedicated graphics are not required most likely if you are just going to be doing photoshop

If you still feel like a dedicated graphics is required, look at an i3 with dGPU
http://dl.flipkart.com/dl/lenovo-g50...oduct.share.pp

Originally Posted by petrolhead_chn

Sure thing. Will take note of monitoring advice.
The laptop model is Z50-75 (80EC00N9IH).

Looks like its available for 20K (There is some reason why it is not popular)
Here Croma online

But like I said go for better laptop with i5, and I agree with agambhandari (5th or 6th gen), NVidia GPU.

Take a look at the following 4 (one suggested above included)

https://www.flipkart.com/computer/co...pare_product_4

[petrolhead_chn]

@agambhandari and @mkv

Thank you so much for your suggestions.

I went to the store this evening to return and exchange the laptop. I requested for i3/i5 5th gen laptops as per advices. The dealer says the ones available online would not be available in stores and price seems to be higher due to taxes. I just took a cash voucher from him and returned back to check for other options. Even the same model pieces were sold out and he has ordered new ones which arrive on Monday. The i3/i5 he had were above my budget even without discrete card. Few were on DOS OS. I had 30k in mind initially that has already gone up by 5k.

My observations after using the laptop for a day

1. The APU has 4 cores and CPU usage never crossed 12% for whatever browsing/installation I did.
2. The turbo kicks in automatically and hits 3.2 from 1.9
3. The HD/4k videos that I played from YouTube played seamlessly.
4. Win 10 is pre installed
5. 8 gigs of RAM. The intels he had were on 4gigs
6. The L1/L2 caches are 256kb/4MB while intels I look are at 64kb/2MB
7. The GPU clocks upto 800 and intels at 600+/-
8. The down side I see is the cpu temp which might go upto 102c as per amd tech support email.

I don't know if I have begun to convince myself or if the above facts really hold true.

I understand the value of suggestions here to opt for an i3/i5 it seems like a hard task to get the dealer cooperation to match my price point. He suggested another model AMD A8-7410 with discrete 2gigs card and asked to purchase something else for the balance amount