I'm on the fence.

Hello all,

I have been a long time desktop user. Years ago I don't think a gaming laptop was even a question. Laptops are closing the gap and now I'm serious considering one as my main machine. I am totally on the fence though and I came here for some feedback. I'm really interested to hear people who have been in my similar situation and made the switch. For the most part, I've been considering a Sager 8660 or an AW m15x.

I understand that desktops are far more powerful and the numerous benefits that come with them. However, does a high end laptop with a 9800 GTS / GT / GTX suit my needs? Does a high end laptop really equate to a mid range desktop? Does any high end laptop equate to a low end high desktop?

I'm primarily interested in games that will be coming out Q1-Q2 in 2009(darkfall, SC2). I'm scared that the laptop wouldn't be able to handle intense situations in these games. Can it handle an mmo with 40 players all in the same vicinity and particles flying everywhere?

The main reason I'm torn is because of the portability of the laptop. I hate being stuck in my room and I'd love to run an HDMI cord to my tv. I could play games as well as avoid burning countless DVD's(and the problems that sometimes happen).

Any feedback is appreciated.

 

I believe that the top end laptop systems usually equate to high mid-range cards in desktops. For example, from what I remember the 9800M GT used in the M860TU is about equivalent in power to an 8800 GT, which is a very respectable card and can play most all games out today. As for SC2 and Darkfall, either of the machines you mentioned should be able to handle them just fine.

 

Here is my outlook on laptops mate.
If you have a job or school or need to do a lot of typing, laptops are really useful. Can take it anywhere, next to the tele, to work, to the library, anywhere.
Power outage or power surges? no problem, laptops help. (So so UPSs but still, not a major issue)
I know desktops are a lot more powerful and will get you a lot more gaming power and all but this is how I look at it. If I can play Crysis of Medium and such that is all the power I think I am going to need. I dont need my games to look much more realistic that that. I think in the future there are going to be less graphically demanding games, a lot less... Look at what happened to the sales of most of those very graphically demanding games, like Crysis/GTA4...
They will optimize games better in my opinion...
If you want to move your computer around, get the laptop.

Alternatively, you can buy a budget laptop for those other things and keep gaming to your desktop. Entirely your choice, gaming on a laptop just feels more comfortable for me anyways... Besides, in a way it does feel more economical for me...
I know laptops are a lot more expensive but if you are going to need a laptop in the future anyway why not invest into a single laptop for work and games...

 

If you go for one of them, the Sager is the better choice. Its solidly build, not too heavy, pretty thin for whats inside of it and runs everything my brother throws at it without a hitch. Its a truely great machine, that'll be future-proof for a long time to come.
GTA IV should run at 1440x**** with medium/high settings. Crysis at 1200x**** with gamer/enthusiast settings easily.

 

If you travel a lot and/or don't stay at home for years at a time, then a high-end gaming laptop is worthwhile for the sheer convenience of gaming on the go. Otherwise it's better to stick with a desktop.

 

I'd have to agree with the above. The cooling requirements for a Desktop Replacement/Gaming Laptop (pretty much what you're considering) would put a pretty big damper on any sort of mobility you'd get.

 

I switched from Desktop gaming to Laptop gaming about a year ago since I had to move away from school. So far, no problems with my current system. I even play Fallout 3 on it daily, and WoW with no problems.

 

I switched to laptops when I moved to college, and honestly don't want do go back to desktops. I don't even move my laptop around very often and I like it better than a desktop. Laptops are especially useful if you go to lan parties as well; I've moved my whole desktop back and forth before and don't ever want to again.

 

Since when?

 

Ever since gaming video cards have been an option in laptops?

 

I'm curious about a sli/crossfire configuration too. I have never went with this setup and always opted for a high powered single GPU. From what I understand, a game has to support a sli/crossfire configuration. So although you may have two cards that outperform a single card higher on the ladder. This would be a situational case from game to game as some support it and others don't? Is that a valid statement?

 

Just compare the highest gaming card available for both desktops and laptops. The laptops' one is the 9800M GTX(420 Gigaflops) -even less powerful than a stock desktop 8800 GT(500 Gigaflops). How much does each card cost? Don't even say that. The powerful desktop cards like GTX280 and the HD4870 cost half of what the 9800M GTX costs if you actually manage to get one over ebay. If you want to satisfy yourself by assuming that laptop GPUs can match those of desktops, you are not even close.

But in case you want a laptop for mobility and power, go for laptops. Just owning a desktop replacement laptop, shelling thousands over it and then thinking that your machine competes with the powerful desktop gaming machines is a very bad dream I suppose.

 

hmm i still would go with the desktop......i have a lanbox that is rather mobile (and hot i guess) that does a good job at lans and is certainly cheaper and much more power than almost every laptop. well it is about a year old now.

 

I think a SLI 9800m GTX is the equivalent to a high end desktop card. It might be a bit expensive but it is worth it if you want to be able to max games out for next year and maybe the one after.

If you plan to game on a laptop. Then get ready to shell out alot of money,

a Laptop with 9800m gtx sli and 3.0ghz quad core is like $3,550.

Funny how my last topic got closed: :sad

 

Closing the gap as far as where we were back in the early days of "gaming laptops"? most certainly.

Completely closed gap? no way...
Laptops bring heat and power limitations that desktops can mitigate much easier and at a cheaper cost.


If you absolutely must play Crysis at 1920x1200 then there is no substitute for a desktop.
If you can stand 1440x900 or so, laptop gaming is quite decent, but expect to pay a premium for it.
I could have bought a desktop equivalent for $600 and gotten more performance due to overclocking leeway and had a LOT more screen real estate than my $1100 laptop...

It wasn't too long ago tha "gaming" and "laptop" in the same sentence was laughable. Now, I plop down and play fallout3 with everything on...

Then again, packing up to take my desktop with me to a hotel 700 miles away would have been annoying, and I could still compete quite well despite my smaller computer.

I can and have sat and played fallout3 waiting for various meetings (even once showing fallout3 to my boss) where otherwise I would have sat there twiddling my thumbs.

The mobile part of the laptop brings a freedom that desktops cannot give.
The size and heat issues the "mobile" part brings in mean sacrifices.

At least at this point the "sacrifice" does't mean "only game you can play is minesweeper, but expect slowdown".
I'd say Fallout3 with everything on at 720p is progress.

 

Kernal you should be able to max it out.

 

I believe the strongest single GPU in a laptop(the 9800M GTX) is about roughly equivalent to a desktop 8800GT or 8800GTS(the 512mb version) in terms of brute performance.

In terms of brute power laptops may be closing the gap, but there are other issues here which set them apart from desktops.

In terms of heat management, power intake/outtake, upgradeability and such, laptops are still quite a bit behind desktops since fitting a lot of power into a small, compact and mobile form isn't easy.

Not to mention desktop are far more cost efficient than laptops. You'll have to pay top dollar for that "portability" close that a laptop has in exchange for some of the things mentioned above. For a higher end gaming laptop, you can pay probably 3-4k$, but you can probably find a desktop equivalent for less than a third of that price.

I say both have pros and cons and you should consider them both. Ideally, I'd say to have both. One for the portable times and one for the power hungry times if you can afford it.

 

A laptop is much more sexy than a fugly desktop and when u game on a laptop u become more sexy as well. Its feels also better to game on a laptop and its just much more fun. Rember the sexyness factor

 

What are you talking about?! Everyone knows the whole "thinner is better" thing going on is only a phase and soon "bigger is better" will make a comeback! lol

 

bigger is better only goes for Mac Donalds, Burgerking, Pizzahut and female breasts

 

you get to a point with female breasts though that too big is not good


as for towers though the bigger it is the more 40gb hard drives you can stick into it.

 

What about female butts? I thought that was the reason people were telling me I had no lol XD

Anyways, I am against mainstream sexiness anyways lol (one could say it's because I don't fit that image though )

 

LOL forever what the heck are you talking about LOL, in the last page.

BIG THINGS ARE COMING BACK LOL LOL LOL LOlololoLOLOL

That just made my day.

 

Big butts - merely coming back from the '80s

http://www.lyriczz.com/lyriczz.php?songid=38751

*talking*
Oh my god
Becky, look at her butt
Its so big
She looks like one of those rap guys girlfriends
Who understands those rap guys
They only talk to her because she looks like a total prostitute
I mean her butt
It's just so big
I can't believe it's so round
It's just out there
I mean, it's gross
Look, she's just so black

*rap*
I like big butts and I can not lie
You other brothers can't deny
That when a girl walks in with an itty bitty waist
And a round thing in your face
You get sprung
Wanna pull up tough
Cuz you notice that butt was stuffed
Deep in the jeans she's wearing
I'm hooked and I can't stop staring
Oh, baby I wanna get with ya
And take your picture
My homeboys tried to warn me
But that butt you got
Make Me so horney
Ooh, rump of smooth skin
You say you wanna get in my benz
Well use me use me cuz you aint that average groupy

I've seen them dancin'
To hell with romancin'
She's Sweat,Wet, got it goin like a turbo vette

I'm tired of magazines
Saying flat butts are the thing
Take the average black man and ask him that
She gotta pack much back

So Fellas (yeah) Fellas(yeah)
Has your girlfriend got the butt (hell yeah)
Well shake it, shake it, shake it, shake it, shake that healthy butt
Baby got back

(LA face with Oakland booty)

I like'em round and big
And when I'm throwin a gig
I just can't help myself
I'm actin like an animal
Now here's my scandal

I wanna get you home
And UH, double up UH UH
I aint talkin bout playboy
Cuz silicone parts were made for toys
I wannem real thick and juicy
So find that juicy double
Mixalot's in trouble
Beggin for a piece of that bubble
So I'm lookin' at rock videos
Knockin these bimbos walkin like hoes
You can have them bimbos
I'll keep my women like Flo Jo
A word to the thick soul sistas
I wanna get with ya
I won't cus or hit ya
But I gotta be straight when I say I wanna --
Til the break of dawn
Baby Got it goin on
Alot of pimps won't like this song
Cuz them punks lie to hit it and quit it
But I'd rather stay and play
Cuz I'm long and I'm strong
And I'm down to get the friction on

So ladies (yeah), Ladies (yeah)
Do you wanna roll in my Mercedes (yeah)
Then turn around
Stick it out
Even white boys got to shout
Baby got back

(LA face with the Oakland booty)

Yeah baby
When it comes to females
Cosmo ain't got nothin to do with my selection
36-24-36
Only if she's 5'3"

So your girlfriend throws a Honda
Playin workout tapes by Fonda
But Fonda ain't got a motor in the back

 

What a coincidence, that's the laptop I'm currently looking at. A tad expensive maybe, but I think it'll be worth it...maybe.

 

just read this from a post on engadget about a 10-cell, 13,000mAh Li-ion battery from eBay for the Eee PC901





Oh my god
Becky, look at her battery
Its so big
She looks like one of those linux guys girlfriends
Who understands those linux guys
They only talk to her because she looks like a WoW player
I mean her battery
It's just so big
I can't believe it's so round
It's just out there
I mean, it's gross
Look, she's just so l33t

*rap*
I like big batteries and I can not lie
You other brothers can't deny
That when a girl walks in with an itty bitty Eee
And a 10-cell thing in your face
You get blue screened
Wanna press esc
Cuz you notice that battery was stuffed
Gigabytes in the Solid State she's writing
I'm hooked and I can't stop browsing
Oh, baby I wanna get with ya
And take your picture
My homeboys tried to warn me
But that battery you got
Make Me so raid-0
Ooh, electrons of 10-cells
You say you wanna get in my join my chat
Well ping me ping me cuz you aint that average lappy

 

Switched from desktop to laptop, and back to desktop after a year or two. I enjoy customizing and updating my desktop, which I missed when I had a laptop as my main computer. Now I prefer a powerfull desktop and a cheap, light weight laptop to go along with it.

 

I'm glad my comment seemed to amuse some people lol XD

Anyways, back to topic...

The gamin department of laptops still has a way to go before reaching the desktop world on many levels. Notably:
- temperature management
- power management
- upgradeability
- cost efficiency

Laptops are getting better though. I remember back in the days you probably couldn't do squat but surf the internet and do word processing with a 1000$ laptop lol

 

Meberus, if you get a Sager like the, Sager NP9262, like your planning on getting

You can update the 9800m GTX SLI Graphics Card in the future do to it having MXM Platform, so its just like a desktop. And probably the CPU as well, so the laptop is very future proof.

The Laptop card may be a bit expensive buy if you are planning to go the laptop way then expect to spend alot of more money on a laptop GPU.

But its worth it to get the NP9262, by the time a game comes out that you cant competely max out, you'll have saved enough money to buy a new GPU.LOL!!!!

GET THE SAGER NP9262, its the most powerful laptop and youll have the most powerful laptop GPU,

i say it's probably as strong as a gtx 260, though i might get bashed on for saying this.

 

Wow, that's a BIG battery you got there.

 

Its not the measurement mate, its the motion

 

I disagree on that particular point but w/e

 

The actual laptop I was looking at is the Clevo D901C. But this Sager NP9262 sounds like a beast, so I'll definitely look into it. Thanks rot!

 

NP9262 is the Clevo D901C, rebranded in North America.

More information here.

 

Oh, so their one in the same...I feel pretty dumb now @_@

 

The NP9262 is seriously challenging the concept of "laptop" and starts crossing over into "slightly lighter desktop with screen attached".

Not that this is a bad thing, and not that 12lbs is really THAT heavy, but this is a step closer to desktop and away from laptop.

 

He does want the best laptop gamign experience so this is what he should get.

If you want something a bit lighter get the NP9750 and equip it with a 9800m gtx and a X9100 Processor.

You will be able to max out everything.
Except GTA IV