Unsure about laptop GPU capabilites..

I'm not a heavy gamer, but I'm going to college soon and I'd like a portable laptop (14 or 15.4" preferably) that can run most current games relatively smoothly (Dawn of War II, for example). The specs for Diablo III haven't been released yet, but I'd like to be able to play that smoothly as well.

I'm sure I'm asking for too much. Most people have told me to get a desktop, but I don't want one. I know they are cheaper, but I need portability. Now, the Asus G50 X5 at Best Buy looks like the best bang for your buck, but apparently it's just too big for a 15.4".

Is there any middle ground? How are the 9650M cards? I've seen them in many Asus and MSI 15.4" models.

 

Most 15.4" cards that are out can run all of those games easily. Even just the mid range 9600 GT would be great.

 

Could you recommend something specifically then? Generally, the better the graphics cards, the bigger the laptop, and like I said I'm trying to find portability. What would you say has the best size to power ratio?

And from what I hear, MSI and Asus come out with good stuff. Many people keep mentioning Thinkpads as well, but I've only seen those with ATI cards, and I'm not familiar with those.

 

You generally have to make a choice between good battery life or good gaming performance. Gaming laptops will also be heavier and less portable due to what they are designed for so if you are planning on using it for college, it might not be very suitable. I guess you could always buy a spare battery.

Those people who have told you to get a desktop may simply be underestimating the power of current gaming laptops. Although desktops are the best for gaming and always will be in terms of cost, upgradeability and cooling, gaming laptops can play serious games and can pack some real power.

Take a look at the Sager NP8662 or the Sager NP9262 for some good examples.

Personally I wouldn't bother with the 9650M cards but I am just majorly fussy about gaming performance and hate having to constantly tone down settings, resolutions etc just to give your weak card a fighting chance.

My advice to you is to fill out the what notebook faq here http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=29271

You might be better of with two devices, one weak cheap one with long batter life and a powerful one like the NP8662.

 

I did fill out the FAQ and posted it on the What Notebook Should I Buy Section, and got a bit of help.

Basically, I'm at the point where I don't play games much anymore, but there is still that possibility that every once in a while I'll play a game. I'm also looking forward to Diablo III.

 

An Asus N80 or N81 would be a good 14" mid-range

MSI GT627 is a true 15" with good battery life (9-cell version at least) and very good video card.

 

The Sager NP8662 is one of the most powerful 15.4" out right now, with the 260m gpu.

 

As per the OP's question about best size-to-power ratio, probably the MSI GT627 w/ 9800M GS at under 6 lbs.

 

I am a fan of the laptop I recently purchased. I was in the same boat as you. Not much of a gamer anymore, but wanted that capability and I needed a laptop that was easily transportable for work.

The Asus N81vp is what I decided on and havent looked back since. The thing is a beast. It has played every game I have thrown at it sufficiently + 1 and the overall performance for applications is simply outstanding. I do not think it can be beat in the mobile computing arena.