Ryzen 7 3700U laptop for cheap or wait for a Ryzen 4500U/4700U to drop in prices?

[JEDI]

i'm currently using an old 12.1" Intel Broadwell 4th gen chip, 1366x768 resolution.
(Intel's 10th gen chip is now out to give perspective.)

it's for travel and i only use it for surfing the web, movies, and word/excel.
the Broadwell chip is fine for that.
but i hate the resolution and am looking for 1080p.

i saw this:
14" 1080p IPS touchscreen
AMD Ryzen 7 3700U Processor (Quad Core, Up to 4.00GHz, 6MB Cache, 15W)
Windows 10 Home
512GB PCIe M.2 NVMe Solid State Drive
8GB (1x8GB) 2666MHz DDR4 Non-ECC
AMD Radeon Vega10
$510 + tax

but i heard the ryzen 4x00U chips are much better than the ryzen 3x00U chips, especially in video.

Pull the trigger, or Wait for a cheap ryzen 4x00U?
heck, or wait for any cheap (ie: $399) 13" or 14" quad core 1080p IPS touchscreen laptop?


edit:
benchmark 3700u (4cores) vs 4500u (6cores):

AMD Ryzen 5 4500U vs AMD Ryzen 7 3700U Benchmark, comparison and differences

Benchmark, test, review, comparison and differences between these CPUs in Cinebench 23 and Geekbench 5

www.cpu-monkey.com

 

[fralexandr]

there are already some cheap 4500u laptops

Lenovo IdeaPad 3 15.6" Laptop: Ryzen 5 4500U, 8GB DDR4, 1TB HDD, Vega 6, Type C $430 + Free Shipping

Office Depot & OfficeMax has Lenovo IdeaPad 3 15.6" Laptop on sale starting from $429.99. Shipping is free. Thanks delz4stelz Note, Available for future delivery Available models:Le ...

slickdeals.net

 

[JEDI]

there are already some cheap 4500u laptops

Lenovo IdeaPad 3 15.6" Laptop: Ryzen 5 4500U, 8GB DDR4, 1TB HDD, Vega 6, Type C $430 + Free Shipping

Office Depot & OfficeMax has Lenovo IdeaPad 3 15.6" Laptop on sale starting from $429.99. Shipping is free. Thanks delz4stelz Note, Available for future delivery Available models:Le ...

slickdeals.net

thx.
i saw that and would have bought it but i wanted 13" or 14" size for travel.
i bought my mom a 15.6" laptop 2 months and it's huge compared to my 12.1"

 

[piokos]

I've been using a Thinkpad T495 with 3500U for 2 months. It may have 2019-ish benchmark results, but the actual experience is more like from a 6th gen Intel. Not very responsive overall, weirdly long booting and going to sleep. It also feels just badly optimized for mobile workloads, boosting in surprising moments. I have no idea what it's doing, but some tasks I know just last longer that I expect.
And everything negative I've heard about Ryzen battery life was spot on. It's much farther from the "up to 12h" than I got used to on Intel.

So the way I see it: absolutely forget about Zen+ and - if you feel mesmerized by the number of cores or 7N efficiency - get Zen2.
But you'll have to wait a bit longer for decent choice of small notebooks, because whatever supply AMD offers right now is used up for larger models (mostly gaming).

Or just go with Intel. The choice is very large. They're easy to get.
You may be able to find some nice discounts right now - probably inventory cleaning with Tiger Lake lurking around the corner.

 

[JEDI]

I've been using a Thinkpad $95 with 3500U for 2 months.

It may have 2019-ish benchmark results, but the actual experience is more like from a 6th gen Intel. Not very responsive overall, weirdly long booting and going to sleep. It also feels just badly optimized for mobile workloads, boosting in surprising moments. I have no idea what it's doing, but some tasks I know just last longer that I expect.
And everything negative I've heard about Ryzen battery life was spot on. It's much farther from the "up to 12h" than I got used to on Intel.

how did you get a 3500U thinkpad for $95?

and thx for the warning for 3500u processors

 

[JEDI]

Inspiron 14 7000 2-in-1 Laptop

• AMD Ryzen™ 5 4500U
• Windows 10 Home 64-bit English
• Intel® UHD Graphics with shared graphics memory
• 8 GB, 1 x 8 GB, DDR4, 2666 MHz
• 256GB M.2 PCIe NVMe Solid State Drive
• 1920x1080 ips backlit touch

$463 (after coupon) + tax

coupon expires in July.
because of pandemic, i dont expect to be traveling till at least fall so i'll wait and hope they add a 512gig ssd option next month.


edit:
That Ryzen 7 3700U laptop in my OP is on sale for $445.
no idea when the sale ends.
buy it instead of the 4500U?

edit2:
fixed link

 

[piokos]

Inspiron 14 7000 Laptop (New)

• AMD Ryzen™ 5 4500U
• Windows 10 Home 64-bit English
• Intel® UHD Graphics with shared graphics memory
• 8 GB, 1 x 8 GB, DDR4, 2666 MHz
• 256GB M.2 PCIe NVMe Solid State Drive
• 1920x1080 ips backlit touch

$463 (after coupon) + tax

coupon expires in July.
because of pandemic, i dont expect to be traveling till at least fall so i'll wait and hope they add a 512gig ssd option next month.

Wrong link.
You mean this one?

Computers, Monitors & Technology Solutions | Dell USA

Dell provides technology solutions, services & support. Buy Laptops, Touch Screen PCs, Desktops, Servers, Storage, Monitors, Gaming & Accessories

www.dell.com

How does one get a coupon that lowers a laptop price by 1/4?

Fine PC, average laptop:
- small battery (40Wh),
- quite heavy for a 14" in 2020 (>1.5kg),
- not the best screen (glossy, not very bright, not great colors).
Also:
- USB 3.2 Gen 1 (5Gbps),
- HDMI 1.4b

If you don't need a 2-in-1, that's quite a lot of compromises.

For reference: Inspiron 14 7000 (clamshell)

Computers, Monitors & Technology Solutions | Dell USA

Dell provides technology solutions, services & support. Buy Laptops, Touch Screen PCs, Desktops, Servers, Storage, Monitors, Gaming & Accessories

www.dell.com

- 52Wh,
- 1.1kg (1.2kg with touch screen),
- better screen,
- Thunderbolt 3,
- HDMI 2.0

 

[EliteRetard]

I'd wait for a 4000 series, based on current reviews it looks like they're just a far superior laptop chip.
Better performance and battery life at the same time, and more cores in the new R5 than the old R7-3000.

Looking at the H/HS reviews it looks like Intel is lower in performance and battery life with higher prices.
I haven't seen any good reviews for the U series yet, but looking at the lower end R5/i5 should offer a clue:

The R5 4600H vs i5-9300H and i5-10300H (same CPU, 10% higher boost)

Vs the higher tier i7-9750H and 10750H (again same CPU, higher boost on 10th gen)

And now the new low end R5 4600H vs AMDs previous best R7 3750H

Source: https://www.techspot.com/review/2027-amd-ryzen-4600h/

The R5 4600U has the same configuration and boost as the R5 4600H, but is configured with a lower TDP.
Considering how much lead the 4600H has, I expect the 4600U to actually compete well with the 10300H.

I still wish there were a 4600HG option for midrange laptops, a 45w fully configured IGP option with no DGPU.

 

[JEDI]

Wrong link.
You mean this one?

Computers, Monitors & Technology Solutions | Dell USA

Dell provides technology solutions, services & support. Buy Laptops, Touch Screen PCs, Desktops, Servers, Storage, Monitors, Gaming & Accessories

www.dell.com

How does one get a coupon that lowers a laptop price by 1/4?

Fine PC, average laptop:
- small battery (40Wh),
- quite heavy for a 14" in 2020 (>1.5kg),
- not the best screen (glossy, not very bright, not great colors).
Also:
- USB 3.2 Gen 1 (5Gbps),
- HDMI 1.4b

If you don't need a 2-in-1, that's quite a lot of compromises.

For reference: Inspiron 14 7000 (clamshell)

Computers, Monitors & Technology Solutions | Dell USA

Dell provides technology solutions, services & support. Buy Laptops, Touch Screen PCs, Desktops, Servers, Storage, Monitors, Gaming & Accessories

www.dell.com

- 52Wh,
- 1.1kg (1.2kg with touch screen),
- better screen,
- Thunderbolt 3,
- HDMI 2.0

thx. fixed link.

yes, that one.
your non-2in1 laptop doesnt have touch and it's more expensive.

coupons: 15% off from snail mail (unique code) + $120 off 600 at dell from amex. (does not work for refurbs)

 

[piokos]

yes, that one.
your non-2in1 laptop doesnt have touch and it's more expensive.

It's more expensive because it's a much better package - almost what you'd expect in premium lineup.

I didn't think about the touch screen, sorry.
This kind of configuration isn't available via dell website (only with 512GB SSD and surprisingly expensive), but most likely can be set in a custom order (even for a single item).
But you'd probably have to wait a bit longer and those discounts may not apply.

Generally speaking, Dell changed their policy lately and customization options on their website are very limited - they try to sell the few chosen configurations (much lower costs, obviously).
Even some retail stores offer more variants.

 

[JEDI]

now the 16gig ram version of the AMD Ryzen 7 3700U in my OP is now $454 (after coupons) +tax.

What's better?
Ryzen 7 3700U 16gig ram
or
Ryzen 5 4500U 8gigs ram

 

[JustMe21]

There's the Flex 5 2-in-1 w 16 GB RAM and Ryzen 5 4500u for $599. Battery is 52 Wh, so better than Dell's 40 Wh.

https://www.amazon.com/Lenovo-Processor-Graphics-81X20005US-Graphite/dp/B086226DDB/ref=sr_1_3?dchild=1&keywords=ryzen+5+4500u&qid=1591724758&sr=8-3

A Ryzen 7 3700u might give you 4 hours of battery life, while the Ryzen 5 4500u will be faster overall and have better battery life.

 

[EliteRetard]

How easy is it to upgrade the 4500u/8GB?

4th gen is like 15-20% faster clock for clock, has more cores, and uses less power.

I'm still voting for the 4500u even if 8GB can be limiting for web browsing (chrome).

 

[VirtualLarry]

How easy is it to upgrade the 4500u/8GB?

4th gen is like 15-20% faster clock for clock, has more cores, and uses less power.

I'm still voting for the 4500u even if 8GB can be limiting for web browsing (chrome).

Yes, it's often much easier (*even if you have to remove the motherboard entirely) to upgrade the RAM in a laptop, versus upgrading the CPU (especially if they are different platforms, even if they share a compatible socket, as the older laptop may not get the "platform engineering" that went into the entire system, to support the new CPU / platform).

I know, 8GB of RAM kind of sucks, but at least you can probably upgrade it. (I don't think that they solder 8GB sized RAM amounts yet?) But if you bought the 3700U laptop, you would mostly be stuck with the CPU, I think, and the lesser battery life from the 3000-series Mobile Ryzens. The 4000-series Mobile Ryzens are in a class by themselves, being 7nm APUs.

 

[JEDI]

I know, 8GB of RAM kind of sucks, but at least you can probably upgrade it. (I don't think that they solder 8GB sized RAM amounts yet?)
But if you bought the 3700U laptop, you would mostly be stuck with the CPU, I think, and the lesser battery life from the 3000-series Mobile Ryzens.
The 4000-series Mobile Ryzens are in a class by themselves, being 7nm APUs.

well since i only use the laptop for surfing the web, movies, and word/excel, then the only thing that's worth noting is the longer battery life.

i'm just tired of the 1366x768 resolution on my old laptop and i liked the touchscreen on the Dell laptop i bought for my mom.

i dont trust buying used laptops off ebay.
and i havent seen any bargains from dell outlet lately.

so a $454 Ryzen 7 3700U, 16gigs, 512gig ssd is best bang for the buck i've seen lately.
However, i dont expect to be traveling for at least 4 months because pandemic.

so take the risk and wait for a sale on the RyZen 5 4500U (and hopefully new set of coupons) in the 3rd quarter?

 

[JustMe21]

Yes, it's often much easier (*even if you have to remove the motherboard entirely) to upgrade the RAM in a laptop, versus upgrading the CPU (especially if they are different platforms, even if they share a compatible socket, as the older laptop may not get the "platform engineering" that went into the entire system, to support the new CPU / platform).

I know, 8GB of RAM kind of sucks, but at least you can probably upgrade it. (I don't think that they solder 8GB sized RAM amounts yet?) But if you bought the 3700U laptop, you would mostly be stuck with the CPU, I think, and the lesser battery life from the 3000-series Mobile Ryzens. The 4000-series Mobile Ryzens are in a class by themselves, being 7nm APUs.

Actually, a lot of laptops, especially 2-in-1s come with soldered in RAM. The Lenovo Flex series is that way, but the Dell 2-in-1 is not. You even see higher end gaming laptops like the Asus Zephyrus series with soldered RAM and a single socket.

They cheapest Ryzen 4000 series laptop I came across is the Lenovo Ideapad 3 for $429. Ryzen 5 4500u, 8 GM RAM, 1 TB Hard Drive

Site Maintenance

 

[thesmokingman]

i'm currently using an old 12.1" Intel Broadwell 4th gen chip, 1366x768 resolution.
(Intel's 10th gen chip is now out to give perspective.)

it's for travel and i only use it for surfing the web, movies, and word/excel.
the Broadwell chip is fine for that.
but i hate the resolution and am looking for 1080p.

i saw this:
14" 1080p IPS touchscreen
AMD Ryzen 7 3700U Processor (Quad Core, Up to 4.00GHz, 6MB Cache, 15W)
Windows 10 Home
512GB PCIe M.2 NVMe Solid State Drive
8GB (1x8GB) 2666MHz DDR4 Non-ECC
AMD Radeon Vega10
$510 + tax

but i heard the ryzen 4x00U chips are much better than the ryzen 3x00U chips, especially in video.

Pull the trigger, or Wait for a cheap ryzen 4x00U?
heck, or wait for any cheap (ie: $399) 13" or 14" quad core 1080p IPS touchscreen laptop?


edit:
benchmark 3700u (4cores) vs 4500u (6cores):

AMD Ryzen 5 4500U vs AMD Ryzen 7 3700U Benchmark, comparison and differences

Benchmark, test, review, comparison and differences between these CPUs in Cinebench 23 and Geekbench 5

www.cpu-monkey.com

Get the new stuff. The new cpus are the real deal. The FLEX14 is probably one of the best budget deals ever.

Amazon.com: Lenovo Flex 5 14" 2-in-1 Laptop, 14.0" FHD (1920 x 1080) Touch Display, AMD Ryzen 5 4500U Processor, 16GB DDR4, 256GB SSD, AMD Radeon Graphics, Digital Pen Included, Win 10, 81X20005US, Graphite Grey: Computers & Accessories

Amazon.com: Lenovo Flex 5 14" 2-in-1 Laptop, 14.0" FHD (1920 x 1080) Touch Display, AMD Ryzen 5 4500U Processor, 16GB DDR4, 256GB SSD, AMD Radeon Graphics, Digital Pen Included, Win 10, 81X20005US, Graphite Grey: Computers & Accessories

smile.amazon.com

 

[JustMe21]

Get the new stuff. The new cpus are the real deal. The FLEX14 is probably one of the best budget deals ever.

Amazon.com: Lenovo Flex 5 14" 2-in-1 Laptop, 14.0" FHD (1920 x 1080) Touch Display, AMD Ryzen 5 4500U Processor, 16GB DDR4, 256GB SSD, AMD Radeon Graphics, Digital Pen Included, Win 10, 81X20005US, Graphite Grey: Computers & Accessories

Amazon.com: Lenovo Flex 5 14" 2-in-1 Laptop, 14.0" FHD (1920 x 1080) Touch Display, AMD Ryzen 5 4500U Processor, 16GB DDR4, 256GB SSD, AMD Radeon Graphics, Digital Pen Included, Win 10, 81X20005US, Graphite Grey: Computers & Accessories

smile.amazon.com

The price on the Flex 14 seems nice, but to me, it fails as a 2-in-1 because with the speakers on the keyboard, when you use it as a tablet, the speakers are firing towards the back. Previous gen models has the speakers on the bottom of the keyboard, so when you folded it, it was firing from the back half forward. I don't quite understand why no 2-in-1 doesn't have speakers mounted in the display bezel so no matter the orientation, it's always front firing. Also, I have a Ryzen 2700u Flex 14 and it did have 2 memory sockets while the newest and Ryzen 3000 gen are soldered memory. Also, the memory is CL22, i believe.

 

[piokos]

I don't quite understand why no 2-in-1 doesn't have speakers mounted in the display bezel so no matter the orientation, it's always front firing.

Speakers, even the tiny ones, are fairly thick compared to modern panels. It's a fairly "3D" object (coil and everything).
That's why they're in the thicker half of the laptop.

You can always get a detachable 2-in-1 - naturally most (if not all) have speakers in the "tablet" part.

 

[thesmokingman]

The price on the Flex 14 seems nice, but to me, it fails as a 2-in-1 because with the speakers on the keyboard, when you use it as a tablet, the speakers are firing towards the back. Previous gen models has the speakers on the bottom of the keyboard, so when you folded it, it was firing from the back half forward. I don't quite understand why no 2-in-1 doesn't have speakers mounted in the display bezel so no matter the orientation, it's always front firing. Also, I have a Ryzen 2700u Flex 14 and it did have 2 memory sockets while the newest and Ryzen 3000 gen are soldered memory. Also, the memory is CL22, i believe.

Do you have a beef with the Flex14? You're just nitpicking. The ram on the 4500u is a lot faster than yours hell the whole thing is a generational leap forward. It's a 2n1, it is what it is. But the cpu/mem/m.2 make for an incredible bang for the buck combo.

 

[EliteRetard]

Here's a review of the 4500u

Far better than the old 3700u.
As I suspected, in benchmarks it hangs out with the Intel 45w 9300/10300H parts.

 

[JustMe21]

Do you have a beef with the Flex14? You're just nitpicking. The ram on the 4500u is a lot faster than yours hell the whole thing is a generational leap forward. It's a 2n1, it is what it is. But the cpu/mem/m.2 make for an incredible bang for the buck combo.

Of course, I nitpick as Lenovo could have refined and improved it but they regressed on it. Since the first generation, the screen has been lackluster, so trying to use it in tablet or laptop mode outside, it sucks compared to an actual tablet. The sound was already poor firing from the back to the front and now it fires out the back toward the rear. And losing the memory slots means you can't upgrade the RAM, even though they are roughly the same thickness, so if you accidentally buy an 8 GB model, you are stuck at 8 GB. Of course, any Ryzen 4000 series laptop is going to be better than any previous gen, but that doesn't mean you should be okay with it becoming more of a throwaway device. At this rate, we'll start getting some crappy SSD soldered on that has poor performance and no upgradability. If you're only going to use it for a laptop, it's probably better to go with the Lenovo Ideapad 5 as it has a brighter screen.

 

[JEDI]

Now a new twist. Both these Dell laptops are the same price (after coupons) @ $463 + tax:

1) 14" AMD Ryzen™ 5 4500U
8gig ram/256gig ssd

2) 14' Intel i5-1035G1
8gig ram/512gig ssd

i'm leaning towards the i5-1035G1 because of double the hard drive space.

what do you think?

 

[EliteRetard]

If a CPU/GPU combo were within ~10% performance, then it makes sense to compare the value of the rest of the package.

In the review above it seems the 4500u is as much as double the speed of an i5-10th gen.
Personally I'd put a lot more value on that over a replaceable item like an SSD.

Ideally I'd want to find a good AMD option that has everything I need.
Unfortunately it seems OEMs have some massive incentive to cripple AMD options.

 

[fralexandr]

Assuming everything else is equal, I personally would go with the ryzen 5 4500u for the faster cpu & lower power consumption/better battery life. I'd upgrade or add an SSD myself if i needed more space, though I don't need much storage space except for games (I wouldn't be gaming on an IGP anyway though), as most of my other media consumption is streamed.