Future Trend in gaming configurations

I know it may be too early to speak about the future, but considering what has been shown/announced at IFA, I'm thinking what could be the next year trend in "mobile" gaming.

Talking about one of the announcements we know that Thunderbolt will be provided in non-apple machines during 2012 and some peripherals were shown.
One in particular was an external GPU that can be attached to the notebook (providing a similar result to the today eGPU, but an easier installation). The 10Gbit/s of bandwidth should be a noticeable improvement compared to the express card.

The alternative to this path is the next series of nvidia (but more ATI considering the prototype already shown) GPU, produced on 28nm and that should grant better performances, better power consumption (combined with ivy bridge) and possibly a better approach in terms of price for high end machines (considering that already today the HD6990m has a great price compared to nVidia).

What do you think will be the trend? Is it worth to invest in the new generation HW o better to hope for a massive spread of eGPU solutions (due the easier "connection" approach)?

 

I do not think eGPU is the future, never will be. GPU/CPU are just getting better and better in terms of power and heat. That's the future, not bulky eGPU solutions.

Already there are plenty of notebooks at 13" that can play current games with lower settings fine. That's just going to improve. AMD's Fusion is already proving that.

 

There isn't one "future". I predict eGPUs gaining more steam with Thunderbolt becoming more widespread in high end thin and light notebooks. Gaming machines will be what they always have been, and will continue to pack in heavy GPU power in smaller form factors as dies continue to shrink.

 

Disagree still. eGPU will never tak off. Thin and light notebooks will be able to play games, and while the Razr solution is way overpriced, they already proving you can have a gaming laptop at thin and light form factor.

No one wants to carry around an external eGPU if they have a thin and light notebook.

AMD Fusion are already DX11 ready and those are in netbooks now. Those can play games fine at those lower resolutions and settings. Future is here now.

 

I think eGPU's will become more popular as well. Because as dies shrink, they will push for thinnest and smallest as possible. While on-die GPU's may be able to handle low res gaming, at home users may want more than that. Also eventually there may be a push to more or less get rid of desktops altogether, and an eGPU will give the GPU performance needed that otherwise would result in a big, bulky laptop.

 

Present and future trends in (mobile) gaming leave me feeling extremely disappointed, especially after reading this article SLI 580m vs Crossfire 6990m I now feel my recent so called "gaming" laptop purchase was in vain. If a $7000 plus Laptop running current top-of-the-line components such as i7-990X, 12gb DDR3 ram, rocking SLI 580m or Crossfire 6990m cant can't even run Witcher 2 on max setting (and by max I mean - everything turned and set to the highest possible. While maintaining near godly fps) what potential does a rig thousands cheaper actually have. Games only get more demanding as new titles come out. I think a serious change needs to happen for mobile gaming. From a life of pc gaming, mobility (to me) means if I can lift it I can move it. Mainly thanks to countless Lan parties. So I'm sure the majority of gamer think anything that wont require multiple trips to the car or one to two friends to help carry stuff a drastic increase in mobility.

For 1000+ I would naturally expect for it be above sub-par when compared to a desktop counterpart hundreds or a thousand dollars less, and for 7000+ I would expect it to run any game out at the time of the laptops production on the highest possible settings and still be able to run future games for at least a year or two without having to dial down settings to low/medium or disable a number of features. heck, for $3000 plus I'd expect 22 inch laptop or a 21 inch,of course armed with much better desktop grade components mainly some slim line high-end desktop card even possibly SLI or crossfire x3?? I think when it comes to gaming on a Laptop the concept of small or compact, to the extremes of "NEW POCKET SIZED LAPTOP BUILD FOR HARDCORE GAMING" (while in actuality it can't even compare to a low end gaming rig build in 2005 graphically), needs to stop! Then maybe the great schism between price and performance will reach realistic levels like its big brother the gaming desktop.

I, and I'm pretty sure plenty of others, would not mind one bit walking into class, mall, book store, Starbucks,etc bear hugging a mid-tower sized laptop (evenly matched with a custom built gaming rig in the same price range). Through sadly all I have to look forward to is this " Razer Blade which is flaunting specs considerably lower then my recent purchase, but rocking a price double what I paid. oh, well that's life I guess. I apologize for my OFF-TOPIC / Adderall induced rant just wanted to vent.

 

I'm 100% sure that the market does not exist for a desktop sized laptop.

 

The market rarely exists until the product comes out. Many,many,many years go some said "No one will need more than 637 kb of memory for a personal computer." well...

okay I'm being mildly facetious and a desktop sized laptop is in fact a little extreme.You have to agree the level, actual hardcore, mobile gaming is at.... is laughable to say the least.

 

Dissappointed?

Today's mobile GPUs are underclocked enthusiast DESKTOP GPUs!
580m ~ underclocked Desktop GTX 560Ti
6990m ~ underclocked Desktop Radeon 6870

No, they aren't the absolute top-of-the-line, but they game quite well with most eye-candy turned on at 1080p... especially the SLI versions.

Most of today's desktop configs can't actually play witcher with everything and the kitchen sink on...

What are we really expecting here?

As for $7000 price tag... who are we kidding... the "absolute top-of-the-line" of any category always costs insanely more than it should and really will NEVER be cost effective. (and is never recommended unless you are rich and have nothing else to do with your money)

The laptop in my sig is significantly less powerful than the new 570m, 6970m, 580m, 6990ms and yet it has served me for 3 years of solid portable gaming for LAN parties, gaming events, and business-trip entertainment.
I cannot say I regret purchasing it one bit. It STILL works and STILL games. I just need to be choosy about what settings and in some cases which game I play. (example: witcher is too much for this 3-yr-old laptop = big surprise...) Not to mention using it for work every day...

As for eGPU... jury rig IMHO.
If you are going to buy yourself a $200+ Desktop GPU + (at least)$150 external display, why not just buy a desktop? It's not that much more to have a 4GHz+ desktop CPU and much better cooling, durability and upgradeability to go with your nice GPU. You already gave up portability+ gaming by taking the eGPU path.