No updating graphics in laptops.
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Gamer-approved laptop recommendation thread
- Thread starter dLMN8R
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No updating graphics in laptops.
That Samsung is a good deal at $599.
The Asus has a much slower CPU and the GPU is about equal, but can at times be much better when the shaky Crossfire is working. Judging by how poorly AMD's Xfire drivers have been performing lately, don't bank on them.
The Sammy is the much more reliable option.
What kind of gaming are you looking to do? List some games, and we'll go from there.
Up the budget by $100 and buy This Asus G74.
It would be silly to not do so, as it utterly outclasses every machine you linked in the department of graphics power.
That's not universally true, but should be assumed for most low-end machines.
Emerson
May contain jokes =>
I'm not an expert but is that really true? I thought high end laptops could.
As far as games, ideally something that could run Skyrim, Battlefield, etc but not on High or anything. My current laptop can't run Renegade Ops or The Witcher 1 so stuff like that on decent settings would be nice.
Essentially I guess what I'm looking for is the best gaming performance I can get under 600, if such a thing exists.
Emerson
May contain jokes =>
Thanks for the recommendation. I'd be willing to spend that probably but I do need something available on Amazon since that's where all my money is.
Closest Amazon analog.
If you don't mind a 14", there's also this.
There's this.
6750M is going to average a 30% advantage over the 540M.
A GT 555M equipped machine will run you ~$800.
added_time
Member
Thanks for all your help with my questions K.Jack!
I got my my laptop yesterday and it seems really good (once you remove all the weird things ASUS has pre-installed)
I got my my laptop yesterday and it seems really good (once you remove all the weird things ASUS has pre-installed)
i wanna buy a laptop which is able to play games... of the last 2 years at least
Intel Core i5-2410M Dual Core Prozessor
8192 MB DDR3
NVIDIA GeForce GT 525M 1GB VRAM
should this be enough?
here is the (german) link: http://www.notebooks...ook+ah531+84990
worth the 559,00?
Intel Core i5-2410M Dual Core Prozessor
8192 MB DDR3
NVIDIA GeForce GT 525M 1GB VRAM
should this be enough?
here is the (german) link: http://www.notebooks...ook+ah531+84990
worth the 559,00?
Nope. Anything with a 540M is a safe bet but playing games of the past two years will require a 6770M. In this case, the HP Pavillon dv6 brand is the way to go.
The HP Pavilion dv7-6b04eg which is also equipped with a 6770M is 749 €.
By the way, does anyone have some experience with the AMD Radeon HD 7670M ? How is the performance in comparision with the 5650 ?
Hey guys,
my friend is in the market for a laptop with a budget of $650 at most, now I just read some posts in this thread and saw this posted http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834214495 Is this the best at the budget?
He wants to do some gaming, mostly valve games and maybe witcher 2 if its possible in that price range.
my friend is in the market for a laptop with a budget of $650 at most, now I just read some posts in this thread and saw this posted http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834214495 Is this the best at the budget?
He wants to do some gaming, mostly valve games and maybe witcher 2 if its possible in that price range.
Johnlenham
Member
Laptop looks good- has shit internals
Laptop looks hideous - has great internals
Been looking for bloody ages and still not had any luck finding something that ticks all the boxes. Feels like im chasing a rainbow lol
Laptop looks hideous - has great internals
Been looking for bloody ages and still not had any luck finding something that ticks all the boxes. Feels like im chasing a rainbow lol
What kind of games can this run?
i5-2430M processor 2.40 GHz
NVIDIA GeForce GT 525M - N12P-GE 1GB
8GB,DDR3,2 DIMM
It'll be my dad's. He doesn't care about gaming. But I'd like to try out SW:TOR and maybe some other stuff while I wait a month or two to build a desktop.
Edit:
Notebookcheck says the 6770M benches 56fps on Crysis 2 in medium settings and the the 525M gets 34.5 fps.
Crysis 2 requires a NVidia 8800GT with 512Mb RAM while SW:TOR requires nVidia 7800 with 256MB.
So... pulling it out of my ass... the GT 525M should get 40-50 FPS on medium?
i5-2430M processor 2.40 GHz
NVIDIA GeForce GT 525M - N12P-GE 1GB
8GB,DDR3,2 DIMM
It'll be my dad's. He doesn't care about gaming. But I'd like to try out SW:TOR and maybe some other stuff while I wait a month or two to build a desktop.
Edit:
Notebookcheck says the 6770M benches 56fps on Crysis 2 in medium settings and the the 525M gets 34.5 fps.
Crysis 2 requires a NVidia 8800GT with 512Mb RAM while SW:TOR requires nVidia 7800 with 256MB.
So... pulling it out of my ass... the GT 525M should get 40-50 FPS on medium?
This seems like a steal for $679. I customized HP dv6z Quad Edition btw:
My only concern is the quality of the laptop and the heat.
Code:
Operating system: Genuine Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit edit
Processor: AMD Quad-Core A8-3510MX Accelerated Processor (2.5GHz/1.8GHz, 4MB L2
Graphic card: 1GB GDDR5 Radeon(TM) HD 6750M Graphics
Memory: 6GB DDR3 System Memory (2 Dimm)
Hard Drive: 640GB 5400 rpm Hard Drive
Battery: Primary battery 6 Cell Lithium Ion Battery (standard)
Display: 15.6" High Def LED HP Brightview (1366x768)
SuperMulti 8X DVD+/-R/RW with Double Layer Support
Personalization HP TrueVision HD Webcam with Integrated Digital Microphone and HP SimplePass Fingerprint Reader
802.11b/g/n WLAN and Bluetooth(R)
Keyboard Standard Keyboard with numeric keypadMy only concern is the quality of the laptop and the heat.
RumblingRosco
Member
I'm sure you guys are tired of netbook questions, but my girlfriend is looking for a netbook between 11-13" for under $400, including tax/shipping/a case (she already has a mouse). She would like it for web browsing and Office-usage to bring to some of her classes in grad school. HDD size isn't an issue as long as it's above 100 GB (which seems to be a non-issue anyway).
I was thinking the Asus 1215b, but it seems a bit out of the price range. Instead, I'm fairly sure the Acer AO722-0473 (or, -0611, -c62kk, -0667) seem to be the best option. Any thoughts/comments? Besides a smaller HD in the -0611, I don't see a difference between these models... am I missing something?
I was thinking the Asus 1215b, but it seems a bit out of the price range. Instead, I'm fairly sure the Acer AO722-0473 (or, -0611, -c62kk, -0667) seem to be the best option. Any thoughts/comments? Besides a smaller HD in the -0611, I don't see a difference between these models... am I missing something?
That will game pretty respectably at 720p, with overclocking of the GPU to as close to 540M speeds as possible being recommended.
Yes, immediately. The 6860M stomps all over the 6770M/6750M by close to 40%.
1. The 525M and the 540M are the same exact card, at different clocks.
2. The 7600M series is a direct rebrand (with slightly higher clocks) of the 6700M series, which is pretty much 2x the speed of the 5650M.
Yeah the i5 and 525M/540M is pretty much standard at ~$600. But hold off, because it looks like the HP DV6 is coming down in price rapidly.
See post #3220 below.
What's your budget?
The 525M will run TOR on medium easily at 720p, yes.
How did you get this so cheaply? That's amazing at under $700. Was it a certain coupon, or are they such at clearance prices now?
As long as there's no significant difference in processor/graphics speed, I'd take the cheaper version.
Maybe someone can help me out. I have a GT540M which outputs to a secondary 5:4 monitor.
I want to run games at 1280x720 and have them letterbox to the correct aspect ratio. Apparently I'm supposed to be able to do this via NVidia CP under "Display"
but all I have is this
and everything stretches to fill the screen unless I run it in a window.
I want to run games at 1280x720 and have them letterbox to the correct aspect ratio. Apparently I'm supposed to be able to do this via NVidia CP under "Display"
but all I have is this
and everything stretches to fill the screen unless I run it in a window.
The Teachinator
Banned
I just got this yesterday
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834152292
As far as laptops go I've always been a Mac guy and will still use them for work. I really like the build quality on the MSI though! Which surprised me. The thing plays SKyrim and TOR on high settings which kind of surprised me as well. So far it is a great companion to my HTPC.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834152292
As far as laptops go I've always been a Mac guy and will still use them for work. I really like the build quality on the MSI though! Which surprised me. The thing plays SKyrim and TOR on high settings which kind of surprised me as well. So far it is a great companion to my HTPC.
LyarVonLyar
Neo Member
Maybe someone can help me out. I have a GT540M which outputs to a secondary 5:4 monitor.
I want to run games at 1280x720 and have them letterbox to the correct aspect ratio. Apparently I'm supposed to be able to do this via NVidia CP under "Display"
but all I have is this
and everything stretches to fill the screen unless I run it in a window.
I'm not at my laptop to help further, but first I would make sure the game is using the 540m and that Optimus isn't derping. Also can you tell us what game you've tested this on. I've noticed some games modify aspect ratio/display more easily than others.
I know, I just went on the the site and customized a midrange laptop. Here's the link http://www.shopping.hp.com/webapp/s...s/All_laptop_&_tablet_PC_series/dv6zqe_series
Theres also an instant $100 rebate so that could be why.
The Teachinator
Banned
I'm sure you could play it to some degree but I'm sure other's here could tell you what it would be like. The game is way too hyped IMO. Portal 2 FTW!
Thanks K.Jack, will definitely jump on it 
If you are using a digital connection, you should see this:
If you are using VGA, you have to create a custom resolution, which is kinda annoying since it requires quite a bit of trial and error, and doesn't always work.
There are a lot of options missing there... did you try reinstalling the driver?but all I have is this
and everything stretches to fill the screen unless I run it in a window.
If you are using a digital connection, you should see this:
If you are using VGA, you have to create a custom resolution, which is kinda annoying since it requires quite a bit of trial and error, and doesn't always work.
linko9
Member
Hey, just thought I'd pop in and say I got a Lenovo W520, and am extremely pleased with its performance. Runs most recent stuff (Mass Effect 2, Arkham City, Portal 2) at above 30 fps (Often 60) at max settings (other than 2x AA) at 1600x900. Cost ~1200, but I needed something reliable after owning a Dell for the past 4 years.
I know its on the demanding side. :s I do want to know if I'll be able to play most modern pc games with average settings on this thing though.
Thanks K.Jack, will definitely jump on it
There are a lot of options missing there... did you try reinstalling the driver?
If you are using a digital connection, you should see this:
[IaMG]http://i.imgur.com/qVG0x.png[/IMG]
If you are using VGA, you have to create a custom resolution, which is kinda annoying since it requires quite a bit of trial and error, and doesn't always work.
I had the latest drivers, then updated to the latest beta drivers...nothing. I don't even get those options if I hook it up via HDMI or just using the built in display. When I ran at a lower res on the main display, it did display in the proper res/AR, but still no way to control anything.
electroshockwave
Member
Is there anyone from the UK/Europe here who could recommend a laptop that's able to play Source games, Skyrim, and maybe the Witcher 2 with good performance for less than £500?
When I first got my G53SW a few months ago, I was having some video problems with it. Everything seemed to be synonymous with a loose video cable, so I just rode it out for a while; basically, the biggest issue was that sometimes the screen just wouldn't come on when I powered it up. I could just turn it off and on again and it usually came on fine, though, so again, I just rode it out for a while. When the problem got much worse, I took it to a local shop to fix because I didn't want to have to deal with taking forever to send it back and forth to Taiwan.
Long story short, after two weeks in the shop because they couldn't figure out how to open the damn thing they called back today and said yes, there is a problem with a loose cable, but no, they can't fix it because ASUS refuses to sell parts for their laptops. Now I'm just out the cost of what I've paid to get it fixed already and if I want to use the laptop again I'll still have to go through the Taiwan for a month route.
Really turned off of ASUS right now. I almost just don't want to bother getting it fixed and consider myself out $1500 at this point because I don't want to give them any more money.
Long story short, after two weeks in the shop because they couldn't figure out how to open the damn thing they called back today and said yes, there is a problem with a loose cable, but no, they can't fix it because ASUS refuses to sell parts for their laptops. Now I'm just out the cost of what I've paid to get it fixed already and if I want to use the laptop again I'll still have to go through the Taiwan for a month route.
Really turned off of ASUS right now. I almost just don't want to bother getting it fixed and consider myself out $1500 at this point because I don't want to give them any more money.
Getting my ADP Warranty registered with Asus is a complete joke. Sent in my original card - returned due to them moving years ago without ever updating their warranty cards. Tried to do it on the website - was down for over a week. Finally found another site and it seems to work.
That doesn't sound good, as a few hours ago my Asus G53 started getting these red lines on the screen. I'm guessing I'll probably need to send it in since it's only a few months old. How do I register for the 2 year global warranty? I don't have the box or papers with me right now.
Sad that this doesn't have a godlike OP like the PC thread 
Anywho, I'm looking into a laptop for streaming gaming events. I basically just need a fairly powerful laptop with a USB 3.0 input. Priorities are good/great processing power (doesn't need to be ultra-incredible), a good amount of RAM (although honestly most all configurations have a lot these days), and a high resolution screen, preferably 1080p. Being able to play games is a nice bonus, but I've got a big rig PC for games (that I despise carrying around with me to events).
Can anyone point me in a direction? There are so many options out there, and I'm unfamiliar with everything.
I mostly just want to know what the hot processors are right now, and what's good and what isn't. Relating their power to non-portable processors helps
Anywho, I'm looking into a laptop for streaming gaming events. I basically just need a fairly powerful laptop with a USB 3.0 input. Priorities are good/great processing power (doesn't need to be ultra-incredible), a good amount of RAM (although honestly most all configurations have a lot these days), and a high resolution screen, preferably 1080p. Being able to play games is a nice bonus, but I've got a big rig PC for games (that I despise carrying around with me to events).
Can anyone point me in a direction?
There are so many options out there, and I'm unfamiliar with everything.I mostly just want to know what the hot processors are right now, and what's good and what isn't. Relating their power to non-portable processors helps
What's your budget? That's probably the most important question. Weight is also an important factor to you, so what's an ideal weight? A graphically powerful laptop weighs, on the average, 10-15 lbs. Similarly, the price for 1GB-2GB of graphics and and i5/i7 ranges from about $1000-$1500. Naturally, things such as 1080p are typical for 15 inch or larger screens, less so as screens get smaller (though even Intel Graphics 3000, Intel's integrated graphics card for laptops, can do 1080p video no sweat--granted, you will have to project it to a monitor or something which natively supports such a resolution, if you are using a laptop with a screen that does not have native 1080p resolution).Sad that this doesn't have a godlike OP like the PC thread
Anywho, I'm looking into a laptop for streaming gaming events. I basically just need a fairly powerful laptop with a USB 3.0 input. Priorities are good/great processing power (doesn't need to be ultra-incredible), a good amount of RAM (although honestly most all configurations have a lot these days), and a high resolution screen, preferably 1080p. Being able to play games is a nice bonus, but I've got a big rig PC for games (that I despise carrying around with me to events).
Can anyone point me in a direction?
I mostly just want to know what the hot processors are right now, and what's good and what isn't. Relating their power to non-portable processors helps
My suggestion? Perhaps check out XoticPC.com and their Asus branded laptops, or a Sager. Also, before you buy (cannot emphasize this enough) go to http://NotebookCheck.net and evaluate what you are buying. Their reviews are fantastic, and will give you a great idea of what you will be buying ahead of time. Be aware that they have very high standards, and sometimes and 80% review can be more than enough to get you what you need (there are very few laptops which have received 90% or higher, and it should remembered that the reviews are timely, which means that though laptop A or B may have been an innovative laptop four years ago, it could be a junker now).
I swear I've been working on a new Gaming Laptop/Notebook Thread OP for months now.... I will get it done hopefully before 2012 hits.Sad that this doesn't have a godlike OP like the PC thread
Anywho, I'm looking into a laptop for streaming gaming events. I basically just need a fairly powerful laptop with a USB 3.0 input. Priorities are good/great processing power (doesn't need to be ultra-incredible), a good amount of RAM (although honestly most all configurations have a lot these days), and a high resolution screen, preferably 1080p. Being able to play games is a nice bonus, but I've got a big rig PC for games (that I despise carrying around with me to events).
Can anyone point me in a direction?
I mostly just want to know what the hot processors are right now, and what's good and what isn't. Relating their power to non-portable processors helps
Anyway, there's basically only 2 CPU options in the average consumer notebook: a dual core from the Sandy Bridge i5-2000M line, or an entry level quad core like the i7-2630QM or 2670QM.
1. There are no quad i5s in the mobile lines.
2. All mobile i5s have Turbo Boost, unlike the dual core desktop i3s, so consider them on the level of similarly i3s but with TB enabled.
3. The two quads I listed are about the speeds of an i7-920 or 930.
Judging by what you need, I hope your budget is over $800....
hahaha what?
Thanks for the reply. I'm thinking I want to hover around $1,000. Weight is no factor. It will be sitting on a table or whatever all the time. Not going to be used casually in my lap very much.
Versatility is key for me. I definitely need an HD output. DVI or HDMI/mini-HDMI. USB 3.0 and a couple other USB ports (although I've got a hub). Oh, and I just remembered, a line-in would be excellent :\ But I believe it's possible to use most microphone ports as line-in ports.
EDIT: Errr it looks like the Blackmagic Intensity Shuttle USB 3.0 capture device is finicky and only works well with certain chipsets and USB buses. I'm gonna look around for the best configurations that work with the capture card and probably return with a selection of choices :O
My mistake. I suppose it's less than that now. Maybe 6-9 lbs. is more realistic.
Still, not light by any means for a laptop.
Ugh, my two best, confirmed-compatible options for the Blackmagic Intensity Shuttle capture card seem to be the MSI GE620 and MSI FX720.
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B004RM7A8M/?tag=neogaf0e-20
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B004RSOFXO/?tag=neogaf0e-20
Neither seem particularly amazing. I know there are a lot more laptops out there that probably work now, but it's a big risk to take... Apparently the USB 3.0 bus needs to be relatively new, and Renesas-based (?). Problem is even finding out whether or not the bus is Renesas-based without trying out the computer myself and loading a utility on it.
EDIT: Apparently a lot of motherboard chipsets don't offer full-speed from USB 3.0: http://blog.brettjames.au.com/?p=63#more-63
EDIT2: I guess the GE620 isn't too bad
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B004RM7A8M/?tag=neogaf0e-20
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B004RSOFXO/?tag=neogaf0e-20
Neither seem particularly amazing. I know there are a lot more laptops out there that probably work now, but it's a big risk to take... Apparently the USB 3.0 bus needs to be relatively new, and Renesas-based (?). Problem is even finding out whether or not the bus is Renesas-based without trying out the computer myself and loading a utility on it.
EDIT: Apparently a lot of motherboard chipsets don't offer full-speed from USB 3.0: http://blog.brettjames.au.com/?p=63#more-63
EDIT2: I guess the GE620 isn't too bad
half a moon
Banned
So it's best to reformat a new laptop right?
What order should I install drivers and Windows 7 updates?
What file system?
What order should I install drivers and Windows 7 updates?
What file system?
I have to say, the shop you took it to is full of incompetents. Two weeks because they couldn't fabricate the machine? It took me seconds to Google 'G53 disassembly', and up pops a Youtube video showing the full process with instructions.
That you would scrap the machine instead of using the warranty is pretty disgusting.
I'll take that bitch off of your hands today, if you want to get rid of it so badly.
The GE620 has everything you've been looking for, so I'd go with that.
No.
Just uninstall any preinstalled software you don't want and let it ride.
I would just buy a cheap wooden lap table.
cr_blah_blah
Member
Any tips for cleaning the black parts of the Asus G74? The matte finish picks up grease noticeably. I tried a kitchen counter wet cloth but it didn't seem to do much.
Know of any? Harder to find than it sounds. 17"
The only thin I can find is: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B003XNB7U8/?tag=neogaf0e-20
cuevas. PhD.
Member
Hey guys I'm looking for:
~$700 New
14-15 inch
School work, light tasks
Taking it to and from school
Even though a long lasting battery would be nice, but would rather have speed
Online purchase is okay
Windows
CD/DVD is fine, no need for blu ray
320GB+
Any type of screen is fine
The big thing: Build quality, I want something that will last and won't start breaking down next year.
~$700 New
14-15 inch
School work, light tasks
Taking it to and from school
Even though a long lasting battery would be nice, but would rather have speed
Online purchase is okay
Windows
CD/DVD is fine, no need for blu ray
320GB+
Any type of screen is fine
The big thing: Build quality, I want something that will last and won't start breaking down next year.
My wife has an Acer AO722 that cost $330 at BJs and I think it's great, apart from the fact she won't let me move the taskbar to the side of the screen to maximize vertical real estate. Everything's snappy, including Office 2007 and Plants vs. Zombies. There was a fair bit of bloatware to remove, but I kind of enjoyed doing that.
Depends on what you call running. Yes, you can boot the game. Will it play very nice? Not really. Expect 20fps MAX at the native resolution (1366x768)
You can play alot of games quite decently. I'm running saints row 3 at 30-40fps at native with a few settings off, battlefield 3 medium at native @ 30-50fps. It's a really good budget card which allows for good gaming for the medium-end games. I love the card and my laptop was dirtcheap (500-600€ with the same specs as yours, only it was an ASUS)
Things like Metro and Witcher 2 are most definitely a no-go for eyecandy & good framerate. Dropping settings or resolution might get you playable framerates, I don't know for sure. I think skyrim runs pretty nice on it as well, but I don't own it (or witcher 2 or metro, I'm mostly judging from benchmarks here). It all depends on what you're planning to play and HOW you want to play.
Ask away for games wether they run/don't run.
Was advised that this is the best trend to ask about this:
I'm looking to get a new laptop and I'm eyeing up two very similar ones with one major difference being the processor.
I'm a complete PC gaming newbie and only really need a moderately decent one, nothing super powerful, but enough to run something like Sonic Generations without too many hiccups.
So which of these is better? Both laptops have 6GB of RAM, 64-bit Windows 7 etc.
Intel® Core™ i5-2430M processor (2.4 GHz, 3 MB L3 cache)
or
AMD A8-3500M (2MB L2 cache) AMD Radeon HD 6620G Discreet-Class
Thanks!
EDIT: from other sites it sounds like the Intel is best for Adobe CS5 suite stuff and the AMD better for gaming. The CS5 speed is most important really so edging towards that.
I'm looking to get a new laptop and I'm eyeing up two very similar ones with one major difference being the processor.
I'm a complete PC gaming newbie and only really need a moderately decent one, nothing super powerful, but enough to run something like Sonic Generations without too many hiccups.
So which of these is better? Both laptops have 6GB of RAM, 64-bit Windows 7 etc.
Intel® Core™ i5-2430M processor (2.4 GHz, 3 MB L3 cache)
or
AMD A8-3500M (2MB L2 cache) AMD Radeon HD 6620G Discreet-Class
Thanks!
EDIT: from other sites it sounds like the Intel is best for Adobe CS5 suite stuff and the AMD better for gaming. The CS5 speed is most important really so edging towards that.
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