Nova vs Vyper

mrlip

Gold Level Poster
Hi All

I am possibly looking into upgrading my gaming laptop and a couple of the PCS configurations caught me eye. I’m currently using a Asus ROG GL502VSK (7700HQ, 1070, 16GB Ram).

My main use for the laptop will be flight sims with the occasional AAA title and then regular Web browsing etc. Portability isn’t a factor as it will always be used at home with the odd bit gaming on the lap but primarily set up at a table

The decision I have is that I am quite keen on the 2070 Super but that obviously ties me to the Intel 10875H which I know is a great processor but some of the desktop AMD CPUs available in the Nova are obviously superior. I can get a regular 2070 in the Nova with the AMD CPUs or go for the Vyper and the Intel/Super combination.

So I just wanted to hear people’s thoughts on whether they would go for the stronger CPU or stronger GPU?
 

mrlip

Gold Level Poster
A bit more info, looks like on average in most benchmarks the 2070 Super has about 10% performance increase over the 2070. But comparing processors is tricky to find the info with the AMD CPU being desktop and mobile. So I am still unsure what would be the better combination -


AMD 3700X and the RTX2070

or

Intel 10875H and the RTX2070 Super
 

SpyderTracks

We love you Ukraine
A bit more info, looks like on average in most benchmarks the 2070 Super has about 10% performance increase over the 2070. But comparing processors is tricky to find the info with the AMD CPU being desktop and mobile. So I am still unsure what would be the better combination -


AMD 3700X and the RTX2070

or

Intel 10875H and the RTX2070 Super
The big difference of the Nova vs Vyper is that they're two completely different products, the Nova is a DTR (desktop replacement), the Vyper is a laptop. So the tradeoff with the Nova is basically zero battery life, and it's not very portable, it's designed to be used in one place, not carried around (although if you're fairly strapping, that's not really an issue).

Firstly, are you ok with sacrificing portability for the Nova?
 
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mrlip

Gold Level Poster
Thanks for the reply :)

Yeah I noted the difference in chassis and weight etc and read a 3rd party review on the Nova. Regarding portability, the laptop would only ever be used at home. For gaming use it would generally be setup at a table close to plug sockets and even when I occasionally game "on my lap" its right next to a plug socket. Currently, with my Asus ROG, I often browse and do general day to day stuff on battery but even that only has circa 2 hours battery life. And even so, again I am right next to a plug socket so if needed to be plugged in its not an issue.

Thanks
 

SpyderTracks

We love you Ukraine
Thanks for the reply :)

Yeah I noted the difference in chassis and weight etc and read a 3rd party review on the Nova. Regarding portability, the laptop would only ever be used at home. For gaming use it would generally be setup at a table close to plug sockets and even when I occasionally game "on my lap" its right next to a plug socket. Currently, with my Asus ROG, I often browse and do general day to day stuff on battery but even that only has circa 2 hours battery life. And even so, again I am right next to a plug socket so if needed to be plugged in its not an issue.

Thanks
That's perfect then, a lot of people don't realise the trade offs and get upset when they get the machine so it's important to highlight it.

In that case, I'd definitely recommend the Nova for your uses for a few reasons:

1/. You're right that the Super is around 10% performance improvement, but Flight Sims are also heavily CPU dependant so I think all in all, the CPU is just as important for your uses as the GPU, and balanced out, losing 10% on the GPU vs gaining about 30% on the CPU it's probably going to be better to go with the Nova.

2/. I'm guessing you're going to want to play FS2020 when it's out of Beta? If so, it's been heavily optimised for AMD because it's on both upcoming XBox and Playstation which are both AMD platforms, so they will have worked very closely with AMD to net the best performance.

3/. The Nova, being a DTR has a much much better cooling design.

4/. For general gaming, the difference between both systems is not going to be something that's noticeable by the user. Yes, the Intel CPU has better single core performance, but it's by such a small margin that it's not going to really make a difference. Similarly with the GPU, it will be maxxing out the screen on both configurations for a long time to come, so it's not really much of a factor.

With that in mind, I'd strongly recommend the 3700x in the Nova.
 

mrlip

Gold Level Poster
That's perfect then, a lot of people don't realise the trade offs and get upset when they get the machine so it's important to highlight it.

In that case, I'd definitely recommend the Nova for your uses for a few reasons:

1/. You're right that the Super is around 10% performance improvement, but Flight Sims are also heavily CPU dependant so I think all in all, the CPU is just as important for your uses as the GPU, and balanced out, losing 10% on the GPU vs gaining about 30% on the CPU it's probably going to be better to go with the Nova.

2/. I'm guessing you're going to want to play FS2020 when it's out of Beta? If so, it's been heavily optimised for AMD because it's on both upcoming XBox and Playstation which are both AMD platforms, so they will have worked very closely with AMD to net the best performance.

3/. The Nova, being a DTR has a much much better cooling design.

4/. For general gaming, the difference between both systems is not going to be something that's noticeable by the user. Yes, the Intel CPU has better single core performance, but it's by such a small margin that it's not going to really make a difference. Similarly with the GPU, it will be maxxing out the screen on both configurations for a long time to come, so it's not really much of a factor.

With that in mind, I'd strongly recommend the 3700x in the Nova.

Thanks, that is some really helpful input.

Regarding the trade offs, Thats understandable but as you say, I think for my uses it should be fine as no portability required.

On your points,

1. Yes, flight sims are heavily CPU dependant which is why I think my old trusty 7700HQ is starting to feel the strain! 30% is quite a big difference, I didn’t realise it was so much. That definitely leans me towards the Nova rather than the 10% gains of the super.

2. Yep, if upgrading my machine, I’m sure I will be taking a look at the new MSFS

3 and 4. That sounds very promising especially regarding the cooling.

Would I be right in saying that the AMD in the Nova can potentially be upgraded in the future as it’s socketed rather than soldered to the board? And finally, do you think there would be much benefit in going for the 3900 or a bit too much overkill for my uses?
 

SpyderTracks

We love you Ukraine
Would I be right in saying that the AMD in the Nova can potentially be upgraded in the future as it’s socketed rather than soldered to the board? And finally, do you think there would be much benefit in going for the 3900 or a bit too much overkill for my uses?
This is a bit of a grey area, the board is a modified B450 board so potentially could support 3rd gen Ryzens but that’s reliant on a BIOS update and we don’t know if this is something clevo will do or not.

The 3900 is an amazing chip, but it does push the chassis to the limit. I’m not saying don’t get it, I think if you’re willing to do some optimisation once you get it then it’s probably going to be worth it. But out of the box it may not run the best it can.
 

mrlip

Gold Level Poster
That makes sense, upgrade potential would just be an added bonus in all honestly.

In terms of optimisation, are you talking undervolt? I will probably do that with the 3700X as well if it helps with temps
 
That makes sense, upgrade potential would just be an added bonus in all honestly.

In terms of optimisation, are you talking undervolt? I will probably do that with the 3700X as well if it helps with temps
I was just about to ask the same thing as i recieved my nova yesterday with the 3900. This thing is an absolute beast compared to my i7 6500u. I bought it for music production and the difference is staggering lol. If theres a way to further optimise it for even better performance id love to know.
 

mrlip

Gold Level Poster
I was just about to ask the same thing as i recieved my nova yesterday with the 3900. This thing is an absolute beast compared to my i7 6500u. I bought it for music production and the difference is staggering lol. If theres a way to further optimise it for even better performance id love to know.

I can imagine it absolutely crushes multicore tasks like music production and editing etc.

I've noticed the price difference isn't much between the 3700X and the 3900. the turbo is slightly lower on the 3900 but obviously it has 4 more cores. Not sure if most gaming situations would make use of those 4 extra cores though so its a tough decision. And as SpyderTracks pointed out, it does push the chassis to the limit so unsure whether it would be suited for long gaming sessions?
 
I can imagine it absolutely crushes multicore tasks like music production and editing etc.

I've noticed the price difference isn't much between the 3700X and the 3900. the turbo is slightly lower on the 3900 but obviously it has 4 more cores. Not sure if most gaming situations would make use of those 4 extra cores though so its a tough decision. And as SpyderTracks pointed out, it does push the chassis to the limit so unsure whether it would be suited for long gaming sessions?
Im not really a gamer so i cant really advise on that yet i put an rtx 2070 in it tho so I have the option. Going to buy a few later on tonight to test. Ive never gone past 77° on the cpu whilst using my music software but even my most demanding song is only using about 25 percent of the cpu. its amazing for my needs. Or maybe im just so wowed because I was using an thinkpad e560 before😂😂.
 

mrlip

Gold Level Poster
So if I was going to go for the Nova 15, this is the specification I have put together.

A couple of notes\questions first -

I already have a Samsung 970 Evo 1TB .M2 Nvme SSD which will serve as the primary drive
Wasn't sure which AC Adaptor to go with, 180W or 230W?
Thermal Paste - Only the standard thermal paste option is available rather than the Artic MX-4?
No OS is needed, I already have a Windows Pro License

Chassis & Display
Nova Series: 15.6" Matte Full HD 144Hz 72% NTSC LED Widescreen (1920x1080)
Processor (CPU)
AMD Ryzen 7 3700X Eight Core CPU (3.6GHz-4.4GHz/36MB CACHE/AM4)
Memory (RAM)
32GB Corsair 2666MHz SODIMM DDR4 (2 x 16GB)
Graphics Card
NVIDIA® GeForce® RTX 2070 - 8.0GB GDDR6 Video RAM - DirectX® 12.1
1st Storage Drive
1TB SEAGATE BARRACUDA 120 2.5" SSD, (up to 560MB/sR | 540MB/sW)
Memory Card Reader
Integrated Micro-SD Memory Card Reader
AC Adaptor
1 x 230W AC Adaptor
Power Cable
1 x 1 Metre UK Power Cable (Kettle Lead)
Battery
Nova Series Detachable 4 Cell Lithium Ion Battery
Thermal Paste
STANDARD THERMAL PASTE FOR SUFFICIENT COOLING
Sound Card
2 Channel High Def. Audio + SoundBlaster™ Cinema
Wireless/Wired Networking
GIGABIT LAN & WIRELESS INTEL® Wi-Fi 6 AX200 (2.4 Gbps) + BT 5.0
USB/Thunderbolt Options
1 x USB 3.2 PORT (Type C) + 2 x USB 3.2 PORTS + 1 x USB 2.0 PORT
Keyboard Language
15" NOVA SERIES UK KEYBOARD
Operating System
NO OPERATING SYSTEM REQUIRED
Operating System Language
United Kingdom - English Language
Windows Recovery Media
NO RECOVERY MEDIA REQUIRED
Office Software
FREE 30 Day Trial of Microsoft 365® (Operating System Required)
Anti-Virus
NO ANTI-VIRUS SOFTWARE
Browser
Microsoft® Edge (Windows 10 Only)
Keyboard & Mouse
INTEGRATED 2 BUTTON TOUCHPAD MOUSE
Webcam
INTEGRATED 1MP HD WEBCAM
Warranty
3 Year Silver Warranty (1 Year Collect & Return, 1 Year Parts, 3 Year Labour)
Chassis
Clevo NH55AFW (8GB RTX-2070, 144Hz N7, Blank KB)
Delivery
STANDARD INSURED DELIVERY TO UK MAINLAND (MON-FRI)
Build Time
Standard Build - Approximately 7 to 9 working days
Price: £1,441.00 including VAT and Delivery

Unique URL to re-configure: https://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/saved-configurations/nova-15/uaqshq2mN5/
 

SpyderTracks

We love you Ukraine
I can imagine it absolutely crushes multicore tasks like music production and editing etc.

I've noticed the price difference isn't much between the 3700X and the 3900. the turbo is slightly lower on the 3900 but obviously it has 4 more cores. Not sure if most gaming situations would make use of those 4 extra cores though so its a tough decision. And as SpyderTracks pointed out, it does push the chassis to the limit so unsure whether it would be suited for long gaming sessions?
I think for gaming specifically, you’d be better off with the 3700x for the increased single core clock speeds.
 

SpyderTracks

We love you Ukraine
So if I was going to go for the Nova 15, this is the specification I have put together.

A couple of notes\questions first -

I already have a Samsung 970 Evo 1TB .M2 Nvme SSD which will serve as the primary drive
Wasn't sure which AC Adaptor to go with, 180W or 230W?
Thermal Paste - Only the standard thermal paste option is available rather than the Artic MX-4?
No OS is needed, I already have a Windows Pro License

Chassis & Display
Nova Series: 15.6" Matte Full HD 144Hz 72% NTSC LED Widescreen (1920x1080)
Processor (CPU)
AMD Ryzen 7 3700X Eight Core CPU (3.6GHz-4.4GHz/36MB CACHE/AM4)
Memory (RAM)
32GB Corsair 2666MHz SODIMM DDR4 (2 x 16GB)
Graphics Card
NVIDIA® GeForce® RTX 2070 - 8.0GB GDDR6 Video RAM - DirectX® 12.1
1st Storage Drive
1TB SEAGATE BARRACUDA 120 2.5" SSD, (up to 560MB/sR | 540MB/sW)
Memory Card Reader
Integrated Micro-SD Memory Card Reader
AC Adaptor
1 x 230W AC Adaptor
Power Cable
1 x 1 Metre UK Power Cable (Kettle Lead)
Battery
Nova Series Detachable 4 Cell Lithium Ion Battery
Thermal Paste
STANDARD THERMAL PASTE FOR SUFFICIENT COOLING
Sound Card
2 Channel High Def. Audio + SoundBlaster™ Cinema
Wireless/Wired Networking
GIGABIT LAN & WIRELESS INTEL® Wi-Fi 6 AX200 (2.4 Gbps) + BT 5.0
USB/Thunderbolt Options
1 x USB 3.2 PORT (Type C) + 2 x USB 3.2 PORTS + 1 x USB 2.0 PORT
Keyboard Language
15" NOVA SERIES UK KEYBOARD
Operating System
NO OPERATING SYSTEM REQUIRED
Operating System Language
United Kingdom - English Language
Windows Recovery Media
NO RECOVERY MEDIA REQUIRED
Office Software
FREE 30 Day Trial of Microsoft 365® (Operating System Required)
Anti-Virus
NO ANTI-VIRUS SOFTWARE
Browser
Microsoft® Edge (Windows 10 Only)
Keyboard & Mouse
INTEGRATED 2 BUTTON TOUCHPAD MOUSE
Webcam
INTEGRATED 1MP HD WEBCAM
Warranty
3 Year Silver Warranty (1 Year Collect & Return, 1 Year Parts, 3 Year Labour)
Chassis
Clevo NH55AFW (8GB RTX-2070, 144Hz N7, Blank KB)
Delivery
STANDARD INSURED DELIVERY TO UK MAINLAND (MON-FRI)
Build Time
Standard Build - Approximately 7 to 9 working days
Price: £1,441.00 including VAT and Delivery

Unique URL to re-configure: https://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/saved-configurations/nova-15/uaqshq2mN5/
Looks great, I wouldn't change a thing. For the RTX2070 you'd need the 230W adapter which you have selected. The configurator would have warned you if it wasn't suitable.
 

SpyderTracks

We love you Ukraine
I was just about to ask the same thing as i recieved my nova yesterday with the 3900. This thing is an absolute beast compared to my i7 6500u. I bought it for music production and the difference is staggering lol. If theres a way to further optimise it for even better performance id love to know.
It's only really regarding thermals that may need to be addressed with the 3900, they did have some issues originally with the chip regarding voltage regulation being a bit juddery which could lead to higher temps. This I believe was sorted through a BIOS update which I imagine is now flashed to every build, so hopefully it should be a thing of the past.

Yours sounds like it's doing well thermally so I wouldn't adjust anything atm.

It's a wonderful chassis, isn't it, this is the one I've got my eye on too, would be absolutely perfect for my needs.
 

mrlip

Gold Level Poster
I think for gaming specifically, you’d be better off with the 3700x for the increased single core clock speeds.

Yeah that is my thought too, I think the 3700X will be better fit.

Looks great, I wouldn't change a thing. For the RTX2070 you'd need the 230W adapter which you have selected. The configurator would have warned you if it wasn't suitable.

Excellent! After the discussions on this thread and your help, it is definitely looking like the Nova would be a better fit for me over the Vyper. 1 quick question, out of curiosity, what is the difference between the Vyper and the Proteus? Just a different chassis manufacturer?
 

SpyderTracks

We love you Ukraine
Yeah that is my thought too, I think the 3700X will be better fit.



Excellent! After the discussions on this thread and your help, it is definitely looking like the Nova would be a better fit for me over the Vyper. 1 quick question, out of curiosity, what is the difference between the Vyper and the Proteus? Just a different chassis manufacturer?
The Vyper 15" is a TongFang GM5MP0Y

The Proteus 15" is a Quanta NLCB
 
It's only really regarding thermals that may need to be addressed with the 3900, they did have some issues originally with the chip regarding voltage regulation being a bit juddery which could lead to higher temps. This I believe was sorted through a BIOS update which I imagine is now flashed to every build, so hopefully it should be a thing of the past.

Yours sounds like it's doing well thermally so I wouldn't adjust anything atm.

It's a wonderful chassis, isn't it, this is the one I've got my eye on too, would be absolutely perfect for my needs.
Yeah its amazing bought a few games earlier currently playing man of medan cpu temp is 77 and gpu is 73 so if they are good i wont be messing about lol
 
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