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    NVIDIA GeForce 320M graphics vs ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5650

    Discussion in 'Hardware Components and Aftermarket Upgrades' started by NovaAurora, Jan 19, 2011.

  1. NovaAurora

    NovaAurora Notebook Guru

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    How would these perform for games like EVE Online? What settings?

    I am trying to choose between a Macbook Pro 13" and a 15R from Dell. I want to go for Mac but well I can't find any info about the 320M GPU so.. I don't know.. Please advise! I travel a lot and I am a photographer.
     
    NovaAurora, Jan 19, 2011
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  2. waleed786

    waleed786 Notebook Evangelist

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    5650 is a lot better, don't expect too much gaming power from a 320m..but if you travel a lot then you might need the long battery life of the Macbook Pro..if you're willing to spend ~$1000 for a Macbook, you should consider the Dell XPS 15 which has a better video card than both..or the XPS 14 but you may have to replace the screen because the standard screen has bad reviews which may not be good for your photography
     
    waleed786, Jan 19, 2011
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  3. NovaAurora

    NovaAurora Notebook Guru

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    What kind of games can be played on a 320M?
     
    NovaAurora, Jan 19, 2011
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  4. Crimsoned

    Crimsoned Notebook Deity

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    Depends on the MBP you get, from my experience the 330m* struggles on the 17" MBP, and stutters even on low settings on Left 4 dead 2 which is sad.

    On the 15" I suspect it would play decently on low settings.

    Also COD 4 should run fine on low settings on the 17" and on mixed low/medium settings on the 15" depending on the resolution though.
     
    Crimsoned, Jan 19, 2011
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  5. GP-SE

    GP-SE Notebook Consultant

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    the 13" MacBook Pro comes with 320m
    the 15" and 17" Come with 330m
    the 320m is a low end card, you can play games, but on low settings.
    The 330m is very close performance wise to the 5650, maybe a 5% difference.
    I would suggest a 15 MacBook Pro (the base 15") if you can afford it, if not get the Dell. The 13" wont have the performance you need to game, and in April when the new MacBook Pro's come out you'll regret buying the 13" even more.
     
    GP-SE, Jan 19, 2011
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  6. HTWingNut

    HTWingNut Potato

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    Actually the 335m is closer to the 5650, and the 5650 is still slightly better. Either way I'd go with the 5650 for gaming purposes.
     
    HTWingNut, Jan 19, 2011
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  7. NovaAurora

    NovaAurora Notebook Guru

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    I think I really need something small, is the screen on the MBP good? It's essentially that.
     
    NovaAurora, Jan 19, 2011
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  8. GP-SE

    GP-SE Notebook Consultant

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    GP-SE, Jan 19, 2011
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  9. kent1146

    kent1146 Notebook Prophet

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    Ok, so you want small, and you want to do gaming (GPU) + photography (good screen). What you get will depend on your budget. I am only going to mention laptops 13.3" and lower. If you are willing to go 14" or higher, then the sky is the limit on your choices.

    The best laptop for you if you want it all might be the Sony Vaio Z. It is a 3.5lb 13.3" laptop with an nVidia 330M GPU and a fantastic screen. Costs around $1800. Expect to play games at medium to medium-high detail levels.

    If you want something cheaper, then you might start looking at Apple MacBook Air's and MacBook Pro's. The 13.3" MacBook Air (2.5lb, nVidia 320M GPU, $1300) and 13.3" MacBook Pro (4.5lb, nVidia 320M GPU, $1200) are both solid choices with excellent screens. You sacrifice a considerable amount of gaming power, though. Expect to play games at low to medium detail levels.

    If you prioritize games more than anything else, you may want to look at the Alienware M11x R2. It is a 4.5lb 11.6" laptop with an nVidia 335M GPU. Costs anywhere from $1000 - $1300 depending on configuration. Expect to play games at medium-high settings. The big drawback of this laptop is that the screen size and quality are considered sub-par when it comes to contrast ratio and viewing angles. It is fine if you are going to primarily be gaming, but I would stay away if you will be doing heavy photo work.

    The Dell XPS 14" is also a solid choice - good screen, decent portability, and decent price. However, the GPU (nVidia 420M or 425M) will let you game at low to medium settings. The laptop is larger and heavier than the 11.6" / 13.3" options I mentioned. And the design of the current Dell XPS laptops is ugly as freaking sin. I would never buy one of these Dell XPS'es for that reason alone.
     
    kent1146, Jan 19, 2011
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  10. Crimsoned

    Crimsoned Notebook Deity

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    GPU+ photography@ 13"? Not going to happen man. I don't even know how anyone could edit on a 13".. let alone a TN panel low quality screen. Sony has never amazed me with their laptop's LCD's.

    If gaming is a priority, and so is photography then buying a Mac is about as generic as buying BOSE for headphones. You pay out a load of money, you get a pretty product but you get mediocre performance for the price.

    If your willing to go up to a 15.4" or 15.6" you can get great performance in a solid package for your needs out of a gaming laptop.

    So here's a few questions:
    What programs do you use, how many at a time, etc.
    What are your raw sources, what type of quality pictures are you taking? (3k? 4k? 6k? resolutions)
    Is this for professional photography or recreational amateur stuff?
     
    Crimsoned, Jan 19, 2011
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  11. granyte

    granyte ATI+AMD -> DAAMIT

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    gaming power + batterie life = m11x
     
    granyte, Jan 19, 2011
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  12. City Pig

    City Pig Notebook Virtuoso

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    City Pig, Jan 19, 2011
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  13. eBandit

    eBandit Notebook Consultant

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    How soon are you going to buy. Could it be worth waiting a month to see what comes out with SB in terms of 13.3" screens and dedicated gpu? If what I hear is correct then battery life should be much better on SB cpu's. I decided myself to not wait in i5/i3 ultra-portables in SB, but........ dont know what others think.

    I know nothing about what has good screens nor MBP offerings, so I'm in the dark there.
     
    eBandit, Jan 19, 2011
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  14. Nick

    Nick Professor Carnista

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    Nick, Jan 19, 2011
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  15. NovaAurora

    NovaAurora Notebook Guru

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    Average image file size is about 12.1MB and the size, well 4672x3104. I shoot RAW+JPG.
     
    NovaAurora, Jan 20, 2011
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  16. NovaAurora

    NovaAurora Notebook Guru

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    What are the chances I'll be able to play SWTOR on low or medium settings on a MBP 13"? I mean the game doesn't look very demanding graphically. Right? What about EVE Online on High Settings?
     
    NovaAurora, Jan 20, 2011
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  17. Botsu

    Botsu Notebook Evangelist

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    idk, maybe it'll be ok for a while but unless you plan on buying a new computer every year don't get your expectations too high for SWTOR. It's always like that with MMOs. Try to get WoW to run decently on a P4 and a geforce 6600GT today, for the fun of it.
     
    Botsu, Jan 20, 2011
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  18. kent1146

    kent1146 Notebook Prophet

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    Meh. It would probably work, but you might not get the experience you want.

    If gaming is your priority, then I would focus on getting a machine with a more powerful GPU. At the very minimum, look for something with an nVidia 330M (Sony Vaio Z), nVidia 335M (Alienware M11x), or an ATI Mobility Radeon 5650.
     
    kent1146, Jan 20, 2011
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