[Samba]

Originally Posted by NetfreakBombay

Try these videos with VLC player. (https://www.videolan.org/vlc/). Since it can use its own codecs, it might work.

I already have this installed, but it's not working. :(

Originally Posted by Guite

I am actually surprised that a 10 year old laptop running a two core 2.0 ghz CPU is playing 2k and 4k videos smoothly. Anyway, maybe the Windows update modified the video codecs which were already installed. You can try latest release of K-lite codec pack. Download, install and see if it works.

Actually, 2k videos used to run seamlessly, for 4k it used to run, but not as smoothly as the 2k videos. Running the 4k videos is now out of the question and even the 2k videos are getting stuck now.
I have the K-lite codec pack, the latest version, but it's not working. :(

Originally Posted by tbppjpr

Is it necessary for you to use Windows only or you are free to use other OS?

I would suggest to try out Linux and use KDENLive video editor for editing. You can Install Linux along side existing Windows OS in dual boot configuration.

You laptop has very good specs and can still serve you for half a decade being a 5th generation i7 with dedicated GPU of that time. I have 4th gen i7 Lenovo Ideapad with dedicated GPU which was being used by my son until it's hinges and some parts of the chassis got got broken due to poor build quality. Otherwise me and my son never had any complaints about it's performance.

Thanks for this suggestion. I am technically challenged, so I need to get this done by any professional or any of my friends who can get it done for me.

[ph03n!x]

Originally Posted by dearchichi

Hello. I'm looking for user reviews on the Asus Zenbook series.

Both Wirecutter and PCMag have listed the Asus Zenbook 14 OLED (UM3406) as the best Windows ultrabook at the moment. But, I am unsure of it's build quality and general user experience:

- would the OLED touch screen be more prone to failure
- are the keyboard and trackpad durable
- would it's hinges retain their functionality
- is the laptop easily serviceable (battery issues, spillage etc.)
- would Windows 11 (and beyond) run fast and smooth over it across time

I'm evaluating the purchase of this (~Rs. 65L) over the MacBook Air M3 (~Rs.90K to Rs. 1.2L including AppleCare+). Either way, this would be bought in the US and carries to India by a friend.

My usage is primarily with MS Office, web browsing, programming and some photo and video editing.

Please guide me.

Got a Zenbook S 13 couple of months back, for it's OLED screen (damn, is it good!) and less than 1 KG weight/ 1 cm thickness for my business laptop.

Been pretty fast, battery lasts long too. As this is for business, I don't know about performance on gaming or CPU intense tasks like image/ video editing - I'm going to guess the i7 will handle it alright.

The fan does get audible on heavy use, though not a bother.

Originally Posted by Samba

How Microsoft is forcing me to buy a new laptop!
....

You can download the Windows 11 ISO from Micro$oft, and use Rufus to copy it to a USB drive disabling the checks for TPM and processor - works well on my test bed from 2009!

[Samba]

Originally Posted by tbppjpr

I would suggest to try out Linux and use KDENLive video editor for editing. You can Install Linux along side existing Windows OS in dual boot configuration.

Originally Posted by ph03n!x

You can download the Windows 11 ISO from Micro$oft, and use Rufus to copy it to a USB drive disabling the checks for TPM and processor - works well on my test bed from 2009!

I took my laptop to Chandni Market in Kolkata. That is the den for laptop/desktop/mobile repair and buying place in Kolkata.

They managed to install Windows 11 on my laptop, still the 2k videos were still not playing, so we reverted back to Windows 10 again.

The Graphics card in my laptop is Nvidia Gforce 840, and according to them the minimum requirement now is 1000.

I asked them about installing Linux, but they were not very confident about that.

So I decided to keep my current laptop as my secondary Laptop and buy a new one maybe in Jan.
I hope with a budget of 70-80k I will get a decent one that can play and edit the 4k videos. I was looking at Asus, the HP victus series, and the Dell gaming series. Though, I have not started my research yet.

[tbppjpr]

Originally Posted by Samba

I asked them about installing Linux, but they were not very confident about that.

You will hardly find any professional service for the Linux installation in India. If you are hesitant to do it yourself then safest bet is to find someone in your family or friend circle who is familiar with Linux.

Although its not that tough task to do it yourself.

First thing just download the OS ISO and prepare a bootable USB thumb drive.

Download the Linux Mint Cinnamon ISO from here:
https://www.linuxmint.com/download.php

Now boot your laptop using this bootable USB drive, your laptop will boot up in Linux desktop. Here you can try the Linux without the need of installation or messing up with your existing data or disk.

There is also option of preparing persistent bootable drive which can be used as a computer in your pocket. Yes, you hear it right. Carry this persistent bootable drive with you anywhere and boot any computer using it.

You can install your preferred apps and keep some small size data in the persistent partition along with you, offcourse not suitable for the big size video files. But you can install the video editor and try the 4k video playback and editing.

Any confusion then feel free to ask.

Video guide for setting up the persistent bootable drive:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qNroapFEiKU

[nova.19_exe]

Originally Posted by Samba

So I decided to keep my current laptop as my secondary Laptop and buy a new one maybe in Jan.
I hope with a budget of 70-80k I will get a decent one that can play and edit the 4k videos. I was looking at Asus, the HP victus series, and the Dell gaming series. Though, I have not started my research yet.

Honestly, I'd say if portability is a must for you, then don't go for the gaming laptops. Cause, they are really heavy and really hard to carry!

Linux would be a big problem considering you have a Nvidia graphics card, cause getting Nvidia drivers for Linux has always been a dreaded issue!

That said, the creator laptops around that price range would be much sufficient. I'm pretty sure they'll have a dedicated graphics card in them, so a big plus!

Do check them out! You can also PM me if you need some help while looking out! I'm into that stuff, so I may be of some help for you!

Cheers!

[sandeepmdas]

Originally Posted by tbppjpr

I would suggest to try out Linux and use KDENLive video editor for editing. You can Install Linux along side existing Windows OS in dual boot configuration.

Originally Posted by Samba

I asked them about installing Linux, but they were not very confident about that.

Although the laptop in question is not an Asus and Fedora being "yum" in place of "apt" as in Debian/Ubuntu, I'd still recommend this Wiki for installing Linux in any laptop with a Nvidia GPU:
https://asus-linux.org/guides/fedora-guide/

[rag_nfs]

Hello,

I have a 14” HP laptop that my son plays Fortnite on, the game crashes frequently and lags quite often. The laptop has an intel i7-7500U processor, 2.7GHz, 8Gb RAM and Intel HD Graphics 620. As per the Fortnite support page this exceeds the minimum requirements for the game. The game runs from an external SSD drive as I have only 40GB feee space on the C drive.

Looking for recommendations on what can be done to improve the game performance. Will adding another 8GB RAM help?

TIA

[aseem23]

Recently upgraded my 7 year old Macbook with M3 MAX Macbook pro with 48GB RAM. Got this from Dubai with pretty handsome discounts (more than a lac compared to India pricing). I am in the Apple ecosystem since last 12 years, and I personally don't think I can move out.

[aqualeo2040]

Originally Posted by rag_nfs

Hello,

I have a 14” HP laptop that my son plays Fortnite on, the game crashes frequently and lags quite often. The laptop has an intel i7-7500U processor, 2.7GHz, 8Gb RAM and Intel HD Graphics 620. As per the Fortnite support page this exceeds the minimum requirements for the game. The game runs from an external SSD drive as I have only 40GB feee space on the C drive.

Looking for recommendations on what can be done to improve the game performance. Will adding another 8GB RAM help?

TIA

Sir, few things.
1. i7 7500U is almost 8 years old now. Read Old
2. Running the game from an external SSD - strictly a no-no.
3. Run Resource Monitor during the gameplay to see what is spiking. My guess would be Disk I/O and CPU rather than Memory.
Based on that, you can take a call on whether to
1. Upgrade the laptop
2. expand your storage (HDD)
3. Add more RAM
4. Not play Fortnite and instead try something outdoorsy

[rag_nfs]

Originally Posted by aqualeo2040

Sir, few things.
1. i7 7500U is almost 8 years old now. Read Old
2. Running the game from an external SSD - strictly a no-no.
3. Run Resource Monitor during the gameplay to see what is spiking. My guess would be Disk I/O and CPU rather than Memory.
Based on that, you can take a call on whether to
1. Upgrade the laptop
2. expand your storage (HDD)
3. Add more RAM
4. Not play Fortnite and instead try something outdoorsy

Thanks for the suggestions, updated the RAM and running the game directly from the laptop now, marked improvement in performance. Ran the resource monitor, it is the CPU, but will have to live with occasional lag for now. Thankfully #4 isn’t a problem.

[dearchichi]

I recently got a MacBook Air in midnight black. Unfortunately, it's a fingerprint magnet.

Can I use a quick detail spray to clean the laptop and it's screen? If so, please suggest a good one.

[Capri89]

My HP laptop - i5-12th/ 8gb ram/ 1 tb ssd/ 15.6 / win 11
has developed white screen.

Need a reliable and trustworthy service (pref at home) in Chennai.

Please advice. Thanks in advance.

[Aviator_guy]

Recently purchased HP Envy 14" laptop from US for $579 during the Black Friday sale. This is for my kid for his school work, attend online classes etc. Found it to be quite VFM deal. Was looking for a reasonably priced lightweight laptop with adequate configuration and this one fit the bill perfectly. I have a HP pavilion laptop which is still working well for past 10 years so wanted to stick to HP.

This is the first time I heard about Intel core7 processor and hope it does the job well.

[nikipedia87]

I'm looking to replace my old Acer Aspire with the newly launched Lenovo ThinkPad E16 Gen 2. My use case is mainly office work - running multiple tabs, Excel and Word docs, Google sheets etc, along with occasional coding and watching videos on YouTube or Udemy. Getting Rs. 2000/- off through my Lenovo Pro account, plus 18% GST rebate.

https://www.lenovo.com/in/en/p/lapto...amd/21m5s05j00

Is this a VFM choice considering the ThinkPads are known for their ruggedness and durability? Many of the components like RAM, SSD and WiFi card can be upgraded in the future as well. My Acer Aspire has had quick a few battle blows and the plastic chassis is chipping away with regular usage.

[ValarMorghulis]

What's a good Windows laptop these days that can compete with M3 MacBook Air?

I have an old 2019 i3 8th Gen Dell, that has been an absolute pain to work with. Have to replace this. Please suggest. If no decent option, I will go for M3 MacBook Air.