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Old 10th May 2020, 14:21   #5536
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Re: The Laptop Thread: Configs, deals & questions

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You cannot upgrade anything in the newer Macbooks. You're locked with what you have for life. It very much applies to their Macbooks as well.
Here's a recent article from Vice about something on these lines. Apple's T2 security chip in recent Macbooks disables refurbishers from wiping the storage device, and since it cannot be replaced either, the only option is to scrap the whole Macbook in the name of data privacy.

Quote:
As predicted, the proprietary locking system Apple rolled out with its 2018 MacBook Pros is hurting independent repair stores, refurbishers, and electronics recyclers. A combination of secure software locks, diagnostic requirements, and Apple’s new T2 security chip are making it hard to breathe new life into old MacBook Pros that have been recycled but could be easily repaired and used for years were it not for these locks.

It’s a problem that highlights Apple’s combative attitude towards the secondhand market and the need for national right to repair legislation.

“The irony is that I’d like to do the responsible thing and wipe user data from these machines, but Apple won’t let me,” John Bumstead, a MacBook refurbisher and owner of the RDKL INC repair store, said in a tweet with an attached picture of two “bricked” MacBook Pros. “Literally the only option is to destroy these beautiful $3,000 MacBooks and recover the $12/ea they are worth as scrap.”
Source

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Old 11th May 2020, 01:19   #5537
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Re: The Laptop Thread: Configs, deals & questions

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Originally Posted by Joxster View Post

Cheers
Bro can you give any solution to the issue I am facing, which I had posted 15 days back:

https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/gadge...ml#post4794049 (The Laptop Thread: Configs, deals & questions)

My Asus laptop suddenly turns off immediately(not shut down) when it runs on battery even if its 100% charged but it runs without any issues when its plugged in. When it is being charged it says "plugged in".

I ran the battery test through Command Prompt and HW Monitor, in the both the tests the battery health seemed fine. I also disconnected and connected the battery.

I also followed "ALL" the steps listed in the website below. Even after that the problem persists.

https://appuals.com/fix-laptop-turns...hen-unplugged/
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Old 11th May 2020, 03:32   #5538
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Re: The Laptop Thread: Configs, deals & questions

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Bro can you give any solution to the issue I am facing, which I had posted 15 days back.
I really have limited experience troubleshooting laptop power issues, but my knowledge tells me that it's either an issue with your battery, adapter or motherboard. You would usually need to have a spare battery and adapter in order to troubleshoot and narrow down the issue.

There are some additional steps for you to try in this article. Try them and see whether the issue gets fixed. If it does not, I'm afraid that you'll have to decide whether you want to take the plunge of buying the replacement parts one at a time and finding out which is the culprit or not invest any further money into your laptop. If you do decide to buy replacement parts, I would suggest that you start with the battery.

On a side note, a Google search about the average life of a laptop battery says this:

Quote:
A laptop computer battery should last between two and four years, or around 1,000 full charges. The total lifetime of a battery is dependent on several factors. These factors include battery type (NiCad, NiMH, or Li-ion), how often the battery is used, and its age.
Being the fact that your battery is now between the average battery life bracket, it's the most likely suspect for failure.

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Old 11th May 2020, 04:41   #5539
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Re: The Laptop Thread: Configs, deals & questions

Greetings of the day guys.

I am in search of a new laptop for college use. The usage would be pretty basic like using Microsoft, some binge watching and for online classes and conferences. My budget is 30000 to 50000. So could you please give me some suggestions.

Ps:- I am not into gaming.
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Old 11th May 2020, 08:23   #5540
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Re: The Laptop Thread: Configs, deals & questions

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Just found this post
https://superuser.com/questions/5442...cated-disk-spa

Hope you can get back your data at least. Good luck!
Thanks for that. Tried it. Took almost a day for it to scan deeper. Sadly it too cannot find the partitions.
Will search more till a month or so, lets see *fingers crossed*

The Laptop Thread: Configs, deals & questions-could-not-find-partitions.jpg
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Old 11th May 2020, 08:27   #5541
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Re: The Laptop Thread: Configs, deals & questions

I got a lenovo V130 for my nephew for around 35k few months back for exactly similar usage and he is very happy with it. You may give it a try.

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Originally Posted by msd7 View Post
Greetings of the day guys.

I am in search of a new laptop for college use. The usage would be pretty basic like using Microsoft, some binge watching and for online classes and conferences. My budget is 30000 to 50000. So could you please give me some suggestions.

Ps:- I am not into gaming.
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Old 11th May 2020, 09:58   #5542
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Re: The Laptop Thread: Configs, deals & questions

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Originally Posted by GrammarNazi View Post
Thanks for that. Tried it. Took almost a day for it to scan deeper. Sadly it too cannot find the partitions.
Will search more till a month or so, lets see *fingers crossed*

Attachment 2004550
All the best. I don't know if putting the drive in the freezer for a while will help. With magnetic hard drives there's at least some residual data that is readable. You have nothing to lose.

And thanks for reporting back, I'm always curious about the outcome of any experiments.
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Old 11th May 2020, 11:04   #5543
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Re: The Laptop Thread: Configs, deals & questions

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Originally Posted by GT3 View Post
......

My Asus laptop suddenly turns off immediately(not shut down) when it runs on battery even if its 100% charged but it runs without any issues when its plugged in. When it is being charged it says "plugged in".

I......
I have faced similar problems with my IMB and Lenovo X series. The battery suddenly dies and I had to replace the batteries.

On searching the net I found the following

1. Every battery now days has a controller chip which not only monitors the battery health but also stores the "Charge %". This means even though your basic battery may be fine the chip does not think so.

2. Once the monitoring chip decides that the battery cannot hold charge, it will shut the battery down to prevent damage.

Your only recourse is to :

1. Find a shop that has a pile of old batteries of the same specifications.
2. Ask them to dismantle the battery pack and check the basic battery.
3. If your basic battery is fine, they can replace the faulty controller chip from an old battery pack.

Otherwise you have to change the battery.
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Old 11th May 2020, 12:36   #5544
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Re: The Laptop Thread: Configs, deals & questions

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Originally Posted by msd7 View Post
Greetings of the day guys.

I am in search of a new laptop for college use. The usage would be pretty basic like using Microsoft, some binge watching and for online classes and conferences. My budget is 30000 to 50000. So could you please give me some suggestions.

Ps:- I am not into gaming.
You can try the Lenovo Ideapad S145. It comes with a Ryzen 5, 8GB RAM and a FHD display, at 36k. These specs will ensure a smooth experience and it should remain smooth for years to come.

Last edited by Gannu_1 : 21st May 2020 at 07:42. Reason: Typo.
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Old 18th May 2020, 19:55   #5545
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Re: The Laptop Thread: Configs, deals & questions

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For anyone pondering over a new laptop upgrade and comparing Ryzen 4000 vs Intel 10th-gen, please do watch this video for a CPU-based comparison. It's really a bloodbath for Intel...

Based on the results, I wouldn't touch an 9th/10th-gen Intel laptop with a barge-pole if I can get an AMD 4000 series laptop in a similar price range.
Following on the 4000 series Ryzen 7 laptop review, these guys have reviewed the 4000 series Ryzen 5 (which is the competition to the Intel i5 series for people who aren't aware ), and the results speak for themselves.



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Old 21st May 2020, 01:34   #5546
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Need help in deciding on a i5/8GB laptop

Hi All,

Recently my personal laptop decided to commit suicide-I had revived it many times before but looks like now it is time to let it go [it's a Centrno based laptop]. With that now I'm left with no choice but to look for new laptop. And what a time it is to shop for a new laptop. I think after the booze, it is the laptop that ranks highest on the demand scale - at least in Bangalore because of Work/Learn/Teach From Home stuff. Almost all multi-brand shops have run out of good mid-range models. Finally resumption on Online Sales has come to the rescue.

Our usage is pretty much limited to MS Office/Movie Watching/Occasional Photo Editing/And some other activities. We'll not be using it for gaming for sure. Screen size of 14 inch or less is preferred as the Laptop has to be really portable. Also it has to be reliable and long lasting both in terms of hardware and software [I don't change/upgrade laptops/phones unless absolutely necessary].

There are 2 options that I've zeroed on after much deliberation.
1. Dell New Inspiron 14 5490 Laptop : comes with 10th Gen i5 /8GB RAM/512 GB SSD/Win 10/Office Student version pre-installed
Price: Around 54K INR On Desk [courtesy : 10% cashback on ICICI] on Dell India Webstore

2. 2018 Macbook Air : comes with 8th Gen i5/8GB RAM/128 GB SSD/Mac OS
Price: Around 62K INR On Desk [courtesy: some redeemable award coupons + 2K cashback] on Croma Webstore

I understand Dell is much more VFM option here with easy RAM/SSD upgrade options in near future if required. But I'm considering Macbook Air as I just wanted to try something different + missus really liked the profile of Macbook.

Now my dilemma is am I really missing out on firepower if I choose Macbook Air considering it is based on 8th Gen i5 Processor[2 cores vs 4 cores on 10th Gen i5]? I also understand that I'll not be able to upgrade the RAM on it. 128 SSD is not much of a concern as I'll have a separate storage device to backup huge files/media. I've also read that Macbooks are generally more reliable/last much longer than their counterparts and retain good value in used market.

Can you please help me with your suggestions?

Last edited by somspaple : 21st May 2020 at 01:43.
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Old 21st May 2020, 03:24   #5547
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Re: Need help in deciding on a i5/8GB laptop

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Originally Posted by somspaple View Post
I understand Dell is much more VFM option here with easy RAM/SSD upgrade options in near future if required. But I'm considering Macbook Air as I just wanted to try something different + missus really liked the profile of Macbook.

Now my dilemma is am I really missing out on firepower if I choose Macbook Air considering it is based on 8th Gen i5 Processor[2 cores vs 4 cores on 10th Gen i5]?
Well, you already know the answer to the value quotient, so let me answer the other questions you're asking. I personally think that you should buy what makes both you and the missus happy, because that's the ultimate goal of course.
Are you missing out on firepower, yes. And you'll start to feel that even more as the laptop begins to age. 4 cores is pretty much the minimum you should be going for these days. If you were asking about the new Macbook Air, which starts at 92k INR, then that would be a different story, but as it stands right now, your comparison is like an iPhone 6 vs an iPhone 8, if you understand what I'm trying to say.

Build quality and reliability-wise, the Apple would be the better choice, but you do pay a premium for that. I guess my conclusion would be:
  1. Spend more money and get the new Macbook Air if you are really intent on Apple
    or
  2. Save money by buying the Dell, and have enough leftover to even buy a replacement laptop in the amount saved

Cheers

Last edited by Joxster : 21st May 2020 at 03:27.
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Old 21st May 2020, 17:20   #5548
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Re: The Laptop Thread: Configs, deals & questions

Help needed for my Lenovo laptop,

Ideapad 330S
Intel i3 7th gen, 664 gb free space, Ram 4gb
Trend Micro Maximum Security anti virus is installed. My usage is just Word, Excel, some surfing and online banking. No games and nothing else. I have iTunes on it for my phones backup as well. All the offered updates have been downloaded.

The laptop used to freeze or run slowly, after each command the screen used to take forever to open. I called Lenovo Helpdesk, they remotely took over the laptop and installed the OS again after deleting everything.

It seemed to work fine for sometime, now again it’s back to its irritating self. Screens take forever to load and sometimes it just freezes. The freezing and slow running is uniform across all functions, not on anything in particular. Even Word or Excel is insanely slow. I feel like flinging the thing on the wall

What could be wrong and is there any remedy?

Thanks in advance.

Cheers
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Old 21st May 2020, 18:04   #5549
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Re: The Laptop Thread: Configs, deals & questions

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Help needed for my Lenovo laptop.

What could be wrong and is there any remedy?
Clear your temp files when you switch on your laptop. My i3 7th gen Lenovo ideapd too was extremely slow but clearing temporary files makes a difference.

Open Run, Type %temp%, and clear all the files on the page that opens. Then shut the window and refresh, you should see a difference.

Also, if you keep multiple windows open at once like chrome, word etc.. I highly suggest a ram upgrade to 8 GB.

Do keep in mind that these will just be a few remedies but in general I have found this processor to woefully inadequate,frustrating and I eventually just upgraded to a more powerful machine.

Out of frustration, I did fling my machine on the table and it did cost me a display and battery. Not a good idea.

Last edited by Pratyush2407 : 21st May 2020 at 18:09.
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Old 21st May 2020, 19:11   #5550
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Re: The Laptop Thread: Configs, deals & questions

From some one who has worked with both the processor companies and still working in one.
You can choose a decent processor from either of these companies. Does not matter much.


But never ever buy Win 10 laptops with less than 8GB memory or with out SSD. They are good for nothing not even browsing. These are the choke points of most of the systems. Just 5 chrome windows can make your system hang.

Quote:
Trend Micro Maximum Security anti virus is installed
Did you try disabling this antivirus? In one of my office PC I faced huge problem with this antivirus gobbling up huge amount of processing power and memory.

Last edited by poloman : 21st May 2020 at 19:13.
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