ATI 5870RM Notebooks

Hey all,

I was looking to upgrade my G50Vt (specs are in the signature) with a nice brand new laptop, and when looking at graphics cards, I decided that the 5870 is the one for me.

I don't want to get into a debate about the 5870 compared to the 460m, I have seen all the support for each side.

My real question is, what options do I have if I want to pay $1150 or less?

I saw this, and almost crapped myself because it was such a good offer, then I realized, the screen has pretty sub-standard resolution (for me, at least).

I am wanting a 15-inch laptop, and I really don't care about the brand wise, but I am almost completely set on a 5870MR, or possibly a 5850 (so long as it also has DDR5).

Help me ______, you're my only hope.

 

just so you know you can also get that same laptop with full hd screen
but youd get better frame rates with that res screen

 

But with the high res screen, it would cost more than $1150, correct?

 

Generally you're looking at Sager if the resellers can still get them or the MSI. Unless I've missed anyone obvious, I think those are the only ones you're going to get a 'reasonably' priced machine off with a decent gaming GPU.

To be fair, compared to what I'd pay in the UK, thats still a bloody good deal.
I'd pay at least equivalent of about $1400 for the same machine.

 

This is not a 15-inch but has a 5870 and is in your price range. Newegg.com - Recertified: ASUS G Series G73JH-BST7 Notebook Intel Core i7 740QM(1.73GHz) 17.3" 6GB Memory 640GB HDD 5400rpm DVD Super Multi ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5870

 

also the asus g73 is a option

in response i have no idea in us prices tbh but im sure someone could help you over in the gx660r lounge

 

I'd go with the MSI. The cooling is good, the GPU is better than what Clevo uses with a better vBios. The screen probably isn't that bad.

 

Im running the 5870m on a 1600x900 and I really dont see my need to upgrade to 1080p especially as its a mobility card and I like to max out the settings so this resolution suits me fine I can run games on my external at 1080p but you do have to adjust the settings on some games as the resolution does affect frames slightly.

In regards to the 5870m I have never owned an ATI before I have always been Nvidia and listened to the all the stories about ATI's drivers and it running hot. After playing with the 460GTX and the 5870 I dont think ill be going back to Nvidia in a hurry the ATI power is very impressive.

I picked up the G73 for a fantastic price chucked 100 quid onto it and I have the setup below. With latest drivers, some tweaking, BIOS and repaste I am over the moon how amazing this laptop runs.

 

I'd prefer a 15" because I do like to bring it places every now and again, not for gaming, but for just general PC use.

I'm not trying to be picky, I am just attempting to get as close to my dream computer as is possible, within my budget, and with as few compromises as I can. I tested out the resolution that the MSI would have on my current laptop, and it is just too little for me. I'm fine with 1680x1050 or above, but 1366 x 768 is just too small.

 

The MSI vBios is great. It's stable with OverDrive already unlocked. If you want to mod your vBios you can also change the voltage. The Asus voltage is hardware fixed, so changing the voltage in the vBios has no effect. The only other vBios I'd say is as good or better is from Alieware.

I'd say:

Alienware - MSI - Asus - Clevo in that order. But if Alienware M15x is out of your budget go with the MSI.

 

Take the MSI. By this time next year, the Mobility 5870 will be hurting at 1080p.

With the 1366 display, you will be comfortable at native res for at least two years.

 

The GX660 has been $999.99 Canadian for a few weeks now at NCIX.

 

Canadian $999 would be about $1050 American, so it's not that large of a difference between that and Newegg.

I have found a great gx660r for 1200, so I might go with that. We shall see...

Everyone in this thread has been a tremendous help to me, I can't thank you enough.

Real quick, what is the aspect ratio of a 1980x1080 screen? Just curious.

THanks!

 

1280x1080 = 1080p = 16:9
1280x1200 = 1200p = 16:10

 

Pft, then turn down the details or upgrade the graphics card.

Get the 1080p display, it will make every other task bearable.

1080P displays will be:

1) Brighter
2) better colours
3) better viewing angles

 

I'd get the 1080p display andwould ignore Kevin Jack's Comments. I'm pretty sure the 5870M won't have much problems even after next year. Probably will by 2013-2014... but still should play games at 1080p. You'd probably upgrade by then.

 

The 5870M is only a 5770, at best. I see no reason to overstate its prowess.

It will not game at 1080p w/ High settings a year from now.

 

Thats a strong opinion because it will easily game at 1080p from a year from now especially as cards become newer they become more powerful overall and as I can run the most graphically intensive games now at 1080p with Ultra settings at a comfortable 50-60fps I have no doubt it will be keeping me going until late 2012 at high.

It may be able to output less frames and require lower settings as the Directx 11 requirements become more intense but I expect it wont drop to low-medium until 2013.

The GTX 460 on the other hand. Well

 

These tests disagree with you, very strongly.

 

If you had a 5870m and not a 6970m I beg to differ on your opinion yes the 6970m rocks we all know that but those results are rubbish im clocking an easy 10-15 fps higher on most of those games at stock with a slower 720qm and when im running my normal 825/1100 an easy 20fps higher.

 

No disrespect intended, but I'll take the word of a trusted technical site. All I have to do is look at desktop 5750/5770 test results to see that it's an accurate assessment.

I know you want to feel good about your purchase, but let's be realistic here. It helps no one, if we overstate the power of the available hardware.

 

I just find it humerous that you are calling the 5870m weak just because you have the latest ATI graphics card which not all of us can afford but you feel the need to show off because you have it.

Ask anyone else on here who has the 5870m and they will laugh it off because its a fantastic card and it will still be pushing high settings at 1080p in 2012.

 

It's a decent card, but its not perfect, there are games like Metro that will slug right down with them, and I've got 2 of them in Xfire.
For those of us who like settings up relatively high/decent res/fluid fps at the same time then yes I could see it struggling a little later in the year.

The 5770/5750 IS relatively weak by gaming desktop standards after all, it just depends on your standards

 

I got the G73 personally because it fit well in my life, I would have prefered the smaller 15 inch with similar spec, but that doesn't exist for a price thats not a kings ransom. That said the 5870 won't be hurting in the next several years. Games are still being made to work within console specs so the 5870m is more than ready to run games, just remember this is a mobile card and it doesn't max all games currently. There are a few games that give it a bit of work , but lower shadows and solid frame rates will fallow, tends to be the trend, and this is only like 3 or 4 titles that really push it.

To continue on my point of graphics some people in this thread overstate the importants of a new card in 2 years, this card will be fine, BF3, Skyrim, Diablo 3, Portal 2, Deus Ex Human Revolution, and so on will all run at high or near high settings, which is more than enough. The hunt for best graphics is just that, a hunt, a never ending consumer loop used to suck easily convinced gamers that shaders on high is much much better ......

Another thing to keep in mind to is were you will be doing the gaming. I plug my lappy into my 52' 1080p screen and need overscan to fill my screen properly, and when I put games at 900p there really isn't a noticable visual difference, and its definitely better then the amount of pixels my ps3 throws at my screen thats for sure.

I know you gotta keep price in mind, but if you are planning on doing alot of stuff on the lappy, for price the G73 is hard to beat, really for the 1TB of internal HDD space, the 8gbs of ddr3, the graphics card and the i7 with 1080p you can't go wrong. I also got mine with the optional blu ray drive so my blu ray collection come with me to the cabin if need be.

 

With the WEAK 5850m on my m15x, and the WEAK I7-720qm, at gaming clocks of 825/100 I hit a 2789 3dmark11 score. It's in the m15x forums under the benchmark. The 5850m may not be the 6970 but it does fine right now and a year from now as well.

 

I wouldn't say it was that weak to be honest its only major draw back is the GDDR3 memory that they gave it because if its GDDR5 it would be barely different from the 5870M. I was considering the 5850 because there was a really nice laptop that I saw it in at the time and the clocks can be pushed high.

Even the 4870 will still be smashing the boundaries in a years time hell just look at the dusty 8800GTX from 3 years ago still being used as the recommended requirement for most games at the moment

 

Look at what they are pushing on consoles that are 5 years old, now resolution is a slight draw back but there are some great shining examples of amazing looking console games, God of War 3, GT5, MGS4, Skyrim (was 360 vid), Socom 4, Killzone3 and so on. These are all great games and by no means being "held back" by the console, they all look unbelievable for 5 year old hardware. And an even bigger throw back look at BLACK on PS2 and XBOX, rediculous what they did with extremely dated hardware. Having the best doesn't mean the games magically get or look better.

 

Wasn't the Dell 5850 in the m15x GDDR 5? The ONLY 5850M that had GDDR 3 was in a version of an Acer Aspire.

 

Sounds about right surely the Alienware would have kitted GDDR5? I know the Acer and HP models that I looked at has GDDR3.

 

The 5850 in the M15x is DDR5. I do agree that the 5870m is not a weak card at all. I could run all game in max or high setting connect to my 1080p led. The only game that it struggle on is metro 2033, even with the 485m the card struggle to run it on high setting in dx11.

 

The HP Envy 17 has GDDR 5, but HP crippled the voltage, so it ran like a GDDR 3 due to poor cooling.

 

The 15 I looked at had GDDR3 though could have been a typo mind. Yes I heard about the undervolting and poor cooling lol no point putting a card in unless your going to give it the power to run.

 

If you want the most powerful 15 inch laptop then get the M15x with the lowest gpu set up and then upgrade it to the 6970m. Now you have the most powerful 15 inch laptop. On top of that you also get koo lighting effect.

 

The Envy 15 is a 58 30M, which had GDDR 3 on purpose. Proof that I know this is that I had an Envy 15 for like one year.

Are you sure the 6970M is even going to fit in a m15x, more or less BIOS boot into it?

 

Um... What are you talking about? I never even used the word "weak". I'm also not bragging about the 6970M, which isn't even in my possession yet, by the way. All I was trying to do, was to give an accurate account of the 5870M's abilities at 1080p, and I posted benchmarks to back up my words. Look at them.

 

Yes it had been test in the M15x forum. I already got mine order from dell with a estimate delivery of April 12.

 

Lucky! More reasons now for me to ditch (meaning sell) my Elitebook...

 

The card is just plug and play no need to do any mod. Base on what inap had post the the temp were good as well. He did a vantage run and it score 11k in gpu vantage.

 

To the OP: I would hold off on getting the 5870 if you can. It's a great card and all but its now a generation old. The higher end 6 series cards should start appearing on lower priced machines soon and they will offer better direct x 11 support. Also, I've owned a 1366 resolution laptop in the past (hp hdx) and its not that bad, the biggest issue is with the screen's real estate especially if you like to multi task.

I'm not trying to troll here but I am curious about what games you are maxing out with ultra settings with a single 5870m with 50-60fps at 1080p

 

The 5850 in the m15x has GDDR5. For a single GPU the 5850 is just fine. As I have mentioned before. The voltage can be change in less than 3 minutes with a bios flash. The overclocking abilities are amazing. At clocks of 200 mhz above stock I can game all night without issue.

StevenX

 

I know that Kevin_Jack2.0 is not saying that just because he has an HD6970m at all. I am also an HD5870m owner and I can clearly see its limits already. Games like Crysis 2 are barely playable on medium (well.. Advanced or "very high" or w/e you choose to call it, the middle setting).

It is a delusional idea that the GPU will still be able to maintain high settings at anything remotely playable. Unless, the great developers give us new names for low, medium and high, just like in crysis 2.

Of course, it all depends on what high settings, or even playable means to you. I, for one, consider playable something over 30fps. Less than that and it is no longer playable and requires reduced settings and/or res. Of course, the main gripe is the memory bandwidth, as I still see the HD5870m having good power for lower res thanks to the respectable 64GB/s

Agreed. Both mobile GPUs and Desktop GPUs play the same games, so naturally we can see the limits of mobile GPUs.

HD5870m will definitely shine with lower res even in upcoming years tho.

 

Frankly.. if a game has issues to run at x settings @1080p, then I don't lower the resolution, I notch the AA down (or reduce grass/draw distance setting a bit), and the performance gained is more than enough to let me keep playing at 1080p. On the other hand.. If a game had difficulties running at 1080p, then truth be told, it also had about the same difficulty running at 720p either. I haven't noticed any real gains when moving the resolution down.

So I don't get it why you guys keep saying that the card won't play at 1080p, when - for at least two years worth of generations in GPUs - the raw resolution has had a far lesser effect on performance compared to other settings you can tweak.

 

That is true. Also you don't really need to run the power-hungry AA if you are going to run at 1080p too. The pixels per inch is so dense that the jaggedness will just get ironed out all by itself through the sea of pixels.

 

Notice how I didn't even mention AA?

Yeah.... AA is not exactly the problem. The memory bandwith is the limit right now for the res and AA. The card packs a decent raw power still.

Two years is too much for 1080p and high setting

 

Wait. So after 2 years a game at 1080p and x settings will use more bandwidth than a game now at 1080p and x settings?

 

Spot on. I also notice minimal difference between resolution I can hit the same frames at 720p through my laptop as 1080p through my external. With AA that is the only argument I would agree with because it can cause detrimental effects to how a game runs I usually sacrifice AA for higher settings.