CPU vs GPU

Perles75 · 26 Feb 2021 at 17:23

Hello,

I've been looking for a new laptop and I'm finding myself wondering where it's better to spend money: a better CPU at the expense of a lower GPU or the opposite? (I'm aiming at a mid-level gaming laptop and I don't play heavily demanding games usually)

To make a practical example: better to favour a laptop with a Ryzen 7 and a 1660/2060 Geforce or one with an i7 10750 or 10870 with a 2060/3060 Geforce?

Sorry if it's a bit vague and thanks!

humanlaptop · 26 Feb 2021 at 17:29

Maybe post your budget, people on here can dig out a bargain

Perles75 · 26 Feb 2021 at 17:40

around 1100-1300 pounds, for example, I've seen several products with (i7 10750H + RTX 2060) or with (Ryzen 7 4800H + GTX 1660Ti) and I'm unsure of what's the best combination.

(yes, I know that's out of budget for the new RTX 3060, although I might do something crazy if I see some good option

, I was just wondering if it's worth pushing for the GPU so much)

humanlaptop · 26 Feb 2021 at 18:00

Well theres a few 3060 laptops due out at 999. Not sure on full specs, probably a lower watt card, but its in your range.

Perles75 · 26 Feb 2021 at 19:19

and would that be preferable, even if the CPU is a bit weaker than other possible choices?

Brazo · 27 Feb 2021 at 09:14

Perles75 said:
and would that be preferable, even if the CPU is a bit weaker than other possible choices?

It depends what your priorities are, I’ve just bought a laptop with a Ryzen 4800 and a 1660ti for more money than the £999 3060 models but there is a world of difference in quality between these models and I wouldn’t be interested in the cheap 3060 models.

A laptop is different from buying a desktop pc in that every single component has to fit your criteria as they can’t be swapped out. Even the quality of the keyboard and touch pad could sway you between models.

Jimbo Mahoney · 27 Feb 2021 at 13:40

I always prioritise GPU over CPU for gaming.

Laptop gamer + 2560 x 1080 monitor.

ExoMale · 1 Mar 2021 at 13:52

depends on how often you will put the gaming aspect to use. a laptop with a dedicated gpu of gaming performance needs to be plugged in all the time however if you dont want to be doing that then you are best off with a ryzen more so if its a R7 as with all APU's the integrated graphics are better than intel and with the R7 you will have some better gaming than with an R5 for example, but still wouldnt be able to do any too demanding gaming.

Perles75 · 1 Mar 2021 at 14:16

thanks for the answers everyone . I like the idea of the Ryzen 7 because, even though I don't use my laptop for much more than internet and gaming, as it sounds more flexible to deal with eventual multiple stuff opened, and it's not like I do any of those first person shooters (although Cyberpunk 2077 would be nice to see) or I need to have everything at ultra resolution.
I was just wondering about the longevity of the system.

Psycho Sonny · 1 Mar 2021 at 15:01

GPU should be priority.

You don't need 8 cores for multitasking.

A 4-6 core is enough with 16GB of ram for most normal users.

GPU However is the most important factor when gaming and depending on that how long your laptop will last for in terms of future proofing.

It's not as if a crap cpu will be paired with a decent gpu anyway in a laptop. It's still going to be plenty powerful

ExoMale · 3 Mar 2021 at 17:06

My basket at Overclockers UK:

1 x ASUS TUF Gaming A15 FA506IU NVIDIA GTX 1660 Ti, 8GB, 15.6" 144Hz, Ryzen R5-4600H Gaming Laptop= £949.99
1 x HP Pavillion 15-ec1009na NVIDIA GTX 1660 Ti, 16GB, 15.6" FHD, AMD Ryzen 7 4800H Gaming Laptop= £949.99
1 x ASUS TUF DASH F15 FX516PM NVIDIA RTX 3060, 8GB, 15.6" 144Hz, Intel i7-11370H Gaming Laptop= £999.95

Total: £2,910.43 (includes shipping: £10.50)

Brazo · 3 Mar 2021 at 17:35

ExoMale said:
My basket at Overclockers UK:

1 x ASUS TUF Gaming A15 FA506IU NVIDIA GTX 1660 Ti, 8GB, 15.6" 144Hz, Ryzen R5-4600H Gaming Laptop= £949.99

1 x HP Pavillion 15-ec1009na NVIDIA GTX 1660 Ti, 16GB, 15.6" FHD, AMD Ryzen 7 4800H Gaming Laptop= £949.99

1 x ASUS TUF DASH F15 FX516PM NVIDIA RTX 3060, 8GB, 15.6" 144Hz, Intel i7-11370H Gaming Laptop= £999.95

Total: £2,910.43 (includes shipping: £10.50)

I wouldn’t buy 3 similar laptops tbh...

Of those I’d go for the Asus tuf with the 3060 and the Intel. For the same money I just bought an Asus G14 with the R7 4800H and the 1660ti, build quality and the smaller form factor were my major requirements though and a 16 thread (lol) cpu in a laptop was just a bonus.