Calling Out All Laptop Gamers

I've been thinking about getting a laptop for a while now, but was never sure about what kind of a gaming experience comes with using a laptop. This was the model I was considering, coincidentally it will cost me the same price as building a powerful desktop. I can either go for the laptop straight up or build a powerful PC and get a netbook or something. I just can decide.

How future proof is the model that I have picked and what sort of gaming performance should I expect from the laptop in games like: (TF2, L4D, Diablo3 and StarCraft 2) Also, how is actually playing games with a laptop? using the keyboard, the speakers and the screen, does it compare to a desktop experience? Just a few things I want to know, thanks in advance.

 

I'd call myself an experienced PC gamer, I've been playing since the first Unreal Tournaments, Quake and Half Life came out.

I bought a Packard Bell Easynote MB88 P-003 last Christmas which has 2GB ram, nVidia Gefore 8600 GS (I think), 160gb hard drive and an Intel Core 2 Duo proccessor at 1.6ghz.

This laptop has the ablity to play games such as Unreal Tournament 3, Left 4 Dead, Team Fortress 2, and Call of Duty 4 at normal graphics in a fair framerate. Games like Counter-Strike Source can be played at high graphics at a great frame rate. Aslong as you get a descent mouse + desk (I have the Logitech MX518) then it provides a great gaming experience, which can easily go portable. However, PC's tend to be cheaper for the same specs, and PC's are much better for upgrading as you go along, whereas you're limited with laptops. But don't let this throw you off. Hope that helped.

 

Get a great desktop and a low-mid range laptop.

The laptop you are looking at isn't even that high-end by today's standards.

It's more or less equivalent to the laptop I bought back in 2006 (in sig)

As far as gaming with a laptop, no comparison, desktop is better.

In order to try to match the experience on a laptop, you have to buy a mouse, speakers, larger external screen, etc---basically buy everything a desktop normally uses, except it's still never as powerful from a GPU/CPU standpoint, so the experience is diminished. All for 2-3X the cost.

 

I would always recommend a desktop if gaming is top priority.

 

Coming from a guy who used to ONLY buy and build desktops and now has a gaming laptop... they both have their pro's and con's, definitely. For starters, of course, a laptop is never going to be as powerful as a desktop, at least not this or next generation, as far as CPU and GPU power goes. That being said, how much CPU and GPU power do you need?

I enjoy having a laptop now for the portability. Being able to surf the net or play a game anywhere in the house is great. Keyboards for the most part on a laptop aren't as good as a decent USB keyboard, but you can plug those in if you're at your desk. I always have my Logitech G9 mouse with me as well.

That laptop you're looking at, seems like a decent one. The CPU is pretty good and will I'm sure be fast enough for whatever you are doing. The graphics card isn't the greatest, but will get the job done for the most part. It will most likely handle all those games, save maybe L4D at full settings, and probably not a lot of AA. But you can't really expect it to play everything at full forever anyways.

Anyways, if you want to make your laptop your main gaming computer, I would definitely make sure to get at least a 9600m card, and keep an eye out for a laptop with a 9800m card... there have been a couple from Asus and Gateway for around the $1000 mark.

 

No offense, but he's not exactly paying top dollar for that laptop. And for the specs, it's pretty fair IMO.

Sure it may be more or less equivalent to the laptop in your sig from 2 years ago, but he isn't going to pay 3k for his... or else he'd be getting something 2x as good as yours.

 

that is true the GX620 is well worth the money though the msi with the ATI 4850 is going to be $1300 why not wait for that?

 

This was basically what I had it narrowed down to. I like the idea of a powerful desktop where I can play any game on the highest setting, but I also like the idea of portability.

Option A: Desktop ($1,235.40 CAD)

Case: CoolerMaster RC690
Power Supply: OCZ StealthXtreme 500W
Motherboard: GigaByte P45-DS3L
Processor: Intel Core 2 Duo E8400
Video Card: HD4870 512MB
Memory: G.Skill 4GB DDR2 1000
Hard Drive: Samsung Spinpoint F1 500GB
Optical Drive: Lite-On DVD Burner
Heatsink + Fan: Xigmatek HDT-RS1283
Monitor: Acer 22" LCD
Mouse: OCZ Laser Gaming Mouse
Keyboard: Saitek Gaming Keyboard

Option B: Laptop ($1,192.46 CAD)

MSI GX620 Gaming Laptop
OCZ Notebook Laser Gaming Mouse

 

I mean for an extra $50 I can get a great desktop, but at the same time it would be nice to have that portability where I can take the laptop to school/friends houses.

What sort of cheap alternatives are available in a laptop if i were to go with option A?

 

That's why i bought a laptop instead of a desktop, so i could bring it with me if i think i'll use it.

i don't remember who made it, but i've seen a case that was shaped like a box and had a handle on it, but still kind of a hassle.

 

Get a Gateway FX 7811 if you can still buy one on Ebay.

The Gateway FX Series are very good laptops and they are cheap for the gamer on a budget. Get the new ones.

7801uFX
7805u FX

very good laptops.

 

i would tell you that a laptop should always be a temp solution for gaming.

i got my laptop, an asus g1s in 2006, i got it because i was moving to a new country, and i would be in a boarding school for a year, and they did not allow desktops.

It served me well though, but once i finished that i made my PC and i can tell you, a laptop in no way can equal a high performance desktop (and a high end laptop would also cost more than a high end desktop that you build yourself).

Asus g1s 2000 USD
Custum pc that i made myself 1800 CAD (around 1400USD since i bought my parts after the currency went to ). http://www2.custompc.co.uk/phpbb/viewtopic.php?t=313295&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=0

 

The answer to this question in my opinion depends on the following: Do you require portability?? If the answer is yes..then go with a laptop...if no then def. a desktop. You can get a MUCH more powerful desktop for the price of a laptop, plus it will be more upgradeable and therefore more futureproof. If u want a little portability though...there are plenty of great gaming laptops out there. I would personally try and save a few extra hundred $$ and get a laptop that is a bit more futureproof if gaming is remotely a priority. The Gateway FX series comes to mind for a great balance between power and price. Keep in mind, Gateway isn't a Sager or Alienware in quality, but will still get the job done for an excellent price. Good luck to you!

 

that laptop is plenty enough to play most games on normal to high settings. i wouldnt have said it was future proof, but it will last you a fair while.
if you need future proof, get one with a 2.53Ghz processor (atleast) and a 9800 graphics card, 4gb of ram. that would be plenty enough for a few years atleast.
remember it will never match a desktop, but if you need to move it you will forget the lack of power.

 

i would get a mid range desktop and a mid range laptop

 

Why not get a high end desktop, and a net top. I've gone through gaming notebook after gaming notebook, and since september I've opted for just a net top and high end desktop, it's served me well. If you need to game at other people's houses, or game while your out somewhere, a gaming notebook is the only option, but if you want gaming performance that's actually worthwhile, nothing less than an 8800m , 9800m or MR HD4800 series notebook GPU is really worth it since you'll be very limited in the screen resolution, and graphics detail you'll be able to use. You'll pay 2-3x the cost for 2-3x less performance if you buy a notebook, just keep that in mind.

 

yeah I was considering building a desktop but decided to hold out as notebooks with 9800gt sli, quadro 3700, ati 4850/4870 crossfire will be more then enough for a long time coming.

 

I thought every body buys a laptop so they can video chat while they're unloading a big load.

But seriously, laptops these days is closing the gap with desktops performance more than ever before. I've sold my desktop to help pay for my Sager NP8660 and never look back. The sweetest joy is to be able to play COD4 online on my bed every night with my girl friend knocked out next to me. I think desktops some times are just over kill, mainly for bragging rights. But they are cheaper and more future proof. There, I have put in my inputs so take your pick.

 

Nothing personal, but with a 7950GTX, I have very worthwhile gaming experiences on my laptop...

To the original poster:

I've always maintained that the hardware is just a tool to run software...your choice of software should determine the hardware that you require...

I haven't gamed on a desktop since 1998 when I bought my first laptop (Toshiba Satellite 315 CDT), and I don't think my gaming has suffered. (Edit: I just told a lie...I did play Wing Commander: Prophecy on a desktop with a 3dfx daughterboard...3D pass-through cards were so new and so cool...it was a huge step forward...)

If you want to run Crysis: Warhead at 1920x1200 with all options set to 'Enthusiast' at 50 fps, then don't even bother looking at laptops, and be prepared to spend a lot more money on a desktop...

However, I have a lot of fun playing Warhead at 1280x800 with Medium to High settings at ~30 fps on my 7950 GTX based laptop...it stutters every now and then, and doesn't look as great as some of the screenshots out there...but it's still fun...

The big advantage to laptops for me is being able to pick up my laptop, a 500 GB USB drive, my power brick and my Razer mouse and take my entire game library with me wherever I go...

I have about a five-year cycle on laptops...and during that last year before I purchase a new one, I don't even bother buying games...my laptop just won't be able to run them...but I usually have enough other stuff that I haven't finished or played in a while to tide me over...

As far as big screens and stereo sound systems, what's on a laptop won't compete...but you also don't sit across the room from the laptop...most laptop speakers are pretty bad (Toshiba usually does well), but a nice pair of headphones (coupled with an an X-Fi notebook card if you're an audiophile) will do fine...and when I want the big screen/big sound experience, it's very easy for me to cart my laptop upstairs to the bonus room and use DVI and optical audio cables into my receiver...and voila...gaming on a 92" screen with a 7.1 surround system...

Even with my very dated graphics card (7950GTX), there are only a handful of games that I can't play at full-resolution with high options (Crysis, Warhead, Oblivion, Fallout 3, World in Conflict), and I still have fun playing those games, and, in my opinion, they still look awesome...

Cutting edge gaming and/or cost savings vs portability...you have to make the call...I'll never go back to desktops...

 

Case: http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811112040 140
Power supply: http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817703005 130 -35 rebate
Motherboard + GPU Combo: http://www.newegg.ca/Product/ComboDealDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.144986 450 -30 rebate
RAM + CPU combo: http://www.newegg.ca/Product/ComboDealDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.150171 290 -30 rebate
Hard Drive: http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822136033 140
DVD burner: http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827151179 30
Monitor: http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Produc... X223Wbd Black 22" 5ms Widescreen LCD Monitor 209

about $1300 CAD and the better route to go i think theres also room for a second 260 for sli or even go with the new gtx 295's coming soon too
you can even tone down a few things like case or video card.

*edit* i think for 1300 CAD that will blow away any notebook you can get if gaming is your priority.
If you dont plan to do intensive gaming on the road i suggest a desktop such as this and a mid-range notebook. Or a netbook.

 

For that price it's pretty decent but if you want something future proof for games with all/most of the eyecandy you're looking at laptop systems that are in the $1600+ range.

Like others have mentioned if portability is a major criteria then a laptop makes the best sense. Personally for me it's a big factor. After having a laptop and being able to game in bed/on a couch is so much more enjoyable than sitting on a desk with a chair - I do that all day already when I'm at work and when I come home and feel like gamin - I just want to relax & lounge around and the laptop serves that purpose best.

 

i have a question for everyone who says they enjoy gaming on their laptops, are you serious gamers? As in when you game are you really really into it? when i play FPS games i cant stand using a laptop. Dont get me wrong, sitting on the sofa is really nice, but i cant sit on the sofa and game. I have to be at my desk in my nice chair to game seriously.the mouse has to be a certain height and the keyboard a certain distance from me. I cant see how games where it requires precision mouse movements be comfortable on unstable surfaces such as my lap or on my sofa/bed.

 

Having a laptop for gaming doesnt mean you "use it as a laptop".
I always have the laptop connected with the external hdd, keyboard/mouse.

But its nice since you can move it without having any problems when you want to go somewhere, unlike desktops.

Imagine the laptop as a desktop screen

 

if you have to unplug and replug them back in what's the difference from moving a box besides weight?

 

Laptops are getting better and better for gaming.

You can play Crysis Warhead at enthusiast at 14x9 with a 9800m GPU.

And you can get those laptops for like 1800.

The prices are getting better and better and buying a laptop is getting to be a better choice as they are getting stronger.

 

Erm.. The weight ?! Try take your desktop with you somewhere
And it doesnt take that long to plugin 3 devices... Somewhere around 10 secs...

 

Thanks for the reply, the parts you linked are from Newegg.ca, I do infact live in Canada, but im close enough to a US boarder where I can get parts shipped from Newegg.com and drive down and pick them up myself for cheaper. Regarding a mid-range laptop, what sort of affordable models would you suggest?

 

You make a great point there. When I game It's usally for multiple hours, where being at a desk is essential. Also, I like the idea of having a desktop where I can run multiple downloads when im not home, which is harder to do on a laptop.

I think what im really looking for is a power desktop for gaming, and a low-mid end laptop (that is also affordable) but has some gaming capabilities when im on the go. Thats ideally what im looking for.

Does anyone have any suggestions on a cheap lappy thats good for simple tasks, but can play Source engine games (any setting) and at a smooth FPS?

 

My first laptop was an Emachines m6809, and technically my first gaming PC (radeon 9600 mobile, athlon xp 3200). Picked it up on ebay for $850 which was a pretty decent deal at the time.

I was addicted to laptops after that. So much power in such a small package. I loved being able to store it in the laptop bag, and taking it out when I wanted to surf the web or do some gaming. I soon moved on to a gateway with slightly better specs (Athlon 4000+, radeon x600). Sold my emachines for $500.

Kept the gateway for about 10 months when I wanted even more power. I sold it for $900 and ended up buying a dell XPS m170 (2ghz pentium m, go7800gtx). Paid about $1800 for this laptop at the time. Had some issues with overheating, so dell replaced it with the laptop in my sig.

While I love my laptop, I'm sure you've noticed that laptop gaming can be a very expensive hobby. There is only very limited upgrading you can do, and when you reach those limits, it's time to sell and upgrade.

Let's see, I paid 850 for my emachines, sold it for 500
Paid 1500 for my gateway, sold it for 900
paid 1800 for my XPS, probably only worth 800 at the most right now

So my total spent on laptops in the past 3 years has been $4150 . If I were to sell my XPS soon and upgrade to a faster machine, I could have recouped roughly $2200 of that money spent. That still leaves me with a net loss of $1950. Imagine the desktop PC I could build with $1950.

So, my point is, no more gaming laptops for me. If I had to do it again, I would have bought a very cheap laptop to bring on the go, and built one hell of a desktop.

 

Thanks for that very insightfull quote, im actually posting this on a friends laptop right now, first time using one, aside from in a store. I can see now why gaming would be difficult.

Its a Dell Latitude D520, something like this could easily suit my needs, as my friend can do some light gaming on this machine. If that gives you and indication of what kind of machine I need.

 

I'm not sure I understand 'serious gamer'...

As in competitive? No, I'm not...I never play online...I refuse to play online...

Now, I don't play 'serious' games in my bed or on my couch with my laptop...my XPS will sterilize me if I try it (not that I'm trying for more kids)...it gets decently hot when gaming...I do surf the internet and do 'lite' gaming from the couch...bringing the laptop to bed is a big huge no-no with the Mrs. in my house...

Usually, if I'm playing an FPS or an RTS (particularly one that requires, at a minimum, three buttons), I'm at the kitchen table with my Razer mouse plugged in...I'm not sure I understand the need for an external keyboard...I never use one...

If I'm playing a sports game or a racing game or a space/flight sim, I have the appropriate peripheral plugged in...(game pad, race wheel, flight stick)...

If I'm playing something like Civ 4 or Diablo 2 or farting around in mame, then I just play with the keyboard and touchpad...

For me, the advantage to a laptop is that I travel quite a bit...both for pleasure and business...I got into laptops when I was in the Navy and carting a desktop and monitor and speakers onto and off the ship was daunting (no cute little boxes back then) and space on a ship was at a premium...if you brought a desktop, you shared it with everyone as the price for putting it down on common space...

Now, when I travel, the laptop and power supply goes into my laptop bag...and then out on the desk in the hotel room or my in-law's kitchen table (where my two bros-in-law and I play HL2: Deathmatch or CoD2 Deathmatch for hours)...just a laptop, power brick and mouse (and headphones so the audible cues don't give my position away)...and while I'm actually on the plane, I can play mame or Civ 2 or Fallout or Baldur's Gate or watch a movie...it's quick and painless...pull laptop out of bag, turn on, plug in headphones so as not to bother other passengers, and enjoy...try it with a desktop...no battery, no display built into the lid, etc...

I don't know if I'm a serious gamer...I've been playing and enjoying games since my Atari 2600 when I was 8...but they remain just entertainment to me...if I die, I die...if I win, I win...if I'm not having fun, I quit...I hate my job too much to allow my leisure time to stress me out...

 

Also wanted to comment on the above. When I do some serious gaming (online with l4d), I hook my laptop to all of my external accessories. I'm sure a lot of laptop gamers have a similer setup. Kind of defeats the purpose of having a laptop .

 

reccomend an AMD desktop i dont want to see any intel junk im so sick of them.

 

I have been gaming on laptops for the last 3 years and have really enjoyed it. I must say though it was because I had no other choice. I was doing alot of overseas traveling for my job.

FYI, if I ever get around to dropping a Q9650 into my lappy, then she will be as good if not better than my desktop which is running a Q9650 and dual 4870s. Of course, if you want a laptop that can match a desktop, you will be paying at least 3k and up for it.

 

The main reason people buy gaming laptops is because they like to move it around. In my case for eg, I always take it when i meet with friends, because its really fun to get 5-6 friends together in the same room to play lan games. Something you cant do with desktops.

Plus if you have to travel at least 4-5 times a year its better than to send your whole desktop in another country isnt it ?
If you are getting a laptop just to let it rot inside the house then its a bad idea, desktops are way cheaper.

 

I have an Asus G1SN Laptop which I use for gaming. I play games such as Crysis, Ultimate Spiderman, X-3, Tiberian Sun, GTA SA, Age Of Empires 3, World in Conflict, Brothers in Arms, COD4 and Company Of Heroes, also too many more to mention.

I used to play games on my Desktop but I got fed up of always having to stay in one place and be confined to a desk. With my laptop I can game anywhere I go whether at a friends house or in a hotel. It is all about compromise but if you do not plan on gaming anywhere but one place then you are probably better of with a desktop.

For me, my desktop has too many programs that can get in the way of gaming because of what I use it for so I ended up using a totally separate partition in dual boot dedicated to gaming.

The problem with this is I found it annoying. With my laptop I have it set up specifically so that nothing will interfere with gaming and I do not have to worry so much because I don't use it for the same things I use my desktop for.

Although laptops cost a lot more than their desktop counter parts, they always will because maybe you can't put a price on portability and miniturisation always has a higher cost.

 

i can do an amd build too

 

from about 6 months ago

 

hacker city centre right there eh Erokitsune? lol

i got a 9200 gs in my lappy and can play crysis on low settings with silky fps (only got it today, not had time to play with settings), and cod4 MAXXED OUT minus a couple of options (shadows, spec map, AA, bullet holes) with 20-25 fps.

i only chose a laptop cos i was going to uni and didnt fancy having to unplug and box everything up every time i go home. plus i can work round a mates flat with my laptop, and be DJ for a party

 

oh by all means i think notebooks are great, just gaming notebooks arent as neccesary as many people think. If you have the money by all means go for it!
But i still think a mid-range notebook + powerful desktop is the way to go if you're looking for best bang for buck

What you dont see in that picture is another computer under the desk, one on the far wall connected to a HD projector and my gaming computer wasnt built yet the coolermaster one you see is now my server 14TBs of space ftw!

 

. I have about 300gb including my external hdd, and I have yet to fill it up. Thats insane.

 

I have alot of anime/movies along with high res pictures and music...my last electric bill was 350 dollars.

 

I agree with those that say to get a laptop for portability and build your own gaming desktop.

For a good guide on what components to use in building your own desktop, see this: http://forum.desktopreview.com/showthread.php?t=235512

 

I feel your pain brother. Between my roommate and I, we have 3 desktops and 2 laptops. One desktop is a Xfire setup (mine) and other 2 are SLi's. Now granted, we don't leave them all on all the time, but if we didn't pay attention, one month our power bill topped $320. Needless to say, we pay close attention to them now and turn em off when not in use. Power bill is now half what is used to be. Of course it could also be because winter is much cooler than summer and the AC is not on as much.......

 

Now I'm having second doubts about building a power hungry desktop PC . I leave my laptop on 24/7, and rarely have a power bill above $55 a month.

 

if you already have a laptop, turn off the computer when you're not gaming

 

Wha?!?! Turn it off? That's madness.

I'll pretend you didn't say that

 

Hey to be honest do you require mobility? I had to go through a similar transition, quite recently as because I'm at uni i needed to get a computer or laptop to use. My original idea was to get a good desktop and a mid range laptop. But the issue with the pc is mobility as i move around a lot plus you move to different locations as a student and a desktop is a hassle to move.

In the end i went for a gaming laptop, sure I could build a very powerful pc for half the price but because i move a lot between home and uni and with the uni lifestyle its much easier for me to have a laptop and i can do the things i want and have to do on it, for example work and play games.

So my conclusion if your in a fixed position i.e living at home or what ever then a custom built gaming pc and a mid-low range laptop would work nicely

 

LOL, 10 years ago we had to game in 14-15 inch monitors. Whoever had a 17 inch monitor was a gaming god. What's the difference between this and a modern 17" laptop with an external mouse?

I think the answer to if you need a gaming laptop is not exactly if you need portability, but if you need gaming away from your home.
In my case I spend about 3 days away from home every week, and sometimes have long periods of inactivity during work (ER service, I'm a face trauma surgeon) so having the ability to game everywhere I go is definitely a benefit. And when I'm home I plug my laptop to my 32" LCD, external mouse/keyboard and have all the comforts of gaming at home.

If you only need portability, probably the best answer is the cheap portable notebook/gaming desktop combo, as said before.

 

when i say serious i didnt mean gaming laptops arnt serious gamers, i was talking about gaming on the sofa or in bed vs at a desk. I believe the entire posts has the feel but people seem to like to pick stuff out and take it out of context. i was one of those gods with 1600x1200 resolution

the thing is when you're away from your desk, do you really have that much time to game to the point where you need that power? If you do i envy you. when im away from my desk i always have a notebook. Doesnt mean i have time to really sit down and game, i can play source games and such on eh settings and ffxi just fine for the 30-60 min bursts. If you're going to tell me you can lightly game and go home and hook it up and enjoy the features of a desktop, why not just get a desktop because it will be more powerful, and use a mid-range notebook for light gaming on the go? surely you'll get more bang for the buck that way no?