Gaming Laptops

MilkBoy

MilkBoy

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Joined
Feb 8, 2008
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224
Hey guys I have some questions about a new computer.

I'm going to college this fall and absolutely cannot take this 2004 Dell desktop with me...for obvious reasons. I know desktops are much more ideal for gaming but a desktop won't work for me based on my major but with a laptop, I'd still like to be able to continue gaming (I can't just drop it for four years!). I know basically nothing about the gaming capabilities of laptops so I don't know if model X will be able to run new things or if model Y is a better option.

Right now I'm looking at Dell's XPS 15, partially because it's eligible for a special offer they're doing right now where you get a free xbox 360 with certain laptops purchased by a student.

The specs are:

Processor: 2nd generation Intel? Core? i5-2410M processor 2.30 GHz with Turbo Boost 2.0 up to 2.90 GHz

Video Card: NVIDIA? GeForce? GT 525M 1GB graphics with Optimus

Memory: 6GB Shared Dual Channel DDR3 Memory

Hard Drive: 640GB 7200 RPM SATA Hard Drive



I'd love to know what kind of games this computer could handle. Mostly what I don't know is the capabilities of mobile video cards. I know 6gb of ram is enough to handle games of course, but I don't know about the video cards and my knowledge of desktop video cards is about 2 years outdated. Thanks for anyone's help. I've also looked slightly at the alienware laptops but not a whole lot based on price, but it could be done if necessary.
 
If you're looking at the XPS 15, definitely get the 540M, the 525M is not very good for gaming.
Other laptops that can game I would recommend for college would be the Alienware m14x, the HP Envy 14 (wait for Sandy Bridge refresh though), the HP dv6t, or one of the Sony Vaio S series.
 
You may want to also invest in a good laptop cooler.

My first college laptop burned out from gaming despite it's pwntastic specs.

Think of it as insurance.
 
FreakingHell said:
If you're looking at the XPS 15, definitely get the 540M, the 525M is not very good for gaming.
Other laptops that can game I would recommend for college would be the Alienware m14x, the HP Envy 14 (wait for Sandy Bridge refresh though), the HP dv6t, or one of the Sony Vaio S series.
Click to expand...

Looking at the alienware ones, how are the GT 555m and the GTX 460m?
 
MilkBoy said:
Looking at the alienware ones, how are the GT 555m and the GTX 460m?
Click to expand...

The 460m is more powerful. It is close if the 555m is overclocked to say 700 core and 1000 memory. Everybody I've talked to is able to get these speeds (and usually much higher) with zero stability problems and insignificant temp differences.
 
Go with the Dell XPS 15 if you absolutely must get a laptop. Because who says that you can't get both?! You can build a half decent gaming computer for yourself if you are feeling up to it, and then have enough money to buy a decent netbook (which are very portable I must add).

Just my two cents at least.
 
Eh, most laptops don't need a cooler. Must will drop ~10*C if you just prop the back up so air can get underneath them.
 
FreakingHell said:
Eh, most laptops don't need a cooler. Must will drop ~10*C if you just prop the back up so air can get underneath them.
Click to expand...

And most people don't need fire insurance on their home because statistically speaking, their houses will never light on fire. ;)

A laptop cooler is just good insurance and will probably make it last longer. :thumbup1:
 
iEye Captain said:
And most people don't need fire insurance on their home because statistically speaking, their houses will never light on fire. ;)
Click to expand...

As far as I'm concerned, if my fire chief neighbor's house burned down, everybody's will. :P

I've tested both of my laptops with 3 different coolers. Versus sitting on a table, they usually run 10-12* C cooler during load on the laptop cooler. But here's the kicker...they run 9-10*C cooler if I prop the back up with a textbook.

Every laptop is different and YMMV, but they usually don't make a big enough difference to "extend the life." Usually not worth it if you JUST want it to keep the laptop cooler...but usually a good purchase if you also want a notebook stand.
 
FreakingHell said:
As far as I'm concerned, if my fire chief neighbor's house burned down, everybody's will. :P

I've tested both of my laptops with 3 different coolers. Versus sitting on a table, they usually run 10-12* C cooler during load on the laptop cooler. But here's the kicker...they run 9-10*C cooler if I prop the back up with a textbook.

Every laptop is different and YMMV, but they usually don't make a big enough difference to "extend the life." Usually not worth it if you JUST want it to keep the laptop cooler...but usually a good purchase if you also want a notebook stand.
Click to expand...

*insert news story about a fire station burning down*

On my old laptop, I had to use a laptop cooler, prop it up, and also use my table fan to blow at the area above the CPU... to keep it from shutting down during a game of CS:S. :(
 
iEye Captain said:
On my old laptop, I had to use a laptop cooler, prop it up, and also use my table fan to blow at the area above the CPU... to keep it from shutting down during a game of CS:S. :(
Click to expand...

Wow. Was it an old laptop? If so, did you ever open it and clean the dust out?
 
FreakingHell said:
Wow. Was it an old laptop? If so, did you ever open it and clean the dust out?
Click to expand...

I bought it brand new in 2009.. but it was a 2008 model (I only needed it to last my last year of university). Bought it for $500 (tax included).

It was an Acer. Sold it exactly one year afterwards for $200.

I don't think it was designed for gaming, so the cooling features might have been underdesigned.

I've never opened any of my laptops when I had them.. :mellow:

But still, if I'm going to spend ~1,000 on a laptop, I wouldn't mind spending $50 on a good cooler. :w00t:
 
After a while of use I'd recommend opening the back cover and dusting it, I do it to my dads laptop on a regular basis it really helps keep it cool. Also, buying a good laptop cooler will probably prolong the life of it, It's a good investment IMO
 
I've gotten great use out of this personally, it plays BFBC2 like a charm: [ame]http://www.amazon.com/Republic-Gamers-G73JH-A2-17-Inch-Gaming/dp/B0036ZE6SS[/ame]

There's a newer model, but this is the one I bought and, if I'm not mistaken, the graphics are better. The new one has a marginally faster CPU and a bit more memory though.
 
Thanks for your help everyone.

I've done a little more looking and it looks like I can find cheaper ones on newegg than straight from a company like Dell.

I'm feeling pretty confidant about these two but I don't know which one is better or if the more expensive one is worth the extra money. The video cards sound like they're very good for current games without breaking the bank, and both sound like they compare quite closely to each other. Is there any reason to believe one video card might be noticeably better performing than the other? Also, I know the i5 is newer but is it better than the phenom II even though they are respectively dual core and quad core?

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834115987
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834215037
 
I would go with the Intel based one. It is a dual core but it still has 4 threads and will be faster in most if not all scenarios. The video cards are just about the same and which is faster will probably be dependent on the game engine.

I'd say the i5 based machine is worth the extra $50.
 
Last edited:
AMD Laptop chips are pretty mediocre relative to intel ones.

I would go with the i5 one
 
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