GPU Question for my Gaming Needs

Originally posted this in the what laptop to buy section, but it looks like this forum is better suited.

Hey Everyone!

I've been researching laptops for a couple weeks now and have found myself at somewhat of a loss. I want a notebook that can game. I don't need to run any games on Max and high detials, medium is perfectly fine with me. I play games like Lord of the Rings Online (WoW equivalent), Diablo II, Call of Duty 4, the new Civilization currently (all the newer ones on medium settings). I'm looking for a graphics card in a laptop that will be able to play these games to the same quality, but theres a catch.

When a new game comes out--say the new Call of Duty or the upcoming Diablo III within the next year or so I want to still be able to play these games. Agian, not on high detail buy merely playable. I will stay away from very graphic intense games like Crysis to leave that to my desktop.

I've looked at many cards in the GeForce 8600-9600 GT, ATI 3450 and 3650HD families and am unsure as of which will "do the trick" for the next 2-3 years. My options are not limited to only these cards, but my general budget allowed such graphics

General Questions

1) What is your budget?
This is more of a graphics card question, but most laptops with the described cards were in the lower $1000 range. 800-1200

2) What size notebook would you prefer?

Anywhere between 13.3-15.4 If needed, a 17 is ok

3) Where will you buying this notebook? You can select the flag of your country as an indicator.
USA

4) Are there any brands that you prefer or any you really don't like?
Just looking for quality


5) What are the primary tasks will you be performing with this notebook?
As mentioned above- Light to med gaming now and 2-3 years into the future

6) Will you be taking the notebook with you to different places, leaving it on your desk or both?
Both, but more so stationary

7) Will you be playing games on it; if so, which games or types of games?
As mentioned above

8) How many hours of battery life do you need?
Enough to watch a movie- at least 90-120 minutes.

9) Would you prefer to see the notebooks you're considering before purchasing it or buying a notebook on-line without seeing it is OK?
Anywhere that is cheapest

10) What OS do you prefer? Windows (XP or Vista), Mac OS, Linux, etc.
I enjoy the 64 bit idea of using 4gb ram, but either is fine.
BTW--IS the 64 bit with 4gb and Vista faster than the 32bit with 3gb and XP?

Screen Specifics

11) From the choices below, what screen resolutions would you prefer?

Low to midreange screen. I have a 1280/1024 on my desktop and it is fine

12) Do you want a glossy/reflective screen or a matte/non-glossy screen?

Not sure as of the difference in quality

Build Quality and Design

13) Are the notebook's looks and stylishness important to you?
Asthetically pleasing is a plus

14) When are you buying this laptop and how long do you want this laptop to last?
2-3 years
Notebook Components

15) How much hard drive space do you want; 80GB to 500GB? Do you want a SSD drive?
Around the 200-320gb mark

16) Do you need an optical drive? If yes, a CDRW/DVD-ROM, DVD Burner or Blu-Ray drive?
Yes to burning, no need for blu ray

Thanks!

 

look at this
http://www.frostycomputers.com/product_p/gx620-098us.htm
and this
http://www.frostycomputers.com/category_s/25.htm
and this
http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?skuId=9050279&type=product&id=1218012519873
also this is suppose to be in what notebook to buy section

 

Well for the games you currently play, a 9600/8600 will certainly do the trick (plus the equivalent ATI cards of course). However, I'm of the opinion that for games 2 to 3 years from now, these cards might...lag a little bit. What I'd recommend, given your price range, is the ASUS g50vt-x1, which best buy has for something around $1200, though it can likely be found cheaper elsewhere. It has a 9800M GS, which should easily be up to the task of games at medium settings for the next 2 to 3 years.

Otherwise, if you want to stick with a lower card (and hence lower price), you've got a ton of options. The XPS 1530 has the 8600, though ddr3, so it's roughly the same as the 9600 cards found in HP's machines (since those are ddr2). I'd still recommend the HPs though, as in other respects I think they're a bit more up to date than the XPS series. On the ATI side, I'd say the Vaio FW290 is a pretty good option. The card is probably slightly less capable than what dell or HP has, but not by much, and it's supposed to be very good otherwise (the screen is fantastic, I'm rather a fan of it). Also, check out the Lenovo T500, as it's also in this realm graphically.

Beyond the major brands, check out powernotebooks.com or xoticpc, and see what they've got. The models built on the MSI 1651 have a 9600 ddr3 card, which is going to be a bit better than what HP has. Ultimately though, that ASUS is going to have the best graphics card, and for $1200, it really is a pretty good deal.

Sorry these were all pretty vague suggestions, but I'm pretty much rattling this off the top of my head

 

This is the exact same answer I was going to post, for the most part....listen to this guy!

 

Please continue in your original thread:
http://forum.notebookreview.com/forumdisplay.php?f=16
Cross-posting is not allowed per the forum rules. Also, you are likely to get more responses in the What Notebook Should I Buy forum anyway.