Looking around for a new mobile solution

[ziitch]

So I've come to realize that my notebook here is closely approaching its death throes - The dual-core processor isn't what it used to be, and the M8600 GT is pretty much shot given that it idles around 70C and can run around 90C in vanilla Oblivion with settings at Low, where anything higher runs a serious risk of overheating and shutting off. (It had a hard life in the days of Fallout 3, where it for the most part was playing at high settings :whistling:)

 

So now I need a new device that's both mobile and can handle some newer and upcoming games. The reason that I'm phrasing it this way is because I'm also juggling around with the idea of making a MicroATX or miniITX-based rig that's designed to be small, compact, but still powerful, and is much easier to haul compared to a mid- or full-size tower. That doesn't mean that notebooks are out of the question though - They're even more portable then the rig setup but next to impossible to upgrade and keep them from going out of date with the introduction of new tech.

 

So, I'm open to suggestions to which route I should take, and if you suggest notebooks, any recommendations regarding which notebook I should choose. Note that it should be powerful enough to stay within requirements for several years, and be able to take a heavy work load for as long as it's operational.

Edited January 24, 2013 by ziitch

[Xaranth]

Either way, you're likely to be looking at the same class of processor and video card. So I'd just go for the laptop.

[FMod]

It depends entirely on how much you have to spend.

[ziitch]

I'm actually looking at this:

 

http://shop.lenovo.com/SEUILibrary/controller/e/web/LenovoPortal/en_US/catalog.workflow:item.detail?GroupID=457&Code=59359510&category_id=AC523278A4F13F27A84F5F5622D1AC7A

 

I'll probably convert it to Linux or "downgrade" it to Windows 7. From what I've read, the Windows 8 drivers are too new to fully utilize the notebook compared to the Windows 7 or Linux drivers.

[FMod]

I have my doubts about the display.

1920x1080 is a lot of resolution - but you won't have a card that can drive it in 3D. "GTX660M" sounds impressive, but mobile cards are commonly low-end desktop chips labeled higher for marketing purposes; 660M is actually only a desktop GT640. Which is seriously underwhelming performance-wise - you're looking at <20 fps in Skyrim: http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Zotac/GeForce_GT_640/22.html

 

So you wouldn't want it anywhere near 1080p. Rather, you'd want at least 670MX (MX, the X matters, 670M=570M) for that. Or you could run the display in 720p with scaling - but then why not get a 1366x768 screen in the first place.

 

15.6" is somewhat small; 17" would be better. But it's an equivalent of a larger desktop screen (I'd say 15.6" laptop~=19" desktop in feel, 17"~=21"), so for mobility there's no beating a 17" laptop. Why specifically do you need it mobile, and how mobile? Moving between rented apts a lot is one thing, flying across the world with it is another.

[ziitch]

I really don't need or want one of the full keyboard laptops. And for comparison, my current notebook (a Dell XPS M1530) has a 15.4" screen at 1440x900 with a dual-core processor and 8600M GT, which was pretty impressive for what it could do until the heat problems started. I paid around $2400 for it back then.

 

I'm not looking for Alienware or Origin, really. Something like that would mean having to get into the habit of carrying and using a Kensington lock everywhere I go.

 

EDIT: Looked around on your GTX 670 MX suggestion, and the only carrier I found was MSI and Origin. Not really wanting an Origin, and after looking at the MSI models, they just look too bulky.

Edited January 25, 2013 by ziitch

[FMod]

You need to decide on the priorities. Maximum mobility or gaming capability. And it's possible to have both with tradeoffs.

A laptop will always have more mobility - you can open and use it anywhere, clumsy as it may be.

A compact micro-ATX PC can have considerably better performance, but it does of course require plugging it in and setting it up.

 

FWIW, HD7750 - a $100 card - will outperform GTX660M. Then again it's not like laptop cards end there.

Here are Skyrim benchmarks: http://www.notebookcheck.net/The-Elder-Scrolls-V-Skyrim-Benchmarks.66057.0.html

 

For Oblivion and similar games, 4 cores are of no use, a fast dual-core would actually work better. Oblivion can only use two cores; Fallout crashes if not artificially restricted to 2 cores; Skyrim works the same with 2 or 4. Dual-cores, e.g. in 3360M, will tend to run at a higher frequency. Although it's not that much higher.

 

Ideally you'd want an intermediate resolution like 1600x900. Full 1080p just won't make a visual difference for 15.6" screens, but puts 40% more load on the GPU. And 1366x768 is just right for gaming, but too rough outside of games.

 

660M is far better than integrated graphics, but 670MX or 675MX or even 7970M will provide headroom. It depends on how fps-sensitive you are. On a laptop screen, people can usually tolerate much lower framerates than on a full-sized display.

[ziitch]

I think I might go for the newer Y500 instead. It's got a detachable optical caddy where you can put in an extra card for SLI instead of using the DVD drive, and then vice versa for when you need it.