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    For games: Desktop x1950xtx versus laptop 8800m GTX

    Discussion in 'Gaming (Software and Graphics Cards)' started by kev-, Jul 11, 2008.

  1. kev-

    kev- Newbie

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    Wondering if my planned laptop purchase will completely obsolete and replace my current desktop. I primarily play World of Warcraft on it, will also intend to play Starcraft II and Diablo III (blizzard much?) and maybe other newer games.

    I play WoW at 1920x1200, no AA, detail levels max, lots of mods, and get 80 ish FPS in most situations, dropping to around 35-40 with tons of players on screen, bottoming at just under 30 in harsh conditions. I haven't found any direct benchmark comparisons between desktop cards and laptop cards, so I am uncertain what I should expect.

    Here's my current specs:
    single X1950XTX
    1st gen Core 2 Duo running at 3 ghz (from 2.4)
    2gb ram (good stuff)
    74gb raptor 10k rpm primary HD.
    24" LG monitor (super awesome)
    Oldest thing in the system is the video card obviously.

    Here's what I am looking to buy, Clevo D901C:
    single 8800m GTX
    E8400 3.0 cpu
    2gb ram
    200gb 7200rpm 16mb HD (anyone know if this is the Hitachi drive?)
    1920x1200 screen


    Will it be better in WoW? How much better? Can I crank up the AA and expect to raise my minimum FPS?

    Is it fair to say that an 8800m GTX is about 70% of a desktop 8800GT? (85% of the stream units, 83% of the clock speeds, 0.85*0.83=0.706)
     
    kev-, Jul 11, 2008
    #1
  2. iph03n1xi

    iph03n1xi Notebook Evangelist

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    Unless you really want a laptop, why not just upgrade the desktop?
     
    iph03n1xi, Jul 11, 2008
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  3. kev-

    kev- Newbie

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    I want a laptop capable of WoW anyways. Just wondering if I'll need to bother using the desktop anymore. Hoping I can just plug my giant monitor into it and retire the desktop until another graphics intense game grabs my attention for more than a few weeks.
     
    kev-, Jul 11, 2008
    #3
  4. Nirvana

    Nirvana Notebook Prophet

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    8800m GTX is about 50% faster than X1950 XTX.
    It's equals 8800 GTS 640MB version.
     
    Nirvana, Jul 11, 2008
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  5. Gophn

    Gophn NBR Resident Assistant

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    WoW is not that graphic intensive. You can play it comfortably on any current dedicated videocard (starting at 8400M GS)
     
    Gophn, Jul 11, 2008
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  6. plasma.

    plasma. herpyderpy

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    you could get the 8800GTX in sli mode, that would pummel your desktop... 4 gb of ram would help too
     
    plasma., Jul 11, 2008
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  7. Tusin

    Tusin Notebook Evangelist

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    Yeah, you don't need a insane setup to run WoW at high res, and full AA/AF. I play it on my 24" Dell Monitor from my M1530 without a hiccup. If you main reason for getting a laptop is to WoW on. I would get something a little sleeker, and portable.
     
    Tusin, Jul 11, 2008
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  8. benx009

    benx009 Notebook Evangelist

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    And from the videos I've seen so far, Starcraft II and Diablo III don't look like they'll be very pummeling on your GPU. An 8800m GTX is overkill for the games you want to play really,, as any laptop w/ an 8600m GT could play them just fine. Now, if you're talking Fallout 3, now that's a different story...
     
    benx009, Jul 11, 2008
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  9. BHD

    BHD Notebook Deity

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    yeah, it's true. i tried WoW on my 1330 w/ 8400M GS and everything looked beautiful :)
     
    BHD, Jul 11, 2008
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  10. brainer

    brainer Notebook Virtuoso

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    as nirvana said, the mobile 8800GTX is about the desktop 8800GTS 640mb, so pretty much the 8800GTX will destroy that radeon card.
     
    brainer, Jul 12, 2008
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  11. MrFong

    MrFong Notebook Evangelist

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    Hey, fellas - he did say that he wanted to be able to play WoW on his 24" LCD. An 8400M GS isn't gonna get you anywhere near max details at native resolution, even on WoW.
     
    MrFong, Jul 12, 2008
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  12. kev-

    kev- Newbie

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    Exactly what I wanted, thanks.

    I know it's not very intensive, but hoping to be able to improve on what I have. I'm reading that the 8400 is actually a bit slower than my current card.

    I'm thinking about it, but it's a BIG jump in price, $700 for how much gain? I'll have to hunt down what others get in WoW with these in SLI.

    _______

    I guess I need to evaluate whether I want to have a laptop that will do "well" in WoW and also build a new desktop, or if I want to spend the extra cash to have a laptop do it all. I like the idea of a desktop replacement, I'll have to see if having both separate will cost more or less than one super-laptop.

    Though I suppose my current desktop could be made awesome again with just a video card purchase :)

    Anyways, thanks for the input everyone.
     
    kev-, Jul 12, 2008
    #12
  13. Thug21

    Thug21 Notebook Evangelist

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    SLI 8800m GTX is about 70 percent gain from a single card from what Ive heard.
     
    Thug21, Jul 12, 2008
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  14. KGann

    KGann NBR Themesong Writer

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    70%?! Seriously? That is the biggest SLi improvement yet. (They usually render around a 40%-50% improvement in real-world situations... no cares about 3DMark)
     
    KGann, Jul 12, 2008
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  15. Nirvana

    Nirvana Notebook Prophet

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    @Thug21 and KGann, with 8800m GTX SLI, I actually saw people got double framerates in crysis.
     
    Nirvana, Jul 12, 2008
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  16. KGann

    KGann NBR Themesong Writer

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    Wow, now that's the SLi support the gaming community needs.
     
    KGann, Jul 12, 2008
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  17. Mippoose

    Mippoose Notebook Deity

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    Id like to see some fraps of that to be honest.
     
    Mippoose, Jul 13, 2008
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  18. brainer

    brainer Notebook Virtuoso

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    i've been screaming about SLI being great these days.. but it seems i'm talking to myself.
     
    brainer, Jul 13, 2008
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