Choosing the Right Hardware

Hello everyone, so I have some really quick questions I was hoping someone might be able to answer on here. I'm getting a new laptop and still currently debating which hardware to get.

1) I'm hoping to play games for at least 4 years on this machine. HERE'S THE THING THOUGH: I am more than happy to play on lower settings to get better frames, so I'll play on the lowest setting possible in those end years if I still get decent frames. I know this requires some speculation but does this sound possible? (Read below for my information)

2) My GPU will be the NVIDIA 650M with 2GB VRAM, and my RAM will be 6GB if that matters. The processor will be 3rd generation Intel(R) Core(TM) i5-3210M Processor (2.5 GHz with Turbo Boost up to 3.1 GHz), which is the new Ivy Bridge. The laptop is the HP dv6t-7000.

What I'm really unsure of, is what processor to get. I was told by many that the i5 Ivy Bridge will suffice for my needs above. The other options were an i7 and i7 quad core. I would MUCH RATHER take the i5 if people don't believe many games will utilize an i5 or i7 with more cores and still hold its worth in 4 years; it will save me both money and create a little bit less heat, I would just like to know if the above sounds feasible with the i5 processor I mentioned.

Thanks for the replies!

 

4 years? good luck... nextgen console should be released in a year or 2...

CPU isnt important in gaming anymore... i5 is plenty...

Anything over 4gb of ram is bonus... wont add any fps ingame...

The 650m 1gb(ddr5) is faster than the 2gb(ddr3) version...

 

Thanks for the info. I forgot to mention but the 650M 2GB is the DDR5 version, not the DDR3. Sounds like I'll be getting the i5 though.

As to your first statement, one of my desktops have a Pentium core and a GPU that is at least 3 years old and it runs Diablo 3 on the lowest settings with framerates that still make it playable. So we're talking about a processor that's at least 10 years old and a GPU at least 3 years old; I realize I'm talking about desktop components but I was hoping the general rule of thumb applies to laptops too if given the right specs.

 

I think you should get i7 to future proof yourself. I can't predict if this machine is going to handle 2016 games or not, but I think you'll be fine until the new consoles arrive. You'll not be able to max out games of 2013 with this GPU anyway.

 

Thanks for the reply. A major point I was trying to make was that I don't care much for AA, maximum texture quality, or shadows; I'm not looking to max out the graphical quality or get the most of out it, I'm just looking to be able to play the games. It doesn't even have to be butter smooth in those later years but at least still playable. I know this is speculation but just being able to play is all I'm hoping for.

 

I think GT 650M will be sufficient for your needs, but I still recommend getting an i7 because dual cores ( even if they can handle games now ) are outdated. Most upcoming games will require a quad core to play smoothly. Good luck

 

Do you mean a quad core i7? Because there are dual core i7 processors too. If OP does not care about graphics quality then a dual core is fine. Quad cores are heavily taxed in RTS games. You will probably see some numbers go up in games like Diablo as well. That will not be significant though. By the time OP was wishing he had a quad instead of a dual core processor, their four years will be up.

 

I think my decision just comes down to the i5 or quad i7. Again, I keep hackneying the point that it doesn't need to look great, in fact it doesn't even have to play butter smooth; as long as it's DECENT frames, I will be a lot more than happy. A lot of people have also told me that my machine will be irrevelant or past those 4 years before my i5 has no use.

 

What are the specs of your current machine ?

 

you should get a quad core i5 if possible

 

All mobile i5's are dual core. Only i7's are quad core and there's even some dual core i7's.

 

Just take the i7-3610QM. It will matter.

 

I believe this is a question that only real tests could answer. From my own experience some mmos (rift for example) do depend on cpu more than other games. I could not participate in raids cause my fps would hit 0. I upgraded the cpu and the problem was solved.

The price difference is not much between i5 and i7.

You could see if any of the local stores would allow you (or your friends) to test your games on a i5 to help make a decision.

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