Laptops and Gaming. Does It Work?
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If you're a gamer on the go, and you aren't a hardcore PC gamer that needs to upgrade their system once a week to stay on the bleeding edge, then you'll do fine with a laptop, all you have to do is remember the things that are fundamental to laptops;
they're more expensive, so a larger down payment for the same reward
they're difficult to upgrade, so you'll want to get the most powerful one you can if you want to keep uptodate gaming on it for more then a couple years
Everything else is just a thing - the keyboard is fine once you get used to it - every keyboard that's different from the one you use all the time feels weird, it's just part of using the PC, and with a USB mouse, you don't have to worry about the touchpad or *ugh* nipple mice unless you're actually on the go, in which case, gaming on a PC isn't really that great when compared to PSP/DS opportunities.
Don't get scared away by people that say it can't be done or it shouldn't be done, just keep those 2 points in mind, and you'll do fine.
they're more expensive, so a larger down payment for the same reward
they're difficult to upgrade, so you'll want to get the most powerful one you can if you want to keep uptodate gaming on it for more then a couple years
Everything else is just a thing - the keyboard is fine once you get used to it - every keyboard that's different from the one you use all the time feels weird, it's just part of using the PC, and with a USB mouse, you don't have to worry about the touchpad or *ugh* nipple mice unless you're actually on the go, in which case, gaming on a PC isn't really that great when compared to PSP/DS opportunities.
Don't get scared away by people that say it can't be done or it shouldn't be done, just keep those 2 points in mind, and you'll do fine.
As long as you've got yourself a mouse the only downsides are the price and the difficulty in upgrading them. I do love mine simply because it is power cut proof. I lost an hours work on my xbox yesterday because of a 5 millisecond power cut. ¬_¬
I cannot express how awesome it has been to have a laptop for school, because it is just so damned convenient. However, you do run the problems of limited gaming, but I payed about 1000 for my laptop, nothing special, and it runs TF2 just fine.
I gave up desktops a while ago because I don't have anywhere to put one and I don't like being confined to a desk.
I've been upgrading every 2 years for a while now and in that time laptop technology has dramatically improved. Originally I payed $2,000 for a decent laptop which could play most of what I wanted but wasn't really that great. Then I paid $2,200 for a "gaming" laptop which played everything on the market until Bioshock came out (which I later learned was only because I made a stupid decision in the processor).
My new machine is a 15.4" Sager which can play everything out right now without any problems, not max graphics in some but good graphics at max or one step down from max resolution and it cost me $2,000. I could probably have gone a bit lower end and dropped the price to $1,600 but I also needed a monster for 3D rendering and photoshop work so I beefed up the processor and a few other components.
My brother has a $1,200 dollar (maybe a bit more, but I'm not sure) machine which can play DoW2 without a hitch. You have to do some serious research to find the right machine for you and you'll likely end up staying far away from Dell, HP, Mac, or any other well known brand.
If you're serious I suggest going to www.notebookreview.com to get yourself started, they helped me narrow down my choices quite a bit. Look into Sager and Asus because they have both provided me with great machines and Asus has a fantastic 3 year global warranty and are very easy to deal with (if a little difficult to understand).
I've been upgrading every 2 years for a while now and in that time laptop technology has dramatically improved. Originally I payed $2,000 for a decent laptop which could play most of what I wanted but wasn't really that great. Then I paid $2,200 for a "gaming" laptop which played everything on the market until Bioshock came out (which I later learned was only because I made a stupid decision in the processor).
My new machine is a 15.4" Sager which can play everything out right now without any problems, not max graphics in some but good graphics at max or one step down from max resolution and it cost me $2,000. I could probably have gone a bit lower end and dropped the price to $1,600 but I also needed a monster for 3D rendering and photoshop work so I beefed up the processor and a few other components.
My brother has a $1,200 dollar (maybe a bit more, but I'm not sure) machine which can play DoW2 without a hitch. You have to do some serious research to find the right machine for you and you'll likely end up staying far away from Dell, HP, Mac, or any other well known brand.
If you're serious I suggest going to www.notebookreview.com to get yourself started, they helped me narrow down my choices quite a bit. Look into Sager and Asus because they have both provided me with great machines and Asus has a fantastic 3 year global warranty and are very easy to deal with (if a little difficult to understand).
It can work, but it's prohibitively expensive, from my experience.
I checked out how much it would cost to buy a laptop which preforms almost as well as my £600 computer, turns out it was £1200.
Now, not everyone lives in a mud hut and wears pauper clothes like me, I know. But paying double the price for not-quite-as-good but portable and compact isn't practical for my gaming needs.
I checked out how much it would cost to buy a laptop which preforms almost as well as my £600 computer, turns out it was £1200.
Now, not everyone lives in a mud hut and wears pauper clothes like me, I know. But paying double the price for not-quite-as-good but portable and compact isn't practical for my gaming needs.
My ASUS could handle the high graphics games. I played LOTRO on it with no problem. Just make sure you have lots of RAM, a really good graphics card with a good cooling system because heat KILLS, and keep it clean of dust. Mine was 2.4 ghz. Invest in a cheap exterior fan cooler too and don't play it in places where the vents are blocked (like on your bed or a fluffy pillow). Unfortunately my laptop was stolen so now I am on the desktop until I get a new one.
Very good point sir! But you'd think with the size of the 360's power pack it would be able to hold an extra split seconds worth of power just in case...Altorin said:what I tell to everyone who experiences this is - just be glad you weren't saving during that 5 millisecond power cut.Steve Dark said:
Because you could very well have lost ALL YOU HOURS of work if that were the case
I've been gifted a laptop when I entered college. It was meant for my schoolwork, really, when I realized that I've just been using it as a desktop. I didn't bother take it to school and didn't ever need to.
For gaming, get a desktop, and unless you _must have a laptop_, get one with a good processor and a functional GPU.
For gaming, get a desktop, and unless you _must have a laptop_, get one with a good processor and a functional GPU.
I been playing FPSs, RTS, and such on this laptop since early 2008 and with just a mouse plugged in, I'm Good to Go. The best part is I play great as I can on a desktop and can sit wherever I want. Vacation won't stop me from pwning noobs online, or vice versa.
you'd think, but that's not what the power pack is or what it doesSteve Dark said:Very good point sir! But you'd think with the size of the 360's power pack it would be able to hold an extra split seconds worth of power just in case...Altorin said:what I tell to everyone who experiences this is - just be glad you weren't saving during that 5 millisecond power cut.Steve Dark said:
Because you could very well have lost ALL YOU HOURS of work if that were the case
When I unplug my Xbox, the light stays on for near 5 seconds... how is that not holding a charge? Bizarre.Altorin said:you'd think, but that's not what the power pack is or what it does
Might I ask what it is and where you got it?kazork said:
Escapists, I need a laptop because I'm emigrating to the States for a year and can't haul my XPS over with me. I also need a laptop that I can play some games on. Basically I can't take the chance that they'll release Episode 3 any time in the next year and I won't be able to play it.
I don't need to be playing everything on the highest settings or anything, but it would nice to be able to play recent things like Dawn of War II and Fallout 3 whilst I'm over. My budget is ideally between £400-£700. Well, obviously ideally it would be < £20. But that isn't going to happen.
Pretty sure someone linked to a great laptop website on the escapist a while ago, but I can't remember what thread it was in and can't find it with the search button. And by a while ago I definitely mean 2008.
I wouldn't get into laptop gaming. As nice as it is to be able to whip out the laptop and play whatever you want whenever, the price for a gaming laptop is insane.
I have a cheap laptop and I installed simple, older games though, and that's nice for a trip down memory lane. Escape Velocity, SimGolf, Worms... it's all good. I'll leave the Fallout 3s or Oblivions to my desktop though.
I have a cheap laptop and I installed simple, older games though, and that's nice for a trip down memory lane. Escape Velocity, SimGolf, Worms... it's all good. I'll leave the Fallout 3s or Oblivions to my desktop though.
The worst thing about Laptops would be how expensive the hardware can be compared to an equally powerful desktop.
If you have the money gaming on the Laptop is great when on the go / not at home. And if you have even more money you can make yourself a home station to make it feel like your on a desktop, such as having a nice big Monitor to hook up your laptop to with a nice keyboard / mouse. (basically using your laptop as a tower)
If you have the money gaming on the Laptop is great when on the go / not at home. And if you have even more money you can make yourself a home station to make it feel like your on a desktop, such as having a nice big Monitor to hook up your laptop to with a nice keyboard / mouse. (basically using your laptop as a tower)
