From Newsgroup: comp.sys.mac.advocacy

Since I killed my gaming laptop and my birthday will be coming up in
February, I figured I'd do some research on potential laptops for
purchase. I don't mind paying a little over $3k, but I also don't mind spending a little less for a gaming laptop. I was considering an ASUS
TUF A14, so I decided to do a search for regrets customers have in
purchasing the unit. From Brave Search:

"Users who regret buying the Asus TUF A14 primarily cite excessive heat,
poor value for money, and hardware defects. While the laptop is praised
for portability and CPU performance, many find it overpriced for its
gaming capabilities, particularly in the 2026 models which feature
integrated graphics that struggle with modern titles.

Common complaints include:

Thermal Issues: The device is reported to get extremely hot, even
heating surfaces beneath it, with loud fan noise under load.
High Price vs. Performance: The 2026 modelrCOs massive price hike (up to
$500 more than previous versions) is criticized, as its integrated GPU
offers worse gaming performance than older models with dedicated GPUs at
lower prices.
Hardware Defects: Specific failures include melted power connectors,
keyboard key failures (e.g., W key sticking), and display brightness instability.
Build and Quality Control: Users report sleep/wake issues, random
shutdowns, and poor customer service during warranty claims, with some experiencing repeated RMA failures.
While some users find the 14-inch form factor and battery life
worthwhile for productivity, the consensus among regretful owners is
that the premium price does not justify the compromised gaming
performance and reliability issues."

Considering all that, I asked my wife if she would mind me spending over
$3k for a MacBook Pro. She agreed, and even insisted on me getting
AppleCare considering how great the support system is.
--
CrudeSausage
John 14:6

--- Synchronet 3.22a-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: comp.sys.mac.advocacy

On Sep 21, 2026 at 5:31:44rC>PM EDT, "CrudeSausage" <crude@sausa.ge> wrote:

Since I killed my gaming laptop and my birthday will be coming up in February, I figured I'd do some research on potential laptops for
purchase. I don't mind paying a little over $3k, but I also don't mind spending a little less for a gaming laptop. I was considering an ASUS
TUF A14, so I decided to do a search for regrets customers have in
purchasing the unit. From Brave Search:

"Users who regret buying the Asus TUF A14 primarily cite excessive heat,
poor value for money, and hardware defects. While the laptop is praised
for portability and CPU performance, many find it overpriced for its
gaming capabilities, particularly in the 2026 models which feature
integrated graphics that struggle with modern titles.

Common complaints include:

Thermal Issues: The device is reported to get extremely hot, even
heating surfaces beneath it, with loud fan noise under load.
High Price vs. Performance: The 2026 modelrCOs massive price hike (up to
$500 more than previous versions) is criticized, as its integrated GPU
offers worse gaming performance than older models with dedicated GPUs at lower prices.
Hardware Defects: Specific failures include melted power connectors,
keyboard key failures (e.g., W key sticking), and display brightness instability.
Build and Quality Control: Users report sleep/wake issues, random
shutdowns, and poor customer service during warranty claims, with some experiencing repeated RMA failures.
While some users find the 14-inch form factor and battery life
worthwhile for productivity, the consensus among regretful owners is
that the premium price does not justify the compromised gaming
performance and reliability issues."

Considering all that, I asked my wife if she would mind me spending over
$3k for a MacBook Pro. She agreed, and even insisted on me getting
AppleCare considering how great the support system is.

Well, the combination of Asus and Windows does not imply quality anywhere.

I have a 2023 M2 Pro MacBook Pro with 16" screen. 12 core CPU and 19 core GPU, 32GB RAM and 1TB SSD. Needless to say it is by far the best laptop I have
ever had.

Unsurprisingly, it only gets warm when running Windows 11 in a VM. Which I don't do very often these days since I got a Mac Mini M4 with 32GB RAM and 2TB SSD. It also only gets warm when running Windows in a VM.

Which is basically all you need to know about Apple Unix and Microsoft
Windows. One is efficient and the other is a bloated resource hog.
--- Synchronet 3.22a-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: comp.sys.mac.advocacy

On 2026-09-21 7:54 p.m., Nick Charles wrote:

On Sep 21, 2026 at 5:31:44rC>PM EDT, "CrudeSausage" <crude@sausa.ge> wrote:

Since I killed my gaming laptop and my birthday will be coming up in
February, I figured I'd do some research on potential laptops for
purchase. I don't mind paying a little over $3k, but I also don't mind
spending a little less for a gaming laptop. I was considering an ASUS
TUF A14, so I decided to do a search for regrets customers have in
purchasing the unit. From Brave Search:

"Users who regret buying the Asus TUF A14 primarily cite excessive heat,
poor value for money, and hardware defects. While the laptop is praised
for portability and CPU performance, many find it overpriced for its
gaming capabilities, particularly in the 2026 models which feature
integrated graphics that struggle with modern titles.

Common complaints include:

Thermal Issues: The device is reported to get extremely hot, even
heating surfaces beneath it, with loud fan noise under load.
High Price vs. Performance: The 2026 modelrCOs massive price hike (up to
$500 more than previous versions) is criticized, as its integrated GPU
offers worse gaming performance than older models with dedicated GPUs at
lower prices.
Hardware Defects: Specific failures include melted power connectors,
keyboard key failures (e.g., W key sticking), and display brightness
instability.
Build and Quality Control: Users report sleep/wake issues, random
shutdowns, and poor customer service during warranty claims, with some
experiencing repeated RMA failures.
While some users find the 14-inch form factor and battery life
worthwhile for productivity, the consensus among regretful owners is
that the premium price does not justify the compromised gaming
performance and reliability issues."

Considering all that, I asked my wife if she would mind me spending over
$3k for a MacBook Pro. She agreed, and even insisted on me getting
AppleCare considering how great the support system is.

Well, the combination of Asus and Windows does not imply quality anywhere.

The Zephyrus G14 I bought in 2021 wasn't great by default; I had to pull
out the wireless card it came with to replace it with an Intel one. The default configuration was an abomination for network connectivity.

I have a 2023 M2 Pro MacBook Pro with 16" screen. 12 core CPU and 19 core GPU,
32GB RAM and 1TB SSD. Needless to say it is by far the best laptop I have ever had.

Unsurprisingly, it only gets warm when running Windows 11 in a VM. Which I don't do very often these days since I got a Mac Mini M4 with 32GB RAM and 2TB
SSD. It also only gets warm when running Windows in a VM.

Which is basically all you need to know about Apple Unix and Microsoft Windows. One is efficient and the other is a bloated resource hog.

I'm still shocked at how I don't need a fan to play Civilization 7 on
the MacBook. It doesn't look as nice as it did on the gaming laptop, but
at least I don't have fans sounding like a hairdryer while I'm playing.
An M5 or M6 will be an even better experience.
--
CrudeSausage
John 14:6
--- Synchronet 3.22a-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: comp.sys.mac.advocacy

On Sep 21, 2026 at 8:06:14rC>PM EDT, "CrudeSausage" <crude@sausa.ge> wrote:

On 2026-09-21 7:54 p.m., Nick Charles wrote:

On Sep 21, 2026 at 5:31:44rC>PM EDT, "CrudeSausage" <crude@sausa.ge> wrote: >>

Since I killed my gaming laptop and my birthday will be coming up in
February, I figured I'd do some research on potential laptops for
purchase. I don't mind paying a little over $3k, but I also don't mind
spending a little less for a gaming laptop. I was considering an ASUS
TUF A14, so I decided to do a search for regrets customers have in
purchasing the unit. From Brave Search:

"Users who regret buying the Asus TUF A14 primarily cite excessive heat, >>> poor value for money, and hardware defects. While the laptop is praised >>> for portability and CPU performance, many find it overpriced for its
gaming capabilities, particularly in the 2026 models which feature
integrated graphics that struggle with modern titles.

Common complaints include:

Thermal Issues: The device is reported to get extremely hot, even
heating surfaces beneath it, with loud fan noise under load.
High Price vs. Performance: The 2026 modelrCOs massive price hike (up to >>> $500 more than previous versions) is criticized, as its integrated GPU
offers worse gaming performance than older models with dedicated GPUs at >>> lower prices.
Hardware Defects: Specific failures include melted power connectors,
keyboard key failures (e.g., W key sticking), and display brightness
instability.
Build and Quality Control: Users report sleep/wake issues, random
shutdowns, and poor customer service during warranty claims, with some
experiencing repeated RMA failures.
While some users find the 14-inch form factor and battery life
worthwhile for productivity, the consensus among regretful owners is
that the premium price does not justify the compromised gaming
performance and reliability issues."

Considering all that, I asked my wife if she would mind me spending over >>> $3k for a MacBook Pro. She agreed, and even insisted on me getting
AppleCare considering how great the support system is.

Well, the combination of Asus and Windows does not imply quality anywhere.

The Zephyrus G14 I bought in 2021 wasn't great by default; I had to pull
out the wireless card it came with to replace it with an Intel one. The default configuration was an abomination for network connectivity.

I have a 2023 M2 Pro MacBook Pro with 16" screen. 12 core CPU and 19 core GPU,
32GB RAM and 1TB SSD. Needless to say it is by far the best laptop I have >> ever had.

Unsurprisingly, it only gets warm when running Windows 11 in a VM. Which I >> don't do very often these days since I got a Mac Mini M4 with 32GB RAM and 2TB
SSD. It also only gets warm when running Windows in a VM.

Which is basically all you need to know about Apple Unix and Microsoft
Windows. One is efficient and the other is a bloated resource hog.

I'm still shocked at how I don't need a fan to play Civilization 7 on
the MacBook. It doesn't look as nice as it did on the gaming laptop, but
at least I don't have fans sounding like a hairdryer while I'm playing.
An M5 or M6 will be an even better experience.

There is a reason why they are called Intel Space Heaters. Its pretty pathetic that as soon as Windows boots up - and is doing nothing - the fans are
running.

Believe it or not, there WAS a system worse than Intel. When Macs were running IBM Power PC CPUs, they created unbelievable amounts of heat. The aluminum
heat sinks on the CPUs were the size of 2 phones stacked together.

Compared to Intel Space Heaters, Power PC CPUs were Central Heating. The G4 Mirror Drive Door model (two 1.25 Ghz G4 CPUs) was dubbed the Wind Tunnel due the absurd amount of air that was pulled through it. Later there was a four
CPU G5 model that was water cooled. It had a water pump and a huge radiator inside, along with rubber hoses to circulate the water. You can imagine the problems THAT had when a hose started leaking. It was comically absurd.

Its hard to believe today, but Apple moving to Intel in 2005 was actually a vast improvement in the heat department.
--- Synchronet 3.22a-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: comp.sys.mac.advocacy

On 2026-09-21 9:08 p.m., Nick Charles wrote:

On Sep 21, 2026 at 8:06:14rC>PM EDT, "CrudeSausage" <crude@sausa.ge> wrote:

On 2026-09-21 7:54 p.m., Nick Charles wrote:

On Sep 21, 2026 at 5:31:44rC>PM EDT, "CrudeSausage" <crude@sausa.ge> wrote: >>>

Since I killed my gaming laptop and my birthday will be coming up in
February, I figured I'd do some research on potential laptops for
purchase. I don't mind paying a little over $3k, but I also don't mind >>>> spending a little less for a gaming laptop. I was considering an ASUS
TUF A14, so I decided to do a search for regrets customers have in
purchasing the unit. From Brave Search:

"Users who regret buying the Asus TUF A14 primarily cite excessive heat, >>>> poor value for money, and hardware defects. While the laptop is praised >>>> for portability and CPU performance, many find it overpriced for its
gaming capabilities, particularly in the 2026 models which feature
integrated graphics that struggle with modern titles.

Common complaints include:

Thermal Issues: The device is reported to get extremely hot, even
heating surfaces beneath it, with loud fan noise under load.
High Price vs. Performance: The 2026 modelrCOs massive price hike (up to >>>> $500 more than previous versions) is criticized, as its integrated GPU >>>> offers worse gaming performance than older models with dedicated GPUs at >>>> lower prices.
Hardware Defects: Specific failures include melted power connectors,
keyboard key failures (e.g., W key sticking), and display brightness
instability.
Build and Quality Control: Users report sleep/wake issues, random
shutdowns, and poor customer service during warranty claims, with some >>>> experiencing repeated RMA failures.
While some users find the 14-inch form factor and battery life
worthwhile for productivity, the consensus among regretful owners is
that the premium price does not justify the compromised gaming
performance and reliability issues."

Considering all that, I asked my wife if she would mind me spending over >>>> $3k for a MacBook Pro. She agreed, and even insisted on me getting
AppleCare considering how great the support system is.

Well, the combination of Asus and Windows does not imply quality anywhere. >>

The Zephyrus G14 I bought in 2021 wasn't great by default; I had to pull
out the wireless card it came with to replace it with an Intel one. The
default configuration was an abomination for network connectivity.

I have a 2023 M2 Pro MacBook Pro with 16" screen. 12 core CPU and 19 core GPU,
32GB RAM and 1TB SSD. Needless to say it is by far the best laptop I have >>> ever had.

Unsurprisingly, it only gets warm when running Windows 11 in a VM. Which I >>> don't do very often these days since I got a Mac Mini M4 with 32GB RAM and 2TB
SSD. It also only gets warm when running Windows in a VM.

Which is basically all you need to know about Apple Unix and Microsoft
Windows. One is efficient and the other is a bloated resource hog.

I'm still shocked at how I don't need a fan to play Civilization 7 on
the MacBook. It doesn't look as nice as it did on the gaming laptop, but
at least I don't have fans sounding like a hairdryer while I'm playing.
An M5 or M6 will be an even better experience.

There is a reason why they are called Intel Space Heaters. Its pretty pathetic
that as soon as Windows boots up - and is doing nothing - the fans are running.

On the gaming laptop, if monitoring the power usage, simply booting up
would cause the machine to drain 30 watts or so from the battery. It
would only later calm itself down and settle at around 6-8w at idle. As
far as I know, MacBooks use about 2w at idle, but I'd love to have exact numbers.

Believe it or not, there WAS a system worse than Intel. When Macs were running
IBM Power PC CPUs, they created unbelievable amounts of heat. The aluminum heat sinks on the CPUs were the size of 2 phones stacked together.

Compared to Intel Space Heaters, Power PC CPUs were Central Heating. The G4 Mirror Drive Door model (two 1.25 Ghz G4 CPUs) was dubbed the Wind Tunnel due the absurd amount of air that was pulled through it. Later there was a four CPU G5 model that was water cooled. It had a water pump and a huge radiator inside, along with rubber hoses to circulate the water. You can imagine the problems THAT had when a hose started leaking. It was comically absurd.

Its hard to believe today, but Apple moving to Intel in 2005 was actually a vast improvement in the heat department.

Oh, there was no doubt about it. I had a G3-600, a G4-1GHz and a G5
1.6GHz. The first was pathetically weak for Mac OS X (but ran OS 9.2.2 wonderfully), the second was quite okay and the third was quite good.
All three ran fairly quiet, but they felt much weaker than what Intel
was producing, so it wasn't long before I went back to Windows and PCs
in general. Apple didn't become interesting to me again until they got
rid of Intel and migrated to ARM.
--
CrudeSausage
John 14:6
--- Synchronet 3.22a-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: comp.sys.mac.advocacy

On 9/21/26 5:31 PM, CrudeSausage wrote:

Since I killed my gaming laptop and my birthday will be coming up in February, I figured I'd do some research on potential laptops for
purchase. I don't mind paying a little over $3k, but I also don't mind spending a little less for a gaming laptop. I was considering an ASUS
TUF A14, so I decided to do a search for regrets customers have in purchasing the unit. From Brave Search:

"Users who regret buying the Asus TUF A14 primarily cite excessive heat, poor value for money, and hardware defects.-a While the laptop is praised for portability and CPU performance, many find it overpriced for its
gaming capabilities, particularly in the 2026 models which feature integrated graphics that struggle with modern titles.

Common complaints include:

Thermal Issues: The device is reported to get extremely hot, even
heating surfaces beneath it, with loud fan noise under load.
High Price vs. Performance: The 2026 modelrCOs massive price hike (up to $500 more than previous versions) is criticized, as its integrated GPU offers worse gaming performance than older models with dedicated GPUs at lower prices.
Hardware Defects: Specific failures include melted power connectors, keyboard key failures (e.g., W key sticking), and display brightness instability.
Build and Quality Control: Users report sleep/wake issues, random
shutdowns, and poor customer service during warranty claims, with some experiencing repeated RMA failures.
While some users find the 14-inch form factor and battery life
worthwhile for productivity, the consensus among regretful owners is
that the premium price does not justify the compromised gaming
performance and reliability issues."

Considering all that, I asked my wife if she would mind me spending over
$3k for a MacBook Pro. She agreed, and even insisted on me getting
AppleCare considering how great the support system is.

The only Windows machine I ever owned that failed prematurely was an
ASUS laptop. Simply would not boot one day.
--- Synchronet 3.22a-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: comp.sys.mac.advocacy

On 2026-09-22 9:32 a.m., Tom Elam wrote:

On 9/21/26 5:31 PM, CrudeSausage wrote:

Since I killed my gaming laptop and my birthday will be coming up in
February, I figured I'd do some research on potential laptops for
purchase. I don't mind paying a little over $3k, but I also don't mind
spending a little less for a gaming laptop. I was considering an ASUS
TUF A14, so I decided to do a search for regrets customers have in
purchasing the unit. From Brave Search:

"Users who regret buying the Asus TUF A14 primarily cite excessive
heat, poor value for money, and hardware defects.-a While the laptop is
praised for portability and CPU performance, many find it overpriced
for its gaming capabilities, particularly in the 2026 models which
feature integrated graphics that struggle with modern titles.

Common complaints include:

Thermal Issues: The device is reported to get extremely hot, even
heating surfaces beneath it, with loud fan noise under load.
High Price vs. Performance: The 2026 modelrCOs massive price hike (up to
$500 more than previous versions) is criticized, as its integrated GPU
offers worse gaming performance than older models with dedicated GPUs
at lower prices.
Hardware Defects: Specific failures include melted power connectors,
keyboard key failures (e.g., W key sticking), and display brightness
instability.
Build and Quality Control: Users report sleep/wake issues, random
shutdowns, and poor customer service during warranty claims, with some
experiencing repeated RMA failures.
While some users find the 14-inch form factor and battery life
worthwhile for productivity, the consensus among regretful owners is
that the premium price does not justify the compromised gaming
performance and reliability issues."

Considering all that, I asked my wife if she would mind me spending
over $3k for a MacBook Pro. She agreed, and even insisted on me
getting AppleCare considering how great the support system is.

The only Windows machine I ever owned that failed prematurely was an
ASUS laptop. Simply would not boot one day.

A mere battery replacement killed mine, so I guess that also counts as
it "simply not booting one day." I miss the GPU's performance in games,
but I definitely don't miss the stuttering and the loud fans.
--
CrudeSausage
MacBook Air M4
--- Synchronet 3.22a-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: comp.sys.mac.advocacy

On 9/21/2026 7:54 PM, Nick Charles wrote:

On Sep 21, 2026 at 5:31:44rC>PM EDT, "CrudeSausage" <crude@sausa.ge> wrote:

Since I killed my gaming laptop and my birthday will be coming up in
February, I figured I'd do some research on potential laptops for
purchase. I don't mind paying a little over $3k, but I also don't mind
spending a little less for a gaming laptop. I was considering an ASUS
TUF A14, so I decided to do a search for regrets customers have in
purchasing the unit. From Brave Search:

"Users who regret buying the Asus TUF A14 primarily cite excessive heat,
poor value for money, and hardware defects. While the laptop is praised
for portability and CPU performance, many find it overpriced for its
gaming capabilities, particularly in the 2026 models which feature
integrated graphics that struggle with modern titles.

Common complaints include:

Thermal Issues: The device is reported to get extremely hot, even
heating surfaces beneath it, with loud fan noise under load.
High Price vs. Performance: The 2026 modelrCOs massive price hike (up to
$500 more than previous versions) is criticized, as its integrated GPU
offers worse gaming performance than older models with dedicated GPUs at
lower prices.
Hardware Defects: Specific failures include melted power connectors,
keyboard key failures (e.g., W key sticking), and display brightness
instability.
Build and Quality Control: Users report sleep/wake issues, random
shutdowns, and poor customer service during warranty claims, with some
experiencing repeated RMA failures.
While some users find the 14-inch form factor and battery life
worthwhile for productivity, the consensus among regretful owners is
that the premium price does not justify the compromised gaming
performance and reliability issues."

Considering all that, I asked my wife if she would mind me spending over
$3k for a MacBook Pro. She agreed, and even insisted on me getting
AppleCare considering how great the support system is.

Well, the combination of Asus and Windows does not imply quality anywhere.

I have a 2023 M2 Pro MacBook Pro with 16" screen. 12 core CPU and 19 core GPU,
32GB RAM and 1TB SSD. Needless to say it is by far the best laptop I have ever had.

Unsurprisingly, it only gets warm when running Windows 11 in a VM. Which I don't do very often these days since I got a Mac Mini M4 with 32GB RAM and 2TB
SSD. It also only gets warm when running Windows in a VM.

Which is basically all you need to know about Apple Unix and Microsoft Windows. One is efficient and the other is a bloated resource hog.

You're not wrong. Winblows is a behemoth of an OS. I would argue that
this goes to show why you can't win with laptops, the best pretty much
are Apple's, to date, along with selected ARM models from others, but
the desktop system, especially with super-inexpensive mini PCs, for now
gives Windows a reasonable advantage software-wise.
--
Joel W. Crump
--- Synchronet 3.22a-Linux NewsLink 1.2