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Gaming Notebook

Discussion in 'Building a new PC' started by thumpy, Aug 11, 2010.

  1. thumpy

    thumpy Regular member

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    Is this a good gaming notebook?

    Studio XPS 16

    Intel® Core™ i7-720QM Quad Core Processor 1.6GHz (2.8GHz Turbo Mode, 6MB Cache)
    Genuine Windows® 7 Home Premium, 64bit, English
    HD+ Widescreen 15.6 inch WLED LCD (1600x900) W/2.0 MP, XPS 1647
    Slot Load Blu-ray Disc (BD) Combo (Reads BD and Writes to DVD/CD)
    4GB1 Shared Dual Channel DDR3 at 1333MHz
    500GB2 7200 RPM3 SATA Hard Drive
    ATI Mobility Radeon™ HD 5730 - 1GB4
    High Definition Audio 2.0 with SRS Premium Sound
    Intel® 5300 WLAN Wireless-N (3x3) Mini Card
    85 WHr 9-cell Lithium Ion Primary Battery
    McAfee SecurityCenter, 15-Months
    Intel® Core™ i7-720QM Quad Core Processor 1.6GHz (2.8GHz Turbo Mode, 6MB Cache)
    2 Year Basic Service Plan
    Obsidian Black High Gloss Finish
     
  2. KillerBug

    KillerBug Active member

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    No...not unless your favorite game is sims3.
     
  3. hooter007

    hooter007 Regular member

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    you would prob pick up a decent 2nd hand laptop for the price of that notebook!!
     
  4. thumpy

    thumpy Regular member

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  5. Xplorer4

    Xplorer4 Active member

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    Gaming Notebooks = Fail

    Youd be better of spending about 1,000 for a gaming desktop that can be upgraded to meet the demands of newer games as time goes on. Then pick up a laptop or even a cheap netbook for your mobile needs. The more money saved on a laptop/notebook can be used towards the desktop.
     
  6. KillerBug

    KillerBug Active member

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    There are certain scenarios where you want a gaming notebook; like if you fly a lot and have a lot of layovers...and there are laptops that will play most games well (not great, but similar graphics to a PS3 or 360). However, these laptops are VERY expensive...ans as Xplorer4 said, they are outdated and non-upgradable within a few months of purchase.
     
  7. thumpy

    thumpy Regular member

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    What do you all recommend. I just want to play my games ( bioshcok, boderlands, Starcraft 2, versus etc). I don't care if they look like 360 or ps3 graphics. Preferably with a good battery
     
  8. thumpy

    thumpy Regular member

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    Also does that asus notebook I posted the link for suck?
     
  9. KillerBug

    KillerBug Active member

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    That Asus a great book. Obviously, it can't compete with a high-end desktop, but it should give you PS3 or better graphics with good framerates...and it should run everything you listed smoothly with a good resolution.

    As for battery life, that is a whole other issue. Powerful components use a lot of power; so even a really good battery will last 2 hours or less while gaming. It should last a little longer while doing desktop-type stuff, but it is still going to use more power, even at idle. If you can afford a gaming book, then you can probably afford an extra battery or two...or five, it all depends on your average flight. As for layovers, there are usually free outlets in airports...and always in hotel rooms.
     
    Last edited: Aug 13, 2010
  10. sammorris

    sammorris Senior member

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    The Dell laptop is powerful enough to play any modern game to a certain degree. Problem is, as they point out, the battery of life of gaming laptops when gaming is typically 50-90 mins from new, and of course it will only degrade from there.
     
  11. thumpy

    thumpy Regular member

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    Wow so I might as well get a MacBook pro to game and for the battery. Or that's a big no no
     
  12. sammorris

    sammorris Senior member

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    Macbook pros will do the job, but their 8 hour rated battery life is for idle desktop usage. Games will cut it to 2 hours or less, they cost far more than equivalent windows laptops, and typically aren't very powerful (Macbooks that will compete with the HD5730 typically cost in excess of $2000). Also consider Macbooks still currently use mobile geforce graphics processors which have had a horrendous reputation for unreliability.
     
  13. hooter007

    hooter007 Regular member

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    if you are only going to get 2hrs from your battery life of a laptop/notebook/macbook ect.. id reconsider on getting a PC
    be much easier to update components.... aswell
    but at the end of the day its going to be yours!!!
     
  14. thumpy

    thumpy Regular member

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    I already have a gaming rig. I just need a notebook for work and might as well game on it lollll. And also if I game on my notebook it wont suck up as much electricity compared to my pc so I can save some money
     
  15. sammorris

    sammorris Senior member

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    Actually if you buy a gaming laptop, there's not a huge difference. Laptop graphics cards versus the low-end PC cards they compare to, similar power usage. Laptop CPUs versus the low-end PC CPUs they compare to, not a huge different. Add that PC PSUs are more efficient than laptop power bricks, you're probably looking at maybe a 30-40% saving or so, on what will already be, unless you have a top-end gaming PC, a very small part of your energy costs.
     
  16. KillerBug

    KillerBug Active member

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    Macbooks also do not have removable batteries...so there is no way to use a second battery to double your unplugged time. Macbooks are fine for things that you can do with a netbook, but I would not expect them to do much more. Sure, you can dump thousands on getting a "high end" macbook...but it still won't be much more capable than a really nice netbook that costs 1/4 the price, takes up less space, and lasts longer on a charge to a replaceable battery.

    Also the 5730 is a piece of trash; yes...it will play modern games with the settings turned down, but they are turned way down (a bit better than PS2 graphics). Yes, it is better than Intel "HD" graphics, but it is pathetic by gaming desktop standards.
     
  17. sammorris

    sammorris Senior member

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    Er, no it isn't? The HD5730 is one of the better notebook graphics chipsets out there that doesn't cost a fortune.
     
  18. thumpy

    thumpy Regular member

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    What should I get out of these 3. I want to do gaming, basically anything that I can do or come close to on my desktop and has a descent battery.

    1)

    http://reviews.cnet.com/laptops/apple-macbook-pro-spring/4507-3121_7-34058852.html?tag=specs

    2)
    http://www.buy.com/prod/asus-g73jh-...-1-60ghz-8gb-1tb-hdd/q/loc/101/213725108.html

    3)
    http://www.bestbuy.com/site/Asus+-+...165344675&skuId=9741729&st=asus g73&cp=1&lp=1

    4)
    Dell Studio XPS 16

    Intel® Core™ i7-720QM Quad Core Processor 1.6GHz (2.8GHz Turbo Mode, 6MB Cache)
    Genuine Windows® 7 Home Premium, 64bit, English
    HD+ Widescreen 15.6 inch WLED LCD (1600x900) W/2.0 MP, XPS 1647
    Slot Load Blu-ray Disc (BD) Combo (Reads BD and Writes to DVD/CD)
    4GB1 Shared Dual Channel DDR3 at 1333MHz
    500GB2 7200 RPM3 SATA Hard Drive
    ATI Mobility Radeon™ HD 5730 - 1GB4
    High Definition Audio 2.0 with SRS Premium Sound
    Intel® 5300 WLAN Wireless-N (3x3) Mini Card
    85 WHr 9-cell Lithium Ion Primary Battery
    McAfee SecurityCenter, 15-Months
    Intel® Core™ i7-720QM Quad Core Processor 1.6GHz (2.8GHz Turbo Mode, 6MB Cache)
    2 Year Basic Service Plan
    Obsidian Black High Gloss Finish
     
  19. sammorris

    sammorris Senior member

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    Apple: use of an nvidia chip will limit the lifetime of the laptop to 1-2 years before it has to be replaced.
    Buy.com: Decent spec, but use a brand other than Asus. Asus products are low quality and potentially unreliable
    BestBuy: 404.
    Dell studio: Not as high-spec as the Asus laptop, but an all-round decent buy. However, it won't perform anywhere near close to a decent desktop. You will need to upgrade the chip to a mobility HD5850 to do that (that is an option on the studio XPS)
     
  20. thumpy

    thumpy Regular member

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