Why "switchable graphics" is not available for Hi-End gaming laptop?

After a day of googling, the strongest switchable graphics gaming laptops I found is the ones with Radeon HD 5730.

For example,
- Lenovo Y560
- MSI GE600


Why can't these arrandale-based switchable graphics laptop use something like HD 5870 or GTX 280m?

I assume there's a good reason behind it?

Thank you in advance!

 

Because they use quads most of the time(720qm,820gqm and 920xm) which do not have integrated graphics, and as such they did not feel the need to implement switchable graphics.

 

The purpose of gaming laptops is performance, the manufacturers don't really care about battery life when making the laptops and focus on faster components- like the i7's which, like Ayle says, don't have the integrated graphics on them.

 

However some laptop right now with 5870 do have automatic downclock when not gaming.

 

The automatic downclocking has been round for a long time already, a Geforce 7900GS from 2006 for sure had it and it is not near as effective as running on a low-end integrated.

 

My guess we will see some Integrated gfx in Sandy Bridge next year in High Ends

 

I know my older Alienware Area-51 M15X has switchable graphics from GTX280M to Intel 3100. I believe the newer M15X can do this too. I hope this helps. God Bless

 

I don't really see the need for switchable graphics on something that's never going to leave a desk and an outlet, anyway.

 

I agree with the above. If it was just "gaming capable" notebooks I might change my opinion, but high end rigs have high end GPUs and therefore high end(and big) cooling systems.

Chances are most of them are 17" too(if by high end we mean GTX280M and HD4850 and up) with big screens and power hungry CPUs so battery life would already be kind of abysmal even without the GPU.

I mean the m17x had switchable(or still does I'm not up to date), but nobody really cared about that

 

The M11x is a great example of this feature and I wish more 15'' gaming laptops had it.

 

a porsche does not have much of a trunk, either. i have a ge600 since i also use it for work and need to bring home groceries.

 

So many things just do not go hand in hand when you talk about switchable GFX and High End notebooks.

Switchable GFX is associated with notebooks that will be more mobile and away from an outlet for an extended period of time.

High End gaming is associated with notebooks that have powerful technology in order to provide the best gaming experience possible. That technology usually means that these notebooks will be big, heavy, and will not have good battery life.

It would be like trying to make a fuel efficient supercar. Supercars are not practical to drive around in to pick up your kids from soccer.

It would be nice though if we made a breakthrough in battery technology. Seems all that is happening is we are squeezing more cells and also making parts less power hungry.

 

I agree, im hoping to see optimus with the new GTX480m, specially with rumors of high power requirements and heat. Some of us (like me) also work, travel with our gaming laptops, would be great to get a little more battery life out of them, not saying it would be a deciding factor but if the trend already started, why not go with into high end as well.

 

Well I wouldn't mind it, but "high end" gaming laptops typically have big cooling systems and other components that hog power and drain battery, not just the GPU.