"Jagvar" (Jagvar)
05/03/2015 at 15:58 • Filed to: None
0
33|
"Jagvar" (Jagvar)
05/03/2015 at 15:58 • Filed to: None | 0
| 33 |
Hey Oppo. I know that some of you are computer people. I’m really not. My six-year-old Dell XPS 630i is on its way out, and I need to replace it. My entire life, I’ve only had desktop computers, and I’m ready for the convenience of a laptop.
I’m not a big gamer. Mostly, I just use my computer for editing photos and messing around on the internet. But I am a
casual
gamer, and I want my next computer to be able to run a very graphics-heavy game: GTA V. And I want it to perform as well as possible.
People have told me, “Oh, you don’t want a laptop for gaming. Get a desktop.” But I really, really want a laptop. I’ve had desktops my whole life, and I’m ready for something portable. I want a single computer that I can use for everything. I’m not going to buy a computer and then buy a second computer just for gaming. Like I said, I’m not a big enough gamer to justify that.
Can anyone recommend a good machine? My max budget is $1,100, but I’d prefer to spend less if I can. (Also, it’s worth mentioning that I’m not going to build my own. I’m a simple, plug-and-play kind of guy. Something that I can pick up at Best Buy or Costco and get running in less than an afternoon is ideal.)
TheHondaBro
> Jagvar
05/03/2015 at 15:59 |
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Anything with a strong graphics card and lots of RAM (at least 8GB) will do the trick.
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Jagvar
> TheHondaBro
05/03/2015 at 16:00 |
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That’s encouraging, because the HP I’m considering actually has 12GB of RAM!
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TheHondaBro
> Jagvar
05/03/2015 at 16:01 |
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What graphics card does it have?
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Jagvar
> TheHondaBro
05/03/2015 at 16:03 |
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NVIDIA GeForce GT 840M...any good?
Twingo Tamer - About to descend into project car hell.
> Jagvar
05/03/2015 at 16:04 |
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Have you considered getting a PS4/ XB1 and a decent mid spec laptop? If you’re a casual gamer that might be a better direction and can be a fair bit cheaper.
I paid about £600 for my PS4 and laptop, I really doubt I could’ve got a good gaming laptop for that.
area man
> Jagvar
05/03/2015 at 16:04 |
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I bought this in February: http://m.newegg.com/Product/index?…
It's a pretty decent machine, doesn't look silly like a lot of the other ones. I actually haven't gotten around to getting Grand Theft Auto yet but it runs Beam NG pretty flawlessly, which is way less optimized than GTA.
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TheHondaBro
> Jagvar
05/03/2015 at 16:07 |
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To run GTA V? I wouldn’t count on an 840M to handle it entirely well.
jkm7680
> Jagvar
05/03/2015 at 16:12 |
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http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc…
This one seems pretty good!
Biggus Dickus (RevsBro)
> Jagvar
05/03/2015 at 16:16 |
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Seriously, coming from a guy with an Alienware M17x, just get the fucking tower.
Justino6969
> Jagvar
05/03/2015 at 16:20 |
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I have the older version of this laptop and it’s an insane value for what you get.
http://shop.lenovo.com/us/en/laptops/…
Core i7 4720HQ
1920x1080
16GB RAM
GTX 860M 4GB
1TB drive with 8GB SSD built in
And it’s pretty.
qbeezy
> Jagvar
05/03/2015 at 16:21 |
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Some suggestions:
Avoid laptops that aren’t 64 bit. You’ll need 8gb of RAM or higher.
Avoid GT series or Intel HD graphic. You will definitely have to pay a premium for a better GPU.
GTA is optimized to play on many different high and low end configurations. You may be able to play GTA on low settings and nothing else at all.
Finally make sure it has a 4 core processor. You’ll want that just for future stuff.
Shady Balkan Subject, Drives an Alfa
> Jagvar
05/03/2015 at 16:24 |
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If you really want to somewhat futureproof, you must go with a laptop that has the 980M. Yes it is expensive, but it will be worth your while to get a lot of performance for a lot of time. The 980M has roughly the performance of a desktop 970, but without the silly 3.5 VRAM debacle.
The 880M is also a good choice.
The problem with gaming laptops is the same like prebuild gaming desktops, overkill CPU, a lot of RAM(for now 8GB is enough) and rather mediocre GPU, which then bottlenecks the CPU.
So I will advise you, bring some more money and buy the top of the line shit, because it will last.
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Shady Balkan Subject, Drives an Alfa
> jkm7680
05/03/2015 at 16:25 |
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Very decent choice.
Snooder87
> Biggus Dickus (RevsBro)
05/03/2015 at 16:45 |
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This.
Laptops just aren’t good for graphic heavy gaming. See, the problem isn’t the cost, or that you can’t upgrade a laptop as you need to keep up on a desktop. Or even the small screen and shitty ergonomics on the keyboard. The problem is much simpler and almost impossible to resolve.
Heat. Graphics cards and CPUs put out lots of it. Laptops don’t shed it very well. I had a roommate who gamed (or tried to) on his 2 year old Alienware laptop. He ended up buying a new desktop because the fans failed on his laptop and the high temps were killing it when he tried to play anything. And this was after he basically had it semi permanently mounted on a cooling pad with external fans.
Heat is a real killer. Desktops have room for massive fans and CPU heatsinks or even liquid cooling to resolve it. Laptops just don’t have that room. Its not a problem for now gaming use. And not even for gaming in short sessions. But if you run your CPU at 70 degrees C for hours at a time day after day, it will break. And probably take something else on the motherboard with it.
PS9
> Jagvar
05/03/2015 at 17:08 |
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Go on ahead and write off anything lower than an 880M If you plan on playing the game at 1080p60. You really want something with a 9xx in it, preferably a 970M or better.
jariten1781
> Jagvar
05/03/2015 at 17:14 |
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You don’t want to do it. Trust me, I went down that path and regret it. To really handle modern games at normal or higher settings you need exceptional airflow for the components. There are people out there who put stuff together that can do it, but when you’re pushing them gaming they sound like jets taking off with all the big fans running on tripple turbo. Not only that, they’re crippled laptops for 99 percent of other activities since you’re carrying around tons of extra weight and (most likely) an awkwardly large screen. I’d recommend picking up a tower for gaming and a generation or two old mid-tier business laptop on clearance for day to day stuff. It’ll make you happier.
If you insist on a gaming laptop go to one of those sites where you pick a barebones model and they customize it for you. Get as much RAM and the best graphics card you can afford and mid-tier the rest of the options. I’m partial to MSI for the core system, but the other big names are fine. Don’t say I didn’t warn you though.
Montalvo
> Jagvar
05/03/2015 at 17:19 |
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Whatever you get if you want GTA V to run nicely at 1080p you MUST get a laptop which has a GPU with over 2gb of dedicated ram. You need a decent graphics buffer so for laptops 4gb would be preferred and anything higher would be better. I suggest getting anything with a GTX 9xxm GPU in it you can really benefit from the upgraded tech in it compared to slightly older cards.
No Prius Needed
> Jagvar
05/03/2015 at 17:23 |
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Laptops are really not the way to go for gaming. If you want one that will play it ultra at the native resolution you will be looking at $1400 at the least. Even then, the battery will run out in less than an hour and it will be very heavy. Not to mention you will look like a complete douche pulling out something that has enough LEDS to be an Audi headlight. Also, you will have to bring a mouse wherever you go and running over hordes of civilians does not look good in public.
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Jagvar
> Montalvo
05/03/2015 at 17:35 |
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Would
this laptop
work?
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Montalvo
> Jagvar
05/03/2015 at 17:36 |
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This one checks all the requirements I would want minus an ssd which can be swapped later.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc…
personally, for a laptop to play more heavyweight games I would up my budget to around $1500 because it opens up a lot more options. But if you are on a budget that you need to stick to it, this should have the grunt needed.
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Jagvar
> PS9
05/03/2015 at 17:37 |
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Would
this
fit the bill?
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Jagvar
> Shady Balkan Subject, Drives an Alfa
05/03/2015 at 17:38 |
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Something like
this
, maybe?
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Montalvo
> Jagvar
05/03/2015 at 17:39 |
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It should but there are better deals out there to be honest, although I will say dell has some of the better warranty support if something does go wrong.
SDKR
> Jagvar
05/03/2015 at 17:49 |
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First make sure you can live with a big, heavy, non portable, noisy laptop with a MAX of two hours battery time. I do it, but it’s a big compromise.
I don’t know the American market and what is available, but here are some pointers, if you want it to play new games in the future, and run GTA V in higher quality.
Intel CPU i7-4710HQ or bigger
GPU Nvidia 970 or 980 ( This is important! GTA V is evil on graphics )
RAM 8 gigs or more
Look for something with an SSD, although everything with this sort of power, should have one at this point.
I prefer ASUS laptops, as they come with better cooling.
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Montalvo
> jkm7680
05/03/2015 at 17:59 |
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Only problem with it is the GPU, 2gb is just not enough to run gta v, you need at least 3 to run it comfortably, plus you can get laptops with improved specs and a 960m for the same price elsewhere.
StoneCold
> Jagvar
05/03/2015 at 18:17 |
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I’m on a Y-series right now, and have loved it enough to rebuild it a few times.
http://shop.lenovo.com/us/en/laptops/…
That or:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc…
The Asus won’t have tax, I don’t think, but the Lenovo has the slightly better graphics card. The Asus might be more livable and have a better quality display. But they’re basically the same computer.
I’d give the Asus the slight edge. It’s a generation newer than the one jkm posted.
desertdog5051
> Jagvar
05/03/2015 at 19:43 |
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Hope all that benefited you. Totally went by me. But I am not a gamer.
whiskeybusiness NOW A DANGER TO CROWDS NEAR YOU
> qbeezy
05/03/2015 at 20:04 |
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This is true to a point. For gaming, anything over 8GB ram is completely overkill, unless you play lots of RTS games. Save your sheckles and buy something with a killer graphics card- while you’ll pay a premium for a laptop with a GeForce GTX card, the money is well worth it. Finally, 4-core processors are certainly a plus, but most modern games are still only coded to use 2, and poorly at that.
Kailand09
> Jagvar
05/03/2015 at 21:36 |
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Any Asus republic of gaming style laptop will serve you well. Mine can still run some things 5-6 years later now.
When I bought it, it could still run brand new games on fairly high specs reliably. I’d say that thing held up amazingly well for a long time, especially for the price.
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qbeezy
> whiskeybusiness NOW A DANGER TO CROWDS NEAR YOU
05/04/2015 at 00:29 |
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Great points. I definitely think a 4 core processor is preferable just from a head room point. I have a dual core i5. Then I started to do more processor intensive tasks and found myself bottlenecked. I wish I got the extra cores. I think if it as s better safe than sorry outside of gaming alone.
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Shady Balkan Subject, Drives an Alfa
> Jagvar
05/04/2015 at 02:51 |
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Yes, but I am not big of Alienware, if you can find something from Asus or MSI, it will be much better.
This is rather good and closer to your budget and will get you good for at least 3-4 years of normal gaming, not high, but medium-high.
http://www.amazon.com/G751JT-CH71-17…
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Shady Balkan Subject, Drives an Alfa
> whiskeybusiness NOW A DANGER TO CROWDS NEAR YOU
05/04/2015 at 03:00 |
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We are starting to see much better core support after current gen consoles released, even with their crappy hardware. GTA5 has killer multi-core use.
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Shady Balkan Subject, Drives an Alfa
> Montalvo
05/04/2015 at 03:02 |
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I gat average 55 FPS(some dips, but not bothered) with a slightly better recommended desktop AMD GPU and with almost anything on high so 2GB is not so bad, but yeah for futureproofing, 3+ is needed.