Notebook - Gaming?

[Tsuchigo]

Hey, as of recently, I've been looking into getting a laptop. I'm going to be heading off to a tech school soon, and it would be very nice if I had a laptop I could bring around with me instead of just my home PC. School, of course, is just part of the use of this laptop. I'm a fairly hardcore gamer, and I wanted to know a few things. I've read a post, saying there is no such thing as a gaming laptop. I wanted to know if that was true or not.

I'm looking to be able to play pretty much any game with maxed, or next to maxed settings, and still have a FPS of 60+ I was wondering if thats possible with a laptop. I was looking around, and I saw Dell's XPS M1710 Not exactly the cheapest thing in the world, but as of right now, I believe its around my budget. I'm planning on spending around $5,000 this project. Less would be nice, but I don't want to compromise performance.

Any input would be appreciated. Thanks for your time.

-Tsuchigo

 

[mb]

Take a look at http://www.powernotebooks.com

http://www.resellerratings.com/store/PowerNotebooks

 

[IlllI]

here you go

 

[alimoalem]

i just configured a M1710 with extra stuff you probably don't need and it came to $3333, including 4 year warranty.

oh yea, and don't get your hopes up. you won't be finding any laptop within the next year strong enough to do what you expect. no single desktop GPU is strong enough to do what you want, let alone laptop GPU. 8800GTX benchmark

and yea, the M1710's resolution is 1920x1200.

either wait or lower your budget. $5000 on a laptop is by far the stupidest purchase you can make (please take this in the least offensive way possible)

 

[IEC]

IMO it'd be much cheaper to get a portable laptop and buy a new desktop. Also, you'll find you probably won't have a lot of time for gaming anyways...

 

[mb]

Originally posted by: Spartan Niner
IMO it'd be much cheaper to get a portable laptop and buy a new desktop. Also, you'll find you probably won't have a lot of time for gaming anyways...

That is a very good point!

If you're really looking to spend $5,000 you'd be best off putting ~$1,500 into a portable laptop and the rest into a desktop for gaming.

 

[Tsuchigo]

Originally posted by: alimoalem
i just configured a M1710 with extra stuff you probably don't need and it came to $3333, including 4 year warranty.

oh yea, and don't get your hopes up. you won't be finding any laptop within the next year strong enough to do what you expect. no single desktop GPU is strong enough to do what you want, let alone laptop GPU. 8800GTX benchmark

and yea, the M1710's resolution is 1920x1200.

either wait or lower your budget. $5000 on a laptop is by far the stupidest purchase you can make (please take this in the least offensive way possible)

*cough* My current PC is doing that.. *cough* and I kinda agree w/ the 5k stupid thing - I of course don't really know what I'm doing atm ^_^ which is why I'm here

As for the comments of just spending it on a PC - I semi-recently bought a PC as well - so Im not worried about that - I'm trying to focus on mobility now - PC's are a pain in the ass to lug around.

 

[mb]

Originally posted by: Tsuchigo

*cough* My current PC is doing that.. *cough* and I kinda agree w/ the 5k stupid thing - I of course don't really know what I'm doing atm ^_^ which is why I'm here

As for the comments of just spending it on a PC - I semi-recently bought a PC as well - so Im not worried about that - I'm trying to focus on mobility now - PC's are a pain in the ass to lug around.

So are 17" laptops and their power bricks! Do you even know how much desktop space you will have in class for such a large notebook? Believe me you don't want a 17" laptop for bringing to class. Been there, done that. It's "cool" at first, but it gets old quick, especially if you walk to campus or if you have 10 pounds of books in your bag in addition to a 10 pound laptop.

I'd really suggest going with a 14" to 15.4" laptop for ~$1,500. You're not going to be able to do your school work that much better/faster on a $5,000 laptop.

 

[Tsuchigo]

Originally posted by: supafly

Originally posted by: Tsuchigo

*cough* My current PC is doing that.. *cough* and I kinda agree w/ the 5k stupid thing - I of course don't really know what I'm doing atm ^_^ which is why I'm here

As for the comments of just spending it on a PC - I semi-recently bought a PC as well - so Im not worried about that - I'm trying to focus on mobility now - PC's are a pain in the ass to lug around.

So are 17" laptops and their power bricks! Do you even know how much desktop space you will have in class for such a large notebook? Believe me you don't want a 17" laptop for bringing to class. Been there, done that. It's "cool" at first, but it gets old quick, especially if you walk to campus or if you have 10 pounds of books in your bag in addition to a 10 pound laptop.

I'd really suggest going with a 14" to 15.4" laptop for ~$1,500. You're not going to be able to do your school work that much better/faster on a $5,000 laptop.

Meh.. again, I said school was only part of my excuse to go out and get a laptop. Gaming was my other reason. To be honest, I dont really care about the weight. Its not a pc is exactly a pain to lug around, its pain to reconnect. Heh, and I'm going to be going to Illinois Institute of Art, so.. I wont really have to carry it around much either. I just want something that I can plop down and get back to what I was doing. And because of the gaming part of my reason for this, I'd like at least a 17' screen. I'm very well aware of the fact that laptops aren't the cheap, nor are they really made for gaming, but none the less, this is what I want to do.

Thanks for all the input so far, its helped me out quite a bit.
Right now - what I'm looking at is probably the NP5960-V
The setup I have is -
Processor: AMD Turion 64 X2 TL-60
Vid Card: Nvidia Quadro FX2500mPCI-Express 16X Graphics w/ 512 DDR2
Ram: 2GB DDR2 SDRAM at 667 MHz

Comments on that setup?

 

[mb]

Are you going to be doing 3D design and what not? Because the Quadro is made more for that than it is for gaming. The Go 7950 GTX will give you far better gaming performance if that's your priority.

I would also look for something with an Intel Core 2 Duo.. they are much faster than the Turion's.

I still strongly urge you to go with a 15.4" laptop... but it's not my money.

 

[Tsuchigo]

Thank you ^_^ Now thats something I needed to know ^_^ and when I think about it, I suppose the 15.4 is actually a good idea. The main game I was kinda looking to play on this laptop, was WoW. For that I dont really need a very large screen, if I want to play any FPS or like that and need a larger screen, I could just hit up my PC.

tyvm ^_^

 

[alimoalem]

Originally posted by: Tsuchigo
*cough* My current PC is doing that.. *cough* and I kinda agree w/ the 5k stupid thing - I of course don't really know what I'm doing atm ^_^ which is why I'm here

As for the comments of just spending it on a PC - I semi-recently bought a PC as well - so Im not worried about that - I'm trying to focus on mobility now - PC's are a pain in the ass to lug around.

then obviously you don't have a monitor that has a native resolution of 1920x1200. i never said your computer can't run at 60FPS, i said no desktop GPU can do 60FPS at 1920x1200. did i specifically state that? no. the sentence after did i state what the M1710's resolution is? yes.

in response to your more recent posts, it really seems like you've done no research whatsoever. as supafly mentioned, Quadros are for 3D and business apps, not gaming. it's not that they can't be used for gaming but a Quadro would lose against a gaming card worth half as much.

the best advice i can give you at this time is if you're going to ask for people's opinions/help, come with an open mind.
"don't get a 17". "i want to."

"spend $1500 on a laptop, $1500 on a desktop." "i don't want to carry a desktop around."

"it's not like a 17" is 2lbs." "i don't have to walk that much"

your arguments make no sense AT ALL. you want a laptop to game with because you need to take it around with you on a daily basis (or at least 2 times a week). this makes sense not to get a desktop, but it doesn't mean it makes sense to get a 17" notebook, ESPECIALLY for a student. i have a 14.1" laptop. in some classes, i feel it's too big.

then there's the contradiction to getting a desktop. are you going to be living at your lab/class? if yes, then why do you need a laptop. if no, then are you going to be living in a dorm/apartment/condo/some form of home? if yes to this, where are you more likely to game: at home or at school? hopefully at home. so why can't you have a desktop to game on?

Asus 14" laptop with a T7200, 1gb ram, 120GB HDD, dvd burner, X1700 GPU, etc = $1300.

E6600, 8800GTS 512mb, 2gb ram, asus p5b or gigabyte ds3, optical drive, 500GB seagate 7200.10 or equivalent WD, case, psu with tax and shipping is less than $1500.
any argument you have will not justify wasting $2000 more than you need to.

anyways i call shens on this. no one comes asking about a $5000 laptop purchase with little to no knowledge about the purchase.

 

[Tsuchigo]

Originally posted by: alimoalem

Originally posted by: Tsuchigo
*cough* My current PC is doing that.. *cough* and I kinda agree w/ the 5k stupid thing - I of course don't really know what I'm doing atm ^_^ which is why I'm here

As for the comments of just spending it on a PC - I semi-recently bought a PC as well - so Im not worried about that - I'm trying to focus on mobility now - PC's are a pain in the ass to lug around.

then obviously you don't have a monitor that has a native resolution of 1920x1200. i never said your computer can't run at 60FPS, i said no desktop GPU can do 60FPS at 1920x1200. did i specifically state that? no. the sentence after did i state what the M1710's resolution is? yes.

in response to your more recent posts, it really seems like you've done no research whatsoever. as supafly mentioned, Quadros are for 3D and business apps, not gaming. it's not that they can't be used for gaming but a Quadro would lose against a gaming card worth half as much.

the best advice i can give you at this time is if you're going to ask for people's opinions/help, come with an open mind.
"don't get a 17". "i want to."

"spend $1500 on a laptop, $1500 on a desktop." "i don't want to carry a desktop around."

"it's not like a 17" is 2lbs." "i don't have to walk that much"

your arguments make no sense AT ALL. you want a laptop to game with because you need to take it around with you on a daily basis (or at least 2 times a week). this makes sense not to get a desktop, but it doesn't mean it makes sense to get a 17" notebook, ESPECIALLY for a student. i have a 14.1" laptop. in some classes, i feel it's too big.

then there's the contradiction to getting a desktop. are you going to be living at your lab/class? if yes, then why do you need a laptop. if no, then are you going to be living in a dorm/apartment/condo/some form of home? if yes to this, where are you more likely to game: at home or at school? hopefully at home. so why can't you have a desktop to game on?

Asus 14" laptop with a T7200, 1gb ram, 120GB HDD, dvd burner, X1700 GPU, etc = $1300.

E6600, 8800GTS 512mb, 2gb ram, asus p5b or gigabyte ds3, optical drive, 500GB seagate 7200.10 or equivalent WD, case, psu with tax and shipping is less than $1500.
any argument you have will not justify wasting $2000 more than you need to.

anyways i call shens on this. no one comes asking about a $5000 laptop purchase with little to no knowledge about the purchase.

Yea, either useful info, or dont even post. No kidding I haven't done my homework, why do you think I'm here. Not for flames, for help. I want a laptop so if I want to get on a comp while at my dad's place or out somewhere I'd like to have access to a comp. My desktop is more than good enough - I'm not interested in a desktop, I'm interested in this purely for the mobility. Thats what they're for. I deal with PC's, I've never even considered a laptop before this, so I know nothing about them, or their price ranges. Its not your choice if I want a laptop or not, its mine, and I've made the decision, now I need help on how to go about it - thats all. And for what you said about an open mind - I'm trying to - this is new territory for me. I'll take input for what I should be looking for in a laptop, but I've made up my mind that I want one. I have more reasons than just school and games.
Now- here is what I'm now looking at based on your info supafly.
New config:

Processor: Intel Core 2 Duo T7600 2.33ghz w/ 4m L2 Cache - 667MHz FSB
Ram: 2gig DDR2/667 Dual channel
Vid card: nVidia GeForce Go 7950 GDDR3

Its a 17' screen, I can't find any laptops with the same processor/vid card that I trust right now.

Also, if someone would like to post what they'd make if they were going to make a laptop capable of playing games fairly well, that'd be appreciated as well. I'm taking shots in the dark here, I've been looking up bookmarks and such, but its taking a while.

Also, if someone would like to post what they'd make if they were going to make a laptop capable of playing games fairly well, that'd be appreciated as well. I'm taking shots in the dark here, I've been looking up bookmarks and such, but its taking a while.

Thoughts again appreciated

-Tsuchigo

 

[alimoalem]

Originally posted by: Tsuchigo
Yea, either useful info, or dont even post. No kidding I haven't done my homework, why do you think I'm here.

yea, seeing as how you only have 6 posts and have never set foot in the notebook forum, i don't think you're in position to dictate. go post in General Hardware with a thread topic "want a computer" and posting "what should i get?" in the Original Post. you're in college right? get used to doing your homework first.

my posts may have been harsh but you've shown no effort to gain my sympathy.

Originally posted by: Tsuchigo
I want a laptop so if I want to get on a comp while at my dad's place or out somewhere I'd like to have access to a comp. My desktop is more than good enough - I'm not interested in a desktop, I'm interested in this purely for the mobility. Thats what they're for. I deal with PC's, I've never even considered a laptop before this, so I know nothing about them, or their price ranges.

there's nothing wrong with having a laptop, i have one myself. what i, along with a couple other posters, meant by saying get a desktop and a laptop was use the desktop for gaming, use the laptop for everything else. you say you're interested in this purely for mobility. go pick up a 17" floor model. see how mobile it is. you say you have no experience with laptops yet you speak so surely of what you need. i, along with the others that have posted in this thread, speak from experience, and we know there are better alternatives.

Originally posted by: Tsuchigo
Its not your choice if I want a laptop or not, its mine, and I've made the decision, now I need help on how to go about it - thats all. And for what you said about an open mind - I'm trying to - this is new territory for me. I'll take input for what I should be looking for in a laptop, but I've made up my mind that I want one.

i never said in any of my posts not to get a laptop, nor did anyone else. about the open-mindedness, i'm glad to hear this.

Originally posted by: Tsuchigo
Now- here is what I'm now looking at based on your info supafly.
New config:

Processor: Intel Core 2 Duo T7600 2.33ghz w/ 4m L2 Cache - 667MHz FSB
Ram: 2gig DDR2/667 Dual channel
Vid card: nVidia GeForce Go 7950 GDDR3

Its a 17' screen, I can't find any laptops with the same processor/vid card that I trust right now.

Also, if someone would like to post what they'd make if they were going to make a laptop capable of playing games fairly well, that'd be appreciated as well. I'm taking shots in the dark here, I've been looking up bookmarks and such, but its taking a while.

the T7600 is a waste of money over the T7200. it's a waste of $425, especially if gaming will be your most intensive task (meaning your CPU isn't the bottleneck). if you were looking for a 7900GS, your options would be a lot more open, but otherwise i would go with the Dell XPS M1710.

CPU: T7200
RAM: 2GB
HDD: 80GB 7200rpm drive. if you need more space, get an external as it's preferred to have a 7200rpm drive in your notebook if you're a hardcore gamer.
Optical: DVD burner
Video Card: 7950GTX
Bluetooth upgrade
$430 for 3 years of protection for your laptop (at-home service, anti-virus/spyware suite, LoJack AntiTheft protection,CompleteCare Accidental Damage Protection)

Total: $3400

this Sager is also something to consider if you were to go with a 7950GTX. only downfall is the warranty, but it'll save you ~$700

what i think you should get: this Asus A8J for $1550 or this Asus A8J for $1300. the difference is the $1550 has a GeForce 7700Go, while he $1300 one has a MR X1700. the 7700 Go is BARELY faster. might get you 1-2fps more. with either of these laptops, you'll be able to play games at pretty good settings, have a real ideal school laptop (5.25lbs, 14" widescreen), get good quality, and won't break the bank. if you really have something for 15.4" laptops (not sure why), the 15.4" equivalents are also sold at newegg for about the same price.

i'm in college and have no time for gaming. free time is spent with friends. some weekends i'm with my family. weigh out your needs, evaluate yourself, and consider the other things in life that may change as a result of your going to college. i don't mean to preach but you learn to appreciate things you once didn't when entering college. i know many people that were intense gamers that don't game anymore.

enjoy whatever you purchase, and later on, please don't take recommendations lightly. i do my best not to be aggressive (check any of my other 3000 posts), but sometimes it's the only way people listen

 

[IlllI]

if the only thing you might be playing is wow... then that 7950 will probably be overkill. wow is already 2+ years old, so its not going to demand a lot of horsepower. for me it ran pretty well @1280x1024 with a 9800pro with xp3200 proc

 

[gpimlott]

Can't believe such a simple question devolves so easily.

I am also looking for the Exact same type notebook as you, Tsuchigo.
For different reasons but Identical needs..

I have looked into the 1710 and also the Alienware notebooks that fit the bill.
They are both $3300-$4500.

Does anyone have any more options.. from semi reputable companies or with some sort of warranty confidence.
I know the nvidia 8 series will release in May.. but I expect that 5k would be a LOW end machine at least for 3q and 4q 2007.
Not an option as I will need to make a purchase in 2Q no matter what.


In all possible politeness.

Please refrain from explaining why I won't want a larger screen or how I won't actually use it for what I am requesting advice on..

Thank you.. and look forward to more on topic discussion.

 

[RedWolf]

You're going to art school and you aren't looking at a mac? Most graphic designers I know are mac-centric. You might check with your colleges IT department to see what they suggest. Not that you can't do graphic design on a pc. You can do it very well. However, the industry is more mac than pc.

Anyway, to make this more relevant, you can get a macbook pro 17". Unfortunately, it only comes with an x1600 so it wouldn't be anywhere near as good for gaming as an XPS.

One advantage of the dell laptops is that often (not always) you can upgrade the gpu for a single generation. The ones that came with the 6800 Ultras were upgradeable to the 7800 GTX.

 

[jwilson02]

ok here is what i recommend,...im a graphic designer and college student on a budget

I got the e1705 from dell outlet, i got a core duo proc, 1gb ddr2, 80gb sata, 17" WUXGA 1920x1200 rez, 8xdvdrw drive, wifi, 7900gs go, with 10% off dell outlet for $999 bucks out the door after taxes n shipping. I would go that route, i ordered a similar one for $740 with a crappier proc and it busted and they ended up upgrading me to a $2000 dollar core 2 duo laptop...look around on dell outlet, and use the 10% off code.

 

[jdoggg12]

You have to ask... how much "hardcore" gaming you gonna do away from home? Likely, you just need a *good* laptop ~$2k that will play your games at at-least med settings and keep your GFX fix for home with a 22"+ monitor and the hardware to push it

 

[IEC]

Originally posted by: Spartan Niner
IMO it'd be much cheaper to get a portable laptop and buy a new desktop. Also, you'll find you probably won't have a lot of time for gaming anyways...

I'm going to re-quote myself because the statement remains true.

I'm by no means a "hardcore" gamer, but I do game a bit more than casually.

I have a desktop (cost <$750):
19" Viewsonic WS
Pentium D 930 (upgrade from A64 3200+)
Gigabyte DS3 (upgrade from eVGA NF4 SLi)
ATI X850XT 256MB
2x1GB DDR2-667 (upgrade from 2x512MB Corsair VS)

Runs everything I throw at it fine, I don't mind if I don't get the game absolutely maxed out.

I have a laptop (cost <$150):
12" Touchscreen LCD
Celeron 850MHz
256MB RAM/20GB hdd

Good enough for my needs. I buy almost everything used these days. Only thing listed that's new is the <$125 shipped 2x1GB Super-Talent RAM

Of course if you have $5000 to spend I imagine you won't listen to what I have to say... I am a frugal college student after all...

 

[gpimlott]

My home system is a Amd 4600
7950 Nvidia
21" Monitor
and
2gb ram.

I am looking for something that will play Vanguard and any new games that come along during the "lifespan" of the laptop.. That means I would guess around 2 years of gaming.. quite a bit of time in the Tech world.

I will be out of town on business for weeks at a time.. so I want something that will Duplicate.. not just "get me by" until I get back to the desktop.

I appreciate the discourse.

 

[mbaldi]

im very happy with my m1710. i think i paid around 3300 shipped with tax. the onlymajor upgrades i got where the 7950 gtx and 2 gb of ram.

battery life is definitely an issue, but im very rarely in a situation where i dont have a power outlet. you can also get extra batteries.

desktop space is a minor issue for me as well, itd be a very small desk if you couldnt fit this laptop on it. like on an airplane in coach it wouldnt fit on one of the fold down trays... but it would fit on your lap just fine.

i guess for a lap top its heavy. but its by no mean a burden, maybe if you are a small child, woman or elderly.

as for performance i dont play fps so its hard for me to really gauge a true test of performance. i do play daoc (mmorpg) at 1920 by 1200 with max settings and only experience a fps hit when there are lots of people around casting lots of spells and things (40 to 100 ppl im talking.)

the display is very crips obviously at 1920 by 1200. compared to my dell 24" lcd the color and brightness arent as good but refresh rate is good.

one thing i do not like about it is its a very flashy notebook. the case is really fancy and has lights and what not. i much prefer something that calls less attention.

 

[gpimlott]

Thanks for the info on the 1710. thats my leading candidate.. probably in unassuming black. heh.

How is the heat if its sitting on your lap? Also.. which CPU did you go for? I will probably go for the low side of the bleeding edge. where ever the price point happens to be in the next month..

Of Course I still have to see what laptops come out with the mobile version of the nvidia 8 series. Directx 10 might be a futureproofing step if it is anywhere below 4k.

 

[mbaldi]

it gets pretty warm when gameing. another thing, the fans are definitely noticeable when gameing. most likely you will want to be a ta desk when gameing though. ive never actually sat with it on my lap for any significant duration.

but for video play back (even 1080P video) i havent had the fans kick on.