Will you continue to game on a notebook?

I was a serious Desktop gamer for more than 10 years, but recently, my Alienware sold me out. lol
I no longer play games on my desktop. I just love the mobility of a laptop.

 

I agree that having the laptop on the couch with my wife next to me is a great way to spend an evening. But so is fragging in my man cave with a desktop that performs leagues better than my laptop and let's me have some tinker time too.

 

Actually my generation old asus g72 can connnect to a 2 tb desktop hard drive
A bigger monitor
And a desktop 470 gtx via pci dock described here on notebookreview for 29$. Only then it would be sort of a desktop and much less useful.

It is completely as upgradeable only its so much more useful

But its a desktop just like your ideal one, only its also a useful computer you can take to school or to a coffee house or to a friends house.... or on a trip to watcha movie.

It comes with a dvd drive a screen, a battery. a desktop cant upgrade its mobile gpu either because it doesnt have one in the first place.

Its all dollars and cents. The percent of people that think a desktop computer is worth the money are shrinking dramatically every year.

They are actually marketing laptop components into desktop format for people with out of date sensibilities. -The whole desktop scene will shrink every year and actually disapear

 

Some day when i have the money and a more permit place of living ill build a B.A. Desktop, but ill always have a gaming quality laptop.

 

all i can say is that for that 373 you could have gotten a laptop that included the keyboard and the mouse, and the screen.

just as upgradeable. My laptop scores 11k in 3dmark 06. You can buy a desktop gpu for it its described here on notebook review.

If you dont see whats a better deal theres just no hope what can I say? It takes some special blinders not to realize that desktops are not only more expensive they have run out of utility

The computer industry still holds some niche for desktop machines. However they are mostly going to be marketed to people who just dont care about money and want performance. The dollars dont make sense now and they make less sense every year.

 

@stamar
I get your point in the fact that with a laptop, you get an all in one portable system but you lose me when you say this is cheaper than a desktop Oo

Ok, gaming laptops are awesome and more than enough for gamers these days but no way are they cheaper than a desktop.
If you do some serious gaming/multimedia use, you will most likely use an external keyboard, mouse and big 20'+ screen. I myself never use the keyboard, screen or trackpad of my laptop, they are not comfortbale to work with.
Laptop screens get worse by the day if you'd ask me. Ok, they are good enough for typing on word when in class and some web browsing but thats it.

The point i'm trying to make is that eventhough laptops are an all in one system, the 'all' in the one, is basic junk or are just not comfortable. And when we come to the hardware...there's no way your upgrading will last you a long while, unless you spend like another 3-400€ on it (i.e. a faster cpu, a powerfull desktop gpu with vidock), and then you have all that wierd stuff lying on your desk, asking to be broke when your cat/kid/dog pass by.

If you upgrade your desktop it will last so much longer to begin with, and the parts are easier to find. And old laptop cpu which would be a decent upgrade for my laptop would still cost me 140-200€, and probably be absolete after a year, two at most. And if I would buy that cpu (in this case the t9500- in a normal store (not ebay), that cpu would still cost me 2-300€!

Eventhough i'm a big fan of the portability, I know for sure that when I get my own place, i'm gonna build such a monster gaming desktop that its gonna make my car look cheap.

 

well you can upgrade the same desktop gpu if you want

As far as upgrading cpus? Thats part of where the desktop market juices you, paying retail for cpus.

For what a i70q goes for you almost have enough for a g73 laptop to go with it. CPU upgrades are never worth it. And why do you even need one?

Desktop cpus are rip offs. Any rettail cpu is a rip off.

All other things are just as upgradeable for your 400$ acer laptop as your 4000 gaming watercooled retard rig.

my laptop is cheaper than making a desktop theres nothing to get confused about. It costs less money...


Part of the desktop scam is to get you to buy just one more part lol.

A quad intel cpu and a 5870 what does that go for? For 840 you can get a whole laptop with those two things at cowboom.com

then you can skip the power supply the monitor the mouse the keyboard the case the arctic silver grease the hdd the optical drive the wireless card

for a machine that is stuck to a power strip and needs its own room mind you.

It takes someone whos been doing it for 10 years to be that out of touch. 10 years ago desktops were cheap and laptops were expensive.

A laptop can use all desktop hardware except cpus

 

I'm not saying any more because you truly are trolling or trying to justify your purchase or something... enjoy your laptop.

 

Im not trolling it has nothing to do with justifying anything.

Numbers are pretty unbiased. There is more expensive there is less expensive.... theres nothing to be confused about.

I always try to shock people out of their poor consumer patterns but its hard especially if someone is stuck.. Once youre roped in you just have smaller more frequent purchases to make to keep your machine up to date in the desktop world.

And its too late to abandon it all. you will always be able to upgrade a component to get the thing one more step up.

Eventually its motherboard and cpu. When theyve got you theyve got you.

Some people think its great still, some dont. Its debatable obviously. But fewer and fewer people think its great and more and more people think its a bad deal. Those patterns are set and will increase every year. Kind of like betamax tape players

 

lol why I need a cpu upgrade? cuz my 2ghz intel c2duo t7300 is always at 100% when playing AC2, Empire total war, Mafia 2, etc...

Thats why I need a cpu upgrade, and even for a 3 years old laptop the price is ridiculous.

Same for my gpu upgrade, the hd4670 costed me 200€ this september, while for that money I could have gotten myself an ati hd5850 desktop gpu which would last me 2-3 years, while this hd4670 is already outdated.

 

Tell me this. I spent about $1200 on my desktop nearly 3 years ago, minus LCD, which I've owned for another year or two prior. It still beats the hell out of my Sager that I spent $1600 about a year and a half ago, and I run at 1920x1200 on my monitor and only 1680x1050 on my laptop. I will buy another laptop in Feb/March with Sandy Bridge, and to be gaming capable for future games will spend another $1600. I even updgraded my laptop CPU with a quad core, so net difference between dual core and quad core was another $100. I will most likely throw a $250 GPU in my desktop for another two years of use. Let's do the math shall we:

Desktop $1200 + $250 GPU upgrade = $1450 for nearly five years of use
Laptop $1600 + $100 CPU + $1600 = $3300 for three years of use.

Ok, throw my monitor in there for another $500 and it's still cheaper.

Maybe if you're ok with older tech, which is fine depending on the games you want to play, a bargain notebook is fine. But if you even want to keep up with the latest tech, it's going to be cheaper with a desktop.

We're not all idiots and you're the only genius here. Nobody's pulled the wool over our eyes. Wait until the next gen consoles come out. You will most likely need an up to date PC to play the games because they will be based on the latest powerful tech in consoles, and will leave laptops well behind the curve again for a while. Just the way it crumbles.

 

ya well thats a problem definitely.

Dont spend 1600 on a laptop at full retail itll always seem more expensive that way.

If you want to you can hook the same gpu up to your laptop. Same lcd. same keyboard. what on earth purpose does a desktop even have for you?

 

If you're talking about ViDock, it has its limitations and you can't take it with you for on the go performance. Definitely a good boost for those at home that don't have room for a desktop, but it has its limitations as well, mainly bandwidth. It also requires a separate power supply and some knowhow to get it working. If I hooked up my GTX 260 desktop to that it would be severly limited.

But it's clear you're trolling on desktop owners and those with latest tech laptops for whatever reasons, I don't know. If an older tech machine worked for me, I'd own one, period. I don't spend the money because I can, it's because it's what I want/need. Heck, my desktop could be a newer i7 setup, but it isn't because it works for me.

So go troll somewhere else please.

 

I'm just sticking to notebooks until I graduate. I'll probably either stick to notebook for a few more years after that or move on to desktops when I get back home.

 

Bottom line, it's what works for you. There's no right or wrong the way stamar seems to think. Whatever suits your needs go for it.

 

ya a vidock is like a desktop, it needs a monitor and a power supply.

why on earth dont you just toss your desktop in the trash and hook your alienware to your desktop gpu?

I mean whatever it cost you, just eliminate all of those costs minus the gpu. You have the same gaming experience, probably even better as you can play the same game and have the same save.

Your desktop is just your sort of expensive vidock right now,

I wouldnt use a vidock but I would before Id use a whole desktop that needs its whole desk. Imagine the amount of power that thing has sucked up over the years. Imagine if you could charge it rent for its little 4 x 2 space what it would owe you.
sledge hammer it! Youll feel so much better.

 

ya definitely never upgrade the cpu or gpu on a laptop. Alwlays save the money and just get a new one.

In a rare case like the gateway 6831fx where a cheap cpu is an upgrade you do it but never spend 200 on a cpu when 400 gets you a whole new laptop.

 

Maybe because I own a home with my own den and don't need to worry about space?

So because it suits your needs apparently it should suit everyone elses. I see. Talk about closed minded and arrogant. We should all be driving Chrysler's because I do I guess.

 

@ Stamar

Why don't you just realize that everyone has their own reasons for doing stuff and money is hardly the be-all and end-all of reason. Maybe some people LIKE desktops or even ENJOY them. Why are you so hell bent on trying to convince everyone here (or just HT) that you are the smartest person to ever own a laptop because you can find a good deal? Whoopdy-doo, no-one cares! Get over it dude jeez. After 3 pages of your bargain BS this thread needs either A) closing or B) you to STFU.

 

I hope that doesn't happen. I started this thread and I really enjoy most of the responses.

I don't think you can deny the cost/performance ratio of a desktop. It's better than a laptop; hands down. Not really a question there. I think it boils down to ones preference and lifestyle. If you're on the move, a gaming laptop is a fantastic choice. Prices have come down and power has gone up. But if you're not on the move and don't need the mobility, building a desktop will cost less and give you more power and flexibility. On the flip side - consoles rule the market, so it could be argued that hardware will become less of a factor in the near future (at least until new consoles are released) making laptop gaming more attractive. Heck, Black Ops is the #1 PC game now and it's still DX9. My G73JH is plenty enough to eat up most of todays games at high settings.

 

There's nothing closed-minded about shunning ideas that make you scared and uncomfortable.

 

I probably stick with laptop till I graduate and have my own place )
My previoius laptop was a XPS M1710 and it lasted me 3 years even though I bought it when nvidia's series 8 mobile card was coming out. Hopefully, my G73 can last at least that long.
IMO, desktop is awesome only at the high-end where you can do crazy things like 3d or multi-monitor setup. For a normal gamer, I would say a good laptop like G73 is enough.

 

If I ever get a desktop I'm building it myself... otherwise I won't even be saving that much. The whole point in buying a desktop is that you can build it yourself and save a ton otherwise they're nearly as expensive as a laptop.

 

I have a desktop then I tried buying a gaming laptop and it's quite cool too.
Desktop can handle most of the heat than laptop. But overall those 2 run well. It's just that laptop are good for traveling...or any other reasons...preference.

 

i agree with this statement. as me and many others have pointed out before, thanks to the consoles and the present graphical status quo, laptops have finally become a viable gaming option.
but as htwingnut and others have also pointed out, this may not be the case once the new generation of consoles come out.
thunderball is also correct to point out that there is no wrong or right here. we are just sharing opinions...

 

Consoles are designed to have a lifespan of about 10 years. Computers always provide technology that is more advanced than that in consoles. The next-gen consoles may match the specs of top-end computers for a month (if at all), but they will fall behind quickly and give affordable priced laptops time to catch up. My best guess is that the console market will continue to adopt new hardware every ten years while mid-priced laptops play catchup during the intervals of no growth.

 

One could say that we're already there, and have been pretty much all year. Yeah you'll see the odd title (metro 2033) that can bring pc hardware to its' knees, but this is often the dev's fault for poor/lazy coding.

When you look at the facts you can see the future pretty clearly; WinXP has official support into next year, which means that DX9 is the industry standard for at LEAST that long. Then add into the mix that consoles operate on DX9 and are not going to be upgraded for at least another 2-3 years, which means any AAA game will be designed for DX9.

Win7 and DX11 have only been around for a year or so and there is a fairly low adoption rate of DX11, never mind its' "features" like tesselation. So it doesn't matter what you buy in the next 3 years, it will be able to handle pretty much anything that will be made! After we get new consoles this will be a bigger issue, but miniaturization might catch up by then and we might see laptop parts performing (close to) on par with desktop, or hell even using the same parts.

 

Just sold my newly bought Gateway NV49C (i5-450m, GT 330m) for a slight profit. Nothing inherently wrong with it, heck that laptop is blazing fast and cheap for a 14" but it also runs really noisy without a laptop cooler.

Pretty much done with gaming-class laptops for now unless there's a revolution in cooling and power consumption efficiency. I think I just stick to my trusty desktop for gaming purposes, and a nice fast enough Zacate 10-12" netbook for college. Though a cheap 3820TG may change my mind!

 

Console life cycle is typically 5-6 years (PS1 - 1994, PS2 - 2000, PS3 - 2006, Xbox - 2001, xbox 360 - 2005, NES - 1985, SNES - 1991, N64 - 1996, GC - 2001, Wii - 2006). Xbox 360 and PS3 are a little off the cycle because of the huge investment made. Although I'd say we see news of new console tech in 2011, probably a release end of 2012.

 

Wow is the ps3 from 2006 already? Rofl it seems like yesterday when they released it. I doubt there will come a new Sony console anytime soon, since the ps3 isn't selling so well, and i'm not sure if they are still making los when selling a ps3 console, but it would be pretty inefficiënt to bring out a new console by the time there are finaly enough console owners to make gaming sales big again. (aren't there still way more ps2 owners anyway?).

If you'd ask me, moderate gaming on laptops is finally posible for non enthousiasts. If you buy a laptop for 7-800€ with an adi hd5650 you can play most games at medium to high settings. When I bought my laptop 3 years ago for 1300€ I could play all games (cod4 etc) at low settings only...

I think the people in this thread are correct by the fact that laptops are good enough for gaming (cheap laptops can run a lot, expensive laptops will not become obsolete for any time soon), untill new consoles will be released.

 

That is true Studen@Antwerp2009 My XPS M1730 is still going strong after almost 3 years of usage and I can play all games now at 1920x1200, mostly this is thanks to the performance have stagnated since old consoles is still being used. Though I own a desktop too of course, but mainly game on my XPS M1730.

 

Laptops with decent GPUs are now affordable, the only problem is that the screens tend to be really washed out so an external monitor is a must.

 

I'm not sure what you mean by washed out, but imo the gloss is horrible and if you really want to experience a game you will need a 23" monitor or something even bigger (after using my 23" for a month I already want a bigger 27" lol).

 

i really enjoyed the screen on my m9750.

the problem i have with spending $2000 upwards on a laptop is that for that money, i expect that i should be able to max out games for the next few years. unfortunately, that doesn't happen, and after a years worth of gaming, newer games are developed that push right past your GPU's threshold, making you turn down settings just a bit.

i really do enjoy seeing more high-end notebooks for a ~$1500 price tag rather than the $2500+ that they used to be.

 

I think so. The footprint on the desk is what wins for me and now that graphics are really getting good on notebooks, not to mention 3D and Eyefinity. As long as notebooks can deliver the same performance, or at least game-able performance then I'll stick with a notebook. it just doesn't make sense to game any other way.