Which Dell 17" w/ back-lit keyboard for playing WOW?

Wife wants a 17" laptop for playing WOW. WOW will be the primary (95%) use for this machine. It will not be used for travel and such. Unless I'm missing something, Dell is one of the few manufacturer's who offer the back-lit keyboard?

I had her try my latitude (w/ integrated video, 4 ram, 8700 processor) just to see if it would be fast enough, but it was not.

What 17" models should I be looking at and how should they be configured?

Thanks

 

Really for 17" from dell only the alienware. The latidude and inspiron both have crap integrated intel graphics.

If she could stand going down to 16", then the studio xps 16 would play it easily.

Studio XPS 16 gameplay

footage of me playing several games. I had fraps running on the laptop so performance when not recording is much better.

 

Thanks for the reply. So the studio 17 (she likes the num pad) doesn't have enough horsepower to run WOW either?

 

Not a chance in hell, the integrated graphics that it comes with would struggle.

I think both use the same onboard video.

 

Either XPS M1730 (used to play WoW on that myself, runs perfectly) or Alienware M17x, depends on your available funds.

Also, you mentioned that the machine won't be used for traveling, which makes me ask why not buy a desktop? Will be for half price, twice more powerful and you can get backlit keyboards for that as well. Notebook is all about compromise between power, heat and portability, yet you don't demand any portability

 

Well the intel onboard scores under 1000 in 3dmark06... that would make playing games... painful.

Get something with actual discreet graphics. Also seconding what tuwa said... why not just get a desktop then you can get a full I7 build (done by yourself for under 2k and score probably 18000 easy in 3dmark.

Ill pm you a build I put together for a friend.

 

Studio 17 with hd3650 gpu will play Wow flawlessly.

 

The Studio 17 can be configured with the dedicated ATi Mobility Radeon HD 3650 256MB. This is plenty powerful enough to run WoW. It also has the backlit keyboard option.

 

Thats bizzare I didnt see the option, was at work so may have just missed it.

Then yes it would play it.

 

I don't know about 3650 playing WoW flawlessly.

I have a Quadro 2700M, which is roughly 2x 3650 and I get as low as 40~fps in Dalaran at 1440x900, mostly high but medium shadows.

How much are you willing to spend btw?

 

Ive got the 3670 on my studio xps 16 and im running wow at 1920 x 1080 Everything maxed with the shadows turned all the way down ( Don't care for them ) and indoors i get over 150 fps and outside i average 50 fps in dalaran i get 30 lowest it went was 21 when i was in Nax

 

Thanks for proving my point.

 

lol i think thats great for the 3670. 21 fps when raiding? Im running it at native res what do you expect. The performance is great

 

Andy Griffith, I'd say your choices are pretty much down to the Alienware M17X, the Studio 17 with ATi 3650, or perhaps a refurbished XPS M1730 from the Outlet.

 

Studio Xps 16 beats the studio 17 and has a back-lit keyboard as a standard

 

Yes, but it's not 17 inches. The OP specifically asked for 17".

 

I think his best best would be an outlet Precision M6400 outfitted with a Quadro FX 2700m from the business outlet. You can buy one for about $1350 and maybe a slightly used one off of ebay for about $1150. The ones with 3700M's go for at least $1850 which is too much.

Those $1500 outlet 17" XPS come with SLI 8600M's. Honestly, I'm not a fan of SLI at all. Too many variables imo.

 

The studio xps 16 isnt far off from 17 inches its just not as tall. Its stilll an option for him

 

I´me using a Studio17 with that ATI grafic combined with illuminated cool keyboard and I can play e.g. Sacred 2 on it very good. But: Of course without highest details and I don´t know the hardware priority for WOW, because I never have played it. If you want to play with youre laptop more than working, than that Alienware would be the best for youre wife e.g. the 17'' one. In my opinion it is also constructed with a separate keyboard like my Studio 17 and have also a phantastic LED display with high brightness. I dont like the style of the Alienware 17, but for gaming it´s egal I think. But the Alienware is very much expansive and - because of the hardware should be much louder than that much cheaper Studio 17. The studio 17 can run in a very good enery mode, I think a bit better than that Alienware. So, if you would like to work in silence with it too, the studio 17 could be more interesting than that Alienware.

 

i have a studio 15 with the ATI Mobility Radeon HD 3450 and it plays wow "adaquately".

just as a point of reference. I've raided with it, but its kinda rough...so anything over the 3450 should work

 

surely you jest...

i've been raiding Naxx10 on my studio 17 with no issues...
of course, i did slim down my UI's but still have many...
i play in full screen mode, not in windowed mode... this kills it.

i use a mess of UI's for raids... here's me setting up my action bars...


i get 30-40fps in Naxx10... playable...

 

"Integrated graphics" = Intel 4500MHD. Your ATi 3650 is a dedicated graphics card.

 

10 player raids are much more forgiving than 25 player raids I've found performance wise.

 

Get an Alienware M17 (NOT X) They are cheap powerful and 17" as requested. Dual 3870 will play WOW, dual 4850 will play it even better.

You can get the M17x but it cost more and is heavier (although newer). It sounds like the M17 should suffice though