GT 540M performance

I've been needing a new laptop for awhile, performance wise and because the bezel has been coming apart. I wanted a P151HM1 from Malibal but $1100 seems kind of steep (8GB 1333 RAM, Win7 Pro, i7-2630QM, Intel 3000 wifi, no branding). Plus, the only game I really play on pc is StarCraft II. I do have other games but I almost never play them. Currently I play SC2 on lowest settings at 720p. I'd like to be able to run it at medium or high settings or a mix at 1080p. I do hope to build myself a desktop in the not too distant future (about a year) which is what kind of leads me away from spending too much on a laptop. But for now, I still want to play SC2 and actually be able to micro in large battles. Plus, I want the laptop to last me 5+ years.

Since I saw Malibal offers the W150HM, it is tempting since with the same config as above it costs $900.

Any thoughts?

Thanx!

 

540GT is very good at 720p resolutions and below but at 1080p its below average.

 

That config would probably run SC2 quite decently. I've tried playing on an XPS with 8400M, runs on medium pretty smoothly.
I use this chart to roughly estimate how they run games...
Computer Games on Laptop Graphic Cards - Notebookcheck.net Tech

 

I would just go ahead and build your desktop first if you're on that low of a budget. With that much for a PC you could max it out at 1080p

 

Well, the laptop maybe priority since my current laptop is literally falling apart.

 

Well in that case, from my personal experience, it's not worth just going for the option that will JUST run your games enough. When I was building my PC 3 years ago, i cheaped out on a card. It wasn't worth the frustration at my brand new 'gaming pc' having frame rates less than playable. It was an nvidia 9400gt. I upgraded to a 9800gt a couple of weeks later and was so amazed at the difference. at that time the 9800gt was one of the highest end cards. It's still running smoothly today and I can nearly max out any game, but it's starting to struggle a little. That's why I'm bought my Clevo and went for the 6990m, which is one of the best at the moment.

 

I wasnt impressed with the 540m GT running SC2 on a 1080p display. Id say you want a 560m at the very least for what your asking.

 

if you want a 540m consider an acer 3830GT or their 14 inchers

the screens are 13.3-14inch at 1366x768 but it might actually look better for 720 gaming since you can run at native resolutions

you can find models with i5 dual cores(all you need for cpu really) 8gig ram and 640 gb hdd for $650 at newegg or ncix

not to mention theyre also much more portable than sager 15.6inchers

 

i had an Acer 5742g with Core i5 480m and nvidia GT540m. Im a starcraft 2 player as well and that was my only computer. I loved it, it was nice and i played 4v4 ladder with these settings:

textures- ultra
models- high
shaders- medium
other stuff- low
resolution- 1366x768

In missions and 1v1 i could raise graphics up a notch.

Never had problems! Perfect gaming on battery too! Good mobility and 2.5kg weight. Has optimus.

But it wont last you 5 years. The hardware is neither new nor powerful. Thats why i sold it and bought the machine in my sig.

 

I wrote my previous post from my mobile phone (sony ericsson w995) and it took me ages to write.

Now, there are some things I wanted to add on this topic.

1.) If you want the laptop to last 5 years or so (you stated you want it), the GT540m card will not do it. Its way to weak to guarantee good playability for future games in 5 years.

2.) If money is tight and you want something cheap to play SC2 on, then get a laptop with GT540M or wait 3 months for the new GT640m to come out. It depends on whether you can wait or not.

3.) If you can spare a little more cash, then get a laptop with GT560m. It can last you 2-3 years in terms of games that you can play fluently. And if you take care of it, it will take care of you and won't let you down.


Here are some comparisons on videocards right now:

GT540m - plays SC2 on Medium settings really well (4v4 laddering is no problem)

GT555m - has 50% more power than 540, plays even better. Important - the GT555m has many variations (the one that Lenovo offers in their Y570 laptop is weak, others in Dell are a little better). It varies. Some models have 192bit with ddr3 memory, others are 128bit and ddr5. Some have 1.5gb memory, others 3gb. Memory does absolutely nothing, so pick either one.

GTX560m - has 100% more power (2x better than 540) and can play Starcraft 2 on Ultra even on 4v4 maps. It may stutter only in big battles and with mothership on the field. Plays perfectly on 720p resolution. On 1080p it may stutter a bit in Ultra detail settings.

GTX570m - has ~140% more power than 540. Price is higher....not much worth it against 560m. MSI offers it in their latest gaming notebooks. Plays Starcraft 2 perfectly, even in 1080p resolutions.

GTX580m - the ultimate card from nvidia. 200% more powerful than 540, that means 4x the power of 540m. All games playable on it, future proof card that can last 4-5 years. VERY EXPENSIVE!

Alternatives:

AMD 6990m - look in my signature. This card is on equal level with GTX580m from nvidia. In some games, it actually is FASTER than GTX580m. AND its a lot cheaper.

AMD 6990m - has 5-10% more FPS in Starcraft 2 than GTX580m. You can play heavy custom maps with 12 players, lots of units on Extreme settings and 1080p resolution with that monster. Im using it and Im telling you from personal experience.

How do I know AMD6990m is faster in starcraft 2 than GTX580m? Well, take a look here: AMD Radeon HD 6990M - Notebookcheck.net Tech

GTX580m scores ~56fps average on Ultra in SC2.
AMD6990m scores ~63.5fps average on Ultra in SC2. And its cheaper.



So you choose.....either wait for a cheap GT640m that can come in 2 months, or buy a cheap laptop with 540m or 555m, or get an good laptop with GTX560m, OR spend some more on a laptop with AMD6990m!

 

For gaming, I will be docking my laptop as a desktop so to say. I have a nice new 23" 1080p LED monitor I got for my Xbox with the intentions of using it for a future desktop and for using to dock my laptops. I already own a DeathAdder mouse and with some birthday money I got from my grandmothers, picked up a Logitech G110 keyboard while it was on sale. So, even my current laptop will be docked, of course, I'll still be rolling 720p on lowest settings possible to play. In all honesty, there is not too much difference between Med/High/Ultra shaders in SC2, just some lighting differences. Low and Med are where the gaps are since there is such a visual difference. Personally, if I can roll Med at 1080p I'd be happy. I've seen some people accross other sites claiming to be able to run many games on a 540M, even Crysis 2 and BF3, albeit those probably run on low at 720p.

I don't know really, I just really need a new laptop unfortunately but not looking forward to any of the costs associated with it. I have to sit on this more. I'm trying my best to wait at least until Ivy Bridge and Kepler come around, but I'm fearing my monitor might litterally fall off before then and of course I'd rather not spend $65 on a new AC adpater however, it is about to snap off and I don't feel like being electricuted when that happens.

 

+1 for the other guys post, the 6990m is the best value for money at the moment..
you seem kinda reluctant to spend that little extra money though. But I can guarantee if you do choose the 6990m over a cheap gt540m you will NOT regret it.

 

Boiled down, the choice is very simple.

If you want to do 1080p at medium on the newest of games, you'll need to pony up for the GTX 560M, period. That means the P151HM.

If you can sacrifice that requirement, then the cheaper 6770Ms, 7690Ms, 555Ms, and 550Ms of the world open up to you. In this case, you probably shouldn't be limited to Sager/Clevo to get the best price on this category of machines.