laptop/gaming advice

n.catenthusiast

Hi there,
I'm thinkin about picking up a laptop, and from the sounds of things the Dell Vostro seems like a good buy, as I'd be using it in part for fps games, but not in anyway intensively or seriously.
It's been a while since I've had a computer that could run anything decently, so I popped into Electronic Boutique to see what the specs are for recent games.
Its seems as though, going by processor requirements at least, that the 2 GHz of the Vostro just wouldn't meet the requirments for most recent-ish fps games. I appreciate that laptops are limited in terms of processing power, but it seems mad that a brand new machine couldn't run a game which has been out for up to a year....

Does the presence of the graphics card allow a machine to run a game which is too demanding in terms of processing power, or does that not make a diffrence at all?

Also, Dell have various discounts/free shipping/ etc which are due to expire in the next few weeks. Am I right to presume that these will in turn be replaced with virtually-identical offers one they expire?

Cause if not my I'm going to have to go crawling to my bank for an extension on the credit card limit, and given my recent shambles of a credit history, they won't like that one bit......

Voodu Child

The graphics card on a mid-range system is likely to be the bottle-neck, not the processor. A 2.0Ghz (or whatever) dual core should be just fine for most games.

Overheal

I run TF2 great on a 2ghz dualCore. I would try out crisis and I would be able to run it but its my graphics card thats short of the minimum specs; not anything else.

It makes a difference in some cases. Especially if you are talking about dedicated vs integrated. An integrated chip, I think, borrows a lot/some of the pipelines from the CPU to get things done. Especially lighting. Getting a good dedicated card can handle much/all of the load for things like anti-aliasing and lighting and antisotropic filtering. However, I find that those 3 things arent really that vital to a good game and turning those features off will seriously boost your game performance.

TerrorFirmer

When a game demands 2.4Ghz, it refers to older single core processors, specifically the old Pentium 4. Dual core processors are incomparably more efficient, a Core 2 Duo, even at about 1.5Ghz, would exceed the power of a 3.4Ghz Pentium 4 for example. A 2Ghz Core 2 is great for games, and it will not bottleneck you as you'll be running at relatively low resolutions anyway, unless you're getting a 2k laptop with an 8800GTS. The video card is infinitely more important with regards to games. A 1.6Ghz Core 2 with a Go7600 would be way faster then a 2.4Ghz Core 2 and Go7150 for example

Your best option is Vostro 1500, or 1700 if you want a larger screen, with the 8600GT - you can get it with an 8400GS for a lesser price, but if it's gaming orientated, the 8600GT is far better if you wish to lean on the side of eye candy in any way in terms of the latest games....Call of Duty 4, Crysis, Bioshock, Gears of War, etc.

Overheal

Firmer I'd be wary about that. Not all games are actually coded for dual or multiple core affinity.

TerrorFirmer

Wary about what? Core 2 and X2 are much more efficient then the older architecture....nearly all big games take advantage of dual core, but that's not really the point I was making, regardless of whether they do or not, they're better.

n.catenthusiast

Alright that sounds good-something of a revalation to me! Cheers for info and advice!

Also, should the expiry date on the various dell offers concern me? Realistically I'd like to wait at least until the end of the month, for pay-check related reasons, but if the E80 off and free delivery are due to finish before then, can I realistically expect there to be an equivalent offer in the near future, or is this a once-in-a-lifetime dream offer I just can't refuse???

Voodu Child

n.catenthusiast wrote: »

, or is this a once-in-a-lifetime dream offer I just can't refuse???

Dell always have a good offer around the corner. Sometimes there's a week or two between vouchers etc., but if you keep an eye on the deals and vouchers, you'll always find a nice deal.

The best time to buy is when you need the machine and are ready to buy.

Sephiroth_dude

whats your budget?if its big enough,Id sugguest you buy a dell xps m1710 comes with a 7950gtx,core 2 @2.16.

Overheal

id go with an 8-series card to be honest. an 8600 or an 8800. even the 8400M GT will get you your moneys worth.

TerrorFirmer

Overheal wrote: »

id go with an 8-series card to be honest. an 8600 or an 8800. even the 8400M GT will get you your moneys worth.

8800 if you could afford it ideally, but then you're looking at about 1,500 at least, you can get the older M1710 with Go7950GTX for much cheaper and it absolutely decimates the 8600GT, and still belongs in the high end mobile gaming category.

8600GT is the minimum I'd go for a 'gaming' laptop, the 8400GT is good for older games and Source based games, but pretty crap at the latest games, unless you don't mind playing at low resolutions and middling settings which defeats the purpose really of a brand new laptop with gaming as one of it's dedicated tasks. Forget the 8400GS entirely.

Of course if all you're playing is Team Fortress 2, or something equally old/un-intensive, then any old card, even integrated video, is actually a viable option. I'm assuming you're referring to recent games...

Price wise you won't beat the Vostro 1500 with the hardware in question, though you can get better looking laptops. The 8600GT in the Vostro is DDR2, the Asus G1 and XPS line has DDR3 in their 8600GT's....but it's up to you whether or not the 10-20% performance difference and better aesthetics is worth several hundred extra.

nah_biy!

Overheal wrote: »

id go with an 8-series card to be honest. an 8600 or an 8800. even the 8400M GT will get you your moneys worth.

I cannot stress how terrible that 8400m gt is, somply one of the worst graphics cards Nvidia spewed out on the cheap!

OP, any dual core processor above the t5450 will be sufficient for you needs in most games, outside Crysis.

Overheal

Leave my little Sasha alone!

Of course if all you're playing is Team Fortress 2, or something equally old/un-intensive, then any old card, even integrated video, is actually a viable option. I'm assuming you're referring to recent games...

I'll hand you that. I turn down the specs on my games a bit, but thats just my mindset: like I said in an older thread, I make my savings by staying 2 generations behind the pack. To me TF2 and its latest build of the Source Engine is all the 'new awesomeness' I am looking for at the minute. I'm in no rush to grab crisis: why? Theyre selling bajillions of copies for a start. The amount of people that will trash/discard to friends their old video games is silly and more people will re-sell the disc if they can get away with it. Why pay upward of $60 for a new game and spend an extra several hundred euro getting the latest Card to run it on? Not to mention I hate running into the hype of new games.

my 8400M GS lets me play just about anything under $30, and thats the point entirely.

If you dont mind missing out on dx10 for a few years save a little cash and grab the 7950GTX I guess. However dont forget to dig deeper: things like performance rates are all well and grand but also look at power consumption for a start: my sasha for example uses a fraction of the juice of these other cards and it shows off in colors when my battery lasts longer. Monster 12-cell batteries help too Pros and cons to everything.

TerrorFirmer

I'll be selling my Vostro 1500 (2Ghz, 2Gb ram, 8600GT, 9-Cell battery) very soon. Keep an eye out.

Tar.Aldarion

get a vostro 1500, 2.2/2.4 dual core, 256mb 8600gt, 3gig ram for like 800-900. Runs games great for me.

n.catenthusiast

Hi folks,
Cheers for all the help-I wouldn't have had any idea of the significance of the various graphics cards etc. otherwise.

Decided on the vostro 1500 with 2.4Ghz and 8600 card specs-it ought to keep me happy, and at a reasonable price too........

Hopefully won't take too long to arrive