gaming on laptops

Iv been in a heated debate over at mmorpg, click here if you want to read it. Its about being able to game on laptops. While I don't get to smack some fools up to often, I know you can game on a laptop, no matter who is telling me I cant so I let lose when I can. The thread is titled "whats better for gaming: laptops or desktops". Please feel free to post over there if you have anything to add to it. It is a bit long, as some of my reply's are lengthy. My name is eycel over there.

A lot of what is being said is about why desktops are so much better then laptops, but Iv been replying that they are not. I guess I feel that there is a overwelming majority there that wont consider using any type of mobile device to game with cause its not a desktop but all I'm wanting to do is inform them that you can indeed game on a laptop. There's so many laptop haters over there, its sickening. I think alot of them would rather die before being subject to a laptop of any sorts.


Some of the arguments about why desktops are superior then laptops:
performance
price
thermals
laptops are only good for portability


my views about why laptops are better then desktops:
resale
ingenuity
design
fun-factor
transporting (shipping)

 

I personally think it's all about preference.

Just like anything else, everything has something better than another thing, but also has things worse.

I like Laptops because I can take them anywhere, and mine is like a portable desktop.

I like desktops because I can load them up with all sorts of goodies (clear case, LED lights, more performance, etc).

Basically, don't listen to people who always say "well this is better because I think it is" or "this is worse because I think this one has better features".

Just go with what you like, and what you would like to own/play on.

 

Thats the kinda awnser I was looking from them laptop hating desktop fonbois, but they just keep on at it with there bias opionions and total disregard of my opionion. I Guess its all in good fun but people get hurt in these types of arguments all the time. I think there should be more patience when people discredit other peoples opinion's.

 

If you don't need to take it any where, get a desktop, you'll get more performance for cheap.

 

Thats what they seem to be arguing with me about! The thread starter just asked what games better, not what performs better or is portable. We dont know what use or fasion the gaming will be done in.

 

One of these days, someone's going to have to do a psychological study on why people get so worked up over this crap.

PC vs Mac, Desktop vs Laptop, Xbox vs PS vs Wii, Console vs PC, Android vs iPhone, Red vs Blue...

Why does it matter what someone else uses? There's no real logical element to most of these "debates" as it's all opinion. It's like arguing that purple is the best color. Which by the way, it definitely is.

 

I read pretty much all of that thread but I don't think they are open to any objective or sensible discussion so I will not waste my time giving them any input.

I can't take anyone seriously who complains about poor gaming performance from their laptop when they purchased a brand that does not cater for the gamer with a GPU that is midrange and in a chassis that has inferior cooling when compared to brands that are specifically aimed at gaming.

My laptop was expensive but the amount of enjoyment I have got out of it makes it priceless. I can play GTA IV with all high settings, native 1600 x 900 resolution and all sliders at 50 or 60 at 40 fps, Transformers maxed out at 80 - 120 fps and many other titles at excellent fps rates.

I play at home a lot of the time but when I went away for a week, I packed my laptop into a rucksack and I had access to my entire gaming collection while I was away.

The laptop coupled with a wireless controller allows me to game in any room, location or where ever I feel like but a Desktop reminds me of being in an office job stuck behind a desk. Some of us have spent lots of time having to stay at a desk in one place restricted so why would we want to do the same when we game.

A desktop will always have more performance vs Price but what some don't seem to realise is that value is not always about money.

 

Well i peronally belive alot of gamers get disillusioned by rabbid fanboisim and it becomes evident by just reading one page of the thread.

 

Then your compleatly coherant laptopnut cause thats my thoughts.

 

gaming is desktop is better for me. Mainly because of better keyboard. If your using a external gaming keyboard and mouse, its pretty much the same as desktop. They probably flame you because they think your're using a touchpad or something.

 

I like laptop keyboards better then external kbs, and I even have big hands. Theres just thought put into the design of them I think, and the way they glide over your fingers flush, with all the keys the same height. I hightly doubt that they think I use the touchpad as a mouse for gaming, but with there ideology I wouldnt be suprized.

 

My only pc is the one in my sig... It cost me 1700$ 2 and half years ago... Does it play games? Yes... Does it Play games equally or better than a Desktop from 2 and a half years ago for 1700$... HELL NO!... That's the point... That's why Gaming is better on a Desktop...

I know laptops have come really far in performance.. Now you can buy a g73 with i7 and HD5870 for 1200$, but still that will be slower than a similar priced desktop...

Yes you have portability... You can play anywhere (well not anywere, batteries don't last long on high-end laptops) and my next machine will also be a laptop, but only because i need that portability... If not, of course i would get a desktop, who doesn't want the best for his money?

Why the g73 is so popular? Because of the price/performance ratio... PERIOD... Not everybody can spend 2k+ on a pc, even more if you can get equal/better performance for alot less money (desktop anyone)...

If you go to the NBR marketplace you'll see several post about ppl selling laptops because they find themselves not moving the machine at all, so they think, why having at expensive machine and not using his principal atribute, portability... i better get a desktop for around half price with the same performace... Thats the point for laptops, PORTABILITY...

So i think, at least for me, this sums it all:

Gaming on Laptop: Very good, you can play all games (not at the max settings though) spending around 1500 $, and you get portability, a big plus if you really need it...

Gaming on Desktop: The Best (when it comes to performance)... For the same 1500 $ you can configure a desktop that will play EVERY GAME better than the laptop at the same price....

 

I don't think it is as simple as needing portability, it might be about merely having the option. As I said earlier, I don't move around much but on the few occasions that I have done so, I really appreciated being able to take the laptop with me. Yes a Desktop is cheaper, but it gives you no option other than being in one place.

I wonder how many of those who sold their laptops because they found they used it in one place are now happier.

I wonder if anyone actually ''needs'' portabilty in terms of that being the only reason for owning a gaming laptop Vs a Desktop because what is stopping you from having a small cheap and light laptop along with a medium sized but powerful Desktop?

 

Not many I highly suspect. You still have to add in that in all praticality buying a desktop just for gaming isnt economical. How many laptops compared to desktops have you sold before and which was easier to sell. Even though you may benefit from added frames from a desktop, you wont be able to as easily stay up to date with a desktop as you would with a laptop. You can sell your laptop a year later and still get a resonable amount for it but with a home made desktop its going to be more difficult with shipping costs, and just finding a buyer wanting something you made that so many others make.

 

I get your point LaptopNut, i really do... I always had desktops... And just after i bought my laptop i had to move out... I've been traveling ALOT and the laptop have been like heaven for me because i don't know how could i been taking a desktop everywhere.... But actually, for someone who indeed always play in his house, the desktop will be a better option... Yes, like you said, is about having the option... but if you never move, then that option is pointless...

And well, i think my posts are more related to the other website thread (the one the OP linked) than this... This is about gaming on laptops, not what is better for gaming...

So, for this one, yes you can game on laptops, it's great (not being sarcastic, i think it might sound like it...)

 

Well i cant have a desktop because i just dont have the space (i live in a small, very small, rented room).. SO, if i want to game is either a console or a laptop and i dont like consoles...

But alot of ppl does exactly that, buy a desktop for gaming and a small laptop for portability...

I think one of the more important reasons, if not the main one, to buy a gaming laptop is to be able top play on the go (ergo, portability)... at least for me...

 

oh cmon, show your enthusiasim like you mean it. Im j/k, you sound totaly beliveable. I dont know though, when I think of desktops any more I think of workstations, or terminals. Sure stationary terminus is a good thing by any standard but any who, all I was geting at is controlling the phyco fanbois that wont accept laptops as even an alternative let alone a main gameing rig. Theres plenty of people out there that could make good use of a laptop and not even know it and get a desktop instead. Thats why geting a laptop for a main gaming machine is a good idea, you always have the ability to transport it easily.

 

Im really not agreed with you on this... I have a friend that does only desktop gaming... i have learned thanks to him that the moment you spend the most in a desktop is when you first buy it... After that if just selling the part you want to upgrade and add a little amount of money to buy the best new thing... You dont need to sell the whole desktop, as what happend with laptops...

For laptops that's not the case... My pc, 2 and a half years old, can only be sold for around 500$, if possible... You can even check the NBR marketplace and find G73s for 1300-1400$... thats a 200-300$ hit on a less than 6 months old laptop...

And about the shipping cost, i think you're not getting something here... Desktops, most of the times, are not bought together... So if your selling your gpu to upgrade for a better one, the person who will buy it wont spend over 15 bucks for shipping in most cases...

Also you said nobody wants "the old desktop" and thats also not true, because like you who doesn't need the "overkill performance" (quoted from your posts at morpg.com) alot of ppl are ok with mid-performance gpu's...

 

While im not in the known of the ins and outs of the procedures of how the desktops and laptops are sold, I do look on ebay alot. I find comparing selling a laptop to just part of a desktop unjustified. There are plenty of laptops that are broken down to parts also. Were talking about the units as a whole, and thats one of my main reasons why laptops are better for gaming, there easier to sell.
The only reason i said no ones wants the old desktop was in defence for the disregard of my opionions. You stated though that theres no reason to get a laptop if your going to be home all the time, but why should some one do this if there going to be using sub par desktop equipment if price is no issue?

 

I prefer to game on a desktop. Its better in every way possible except portability.

Thus the laptop for gaming is only for when I cant be on my desktop at home.

When I do game on the laptop despite having one of the best gaming laptops on the market (Asus G73) I cant do as good or enjoy it nearly as much.

Main reasons.

> Screen, its 17" at home I have a nice 24" (Three of them) so I can see things easier and get into the game better on the desktop.

> Sound, G73 speakers are good but its nothing compared to my 540w Klipsch surround sound system at home. When explosions go off I want to FEEL them, this also puts you into the game more.

Headphones are an option but good headphones like my A700s are not really portable and wont fit in my backpack. Earbuds are ok but still not as nice.

The screen and sound are my main reasons, esp if I use my Eyefinity mode on the desktop

Keyboard is good on the G73 and I use a external G7 mouse so I dont take those into factor as much.

Other reasons that do not contribute to why playing on the desktop is better but just overall why a desktop is better:


> Price, desktop can do what the laptop can for about 1/2 the price.

> Customization, desktop can easily have the hardware you need and upgrade a specific part if you need a performance upgrade, also no worries about drivers and things like that. Just recently have they really started to produce mobile gpu drivers without us modifying them on our own. Even still in many cases they may not work right or work on certian systems.

 

Cant the mobile cards support eyefinity also. I realize drivers have just came out for laptops but you do relize that most softwares havent been around all that long much more either. I remember the first mmo I played, merdian59. It was the first massive multiplayer online role playing game that existed besides a few mud's(Multi-User Dungeon). Now there is hundreads released every month. Things change, and I think in all praticality desktops just for gaming are a dieing breed.

 

Heh well one thing that hasn't been mentioned is comfort factor. One thing that I love about my Gaming Laptop is the fact that I can play games in any position I feel comfortable in at the moment. Sometimes I feel like playing on my desk sometimes I go into my dining room and hook it up HDMI to my HDTV, sometimes I just feel like lying in bed and playing Dragon Age until I fall asleep at night.

 

I think your problem is that you haven't defined what "good" is in regard to gaming. If high framerate with highest video settings defines good, desktops win. If you throw in price, desktops win by a larger amount. If you assume a desktop is defined as the entire system of box, monitor, keyboard, mouse, speakers, and whatever, it will win with better interfaces, better sound, and a much better monitor. If you assume a desktop is only the box itself and the laptop has access to the monitor, kb, mouse, etc., the laptop will see the only area it wins: flexibility. The flexibility to use your 26" monitor as a desktop or the built in 17" for gaming on the go.

You also have to figure out how often a person travels. If you work and live at home, there's little to no reason to own a laptop at all. If you are constantly traveling, there might be no reason in owning a desktop.

Really its pointless to argue.

 

Desktop is best unless you absolutely need to be mobile. I thankfully am done having the need for mobility, it just unfortunate my time with notebooks had to end with such a bad note as the Sager. Thankfully I will have no need for another, and even if I did it certainly would not be Sager/Clevo. XD

 

Ive been gaming primarily on my laptops for about 3 years now. Have a desktop but frankly I just dont like it. Its become nothing but a media center box for my tv.

There is nothing more satisfying then going to a lan party and having your rig setup in under a minute and playing while everyone else is trying to fumble around for crap. For me being able to get in a quick gaming session at lunch or waiting to pick up my wife from work are what make my laptop better then my desktop.

Heck nowadays when Im at home Im always connected to an external 24" monitor and all my fav logitech input equipment.

But thats just me. And its all subjective. But i would caution all the desktop gamers who havent played on a current gen higher end laptop to give it a try. They'd prob be surprised.

 

Current laptops can not support eyefinity. the cards maybe can but the laptop itself must be designed to support it because it needs 3 monitor outputs and displayport.

 

I like gaming on desktop, but once again-as others have said-its all about preference.

Personally, I like to game on my laptop at night, on my bed. Theres nothing more fun than being able to play a game like WoW on my bed and just grind or raid. (Don't worry, I keep a cooler pad under myself). Now try doing that with your Desktop.....not really the same-not the same at all!

So both of them have their positives and negatives..but for portability, laptops win no question.

 

+1 Purple IS the best color.

Agreed.

 

Purple Purple Purple... yes! it IS the best color, without question.

Also, I have to say desktop. I game on a laptop because I cannot afford to have both a gaming laptop and a gaming desktop, and I NEED a laptop. Desktops provide better cooling, performance, and better (and bigger) displays...

 

To a colorblind person, purple ISN'T the best color . Personally i bought a gaming notebook for two main reasons.

1: Easy to set up at lans and i can play anywhere i want in the house. Especially the dining room with all the food easily reached (i'm actually 5'9", 125 pounds before you assume i'm fat because of the fridge statement ).

2: My research department would only give me 1K to buy a laptop, not a desktop . In my case, the laptop was the cheaper option lol.

 

Laptops are for leet crew

you cant bring ur desktop to ur friends without taking 5 days

you cant travel with ur desktop

so... in all actuality laptops are better, unless u stay at home all day.

 

Yup, totally agree.

Same reason why calculators are better than microwaves. Definitely more portable, and better with numbers to boot. Oh also, radios - much better than desk lamps. With the whole play-on-the-go and DJ thing. Dang, gotta get me another one of those. Speaking of which - toaster ovens! The bomb!

 

clock = desktop

watch = laptop

 

envy17?

10characters

 

Why do I choose a gaming laptop over a dekstop? Because I can only own one(1) machine and I need it to do everything. Yes, I could have gotten a medium budget gaming desktop + a cheap netbook, but gaming away from a desk/home is part of my requirements.

I go to my friend's house once a week to game with him; only did this once when I owned a desktop. I bring my laptop over to my parents house and watch a Netflix movie with them. I game in bed, on the patio, in a box, with a fox, I game here and there, I game everywhere!

Also, I don't feel like I am missing out on much performance wise with my G73.

 

I chose laptop because I mainly game on the couch using a wood lapdesk. This way, I can still hang out with my girlfriend while she watches her (sometimes terrible) TV Shows and I can still game without her thinking that I am neglecting her

 

Actually, it's true that desktops are better in every single aspect, except for portability, which is rather huge.

Resale - Notebooks are very much worse, your $3000 notebook will become $500 just after 3 years, at least for desktop you can reuse the parts.
Ingenuity - ???
Design - You don't look at how nice your system light bling bling looks while gaming.
fun-factor - ? They are both computer systems??
transporting (shipping) - ? You ship it only once, and you can buy desktops from diy parts at your local hardware store, don't even need to ship.

As much as I like my gaming notebook, gaming desktop is still the best choice if you don't need the portability. a MXM 5870MR cost around the same as a desktop 5870, which is twice as powerful as the 5870MR.

 

Up til now, I've been using the M860TU in my sig for all of my gaming needs. I hook it up to an external monitor, keyboard, mouse, and speakers, and all of the pretty much obviates the need for an actual desktop. Of course, performance suffered a little, but the 9800M GT isn't exactly a performance slouch, and could handle most games on at least about Medium at 1920x1080.

Recently, however, I've run into a problem - it seems that I have almost burnt my GPU out running my laptop 24/7 for weeks on end, heh. Whoopsie.

So, guess it's time to build a desktop. Goodbye, desktop replacement

 

Wow, Laptopnut, not only is your whole first post on this thread brilliant but I would have still repped you if you said only the above sentence in that post. I don't need to read any other post after yours . Summed up very nicely and so true...+1.

 

Notebook works for me. I would never argue it is cheaper or can reach the level of performance of a desktop.

That said those destapo guys who act like gaming on a notebook not even worth doing? My very current notebook has a CPU that beats a desktop Q6600 2.4Ghz. The GPU when OC'd is a desktop HD5770. If anyone thinks that can't game they are snobs, no more no less. My notebook is above the median desktop used by gamers. Yea not too special but not crap either.

Yea a desktop will have the performance advantage overall but no reason for some to be snobs. I know my high end notebook is at best a tier 2 desktop equivalent. But it is mobile and can game.

 

They are simply saying there's no point in getting a notebook if you are going to leave it on the desk all the time, which is very true. And you definitely can get a much more powerful desktop for the same price you are getting a notebook, the price you pay for an i7 + 5870MR notebook could get you a desktop with i5 (which is faster than i7 notebook) and 5870 (which is 2x the performance of 5870MR) desktop.

 

Exactly my case, except for purple...

 

I think THAT'S THE POINT... Nobody is saying that you cannot play on notebooks... What most people are saying is that if you don't need portability, Desktops is the way to go, because it will be always cheaper, easier to upgrade, easier to customize, etc, etc, etc...

Anyway, since i need portability, i love my laptop

 

I think even if you didnt need the portability, the option of it, is soo much better. Give you a few scenarios that apply to me, my parents dont own a blu ray player but I have a huge collection of great blu rays theyd like to bring and watch at the lake, BAM!!! laptops hooked up to the lake, not only that but ive got nes snes n64 dreamcast emulators(owning only copies of stuff I already own) and play some retro gaming or even some new multiplayer game, which splitscreen is far and few now a days.

Im at school and I need a laptop, just so happen to have my hardware beast on hand, why buy 2 seperate devices when one does all.

The portability brings a whole new functionality for the laptops that the desktop cannot. Instead of buying a billion different blu ray players, one laptop does the job, or if I need a lappy at school for notes , done lappy goes to school.

I look at buying a lappy over a Desktop the same way I was looking at buying a new phone, I didnt want to have to carry my phone, an ipod, a pda around, just to get one function out of each thing, I bought an iphone to web browse on the go for any reason may it be bus times or when ticks go on sale or were im going, I have music right there aswell, I can take pictures to boot that arent too bad. It replaced me buying a bazzilion different things, also has a calender, alarm clock ( I dont even own an alarm clock anymore), and im not a apple fan at all, but it does its job the best I find.

Buying a gaming laptop for me replaces a desktop (because I dont need bleeding edge... just close to it), replaces a portable blu ray player, replaces a useless notebook that can barely web browse, replaces a home console because laptops can plug into hdtvs mouse and keyboards and controllers, Can bring over my gaming rig to a buddies so we can both sit and veg.

I personally see this being a trend not just gamers following but more and more people, they want their devices to do more, go more places plug and play, no question about it.

 

If you like having the option of portability, it means that portability is important to you. Those getting desktops are those who know that they absolutely will not need a computer outside. Basically the whole argument of notebook is based around portability, take that away, and there's nothing left.

 

not to long ago i bought the GX740 gaming laptop.
Before that i always used a desktop for gaming ( never did much els than that with it ).

I absolutly love my new laptop, i could not be more satisfied with it..... BUT....
The only reason i bought the laptop instead of a new desktop is like someone els also said, i prefer to spend time with my girlfriend too and not sit alone in my room just because i want to play a game or talk with my friends/family. In other words, mobility IS an importand factor for me. But the + side of it is, i can take the laptop with me outside and enjoy a cool temp with a nice cold beer while watching a movie or whatever i like to do at that moment.
Next to that is that i moved to Spain altho my friends/family still life in Holland and i can just take my laptop over there and i have everything at hand.

Like many people said before, a desktop is price/performance compared a better choice and i prefer the desktop too but times chance
Like Laptopnut beautifully said : Value is not always about money. ( best statement i have seen in the whole post )

My girlfriend was not to happy with me spending 1200euro for the laptop but she knows
1. why i bought it
2. that the laptop will go for quit some time.
3. as far as i know, i do have the possibility to upgrade parts even tho it will be a bit more expensive then upgrading a desktop

At the op
Sure you can resell your laptop every now and then to buy a new one but
1. the extra money you spend for a new laptop wil be just as much (if not more) as you would spend in new parts for your desktop.
2. Everytime your selling your laptop you will have to go to the hassle again of changing everything to your preferences whereass with a desktop it is just a simple quick deinstall from old drivers and install the new drivers for your new part.


Long story short.
I prefer desktops over laptops unless in my case the priority changes to being mobile.
Even tho desktops will probably always be faster, the laptops are getting pretty close to it!

Regards,

Jim

 

^ Great post, couldnt have put it better. I look at the laptop more like a swiss army knife, rather then a machete.

 

I prefer to have a gaming laptop just to have the ability to run away from relatives and work&play anywhere else. Having something with which you can game in your backpack is great, and nothing can beat that imo. Eventhough dekstops are way more powerfull I actually couldn't care less about having the most powerfull graphics, its mostly about the gameplay for me. I'm still amazed how good assassins creed 2 looks like, a pc game from 2010 which I can play decently on my laptop from 2007. I think its because I started gaming on a gameboy I took that thing everywhere with me ^^

 

as the 21st century human being becomes more and more mobile, portability and portable gaming will become more prominent.
in fact, portability is one major advantage that consoles do not have.
as laptops become more powerful and more affordable, portable gaming is what could actually lead to a resurgence of pc gaming.

 

QFT ! You've put it the best, definitely a true statement. No one can denie this, as of now I dont know very many people with a desktop anymore, few and far between