Team BKool CycleChat

[gbrown]

http://www.ebuyer.com/726168-acer-aspire-e5-573g-laptop-nx-mvmek-011

is this any good Geoff?

I like Acer laptops and that looks good for the money, especially this bit

• NVIDIA GeForce 920M 2GB

Not the fastest graphics chip in the world (a 920 is bang up to date but pretty much bottom of the range and the M is the mobile version, hence lower power use, etc.) but should be better than integrated graphics.

The CPU is 4th gen haswell so not as fast as the very latest. To be fair, there are very few 5th gen around (Intel had problems) and 6th is not that old, so 4th gen is still fairly common, and if using the NVIDIA graphics and running on mains, the main advantages of the later CPU's are redundant.

4GB is enough for Windows 10, but 8GB is preferred. If you are only running Bkool then 4GB should be enough. You can always upgrade later, memory is cheap. It says it is 1x4GB so if it has 2 slots you may be able to just add 4GB.

I would fit a Solid State Disk to any computer that doesn't come with one, as they make a HUGE difference and are not that expensive if you can live within 250GB, but for bkool the hard drive will be fine, as once it is running I don't suppose it needs to do much disk I/O. Certainly runs fine on my old second hand desktop with a normal hard drive, I just stuck in a whizzy graphics card I had spare.

Geoff

P.S. This one is much better, but £200 more http://www.ebuyer.com/726353-hp-pavilion-15-ab226na-laptop-t1k61ea-abu

 

[Add]

Sorry had to start a new session, had some IT gremlins.

 

[Add]

You found me again Bobinski, well done.

 

[Soarerv8]

Woah not that important to anyone else, but wow do my gloves left in the garage for a few days smell awful

 

[Soarerv8]

Hey where the dickens have the downhill bits gone from this course? What evil monster picked this?

 

[gbrown]

Why does no-one else turn off the bloody awful Real Weather ... I hate watching rides in the dark...

 

[Insomina]

Woah not that important to anyone else, but wow do my gloves left in the garage for a few days smell awful

And I thought it was only me.

 

[Insomina]

A laptop is not the best thing for graphics, a desktop is better, especially with a proper graphics card rather than graphics integrated into the CPU, as laptop components have power, size and heat restrictions that don't apply to desktops, and so tend to be less capable.

Having said that, mobile chip-sets have focused on improving graphics performances for the last several years, and a modern laptop will be much better than one just 3 years old. One with a dedicated graphics chip from Nvidia or AMD will tend to give the best graphics performance (I prefer Nvidia drivers), but the very latest Intel integrated graphics are getting there.

The first character of the Intel chip code gives the generation, so i5-6xxx is 6th generation (Skylake), 5xxx is 5th (Broadwell), etc..

The latest Skylake CPUs (6xxx) claim integrated graphics twice as fast as the previous Broadwell (5xxx), which was faster than Haswell (4xxx), Ivybridge (3xxx), sandybridge (2xxx). If it only has 3 digits it is first generation (Nehalem), e.g. i5-750. There was roughly a year (or slightly more) between each generation.

If you are buying a new laptop and can't afford a dedicated graphics chip-set, it is worth looking for one with a Skylake CPU (i3-6xxx, i5-6xxx or i7-6xxx) if you can, as the graphics performance (and battery life) should be much better than an older chip, and at very little extra cost. I would avoid anything with a lower CPU, say a Pentium or (spit) Celeron, and I don't know much about AMD processors.

Anything with a dedicated graphics chip from the last several years should be more than capable of running bkool sim.

Geoff

Jesus - I struggle buying a razor.

#but have saved this for my next purchase

 

[AAAC 76C]

There is a leading space which is breaking the link, try this http://www.sigmasport.co.uk/item/Specialized/Turbo-Electric-Bike-2015/4PA5

This one is a bit cheaper and has drop handlebars. http://www.giant-bicycles.com/en-gb/bikes/model/road.e.1/24987/90635/#specifications

Do you think these cunningly disguised electric bike would escape the notice of the UCI?

 

[AAAC 76C]

Have you guys had that thing when you get overtaken going up a hill by a guy in non cycling gear who hardly seems to be trying? It's quite a relief when you realise he's on an electric bike... And quite demoralising if he isn't!

Happened to me a few years back and I was out of the saddle, his arches were on the pedals and his knees were sticking out and he had a cadence like he was riding a derny, most annoying!

 

[Roleur1]

Geoff..can you build me a pc tower for permanent usage in the garage for bkool. Spec as you said....I have 32 '' flatscreen tv which I could use as a monitor as I struggle to see the riders names on the screen.

Function over form type of thing...wolf in sheeps clothing...

Possible?

My existing laptop is fine for everything I need it for away from Bkool. I dont need another one really.

 

[Add]

That was bloody awful! What happened to 500W in the last 10 seconds Soarer? Were you sulking?

 

[Soarerv8]

Ow ow ow bits inside of me are hurting

 

[Soarerv8]

That was bloody awful! What happened to 500W in the last 10 seconds Soarer? Were you sulking?

I liked and then unliked this comment twice so I could show my disgust.

 

[Soarerv8]

I have felt that much pain since the birth of the little Soarerv8's