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Gamer-approved laptop recommendation thread
- Thread starter dLMN8R
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yes you probably have to set each game to high priority. go to your steam folder and the .exe should be in there. if that doesn't work, let me know. i got lucky and got a 60xx based model and not a 61xx based model, so I just right click the desktop and choose if I want intel or atiObsessed said:
Alexios
Cores, shaders and BIOS oh my!
Can someone help with this? Cheapest i5 laptop with a dedicated graphics card from somewhere that can ship to Maine?Alextended said:
Or if it would help a lot in pricing then something you feel would still be great for autocad and other design work even if it had integrated graphics, but some of the better ones.
Alextended said:
http://www.buy.com/prod/lenovo-thinkpad-edge-e520-11433bu-15-6-notebook-intel-core-i3-2310m-2/q/loc/101/221166919.html
I just bought this....i don't know if it will be good for autocad though
It's on sale currently for $449, best buy has a toshiba one on sale for $399, but the thinkpad has a matte screen, windows 7 professional and a faster harddrive along with an extra GB of RAM so i don't feel bad for my purchase. As far as i5 goes, do you know if that's a sandy bridge i5 or an older one? If it's an older one, the i3 sandy bridge should be fine. Intel HD 3000 integrated graphics are much better than intel's previous integrated and on par with lower end dedicated cards i believe, but i don't know if they are good enough for what you need.What are your needs? You can go for a traditional laptop bag, which will usually give you the best protection & accessory storage, but they can have disadvantages (like, only being useful for a laptop, and advertising to the world what you're carrying around.)Lkr said:
I needed a combination laptop/overnight bag, so I went for a backpack with laptop sleeve. There are tons of these on the market now, but most are token efforts that provide no real protection. I shopped around and finally settled on a Caribee backpack with good padding, and enough spare room for a weekend away hiking if I want to. Not that I want to.
There's also the shoulder bag / messenger bag style if you want something hip. Here are some Aussie links from my research a few months back:
http://www.booqbags.com/
http://www.crumpler.com.au/
http://www.rushfaster.com.au/
Drinky Crow
Banned
K.Jack said:
that's really odd. the new 27" iMacs use the 6970m and unless apple is hogging their fab lines, i sorely doubt there's a shortage.
Rockman
Member
Hmm. So the 6970M is being phased out? I have the following coming to me soon.
Alienware M18x Space Black Anodized Aluminum
Intel Core i7 2920XM 2.5GHz (3.5GHz w/Turbo Boost, 8MB Cache)
8GB Dual Channel DDR3 at 1333MHz (2DIMMS)
18.4-inch WideFHD 1920 x 1080 WLED
Dual 2GB GDDR5 AMD Radeon HD 6970M - AMD CrossFireX
750GB 7,200RPM SATA 3Gb/s
Internal High-Definition 5.1 Surround Sound Audio
Intel Advanced-N 6200 a/g/n 2x2 MIMO Technology
Bluetooth 3.0
Should I cancel the order and wait for the updated Radeon card. How long until it's avaliable?
Alienware M18x Space Black Anodized Aluminum
Intel Core i7 2920XM 2.5GHz (3.5GHz w/Turbo Boost, 8MB Cache)
8GB Dual Channel DDR3 at 1333MHz (2DIMMS)
18.4-inch WideFHD 1920 x 1080 WLED
Dual 2GB GDDR5 AMD Radeon HD 6970M - AMD CrossFireX
750GB 7,200RPM SATA 3Gb/s
Internal High-Definition 5.1 Surround Sound Audio
Intel Advanced-N 6200 a/g/n 2x2 MIMO Technology
Bluetooth 3.0
Should I cancel the order and wait for the updated Radeon card. How long until it's avaliable?
pancakesandsex
Member
Lkr said:yes you probably have to set each game to high priority. go to your steam folder and the .exe should be in there. if that doesn't work, let me know. i got lucky and got a 60xx based model and not a 61xx based model, so I just right click the desktop and choose if I want intel or ati
Tell me more about this. I picked up the dv6-6091nr and I'm having some trouble getting games to recognize the proper graphics card. Also what are my options for driver updates? Wait for hp or nothing?
make sure you have the stock drivers from the HP website first. if you have done anything else, uninstall, driver sweep in safe mode, and then install the stock drivers. then use windows update to install the latest video driver. finally, install this:pancakesandsex said:
http://support.amd.com/us/kbarticles/Pages/AMDCatalyst115ahotfix.aspx
right click the desktop and hit configure switchable graphics if you want to switch between Intel and ATI. From my experience so far, the Sandy Bridge IGP is pretty damn impressive for streaming HD video btw. This surprised me to be honest, having read tons of shitty things about IGPs over the years(I know that Sandy Bridge is quite a landmark for IGPs). The last time I used was on the 828645G chipset
pancakesandsex
Member
Lkr said:
I'm not too concerned about the video streaming performance wise (though I will be using it, I already set up a homegroup in win7, shit rules) I just want games to recognize the proper video device.
Well that certainly worked for Yar's Revenge. Trying out Phantasy Star Universe now, that one was only detecting the IGP before.
Oh apparently I can no longer switch to the IGP... that's not good. Also PSU still gets locked on the IGP, but won't display proper resolution options (making the config program useless) unless it's in IGP mode.
pancakesandsex
Member
Lkr said:
Ok, explain this like I don't know anything.
Here is where I am at right now:
I am currently running whatever the latest update supplied by windows update/hp update is.
CCC lists a "Driver Packaging Version" of 8.83.6.2-110412a-117442C-HP
Intel Driver Version: 8.15.10.2342
This is the latest available through "normal" channels (windows update in this case).
I tried installing the hotfix once, this did not function properly, switchable graphics options were present in the CCC but not functional, no error messages or anything, it just wouldn't switch anymore. I rolled it back with system restore to the restore point created when I installed the drivers. Bringing me back to the version numbers listed above.
What will I need to do to get this hotfix working properly? Please be as specific as possible, and if any 3rd party programs are involved, assume I've never heard of it and point me in the right direction to get it.
pancakesandsex
Member
Did some more playing around. Reinstalled the 11.5b hotfix. Switchable graphics ceased functioning until I rebooted, then it worked again. So if you try this out, just reboot after for the manual swap to start working again.
Biff
Member
Attention, Canada-GAF: Dell has a gamer-friendly maxed-out XPS 15 on sale for $1099.99 via their daily deal thing. Only available for today.
http://www1.ca.dell.com/content/topics/segtopic.aspx/days_of_deals?c=ca&cs=cadhs1&l=en&s=dhs
XPS 15
2nd generation Intel® Core i7-2630QM processor 2.00 GHz with Turbo Boost 2.0 up to 2.90 GHz
Genuine Windows® 7 Home Premium, 64bit, English
Elemental Silver Aluminum
15.6 FHD B+RGLED TL (1920x1080) and Skype-Certified 2.0MP HD Webcam
8GB Shared Dual Channel DDR3 Memory
750GB 7200 RPM SATA Hard Drive
NVIDIA® GeForce® GT 540M 2GB graphics with Optimus
Tray Load Blu-ray Disc BD-Combo (Reads BD and Writes to DVD/CD)
1 Year Basic Mail-In Service Plan
While this may not be so hot for US-GAF, this is quite hot for Canadians. We don't get your kinds of deals up north XD
I've been tracking prices for a month or so and this is by far the best price us Canadians can get.
Personally, 15" is too big for me as I'm going to be carrying my laptop around all day class-to-class, but hopefully someone else can benefit from the deal.
http://www1.ca.dell.com/content/topics/segtopic.aspx/days_of_deals?c=ca&cs=cadhs1&l=en&s=dhs
XPS 15
2nd generation Intel® Core i7-2630QM processor 2.00 GHz with Turbo Boost 2.0 up to 2.90 GHz
Genuine Windows® 7 Home Premium, 64bit, English
Elemental Silver Aluminum
15.6 FHD B+RGLED TL (1920x1080) and Skype-Certified 2.0MP HD Webcam
8GB Shared Dual Channel DDR3 Memory
750GB 7200 RPM SATA Hard Drive
NVIDIA® GeForce® GT 540M 2GB graphics with Optimus
Tray Load Blu-ray Disc BD-Combo (Reads BD and Writes to DVD/CD)
1 Year Basic Mail-In Service Plan
While this may not be so hot for US-GAF, this is quite hot for Canadians. We don't get your kinds of deals up north XD
I've been tracking prices for a month or so and this is by far the best price us Canadians can get.
Personally, 15" is too big for me as I'm going to be carrying my laptop around all day class-to-class, but hopefully someone else can benefit from the deal.
nelsonroyale
Member
So Kobalt just notified me, on the day of my original ETA 22 June (which I changed because I am not returning to the UK until this Sunday), that the 6970m has been phased due to unspecified "technical issues". My order was made in April I think. Horribly building time.
They gave me a few options, but I have opted for a refund. So as it stands I can either order a laptop for a better price from another seller with the 6970m, or wait for the GTX580 available mid next month. What is the consensus here? The GTX 580 will cots more. I can afford it, but if it doesnt offer much over the 6970m, I am going with that regardless.
Also could anyone tell me if they have experienced any problems with their 6970m?
Appologies for the ramble, but any feedback would be appreciated.
They gave me a few options, but I have opted for a refund. So as it stands I can either order a laptop for a better price from another seller with the 6970m, or wait for the GTX580 available mid next month. What is the consensus here? The GTX 580 will cots more. I can afford it, but if it doesnt offer much over the 6970m, I am going with that regardless.
Also could anyone tell me if they have experienced any problems with their 6970m?
Appologies for the ramble, but any feedback would be appreciated.
nelsonroyale
Member
The 6970m still seems like a better deal to me, because i can either get:
2630Qm
8GB
2 GB 6970m
500 GB optimus XT
1 TB external HD
Office Home
2 year hardware warranty
or
2630Qm
8 GB
GTX 580m
500 GB normal HD
1 year warranty
for about the same price. If the gain in performance is only 10% or so, then I am definitly going for the 6970m. I have still yet to uncover widespread reporting of the technical issues.
2630Qm
8GB
2 GB 6970m
500 GB optimus XT
1 TB external HD
Office Home
2 year hardware warranty
or
2630Qm
8 GB
GTX 580m
500 GB normal HD
1 year warranty
for about the same price. If the gain in performance is only 10% or so, then I am definitly going for the 6970m. I have still yet to uncover widespread reporting of the technical issues.
So I'll admit I have not kept up to speed with specs since I bought my last laptop three years ago. I.E. not sure what sandy bridge is or whether this graphics card will be better than that one.
Basically I'm looking for the best 300-500( I'm flexable to going a bit over 5) dollar laptop out there that will give me bang for my buck.
I've been scanning techbargains and slick deals and unfortunately think I may have passed up my best deal, a Dell 15.6in 1366x768 LED; Intel Core i3-2310M Dual-Core 2.1GHz Sandy Bridge; 3GB RAM; 320GB HDD for $424.
I figured before giving myself the headache of researching everything for hours again I'd try and throw my issue out here and see if any of the resident experts might be able to give me some direction.
Basically I'm looking for the best 300-500( I'm flexable to going a bit over 5) dollar laptop out there that will give me bang for my buck.
I've been scanning techbargains and slick deals and unfortunately think I may have passed up my best deal, a Dell 15.6in 1366x768 LED; Intel Core i3-2310M Dual-Core 2.1GHz Sandy Bridge; 3GB RAM; 320GB HDD for $424.
I figured before giving myself the headache of researching everything for hours again I'd try and throw my issue out here and see if any of the resident experts might be able to give me some direction.
Well, the 485M and 6970M were about equal, while the 580M will probably be clocked high enough to be 10 to 15% faster than the 485M. I don't consider that to be worth the huge premium the new chip demands.nelsonroyale said:
I'd just look for a cheap Acer or Dell. You aren't going to find much variation in that price range.Jonm1010 said:
nelsonroyale
Member
K.Jack said:
Thanks for the response man. My inclination is to go with the 6970m despite the supposed technical issues. If I do have a problem, I can always send it back and ask to upgrade to the GTX 580.
Do you think it is still safe to go with the 6970m?
dragonflys545
Member
I'm thinking about picking up the MSI GT780R when it releases. I was just wondering if anyone knows if MSI laptops are reliable, also what do you think of MSI GT780R does the specs justify the price for this machine?
-MSI GT780R-012US Black 17.3"-inch laptop, Full HD Non-reflection gaming panel/ Intel Core i7-2630QM CPU/ NVIDIA Geforce GTX560M 1.5G GDDR5 graphics/ 16GB (4G*4) DDR3 RAM/1TB (500GBx2) (7200RPM) HDD/DVD Multi
-MSI GT780R-012US Black 17.3"-inch laptop, Full HD Non-reflection gaming panel/ Intel Core i7-2630QM CPU/ NVIDIA Geforce GTX560M 1.5G GDDR5 graphics/ 16GB (4G*4) DDR3 RAM/1TB (500GBx2) (7200RPM) HDD/DVD Multi
^Well, what's the price?
Where are the failures?
I don't even know anyone who's had an issue with the 6970M, in a Dell or Clevo. It would be all over the NBR forums, if failure was endemic of the chip. I'm just not seeing it, at all.nelsonroyale said:
Where are the failures?
nelsonroyale
Member
K.Jack said:
Have no clue to be honest.
Either way, the company has now offered me an upgrade to the 485 reduced, and if I downgrade my warranty from 3 to 2 years it costs me 100 extra quid. Still a bitch, but my current laptop is flatlining. They said they will send it for end of next week, so I am probably just going with that.
I would prefer to go with the 6970m and get all the other stuff I can get from the other company, but the sooner the better for me really. My current laptop is on the edge
dragonflys545
Member
K.Jack said:
Around $1600 lol.
CrushDance
Banned
Hey guys, I need help in purchasing a laptop(Canada). It's going to be for school use mainly but also for some casual gaming and so forth, nothing very intensive 3D wise. I'm trying to find something under $500. i'd like a couple things though: bluetooth, HDMI output and a swivel screen to turn it into a tablet for writing if possible. I'd love some help, thanks.
Anyone here using a 2011 Macbook Pro for any gaming?
I have the 'high end' 15" model with the specs below:
Sandy Bridge i7 @ 2.2GHz
8gb DDR3
500gb 7200 RPM drive
6750 1gb GPU
Games run great in OS X (WoW, Source games, etc), and games run pretty well in BootCamp (BC2, COD4, etc), but I'm looking to max it out.
Would it benefit me to go with an SSD + a 7200rpm secondary in the optibay?
Anyone else have a similar setup?
I have the 'high end' 15" model with the specs below:
Sandy Bridge i7 @ 2.2GHz
8gb DDR3
500gb 7200 RPM drive
6750 1gb GPU
Games run great in OS X (WoW, Source games, etc), and games run pretty well in BootCamp (BC2, COD4, etc), but I'm looking to max it out.
Would it benefit me to go with an SSD + a 7200rpm secondary in the optibay?
Anyone else have a similar setup?
Around $1600, you need to be looking at a P150HM w/ 6970M.dragonflys545 said:
Kobalt has been totally ASS lately. I hope things work out for you.nelsonroyale said:
Stormtrooper30
Member
Looking for a couple laptop recommendations. Will be used primarily for school, so I want it to be fast and light and easy to carry around. Would like a 14 or 15 inch screen and preferably an i7 (or AMD equivalent) processor. I won't be playing a lot of games on it, but I definitely want the ability to play games as I do not want to bring my PC with me. So the ability to play modern games is a must.
A blue-ray drive is not required but a plus. Looking to spend around $1000 but will go over that price as well. Also, since it will be in my backpack it would nice if it had a good warranty and was sturdy.
I'm currently looking at the Dell XPS 15z, the regular XPS 15, and the HP Envy. Am I swinging in the right direction?
A blue-ray drive is not required but a plus. Looking to spend around $1000 but will go over that price as well. Also, since it will be in my backpack it would nice if it had a good warranty and was sturdy.
I'm currently looking at the Dell XPS 15z, the regular XPS 15, and the HP Envy. Am I swinging in the right direction?
dgenx
Made an agreement with another GAF member, refused to honor it because he was broke, but then had no problem continuing to buy video games.
Hi GAF I'm looking to purchase a new laptop.
I've been using an MSI Wind netbook but looking to upgrade because of the lack of GPU and very slow computation.
My expectations is I will be using it to programme. I do not need high end graphics, I'm satisfied even with the lowest settings. However, I want it to be technologically future-proofed.
One of them i'm looking at is the HP dv6, which is quite a powerhouse for money. However, I still do like mobility, and maybe I will not want to go that high end.
So alternatively I'm looking at the Asus 1215B netbook which can run games like crysis on low settings. Also I've read about AMD Fusion A coming out next month which seems to be quite promising, so maybe I will get the Asus k43TA instead. However, what I'm looking to know is how does the current 1215B perform in regards to the newest demanding games, like witcher 2, even on the lowest settings.
I just want to make sure it's future proofed in terms that it can run those games, even though I most probably will not approach them. I am satisfied playing half-life on my MSI Wind
edit: Also, I'm on a budget, so no m11x please.
I've been using an MSI Wind netbook but looking to upgrade because of the lack of GPU and very slow computation.
My expectations is I will be using it to programme. I do not need high end graphics, I'm satisfied even with the lowest settings. However, I want it to be technologically future-proofed.
One of them i'm looking at is the HP dv6, which is quite a powerhouse for money. However, I still do like mobility, and maybe I will not want to go that high end.
So alternatively I'm looking at the Asus 1215B netbook which can run games like crysis on low settings. Also I've read about AMD Fusion A coming out next month which seems to be quite promising, so maybe I will get the Asus k43TA instead. However, what I'm looking to know is how does the current 1215B perform in regards to the newest demanding games, like witcher 2, even on the lowest settings.
I just want to make sure it's future proofed in terms that it can run those games, even though I most probably will not approach them. I am satisfied playing half-life on my MSI Wind
edit: Also, I'm on a budget, so no m11x please.
Mr Solo Dolo
Member
Any recommendations on a video editing laptop? Around $1500 CAD. Helping a buddy out with this one as my other choice was to help him just build a desktop instead.
Specs of the laptop he's looking at
"Used 17" laptop notebook (Clevo W870CU / Sager NP8760)
17 inch (1920x1080)
Intel i7 820QM 3.2 Ghz Quad Core CPU
8GB DDR3 1333 MHz RAM
NVidia GTX 285M GDDR3 1GB
2x 320GB 7200rpm Harddrives
8x Blueray Drive (Read/Write)"
This one is around 1250.
Specs of the laptop he's looking at
"Used 17" laptop notebook (Clevo W870CU / Sager NP8760)
17 inch (1920x1080)
Intel i7 820QM 3.2 Ghz Quad Core CPU
8GB DDR3 1333 MHz RAM
NVidia GTX 285M GDDR3 1GB
2x 320GB 7200rpm Harddrives
8x Blueray Drive (Read/Write)"
This one is around 1250.
All of these options are about equal, in terms of graphics power.Stormtrooper30 said:
The 1215B can not run The Witcher 2's title screen. The 6310 has one tenth of the minimum recommended GPU's power.dgenx said:Hi GAF I'm looking to purchase a new laptop.
I've been using an MSI Wind netbook but looking to upgrade because of the lack of GPU and very slow computation.
My expectations is I will be using it to programme. I do not need high end graphics, I'm satisfied even with the lowest settings. However, I want it to be technologically future-proofed.
One of them i'm looking at is the HP dv6, which is quite a powerhouse for money. However, I still do like mobility, and maybe I will not want to go that high end.
So alternatively I'm looking at the Asus 1215B netbook which can run games like crysis on low settings. Also I've read about AMD Fusion A coming out next month which seems to be quite promising, so maybe I will get the Asus k43TA instead. However, what I'm looking to know is how does the current 1215B perform in regards to the newest demanding games, like witcher 2, even on the lowest settings.
I just want to make sure it's future proofed in terms that it can run those games, even though I most probably will not approach them. I am satisfied playing half-life on my MSI Wind
edit: Also, I'm on a budget, so no m11x please.
You should definitely wait on the Fusion A.
Mr Solo Dolo
Member
K.Jack said:
Pretty much going stock, i'm not planning on getting one until October when BF3 is out so might save my pennies and go for the Asus G53.
BoobPhysics101
Banned
If anyone wants an Asus G73JH, I'm selling mine (still haven't sold it since I got the M17x R3) for $850 + shipping. Has an upgraded 1080p screen + I'll throw in the original 1600x900 screen for free as a backup. Awesome computer, but I've decided to get rid of my gaming laptops because A. I'm buying another S2000 and B. I don't game enough on them to justify the expense. Figured one of you guys would like a cheap G73, especially since it's about as fast as the new G73's and G53's for 30-50% less.
BoobPhysics101
Banned
D3RANG3D said:
Read the first sentence.
MWS Natural
Member
Are there any tablets than can play WoW?
lowlylowlycook
Member
So apparently hp has Llano laptops available.
How about the following for a light gaming laptop. I have a desktop to play anything that needs real power.
HP dv6zqe
Operating system- Genuine Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit
Processor---------- AMD Quad-Core A8-3500M Accelerated Processor (2.4GHz/1.5GHz, 4MB L2 Cache)
Graphics card----- 1GB GDDR5 Radeon(TM) HD Dual Graphics [HDMI, VGA]
Memory----------- FREE Upgrade to 6GB DDR3 System Memory (2 Dimm)
Hard drive -------- 640GB 7200RPM Hard Drive with HP ProtectSmart Hard Drive Protection
Office software---- No Additional Office Software
Security software-- No additional security software
Primary battery---- 6-Cell Lithium-Ion Battery (standard) - Up to 5.5 hours of battery life +++
Display------------ 15.6" diagonal Full HD HP Anti-glare LED Display (1920 x 1080)
Primary optical drive FREE Upgrade to Blu-ray player & SuperMulti DVD burner edit
Personalization----- HP TrueVision HD Webcam with Integrated Digital Microphone and HP SimplePass Fingerprint Reader edit
Networking---------- 802.11b/g/n WLAN and Bluetooth(R) edit
Should be $777 after 30% coupon code.
How about the following for a light gaming laptop. I have a desktop to play anything that needs real power.
HP dv6zqe
Operating system- Genuine Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit
Processor---------- AMD Quad-Core A8-3500M Accelerated Processor (2.4GHz/1.5GHz, 4MB L2 Cache)
Graphics card----- 1GB GDDR5 Radeon(TM) HD Dual Graphics [HDMI, VGA]
Memory----------- FREE Upgrade to 6GB DDR3 System Memory (2 Dimm)
Hard drive -------- 640GB 7200RPM Hard Drive with HP ProtectSmart Hard Drive Protection
Office software---- No Additional Office Software
Security software-- No additional security software
Primary battery---- 6-Cell Lithium-Ion Battery (standard) - Up to 5.5 hours of battery life +++
Display------------ 15.6" diagonal Full HD HP Anti-glare LED Display (1920 x 1080)
Primary optical drive FREE Upgrade to Blu-ray player & SuperMulti DVD burner edit
Personalization----- HP TrueVision HD Webcam with Integrated Digital Microphone and HP SimplePass Fingerprint Reader edit
Networking---------- 802.11b/g/n WLAN and Bluetooth(R) edit
Should be $777 after 30% coupon code.
dun dun dun... Nvidia GTX580m announced
http://www.notebookjournal.de/news/nvidia-neue-gtx-580m-570m-grafikkarten-nkrt-3181
site is in german. specs.
http://www.notebookjournal.de/storage/show/image/image4e08b55f51d90
AMD 6990m where art thou?
http://www.notebookjournal.de/news/nvidia-neue-gtx-580m-570m-grafikkarten-nkrt-3181
site is in german. specs.
http://www.notebookjournal.de/storage/show/image/image4e08b55f51d90
AMD 6990m where art thou?
- Status