Just how bad is a 540M for gaming?

Gaming is one of the things I like to do on a machine, but far from the only consideration I have. As a result of other considerations (from size to battery life to build quality) pushing me away from certain machines that have a 555M or 560M, I'm now considering some machines that have a 540M. I know it's not what you'd want in a dedicated gaming rig, but is it okay with casual gaming? I have no qualms about setting games to lower graphics settings, but I'd want to be able to play the following games with smooth framerates at low detail settings.

Mass Effect III
Battlefield III
Skyrim

I'd like to play the following games with at least medium detail settings, preferably high detail:

Mass Effect II
Starcraft II
Borderlands

Is a 540M going to be good enough to do this?

 

the 555 is the latest update of the 540 optimus card which is switchable for better battery life. its also soldered to the motherboard so not upgradable.
as far as i know it will play games ok but nothing like the 560 which is a dedicated graphics card.

 

540 (coupled with a good i5 or entry i7 CPU) will run mass effect 2 on max, run starcraft 2 on mid-high, run borderlands on max.

mass effect 3 is more or less the same engine as 2, so that could run near max. battlefield 3 is extremely hardware intensive so you could probably only run medium on that. skyrim is just a modified gamebryo engine (oblivion / fallout 3 / fallout NV), so 540 should be able to run it on high.


No antialiasing though, that would kill the performance.

 

Thanks jerg! That was a perfect answer. +1 rep to you.

After spending some time with one in person, I've really fallen for the Vaio F22 (great keyboard, fantastic screen, not too small and not too big, really solid build quality, good price the way I'd equip it), but it has a measly 540M. Sounds like the GPU won't be a deal-breaker, then, for the sort of casual gaming I'd like to do.

 

I use the 445M, and almost all games I played were on high (haven't played Crysis 1/2 or Metro 2033). I believe you should go with the GT555M, which is a newer version of GT445M... and you will have optimus for sure, so, battery will be fine I guess.

 

But no machine I'm currently considering offers the 555M. It's in the XPS 17, but that's probably too big for me and definitely has fan cycling issues that would drive me insane, and the Alienware M14x is just plain too small screen-wise. The F22 has a 16" screen but feels like a 15" laptop due to the unusual hinge design (very compact when unfolded, even if it's thick when folded up), and 15" is the real "sweet spot" for me size-wise.

If the 555M was available on a machine I wanted, I'd pay extra to get it. No disagreement there. But after realizing today that the Alienware's 14" screen is too small for me, it's not.

 

Haven't read that. You should be fine with the GT540M too

 

Personally I would want at least a 560m.

 

but that is a GTX card... I'll prefer the 6970 in that range (or the 6990 from your sig, but that is too expensive yet)

 

It will play those games fine but don't expect it to play very smooth. You frame rate will constantly be fluctuating. For some reason most people don't complain about it, I guess it doesn't bug them but it bothers me when the game is slowing down. I'm currently using a 540m I don't play a ton of games but I do play a few. Runs great for SC2 as long as its on medium. I tried playing it at high, probably was getting around 20 frames a second. WoW plays fine but not at high, like I would like it. I also play counter strike source at almost a professional level and it really bugs me how weak the 540m really is at times. Mouse sense goes so low when my frames are dropping, to the point where its almost impossible to aim. If you want to get a laptop and you plan to game once a day or once every 2 days you should get something more powerful. 555m would probably be best if you searched around and found something you like with that option.

 

A good Sager comes to mind

 

It's all a game of compromises. The Vaio F22 is just the right size for me, and I care a lot about the screen size, because I spend several hours working for every one hour gaming on the machine. The M14x has a better GPU (555M), but the screen isn't as big as I want. The G74 has an even better GPU (560M), but the machine is too massive for me to use in depositions or trial (it seriously would block my vision across the table; I'd have to look around it instead of over the top of the screen). The F22 gives me all the screen real estate I'd want for work, but is easy to look over given the compact design when unfolded (the top of the screen is several inches lower than the top of the screen on a G74 when both are unfolded).

The question wasn't whether the 540M was ideal. Of course it's not. It's whether it wasn't so bad that I would have to compromise something else in order to get an adequate GPU for my uses.

 

Not interested in Sagers. Let's just call it personal preference, as I know a lot of people here really love 'em.

I considered the dv6t, but couldn't deal with the flimsy case and questionable build quality. The M14x is too small, and G74 is too large, and the G53's keyboard makes me run away in horror. The F22 is just about perfect in every respect for may day-to-day use except for the GPU. If I've missed any serious options, someone let me know so I can check it out. But I thought I was running low on other options.

 

You would play fine my friend. Just don't expect to play most new games on high. I have no problem lowering details on games, I prefer gameplay over graphics. I'm still playing RainbowSix Vegas 2 and F.E.A.R., just to give an example.

 

Thanks AssaultSuit-- +1 rep for your helpful posts.

 

Mitlov, you might want to check in with an psychiatrist for an exam of your brain.

From what I`ve heard it is not positive to say that the glass is half empty

 

He was asking only how bad is that card and how will the games run on that. He already choose the Vaio F22 because It has more (+) than (-) for him, and that's what really matters

 

Its rarely half anything. If you measure it accurately its probably more than 50% of one or the other... even if its just a few drops

 

Have you considered a Levono Y570?

 

Screen resolution is the deal-breaker. I can get a 1080p in the F22, and a 720p in the Lenovo. I need the high resolution for work (two documents next to each other).

Thanks for the suggestion, though. If they would pop a better-resolution screen in it, it'd be a solid option. Even on the IdeaPad line instead of the ThinkPad line, Lenovo's got the best keyboards I've ever experienced.

 

Yeah the res sucks, I wish Levono laptops were more customizable it doesn't seem like any options can be changed.

 

‪gt540m‬‏ - YouTube
NVIDIA GeForce GT 540M - Notebookcheck.net Tech

 

To follow the tangent of other machines that have a 555M, I have never seriously looked at Acers, but I randomly stumbled upon this:

NEW Aspire Ethos AS5951G-9694 $1399

Genuine Windows® 7 Home Premium - 64-bit version
Intel® Core™ i7-2630QM Processor 2.0GHz with Turbo Boost Technology up to 2.9GHz
6GB Dual-Channel SDRAM
750GB hard drive
15.6" HD Widescreen CineCrystal™ LCD Display (1920 x 1080)
NVIDIA® GeForce® GT 555M
4X Blu-ray Disc™/DVD±RW DL

Is there any reason I shouldn't do a happy-dance right now? Edit: after looking through the owner's lounge for the model, it sounds like it has build quality on par with the Pavilion dv6 that I didn't like. Ah well.

 

Have you spent any time with a DV6t at all? I have been quite impressed with the machine overall, although I have the DV6z, the chassis is identical. It's really top quality imho. Is it macbook quality? No, but it's solid.

I would prefer a Sager personally, but the NP8130 and NP5165 battery life has a lot to be desired. 2.5-3 hours for NP8130 and 3-3.5 for NP5165, but the performance and build quality is there not to mention the best screens available for consumer laptops.

 

Are you nVidia only? Otherwise for the price point I am surprised no one has mentioned the Dell Precision M6400 with the FirePro M5950 (6770M). A good one at a great price can be found at Dell Outlet or you can call up a Dell Representative and persuade for a decent discount.

 

My system uses the GT 520M and the few games that I play run just fine on max settings, with the exception of WoW. Unreal Tournament 3, Duke Nukem Forever, Portal 2, all three run just fine on max.

 

The 540M is an excellent card, it'll play WoW on absolute max at 1366x768. It wont do much better than that though. Still, 8x AA, direct X 11. It does well. It'll also do Borderlands max but it'll get really, really hot. No lag, but it will get really hot. If you can somehow find one with DDR5 like I have then you will be able to get a bit more power out of it.

Mass Effect III might be the only place you run into problems. Maybe Starcraft 2 as well. The card can do ME 2 pretty well but I don't think ME 3.

The card has no lastability. It'll play things from 2010 and back. Like Mirrors Edge etc at max at native rez. But it surely wont play anythting from 2011 onwards. So you'll need a PC for that. Stuff like Dead Island wont play well at all.

All in all an amazing card it'll just get really hot. Up to 88-90C so get a really good cooler if you expect it to heat. I think mine just overheated and I'm asking about it in another thread now... Only had it 4 months.

 

I spent a bunch of time today looking at a current-gen DV6 at Best Buy (along with the Vaio F22 and the Asus G74). It's totally subjective, but I did NOT like how it felt one iota.

 

Considering I currently have the 335m and played BF3 alpha on medium getting about 30fps. The 540m is about 20% better. Come release you should be set on that game (considering more optimization).

 

I'm not nVidia-only, but I am wary of computers I can't inspect in person before buying (since I'm so particular about keyboard feel and other subjective issues), and nobody around me sells business-class laptops. Also, I like good sound, which business machines aren't known for.

 

Assuming you have (had) an R2 because R1 can barely manage 25 fps at low, and smoke and heavy action, forget it!

 

Ever considered the MSI GT680? GenTech PC - Systems

or MSI GT683R-242US

Might be everything you want!

 

That first one looks like a beast. Looks like it would smoke an Alienware too.

 

I like that first one too! But is better to wait for reviews...

 

Mine just died:
http://forum.notebookreview.com/gam...-screen-after-leaving-my-computer-awhile.html

Might want to go for a different card guys... Just saying.

 

What about the GT540M vs amd radeon hd 6630m vs amd radeon hd 6470m.

I know nothing about graphics card but from what i've gathered, Nvidia is notorious for rebranding old tech and selling them as new with little improvements.

 

Has anyone else experienced dots on their HUD in Crysis 2 using a
2gb GT540m?

 

Thanks for the suggestion. Personally, I don't think MSI is a good fit for me. I want a mix of performance and refinement, instead of all the eggs in the performance basket with nothing left for the refinement basket, if that makes sense. MSI doesn't seem to be a good fit for that sort of buyer.