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Can I go with a cheap laptop or do I need to spend that extra €1k ?
Rank: Newbie
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Joined: 7/27/2025(UTC) Posts: 2  Location: Paris Thanks: 1 times
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TL;DR
Looking for a vMix “sidekick” laptop (1080 p, DeckLink 8K via Thunderbolt enclosure).
Lenovo Legion 5i 2025 — Core Ultra 9 + RTX 5070, 32 GB RAM, TB4, €1,800
ASUS TUF A17 — Ryzen 7 7435HS + RTX 4060, 16 GB (upgradeable), USB4, €800
Is the extra €1,000 for the Legion’s stronger CPU + certified TB4 really worth it, or will the cheaper TUF handle the job just fine?
Hi everyone,
Thanks for welcoming me, it's my first post on the forum!
I run a small video-production company. I’ve been on vMix for a few years and already own several BMD switchers, but I’m finally buying a dedicated vMix laptop to handle graphics, video playback, vMix Call, etc. The main switching will still be done on my BMD gear.
Workflow
Capture / program: 1080 p 25/30 fps most of the time (being 4 K ready would be nice, but it’s not mandatory).
I’ll connect a Blackmagic DeckLink 8K Pro in an external Thunderbolt enclosure for 4 × 3G-SDI in/out.
After watching all the “recommended hardware” videos I keep wondering if I’m over-speccing the laptop for what is really just a companion machine. I’m stuck between two options:
1 ) Recommanded Sapphire hardware : Lenovo Legion 5i (2025) — € 1,800
Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX
RTX 5070 Laptop 8 GB
32 GB DDR5-5600 (Future possible upgrade to 64)
1 TB PCIe Gen 4 SSD
15.1″ WQXGA OLED 165 Hz
Thunderbolt 4 port
2 ) Cheap : ASUS TUF Gaming A17 — € ≈ 800 (“old” spec)
AMD Ryzen 7 7435HS
RTX 4060 Laptop 8 GB
16 GB DDR5 (I will probably upgrade to 32)
512 GB SSD
17.3″ FHD 144 Hz
USB4 40 Gb/s (no TB4 certification)
Question
For a rig that will mostly spit out a few SDI inputs/outputs, graphics, and playback, is the € 1,000 extra really worth it—or will the cheaper A17 handle the job just fine?
Any real-world feedback is much appreciated. Thanks!
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Rank: Advanced Member
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Joined: 10/20/2023(UTC) Posts: 82 Thanks: 2 times
Was thanked: 6 time(s) in 6 post(s)
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Hi, The advantage of the Arrow Lake HX laptop is that Thunderbolt 4 is directly managed by the CPU and can handle two TB4 ports.  intel-mobile-arl-hx.png (112kb) downloaded 21 time(s).I tested an HP Omen Max 16 (Ultra 9/ M2 gen 5 / 32 GB DDR5 /RTX 5080) + Sonnet Echo Express SE IIIe + 3 x PCIe 2.0 x4 cards (2 x Magewell + 1 x BMD Duo 2 (all in 1080p50) It worked very well. The Arrow Lake HX laptop will perform better for longer. see the vmix "sapphire" reference https://www.vmix.com/pro...x-reference-systems.aspxSo I'd say the Arrow Lake HX laptop is better. OWC Mercury Helios 3S + DeckLink Duo 8K Pro. Be careful, Thunderbolt = 40 Gbps, which is slightly more than PCIe 3.0 x4. So, even if DeckLink 8K Pro = 4 x HD in/out or 2 x 4K in/out Or if you're on a tight budget, find a used laptop i7 or i9 Raptor Lake-H + RTX 4xxx such as the Aorus 15 BSF, which was previously recommended by vmix.
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 1 user thanked Kayo33 for this useful post.
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Rank: Newbie
Groups: Registered
Joined: 7/27/2025(UTC) Posts: 2 Location: Paris Thanks: 1 times
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Thank you reply and the detailed answer.
You’re right, the Lenovo will last way longer.
Yes I got the decklink 8k secondhand.
The legion only has 1 TB4 port, do you recommend to look for a laptop with 2 TB4 ports ?
If I use a double enclosure like your or a deck link quad, I should be able to run all 8 channels in 3G-SDI right ?
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