Laptop Gaming (FPS) - External Monitor?

Dear all,

I'm a long-time CS:GO player and only play on laptops due to frequent moving from country to country. My current system is out-dated and showing signs of decay ^^ So I'm planning on buying a new rig, namely:

HP Pavilion 15.6" - i5 7300HQ - 8 GBRAM - GeForce 1050 GTX 2GB -FHD IPS UWVA-Display (1.920 x 1.080 Pixel) - 256 GB SSD & 1 TB HDD - HDMI port only as far as video ports go.

This way I can not only play CS properly (right now I'm on such low specs that visibility is impaired) but also try some newer games like BF1, etc. However:

Now, I was wondering if it would be wise to get an external monitor. After all, 15.6" is not much to work with in terms of size and the standard refresh rate on laptop screens tends to be 60Hz. I've read a lot about 100-120-144 Hz refresh rates being superior for first-person shooters.

1. Does it make sense to get a 100-144 Hz monitor with a laptop like this (as above)? Or will I not be able to get the most out of one due to my laptop's restrictions? I've heard there needs to be a certain balance there.

2. Also, if I end up cheaping out for a 60 Hz (24" monitor) does having a lower 'reaction time' (1 ms or 5 ms etc) make a difference?

3. Will using HDMI to connect laptop and monitor make for more delay somehow?

Thanks for your help!! (should be useful info for other laptopgamers out there.)

 

I'm not a complete twitch gamer but I have been playing the BF series for quite some time, I have a MSI GT73 with a 120 Hz panel and I love it, I tweak my settings to have a solid 120 FPS and turn off Vsync to reduce input lag, my stats have never been so good, if you never use the laptop screen it may not matter but if you will I would look for a 120 Hz panel. I would also look for a model with good cooling and at least a 1070.

 

I see. Thanks!
So you're using a standard HDMI cable to connect the two?
Good cooling on the monitor? Never thought about that, thanks for the tip. What are you referring to when you mention 'a 1070'? px?

 

I should have been more clear, I don't play with an external monitor, I have a desktop for when I'm home and I carry a laptop for gaming when I'm on the road which is %60 of the time. I also meant cooling for the laptop itself, this will allow you to game for long periods and a GTX 1070 will play most games at 1080p very nicely.

 

Oh! Right, thanks!
So your gaming laptop has a 120Hz monitor. Got it. Well I haven't been able to find out if the HP I've got my eye on has a 120 Hz monitor, but I strongly doubt it. The MSI GT73 is somewhat over my budget, I'm afraid. I've been trying to find a device that will lend itself to use on battery power for work & study, yet still has sufficient power to play BF1. (Hence the HP Pavilion). I guess I'm afraid the quality upgrade in play will not be worth the investment (EUR 999 or USD 1100+-) compared to my current laptop (as far as CS:GO goes). Right now I'm on an older generation i5 with a GeForce 740M (pretty crappy card) with 17"

Thanks again.

 

Good luck in your search, if you have any question don't hesitate to ask.

 

If CS:GO is your primary game, you will absolutely benefit from having a high-refresh external display. Based on the HP system you listed, I'm guessing your budget is fairly limited. That being case, I would strongly recommend you take a look at the Sager NP5855. It has the same GPU as that HP, but an i7 CPU. You can also customize it with whatever storage you want. Most importantly, this notebook comes with mini-DisplayPort outputs that you can connect to an external monitor in order to take advantage of ultra-high refresh rates. You'll need a mini-DisplayPort to DisplayPort cable as well. I would recommend a G-Sync monitor, but those can be pricey. CS:GO isn't the most demanding game, so you could get away with a standard 144 Hz 1080p monitor and not have any issues with input lag.

 

Hey there! Yeah, thanks for the reply. I had a look at the Sager NP5855 you recommended: it's bloody perfect! Unfortunately Sager doesn't do business in Europe (that I can see on their website or on Amazon.de), transatlantic shipping for the Sager notebook would be so high I might as well spend the extra 200 bucks on the machine itself... -_-

I guess I'll have to go on the hunt for a similar device to the NP5855 that's available here and then pick out a decent monitor, like you said.

Thanks so much for the help! Have a good one!

 

Sager sources the chassis for its computers from a company called Clevo. There are several integrators in Europe. Two have representatives who post on this forum: @XMG (which is a German-based firm) and @ John@OBSIDIAN-PC (Portugal).

Many North American Clevo resellers also ship internationally. I would recommend HIDevolution because they offer a global warranty that covers shipping costs back to them if you need service, but they don't sell the model I referenced earlier.

 

Thanks man! I have taken a look at XMG particularly as I'm currently located in Germany. Looks promising, thanks again!

 

@Uralan - let me know if you have any questions - happy to help out via pm!

 

More on European resellers here: Clevo Resellers in the European Union -V1

But you'll quickly see that the price differences are minuscule and the end results is basically which company you prefer.