New Laptop For Online Poker Recommendations

[Drew1]

Hey guys i have an i7 sager np2740 quad core laptop that went bad and can't get it repaired according to the repairshop. I was recommended to get a quad core laptop a while back since i 20 table and use holdem manager 2 and tableoptimizer etc. There is no lag if i don't use hem obviously. I think if hud is turned off, then not much lag but most people here use hem2 and hud of course and along with tableoptimizer or tableninja and apparently programs like notecaddy which i read uses lot of resources as well.



I have to get a new laptop asap. I want to stay away from any sager or anything like that. Also is it bad idea to avoid a quad core laptop? Thing is i always connect it to external monitor and don't play on the laptop. Laptop sager is 14.1 and i preferred smaller laptop. I do not like 15 inch laptop as they are bigger. Though the laptop stays on the desk and i rarely bring it outside. But i just prefer 14.1 laptop. I rather have a 13.3 laptop as oppose to a 15 inch laptop even though i don't bring it to places and because its almost always connected to external monitor. And battery wears out fast on the quad core.



What percentage of you people who heavily multitable with hem2 and other programs even use a quad core? I mean if you use a desktop, well im sure many of you do. But for someone who uses a laptop, i assume very few people use a quad core laptop? They really aren't that many of these laptops.



I want a new laptop where it doesn't have much issues. My laptop turned off on me and can no longer turn on... i want to stay away from sager or those types of laptops. Right now im thinking get an i5 or possibly i7 non quad core laptop and have ssd as i usually do and either 8gb of ram minimum as i always do or even 12gb. Is that enough? Would anyone here suggest getting a macbook air or macbook pro as those laptops i hear rarely have issues? But i would have to use bootcamp i heard. I don't really mind this. I just don't want computer issues where it needs repairing or problems arising and i hear macbooks are great computers. However, i want to get a 13.3 one as oppose to a 15.4 one if i can't get a 14.1.



Here are the laptops im looking at. can someone here give me thoughts?



1. Asus. This looks pretty nice but it might be a bit slow?
https://www.amazon.com/ZenBook-UX305UA-13-3-Inch-Generation-Titanium/dp/B01BMERZJ6/ref=sr_1_1?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1474733397&sr=1-1&keywords=asus+zenbook



2. Asus very similar as 1st one
https://www.amazon.com/ZenBook-UX303UA-13-3-Inch-Touchscreen-Windows/dp/B014VHW24Y/ref=sr_1_3?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1474733397&sr=1-3&keywords=asus+zenbook



3. Same as 2nd Asus but its i7 processor and 512gb ssd. I assume the ssd isn't big deal since you could just buy the 512gb sdd yourself? Thus its really the processor and screen? Big price increase from the 2nd and i heard i5 and i7 doesn't mean that much since its not quad core?
https://www.amazon.com/ZenBook-UX303UB-13-3-Inch-Touchscreen-Discrete/dp/B014VHVZFQ/ref=sr_1_2?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1474733397&sr=1-2&keywords=asus+zenbook



4. asus laptop 15 inch. Looks plain but good reviews. But bit bigger than i like.
https://www.amazon.com/Asus-Flagship-Premium-Ultra-i7-5500U/dp/B01ESJ48UG/ref=sr_1_5?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1474733397&sr=1-5&keywords=asus+zenbook



5. asus laptop 15 inch. Looks plain and good reviews but bit bigger size.
https://www.amazon.com/F556UA-AS54-15-6-inch-Full-HD-Laptop-Windows/dp/B01CGGOUJM/ref=sr_1_7?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1474733397&sr=1-7&keywords=asus+zenbook



6. macbook pro 13.3. Is the processor still decent? I don't want the 15.4 because its a bit bigger than i like. Also isn't it true with hard drive, theres no point of upgrading with apple since everyone just buys a separate ssd? Thus upgrading from 128gb to 256gb when hard drive is 7200 rpm is useless? I think getting this and putting a 250gb or 512gb ssd would be good enough? The ram is 8gb and i believe that is the max ram allowed?


MacBook*Pro with Retina display - Technical Specifications - Apple (http://www.apple.com/macbook-pro/specs-retina/)



7. macbook air

This laptop looks like its for someone that uses it for entertainment. So avoid this? Curious if anyone here uses this for heavy multitabling. Processor seems slower than a macbook pro. I would get the 13.3 as oppose to 11.6 as that is way too small even though i use with external monitor.

MacBook Air - Technical Specifications - Apple (http://www.apple.com/macbook-air/specs.html)



I read zenbook is like a macbook except its much cheaper which is good. But the thing is i hear many of these laptops have issues on the reviews. I don't want any issues or lessen issues with it etc. So im sort of leaning with macbook pro... if not one of those zenbooks. But if choosing either macbook pro or that more expensive zenbook, the macbook is a clear choice right? I will be using bootcamp which i heard is necessary to use windows on a mac. I hear people mention no point in buying a macbook for online poker but i want to make sure my laptop don't have issues. So i kind of want to stay away from other brands. I also have an old asus laptop bought many years ago that has many issues which is why i got a new sager. And also because the asus was too slow. Can someone here have recommendations based on this? Thanks.

[Drew1]

I like to also add, if i get a macbook pro, i read bootcamp is free. But i still need a copy of windows. I have 2 laptops that i have windows on. Both are windows 7. One of the laptops went bad and the other one most likely as well. Could i use the windows key from either of these 2 laptops on it so i don't have a to buy a new windows?

[udbrky]

You want a quadcore.

You can use the code for Windows, but you have to have that exact version's installation disk to install and register it.

We have some recommendations here for computer specs and settings - http://forums.holdemmanager.com/general-support/494402-hm2-performance-tips.html

I have an MSI that I have really liked. They seem to make really solid computers.

Don't pay for more RAM and SSD, they usually cost more than upgrading on your own would, and are usually really easy to install. Check your model to see if it's easy to do on your own.

[Drew1]

Hi there. Are you telling me that none of those asus zenbooks would be able to 20 table with hem2 and tableoptimizer with chrome tabs on? I spoke to one person on a forum who said he has an asus 15.4 and specs are pretty much the same as the zenbooks i posted with i5 processor and 8gb ram. He mentioned he does up to 15 tables and could load chrome but that not good as his i7 desktop... which obviously would be very fast since thats not only a quad core but a desktop.


Would this dell i5 6300HQ be fine then?


https://www.amazon.com/Dell-15-6-Inch-Quad-Core-i5-6300HQ-Processor/dp/B015PYYDMQ/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1474903643&sr=8-1&keywords=dell+i5+quad+core+laptop



There just aren't any quad core laptops out there unless you want to get like sager or msi. I don't like the look of msi computers as they look like gaming computers. The sager np2740 looks very nice and is 14.1 and i7 quad core which i bought because of it but now it doesn't work anymore.


The thing is, is there anyone here you know of on the forums that say they could 20 table with hem2 and tableninja/tableoptimizer without any issue with just an i5-6200 u? I just can't imagine everyone who 20 tables has a quad core laptop. Desktop is much different since desktops are easy... you just buy the quad core processor and because the computer stays at home. Laptop you have to move it around etc.


As for the ram and ssd... yes i do know you buy it separately and install it yourself and it cost much less.

[Drew1]

Okay another question. Let say you use hem2 and tableoptimizer. But let say you do not play more than 12 tables max. Or say 8 tables max. And you have chrome tabs of course and youtube. Would you say an i5-6200u would be sufficient for that? I mean if you play say 4 or 6 tables max with hem2 and tableoptimizer, i assume you certainly don't need a quad core for that? The thing is its always connected to an external monitor and i don't play on the laptop screen. Does that mean anything or thats the same thing?


Someone on another forum tells me he has an asus305x which specs are exactly like the first 2 zenbooks i posted. He tells me he plays 4 tables on bovada without any issue. And isn't 4 tables on bovada like 10 tables on stars? However, i dont believe you can use hem2 on bovada though.

[Ishikawa]

two cores, four cores... It more important for NoteCaddy (NC) that for HM. For HM it make sense only if you set specific HUD filters for tourneys: players on table filter+ stack in BB. HM should recalculate all stats few times when u using this combination of filters and then u can get some lags in HUD.

So if you don`t have NC lic then Intel CPU with 2 cores should be fine but if u using NC then u could have huge lags even on 4 cores CPU. You should know how to configure NC properly to get +EV with your 4 cores CPU.

about Bovada vs PokerStars: HM2 doesn`t support Bovada officially. So you should use converter to import Bovada hands in the base and conversion process could slow down the PC.

[Drew1]

Hi, I don't use Notecaddy. I only use Holdem manager 2, tableoptimizer and thats all. And of course have chrome tabs and youtube a bit. So would this laptop be fine the asus one thats i5-6200u and 8gb ram and 256gb ssd? I also was told it has no fan. Would that play a big part? I think 8 tabling or 12 tabling won't be any issue with this. But if 20 tabling... that is when im wondering if there would be any issues.


Also is there a FAQ where you list the top 5 or top 10 laptops that would work with holdem manager? Im surprised there isn't anything like this. I know fozzy mentioned any quad core but this would be mostly sager or msi laptops as there are very few dell or asus with this.


Do you have any opinion on the Dell xps 15 that uses the i5-HQ6300 processor? Since this is quad core, this would be good enough?

[Drew1]

okay i bought a dell xps with i5 hq6300 quad core laptop online and have few questions. it comes with a 1tb 5400 rpm hard drive and a 32gb ssd. I currently have 2 250gb samsung pro ssds. one is from my sager np2740 that no longer works. The other is from an old asus i3 laptop that just went bad. I have both ssds.


My issue is the sager laptop ssd, well thats the ssd that has all my information and i did not back most of the things up on my laptop. The repair shop did back files to my external hard drive but it was only my documents, music etc. I do not have my holdem manager 2 backed up there and neither do my tableoptimizer settings and other things as well.


My other ssd... it was on an old asus and not wiped clean but very few information there. However when i got this ssd back in 2013 i believe, i always did disk fragmentation a lot and had no idea you not suppose to do this with an ssd as it could damage it. Is it risky putting this samsung pro ssd in the new dell xps quad core laptop? The thing is my asus laptop went bad but most likely its the mother board issue as 2 repair shops told me this. One repair shop told me my ssd in the laptop should be fine as he just looked at it... didnt test it but look at it. How reliable is this?


I will 100 percent have an ssd on the new dell xps 15 quad core laptop. So when i get the laptop, do you suggest i swap hard drives immediately before i power up the laptop for installation? But if i dont and just install it like it is with the slower hard drive and the 32gb ssd... thats already there... then when i swap hard drive, i dont need to install windows again right? Its windows 10 on the new laptop but my ssds both use windows 7. Im not computer savy so not sure about this whole process.


So if i put my sager ssd in this laptop, wouldn't that mean i basically will be using my same sager laptop on this dell xps except now its a dell? Thus my HEM2 would be just like in my sager? Do you suggest me purchasing a new SSD? I already have 2 SSDs. Both of these have no use at the moment if i were to transfer everything into an external hard drive. However, how do i wipe out the ssd so i can use it brand new? I read online i have to buy one of those $10 usb enclosure cases to do this? Then once i do this, then i have brand new ssd to put in new laptop so i dont have to spend money on a new SSD?


Im thinking once get new laptop, put a SSD and use one of the old ones but make sure its wiped? But first put the sager ssd into an enclosure case and transfer everything into my external hard drive first. Then when putting my other ssd into it, then i could possibly back up my holdem manager 2 files on the new one? I have a lot of files on my holdem manager 2 as i believe i used it for over 2 years and never did any cleaning whatsoever. So best to just start brand new?


Sorry for so many questions here.

[udbrky]

We don't make FAQs that will require a lot of frequent updates, and there are too many laptops that come out in a year.

We're not experts in hardware. Some of us have done research. Ishikawa does a lot of research into Windows and various other computer related trends, so I asked him to give his advice. There are websites out there (Tom's Hardware is one of my favorites) that rank and review hardware regularly. They will show you groups of hardware that are similar and tier them. It is very helpful in deciding what is the best you can buy for a price range and making decisions as to what you will put more $ into, and what you can be willing to compromise on.

I am not familiar with Sager. Did they wipe out the old SSD? If not, you can hook it up using something like this - Vantec NexStar 2.5"/3.5" SATA to SuperSpeed USB 3.0 Hard Drive Dock NST-D300S3 - Micro Center (http://www.microcenter.com/product/328349/NexStar_25-35_SATA_to_SuperSpeed_USB_30_Hard_Drive_Dock) - which will allow you to hook up a drive you no longer use and get info from it.

You can transfer the data.

It will not always work to just plug in a main drive into another, as you will need drivers and there can be issues with incompatible software from different graphics cards on the old one.

If you can pull the data:

Please see this FAQ to transfer/backup data - Hold'Em Manager 2 FAQs - Poker Software :: What Files Should I Backup to Protect my Holdem Manager? (http://hm2faq.holdemmanager.com/questions/2151/What+Files+Should+I+Backup+to+Protect+my+Holdem+Ma nager%3F)

This will ensure that you have your hand histories and HUD saved to import into a new computer, and as a backup to restore in case of an emergency. I recommend you do this at least once a month and keep the last 2 or 3 most recent backups (and your \HM2Archive folder) stored on an external drive and/or cloud storage site like dropbox or google drive.

[udbrky]

Also, be careful with cheaper SATA - USB devices, as the cheaper ones may not power the more powerful/faster SSD's. I had issues with an older cable w/ plugin that would not power on a disk.

I also saw on Microcenter's website that the 250GB Samsung 750 is $80. That is a really great price. I know I paid $150+ for my 1st 128GB cheap SSD a few years ago. I have 2 Samsung SSD's and don't feel like the differences in performance I'd get from the Intels are worth the price to pay. Microcenter runs pretty similar in most things to Newegg and Amazon, so they probably have them for similar prices.

[Drew1]

Hey there. No they did not wipe my sager ssd. I bought something similar to what you posted and it arrived and i will use it. However i like to know what do you think about this. Should i just connect this enclosure with my samsung ssd to my desktop? Just to see the files first etc? I had planned to transfer any files in this to my desktop... then to my external hard drive. Then i would transfer it to the new laptop. Or is that absolutely pointless and go straight from this to my new laptop? The only reason why i would do what i suggest would be if i want to put my entire HEM 2 database into the new laptop right? But if i wanted to, could i just transfer the HEM2 database using the enclosure straight to my new computer?

[Drew1]

Also, be careful with cheaper SATA - USB devices, as the cheaper ones may not power the more powerful/faster SSD's. I had issues with an older cable w/ plugin that would not power on a disk.

I also saw on Microcenter's website that the 250GB Samsung 750 is $80. That is a really great price. I know I paid $150+ for my 1st 128GB cheap SSD a few years ago. I have 2 Samsung SSD's and don't feel like the differences in performance I'd get from the Intels are worth the price to pay. Microcenter runs pretty similar in most things to Newegg and Amazon, so they probably have them for similar prices.


I have the samsung 840 evo thats 250gb. This is the one i plan to put into my new dell xps laptop. The other ssd is a samsung pro 840 thats 250gb. Its pretty much empty. However, i dont want to put this in because this was in my old asus laptop and i defraggmented this ssd many times and had no clue you weren't suppose to defrag it. So best to use the samsung 840 evo thats with my sager right?

[kitkat16]

I believe a quad core CPU is only good if software is designed to use multiple cores.

Is there a recommendation by HEM staff for any particular processor or amount of ram?

Seems to me an i5 would do the job as long as there's 8-16gb of ram. An SSD would be the cherry on top.

Would a quad core really make a difference with HEM 2? Was it designed to utilize the extra cores?

[udbrky]

Hey there. No they did not wipe my sager ssd. I bought something similar to what you posted and it arrived and i will use it. However i like to know what do you think about this. Should i just connect this enclosure with my samsung ssd to my desktop? Just to see the files first etc? I had planned to transfer any files in this to my desktop... then to my external hard drive. Then i would transfer it to the new laptop. Or is that absolutely pointless and go straight from this to my new laptop? The only reason why i would do what i suggest would be if i want to put my entire HEM 2 database into the new laptop right? But if i wanted to, could i just transfer the HEM2 database using the enclosure straight to my new computer?

Please see this FAQ to transfer/backup data - Hold'Em Manager 2 FAQs - Poker Software :: What Files Should I Backup to Protect my Holdem Manager? (http://hm2faq.holdemmanager.com/questions/2151/What+Files+Should+I+Backup+to+Protect+my+Holdem+Ma nager%3F)

This will ensure that you have your hand histories and HUD saved to import into a new computer, and as a backup to restore in case of an emergency. I recommend you do this at least once a month and keep the last 2 or 3 most recent backups (and your \HM2Archive folder) stored on an external drive and/or cloud storage site like dropbox or google drive.

You would need to follow this exactly to move files:

Please see this FAQ to move your database to another drive. Please note this is an advanced article and we do not provide support for this method if you encounter issues but at the request of users we decided to make a FAQ for those who felt confident enough to try this method.

Hold'Em Manager 2 FAQs - Poker Software :: Move Database to Another Hard Drive or Partition (http://hm2faq.holdemmanager.com/questions/1172/Move+Database+to+Another+Hard+Drive+or+Partition)

[udbrky]

I have the samsung 840 evo thats 250gb. This is the one i plan to put into my new dell xps laptop. The other ssd is a samsung pro 840 thats 250gb. Its pretty much empty. However, i dont want to put this in because this was in my old asus laptop and i defraggmented this ssd many times and had no clue you weren't suppose to defrag it. So best to use the samsung 840 evo thats with my sager right?

I would use the Samsung, yes.

[udbrky]

I believe a quad core CPU is only good if software is designed to use multiple cores.

Is there a recommendation by HEM staff for any particular processor or amount of ram?

Seems to me an i5 would do the job as long as there's 8-16gb of ram. An SSD would be the cherry on top.

Would a quad core really make a difference with HEM 2? Was it designed to utilize the extra cores?

Note Caddy does not recommend an i5. It will use more cores.