Advertisement
If you have a new account but are having problems posting or verifying your account, please email us on hello@boards.ie for help. Thanks :)
Hello all! Please ensure that you are posting a new thread or question in the appropriate forum. The Feedback forum is overwhelmed with questions that are having to be moved elsewhere. If you need help to verify your account contact hello@boards.ie

Cheapest possible gaming laptop

Options
  • 17-12-2007 11:28pm
    #1
    shayser
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,650 ✭✭✭


    What would the most basic gaming laptop be/cost? Would I have to have fast processor/memory/storage or would a Gforce card and everything else bog standard do? What would the minimum specs be? The machine is for a music student who will take it to/from college and then play games in the evening.


Comments

  • Options
    #2
    TerrorFirmer
    Closed Accounts Posts: 29,930 ✭✭✭✭TerrorFirmer


    Most laptops above the 700 euro bracket are sufficient processor and memory wise, it's only the video card you need to worry about but that's also the part that will typically drive price up by a few hundred euro, normally.

    Anything in and around 1.8Ghz+ Dual Core and 2gb memory is fine. Video card....what's your budget, and what are the intended games?

    You can still get the Dell Vostro 1500 with 2Ghz Core 2, 2gb Ram and 8600GT for 880 delivered. You won't really beat that, in terms of performance for money. So if you're inclined to go against Dell, you can expect the same spec for several hundred more from another manufacturer, or considerably inferior specs for the same price. You can see the 8600GT in action here.

    I saw a Sony in the Sony Center yesterday, which was surprisingly decently spec'd for a Sony at the price - 999 euro. 1.8Ghz Core 2, 2gb Ram, 8400GT. Not advisable for the likes of Crysis, but old-ish and less demanding games at high settings are no problem (Half Life 2, Orange Box, Battlefield 2, etc) and newer games like Call of Duty 4 are manageable at medium settings.

    It's hard to recommend the most 'basic' gaming laptop without knowing your intended uses. Some of the integrated graphics available now are good enough that they can play the likes of Half Life 2 at medium-high settings, so dependant on what actual games you are playing, you might not even need the dedicated card of a 'gaming' laptop.


  • Options
    #3
    melekalikimaka
    Moderators, Education Moderators, Music Moderators Posts: 10,686 Mod ✭✭✭✭melekalikimaka


    HavoK wrote: »
    Most laptops above the 700 euro bracket are sufficient processor and memory wise, it's only the video card you need to worry about but that's also the part that will typically drive price up by a few hundred euro, normally.

    Anything in and around 1.8Ghz+ Dual Core and 2gb memory is fine. Video card....what's your budget, and what are the intended games?

    You can still get the Dell Vostro 1500 with 2Ghz Core 2, 2gb Ram and 8600GT for 880 delivered. You won't really beat that, in terms of performance for money. So if you're inclined to go against Dell, you can expect the same spec for several hundred more from another manufacturer, or considerably inferior specs for the same price. You can see the 8600GT in action here.

    I saw a Sony in the Sony Center yesterday, which was surprisingly decently spec'd for a Sony at the price - 999 euro. 1.8Ghz Core 2, 2gb Ram, 8400GT. Not advisable for the likes of Crysis, but old-ish and less demanding games at high settings are no problem (Half Life 2, Orange Box, Battlefield 2, etc) and newer games like Call of Duty 4 are manageable at medium settings.

    It's hard to recommend the most 'basic' gaming laptop without knowing your intended uses. Some of the integrated graphics available now are good enough that they can play the likes of Half Life 2 at medium-high settings, so dependant on what actual games you are playing, you might not even need the dedicated card of a 'gaming' laptop.


    the 8400gt by sony has a whopping 64mb of ram...nothan ks

    just bout to get it then i check it out...balls


  • Options
    #4
    shayser
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,650 ✭✭✭shayser


    Thanks a million Havok. Just what I was looking for.


  • Options
    #5
    Kintarō Hattori
    Registered Users Posts: 14,966 ✭✭✭✭Kintarō Hattori


    melekalikimaka wrote: »
    the 8400gt by sony has a whopping 64mb of ram...nothan ks

    just bout to get it then i check it out...balls

    I have that in my laptop and I've played Half-Life 2 and other games on max settings. It is a little paltry in ths day and age but I've not struggled yet.


  • Options
    #6
    AlmightyCushion
    Moderators, Education Moderators, Technology & Internet Moderators Posts: 35,050 Mod ✭✭✭✭AlmightyCushion


    eo980 wrote: »
    I have that in my laptop and I've played Half-Life 2 and other games on max settings. It is a little paltry in ths day and age but I've not struggled yet.

    Well half life 2 is a pretty old game now and even in it's time it played well on the hardware. Try running something like cod4 or oblivion on it and see how it goes.


  • Advertisement
  • Options
    #7
    TerrorFirmer
    Closed Accounts Posts: 29,930 ✭✭✭✭TerrorFirmer


    melekalikimaka wrote: »
    the 8400gt by sony has a whopping 64mb of ram...nothan ks

    just bout to get it then i check it out...balls

    It uses Turbocache to increase the memory, you're not stuck with 64mb - that's merely the amount of dedicated ram. Turbocache is decent, better then Ati's hypermemory. Most laptop cards use either Turbocache or Hypermemory.


  • Options
    #8
    Beau
    Registered Users Posts: 1,094 ✭✭✭Beau


    Any link to this laptop on the irish Dell website?


  • Options
    #9
    AlmightyCushion
    Moderators, Education Moderators, Technology & Internet Moderators Posts: 35,050 Mod ✭✭✭✭AlmightyCushion


    Beau wrote: »
    Any link to this laptop on the irish Dell website?


    Here you go. That has 2Ghz processor, 2GB ram, 160GB hard drive and an 8400. For an extra €60 you can upgrade to the 8600.


  • Options
    #10
    Lord Deco
    Closed Accounts Posts: 182 ✭✭Lord Deco


    €700 including shipping

    Intel® Core™ 2 Duo processor T7250 (2.00 GHz, 800 MHz FSB, 2 MB L2-cache) edit
    OPERATING SYSTEM Genuine Windows® XP Professional - English edit
    HARDWARE SUPPORT Base Warranty - 1 Year Business Hardware Support edit
    LCD 14.1" Wide Screen WXGA (1280x800) TFT Display edit
    INTEGRATED WEBCAM Matte Jet Black without Camera edit
    MEMORY 2048MB 667MHz Dual Channel DDR2 SDRAM (2x1024) edit
    HARD DRIVE 120GB (5400rpm) SATA Hard Drive edit
    GRAPHICS CARD 128MB nVidia® GeForce® 8400M GS with 90 watt AC adapter edit
    OPTICAL DRIVE Fixed Internal 8X DVD+/-RW Drive including Software edit
    PRIMARY BATTERY Primary 6-cell Lithium-Ion Battery (56 WHr)

    E-Value Code
    305-N1214004

    € 615.00

    BASE Intel® Core™ 2 Duo processor T5270 (1.40 GHz, 800 MHz FSB, 2 MB L2-cache) edit
    OPERATING SYSTEM Genuine Windows® XP Home Edition - English edit
    HARDWARE SUPPORT Base Warranty - 1 Year Business Hardware Support edit
    LCD 15.4" Wide Screen WXGA (1280 x 800) Display edit
    INTEGRATED WEBCAM Matte Jet Black without Camera edit
    MEMORY 1024MB 667MHz Dual Channel DDR2 SDRAM [2x512] edit
    HARD DRIVE 80GB (5400rpm) SATA Hard Drive edit
    GRAPHICS CARD 128MB nVidia® GeForce® 8400M GS edit
    OPTICAL DRIVE Fixed Internal 8X DVD+/-RW Drive edit
    PRIMARY BATTERY Primary 6-cell Lithium-Ion Battery (56 WHr)

    E-Value Code
    305-N1215002


  • Options
    #11
    Kintarō Hattori
    Registered Users Posts: 14,966 ✭✭✭✭Kintarō Hattori


    AlmightyCushion wrote: »
    Well half life 2 is a pretty old game now and even in it's time it played well on the hardware. Try running something like cod4 or oblivion on it and see how it goes.

    Ahhh I know there'd not be a hope in hell for CoD4 to run on it but I thought Oblivion would have run reasonably ok on it?


  • Advertisement
  • Options
    #12
    AlmightyCushion
    Moderators, Education Moderators, Technology & Internet Moderators Posts: 35,050 Mod ✭✭✭✭AlmightyCushion


    eo980 wrote: »
    Ahhh I know there'd not be a hope in hell for CoD4 to run on it but I thought Oblivion would have run reasonably ok on it?

    That was actually a suggestion. I would be interested in seeing how oblivion runs on it. Now that I think about it, my friend has an x1400 in his laptop and it runs oblivion reasonably well. Don't know about cod4 though. An 8400 would probably be better than an x1400.


  • Options
    #13
    TerrorFirmer
    Closed Accounts Posts: 29,930 ✭✭✭✭TerrorFirmer


    eo980 wrote: »
    Ahhh I know there'd not be a hope in hell for CoD4 to run on it but I thought Oblivion would have run reasonably ok on it?

    Call of Duty 4 runs fine on the 8400GT at 1280x800 low-mid settings. Oblivion runs fine at high-ish settings at the same resolution.

    The 8400GT is far superior to the X1400 and is a far better card then you give it credit for! It's about the same as the old Go7600 in laptops.


Advertisement