Just a question! (or 2)

Ok, so I'm still trying to figure out what laptop I should buy. I've been looking around and was wondering what are the big differences between the 9800M GT, GTS, and GTX? I've been reading, but I still don't quite understand exactly what's what. I'm learning tho! Also, what is the difference in the 9800M series and the 9700M? (The GT to be exact) I'm trying to decided if the price difference is really worth stepping it up or not. Thanks guys!

 

Check the FAQ: http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=275056

In general, the 9800 series is better than the 9700 series and it does worth to get the 9800 as there is noticeable performance gain.

On the previous GeForce 8 series, NVIDIA had come up with the 8800GTS and the 8800GTX, which was the best card on the market (and still keep up now) then they released after the 8800GT which was better than the 8800GTS at lower price.

So overall, GTX > GT > GTS and upgrading does worth it.

 

livesoft is perfectly correct. compare them yourself at gpureview.com, its a great site.

 

Great! Thanks for the info! lol Maybe I've just been reading too much and got confused!

 

You probably have. Don't keep reading reviews about every laptop and changing your mind everyday because it will get you no where.

And did you happen to get your name pandabear1011 from Animal Collective's lead singer's solo project, Panda Bear? Might as well ask...

 

the naming conventions go like this.

nvidia is currently working on the 9000 series which is the new series of gpu's. the 8000 series was the last gen of gpus from nvidia. the second number in the series (xNxx, the x's and n's representing an arbitrary number) is in regards to the model of the series. the lower the number usually denotes a lower performing card.

a 9300 card renders much slower than a 9800 card. usually the x800-x900 cards are high end cards. the 8800 series is a very good card series and is the top end of the 8000 series of gpus.

nvidia has then created more nomenclature based upon more card variations. the 8800 series has distinct variations of the cards: the GTS, GT, and GTX.

usually the cards rank from gs -> gts -> gt -> gtx. so a xxxxgs would usually render slower than an xxxxgtx. the 8800 gtx is the most powerful card of the 8000 series (i think).

on top of that, the cards are also varied by their bit rate and VRAM amounts. 256 bit cards are generally high end cards, where 128 bit cards are in the medium and lower end.

so, for the 9000 series, the 9800 cards are going to be the top performers, with the 9800gtx being the best of the series.

 

Yeah. I'm just wanting to put alot of thought into this before I buy it. My last laptop I pretty well just jumped in and grabbed. I also want it to be something that will last me for quite awhile. The price keeps going up tho. lol And no, I just really love panda's, that does sound interesting however.

@Levenly - Thanks alot for the info! I'll have to try to remember all that!

 

Aside from what vid card you want in your lappy, you should decide how mobile you want to be with it and what else you will be using it for besides gaming. Will you be using it in class or on the job and need decent battery life, (then get a 15.4 incher) or will it spend most of it's time plugged in as a desktop replacement and only leave home a couple times a month (then get a 17 incher). The size will then determine what options you have for vid cards. Not to mention your budget. If you want a no holds barred top of the line machine, then the Sager 9262 is the only choice. If you need something more mobile and affordable, theres the Sager 5796. If battery life is a concern, there are many viable 15.4 inch options out there. Too many to list. I highly recommend checking out xotic pc and powernotebooks to get an idea of what is out there and what it costs.

If you want any info on those resellers or the computers they have available, spend some time reading though the Sager and Clevo section of the forum here.

 

Yeah, I've been peeking around some of the forums here! It doesn't need to be all that portable, but the 15.4's seem to run a little cheaper than the 17's... I'm just really undecided as to what I want to get. lol

 

the first thing you should do is decide what size of laptop you want. its a very practical choice. bigger laptop means the capability of housing faster components, at the cost of portability.

my personal recommendation is that if you are spending extra money on a laptop instead of a desktop in the first place, give up some performance to portability and get a smaller machine.

 

I wouldn't go lower than a 15.4. My eyes couldn't take it. I def want 4gigs of ram. The gpu is definately the hold up at this point. I'd like to stay under 2 grand, but I'd like a nice card. I've been reading up on some of the sites w/ people talking about performance and what not and I still don't know what to get. lol

 

well, don't set your expectations too high. this is the mobile arena, after all. if you just want the best gaming experience, you will need to get a desktop. laptops are for portability.

 

Oh, I understand that. I'm planning on building a desktop in the near future. I just want something I can take on vacation (and to work) and still be able to play most games. Honestly I don't suppose my graphics requirements are really that much atm, but I never know what I'll be picking up in the future!

 

9800m Gts< 9800m Gt < 9800m Gtx...