Buying laptop in China

[Ye_Rongtian]

Hello anyone has experience buying laptop from offline store in China?

Does the laptop comes with Chinese BIOS and Chinese OS?

Are the Windows product key loaded in the UEFI? I can just do a fresh install of english windows, and flash international BIOS?

It is significantly cheaper (SGD$1k) than buying here. I do understand the warranty is only valid in China (for Lenovo laptop).

 

[pawn_king]

bought a huawei r7 matebook from TB back in 2020. and xiaomi notebook before that.
iirc, both loaded eng windows with usb bootkey

recently noticed some china sets are offering warranties that are covered in SG. like RoG. not that cheap.
make sure u factor in gst+shipping+local warranty to see if the savings are worthwhile

 

[Foetid]

Hello anyone has experience buying laptop from offline store in China?

Does the laptop comes with Chinese BIOS and Chinese OS?

Are the Windows product key loaded in the UEFI? I can just do a fresh install of english windows, and flash international BIOS?

It is significantly cheaper (SGD$1k) than buying here. I do understand the warranty is only valid in China (for Lenovo laptop).

ya, my wife bought for lenovo me, is comes with chinese OS. bios i think its english. there after pay 5rmb for original windows english from taobao , can sunbian buy the office from taobao also, 5-10rmb. i dont think u can install fresh os without new code, did not try that. 5rmb from taobao, original and can install updates, 20% of ur caipng.

are u travelling to china to buy?

 

[Ye_Rongtian]

ya, my wife bought for lenovo me, is comes with chinese OS. bios i think its english. there after pay 5rmb for original windows english from taobao , can sunbian buy the office from taobao also, 5-10rmb. i dont think u can install fresh os without new code, did not try that. 5rmb from taobao, original and can install updates, 20% of ur caipng.

are u travelling to china to buy?

Yes, I am travelling to china to buy.

Heard that the pro version of windows (preloaded) is able to do fresh install without any product key? Whereas the home version cannot?

I am intending to buy Lenovo Legion in china and it comes preloaded with Windows 11 Pro.

 

[Ye_Rongtian]

bought a huawei r7 matebook from TB back in 2020. and xiaomi notebook before that.
iirc, both loaded eng windows with usb bootkey

recently noticed some china sets are offering warranties that are covered in SG. like RoG. not that cheap.
make sure u factor in gst+shipping+local warranty to see if the savings are worthwhile

I am travelling to china to buy, so shipping + gst not factored in.

 

[Foetid]

I am travelling to china to buy, so shipping + gst not factored in.

throw away the box lor, make the laptop look like u own it for long time. there is no gst.

 

[Foetid]

Yes, I am travelling to china to buy.

Heard that the pro version of windows (preloaded) is able to do fresh install without any product key? Whereas the home version cannot?

I am intending to buy Lenovo Legion in china and it comes preloaded with Windows 11 Pro.

u could try that, mine was home version i recalled. If home version n pro version not big difference then why not?

 

[kypay]

Is there any way to get International warranty during the Lenovo laptop purchase in China?

 

[andyhtc]

Hello anyone has experience buying laptop from offline store in China?

Does the laptop comes with Chinese BIOS and Chinese OS?

Are the Windows product key loaded in the UEFI? I can just do a fresh install of english windows, and flash international BIOS?

It is significantly cheaper (SGD$1k) than buying here. I do understand the warranty is only valid in China (for Lenovo laptop).

Chinese OS.

You will need to reinstall the English OS.

Remember to copy down all the licence keys because they will be wiped out after rebooting into the new OS.

 

[andyhtc]

ya, my wife bought for lenovo me, is comes with chinese OS. bios i think its english. there after pay 5rmb for original windows english from taobao , can sunbian buy the office from taobao also, 5-10rmb. i dont think u can install fresh os without new code, did not try that. 5rmb from taobao, original and can install updates, 20% of ur caipng.

are u travelling to china to buy?

You can reinstall the English OS without a new Windows licence key. I did that for my Chinese laptop. Just google how to do it.

 

[Ye_Rongtian]

Chinese OS.

You will need to reinstall the English OS.

Remember to copy down all the licence keys because they will be wiped out after rebooting into the new OS.

Do you mean the Chinese Windows 11 OS license key also need to copy down? I think it comes with chinese Microsoft office as well which I know will need to copy down. The Windows key is embedded in UEFI correct?

 

[andyhtc]

Do you mean the Chinese Windows 11 OS license key also need to copy down? I think it comes with chinese Microsoft office as well which I know will need to copy down. The Windows key is embedded in UEFI correct?

I suppose it is good to copy. But I don't recall I copied it.

I just went through the steps to click through to get Windows to reinstall itself to the English version.

The laptop feels more comfortable to use when everything is in English OS.

 

[yusoffb01]

Do you mean the Chinese Windows 11 OS license key also need to copy down? I think it comes with chinese Microsoft office as well which I know will need to copy down. The Windows key is embedded in UEFI correct?

digital license means its stored on ms servers. itll auto activate once u connect to internet

 

[wifi_18Z]

What about those Shopee sellers who declare that they will install English version of the OS before shipping over? Anyone tried that?

 

[KPerera]

What about those Shopee sellers who declare that they will install English version of the OS before shipping over? Anyone tried that?

Their prices are difficult to believe. Are those laptops legitimate?

 

[andyhtc]

Their prices are difficult to believe. Are those laptops legitimate?

Check the reviews.

Generally Chinese laptops are about 30-50% cheaper than those in Singapore.

 

[jokerpoker81]

if anyone see douyin videos regularly enuff, you will definitely stay far away from listings tht sell aptops from china etc, be it lazada shoppee unless you are buying in china physically with an honest & expert guide....anything 2nd hand or even defective in any way can easily be re-packaged as brand new with seal, box, plastic wrapping. no point taking such a risk, its dumb.

 

[Parka]

Their prices are difficult to believe. Are those laptops legitimate?

Price really depends on the specs and build quality of the laptop.

E.g. I currently have a Chuwi Freebook N100 from the company to review and it's selling for USD 369 (SGD 510) with shipping from AliExpress. Comes with Intel N100, 12GB RAM, 512GB SSD, 13.5-inch 100% sRGB display with 400 nits and 200 PPI, 1.36kg, 5 hour battery life, Windows 11 Home OS.

The build quality is really good. Performance is smooth lagfree with multi-tasking for non-gaming and non-process intensive work.

Then I have a Microsoft Surface Laptop 2024 by the side to compare too and that's USD 999 (SGD 1599) for Snapdragon X Plus 10-core, 16GB RAM. 256GB SSD. 13.8-inch display, 15 hours battery life

I would recommend the Chuwi anyday because the price point is just too good. There are downsides and compromises with budget laptops but for SGD 510 with those specs mentioned above? Impressive.

 

[caterham7]

yes, good value-for-money

but risk is always there, no warranty

bought a chuwi minibook, it suddenly died, can't charge, trying to find a reputable laptop repair shop to bring it to

 

[Parka]

yes, good value-for-money

but risk is always there, no warranty

bought a chuwi minibook, it suddenly died, can't charge, trying to find a reputable laptop repair shop to bring it to

That's the problem with overseas units. Shipping back for exchange is expensive, but more importantly SingPost actually don't allow shipping of products with lithium batteries, so the alternative is to use even more expensive shipping companies.