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Sooo, I need a new laptop

TyrxzTyrxz Member Posts: 329

That's right. In anticipation of Guild Wars 2 I'm going to have to get a new one. My old gaming laptop just can't handle the newer games anymore :( My poor baby...

However I cant just run out and buy the best laptop I can find, I'm going of to university in not too long, and there I need a laptop which is light. So my current school laptop (not the gaming one) is 2.5 kg about 5.5 pounds. So yeah, I don't really have any other needs in the computer other than it being light and able to play Guild Wars 2 at decent settings atleast :/

 

YES, I know Anet haven't given out any requirements for their game yet, but I'm sure some of you have an idea for some aproximate shit :D Keep in mind they have those awesome engineer people to work on some shit so the game can run on not-so-very-awesome-pc's-as-it -would-if-they-weren't-hired.

 

Well,. that's aboot it :) Hope anyone here can help.

 

Checklist:


  • Rund GW2 on (above) decent settings

  • Not heavier than 2.5 kg (5.5 punds)

  • Oh, almost forgot, budget: Not more than 20.000 NOK - 3700 USD - 2300 GBP - 2550 EUR.

 


Thanks for all the help!

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Comments

  • Loke666Loke666 Member EpicPosts: 21,441

    Well, I am sure you already know that a gaming laptop is really expensive and that keeping your old one for when you need to be on the move and getting a desktop instead would give you better performance for a lot less cash....

    I would either go for a Sony Vaio or an ASUS if weight is a major concern. I would also get a pretty small one but have a large monitor (like a Samsung 24") and a USB keyboard at home to dock it with to maximize the playing experience at home.

    You also need one with a separate GFX card, and that will cost you, a really old crap card just isn't enough. This will cost you at least 1400 bucks.

  • Loke666Loke666 Member EpicPosts: 21,441

    http://www.sony.no/product/vn-f-series/vpcf22m1e

    This one would be excellent but it weights 3,1 Kg...

    http://www.sony.no/product/vn-s-series/vpcsa2z9e

    This one is really kick ass considering the weight, (1,68Kg).... But it have a really small screen so you really have to get a large screen to dock it too as well.

  • TyrxzTyrxz Member Posts: 329

    Originally posted by Loke666

    http://www.sony.no/product/vn-f-series/vpcf22m1e

    This one would be excellent but it weights 3,1 Kg...

    http://www.sony.no/product/vn-s-series/vpcsa2z9e

    This one is really kick ass considering the weight, (1,68Kg).... But it have a really small screen so you really have to get a large screen to dock it too as well.

    Thanks a bunch for the linky mclinkersons! Did you really make them .no for me? :D Anyways, weight really is an issure here so the s-series one looks to be the best choice. Note that I'm already using a montior and USB keyboard. Can't use the screen cuz of my eyes...

    So what you're saying is that if I choose to get the s-series laptop I should get an external GFX card for the gaming part? If so, which one would you recommend. I'm getting a job after this summer so money isn't going to be too much of an issue, but keep in mind I''m also saving money for a rockclimbing-trip to Thailand next summer.

     

    Thanks :)

    scribble scribble scribble

  • CatamountCatamount Member Posts: 773

    Originally posted by TyrxzI''m also saving money for a rockclimbing-trip to Thailand next summer.

     

    Thanks :)

    That sounds like a pretty sweet trip right there, half because rock climbing is a blast, and half because I've heard the country has a some really neat things to do in general.

     

    As for your laptop, it really sounds like you want something based on AMD's Liano, which is just being released as we speak. Only a few machines have come out, but that selection is going to grow quickly over the coming days and weeks.

    Liano is part of AMD's fusion platform, and consists of a CPU and gaming-capable GPU in the same die. So the graphics are integrated, but they're the world's first integrated graphics to be suited to gaming. Performance should be only marginally inferior to a desktop Radeon HD 5570 iirc (which puts it in the ball park of the Mobile Radeon HD 5730). That should enable you to play just about every game at typical laptop panel resolution on medium, and many games on high (or somewhere in between).

    That's hardly top-end for performance, but it's also fairly good where laptop performance is concerned, and the price tag won't likely be over $800. I know you might have been interested in something higher end, however, anything higher end than Liano will be heavy and suffer very poor battery life, because the high TDP of more powerful dedicated graphics cards will suck your battery down and will necessitate very beefy cooling that will make the laptop bigger, and heavier.

     

    Liano delivers competent performance, but it's 45 Watt TDP means that it'll sip power lightly, at load and idle. So you'll not only have a laptop that's light for lack of an enormous cooling system, but it'll have good battery life as well, which NO other gaming laptop will. Basically, it gives the best performance you'll get while keeping something that still actually acts like a laptop, rather than a portable desktop.

  • TyrxzTyrxz Member Posts: 329

    Originally posted by Catamount

    That sounds like a pretty sweet trip right there, half because rock climbing is a blast, and half because I've heard the country has a some really neat things to do in general.

     

    As for your laptop, it really sounds like you want something based on AMD's Liano, which is just being released as we speak. Only a few machines have come out, but that selection is going to grow quickly over the coming days and weeks.

    Liano is part of AMD's fusion platform, and consists of a CPU and gaming-capable GPU in the same die. So the graphics are integrated, but they're the world's first integrated graphics to be suited to gaming. Performance should be only marginally inferior to a desktop Radeon HD 5570 iirc (which puts it in the ball park of the Mobile Radeon HD 5730). That should enable you to play just about every game at typical laptop panel resolution on medium, and many games on high (or somewhere in between).

    That's hardly top-end for performance, but it's also fairly good where laptop performance is concerned, and the price tag won't likely be over $800. I know you might have been interested in something higher end, however, anything higher end than Liano will be heavy and suffer very poor battery life, because the high TDP of more powerful dedicated graphics cards will suck your battery down and will necessitate very beefy cooling that will make the laptop bigger, and heavier.

     

    Liano delivers competent performance, but it's 45 Watt TDP means that it'll sip power lightly, at load and idle. So you'll not only have a laptop that's light for lack of an enormous cooling system, but it'll have good battery life as well, which NO other gaming laptop will. Basically, it gives the best performance you'll get while keeping something that still actually acts like a laptop, rather than a portable desktop.

    Oh, trust me mate, It'll be awesome :D

     

    So, you've gotten me really interested here. This fusion Liano thingy sound like it could get my money. Thou, I'm having a really hard time finding some computers with this thingy that ins't HP: I've had some problems with HP over the years, I still own one, and I don't like it *shakes fist at laptop*. Could you maybe tell which pc have this cpu/gpu. And if HP is the only one, have they improved. Are they computers still a pain in the arse?

    Thanks a lot for the tip thou ;) And starting at 800 dollars. My eyeballs exploded! Thats frikkin' cheap... :P

    scribble scribble scribble

  • SerenexSerenex Member UncommonPosts: 126

    In all honesty, if you can run Lotro max graphics, then you already know you can run Gw2 Medium. As for max graphics on Gw2, i'd say a decent gaming computer should cover it.

    The game was made to look good, and played on mid-ranged gaming pcs.

    image

  • QuizzicalQuizzical Member LegendaryPosts: 25,347

    Originally posted by Loke666

    http://www.sony.no/product/vn-f-series/vpcf22m1e

    This one would be excellent but it weights 3,1 Kg...

    £1300 for a laptop with a fairly low end GPU that won't meaningfully outperform AMD's latest integrated graphics?  Seriously?  Even at half that price, it wouldn't be a good value if gaming is the goal.

    -----

    For the original poster, you have a big decision to make, as good gaming performance and light weight are very much contradictory goals.  You can give up the light weight and get something that will run games pretty well, but be expensive, heavy, and run hot.  Or you can give up a lot of gaming performance and get something that will run nearly all games smoothly at moderate settings, but has no real chance of running Guild Wars 2 on max settings, and in exchange get something cheaper, light weight, with low power consumption and good battery life.

    For the former, on your budget, it would be nice to get a system with a Core i7-2720QM, a Radeon HD 6970M, and a good SSD.  I don't know what's available to buy in Norway, but Clevo's P150HM or P170HM would work.  Clevo doesn't sell laptops directly to the general public, but sells them to other companies that rebrand and customize them, and then sell them to the general public, so if you can get high end gaming laptops at all in Norway, then it's probable that someone is selling rebranded Clevo units.  Apparently the P150HM (the 15.6" version) weighs 7 pounds and the P170HM (the 17.3" version) weighs 8.6 pounds, so those do go over the weight limit.  The battery life will also be dismal, and you'll have to have the laptop plugged in in order to play games.

    For the latter option, the only good choice is an AMD Llano-based system where you use the integrated graphics and no discrete card.  That will be low power and give you long battery life, and the integrated graphics really are meant for gaming.  AMD gave laptop vendors the go-ahead to start selling Llano-based systems on June 14, but it's taking a while to get everything put together and put it up for sale.  There are a handful of Llano systems available to buy in the United States, but none that are configured properly just yet.

    The hardware configuration you want is an A8-3530MX APU (processor+graphics), though an A8-3510MX would be close enough if you can't find the -3530MX, as that's the same thing except that you lose 100 MHz of processor speed.  You also want 8 GB of 1600 MHz DDR3 memory, using exactly two memory modules and not some other number.  12 GB is actually worse than 8 GB.  6 GB is bad, too.  4 GB would be acceptable if it's two 2 GB modules, 1600 MHz, and you can't find it with 8 GB.  The 1600 MHz is actually really important, as Llano can make good use of more memory bandwidth than you can feed it.  Llano is the first chip in many years to desperately need more memory bandwidth, and it needs it because both the graphics and the processor share system memory bandwidth, rather than just the processor.  Ideally, you'd like a good SSD instead of a hard drive, though you could get a 7200 RPM hard drive and call it good enough.  Even with a good ~120 GB SSD, such a system should be available for significantly under $1000 pretty soon.

    Another option that you might not have considered is getting both a gaming desktop and a non-gaming laptop.  Even if you need both a laptop and a gaming system, it doesn't follow that you need a gaming laptop.  You could get a $1500 gaming desktop that is much nicer than any gaming laptop you can get, at any price, and also get a $400 laptop that won't run most games well.  For the latter, either a system based on AMD's Zacate E-350 APU or a low bin of Llano would work nicely.  You could also scale back the cost of the gaming desktop considerably and still get something nice, if you're more budget-conscious than you sound.

  • Loke666Loke666 Member EpicPosts: 21,441

    Originally posted by Tyrxz

    Thanks a bunch for the linky mclinkersons! Did you really make them .no for me? :D Anyways, weight really is an issure here so the s-series one looks to be the best choice. Note that I'm already using a montior and USB keyboard. Can't use the screen cuz of my eyes...

    So what you're saying is that if I choose to get the s-series laptop I should get an external GFX card for the gaming part? If so, which one would you recommend. I'm getting a job after this summer so money isn't going to be too much of an issue, but keep in mind I''m also saving money for a rockclimbing-trip to Thailand next summer.

    Thanks :)

    Yeah, Im from Bohuslän so I understand Norweigan pretty fine.

    Nah, I meant that you needed one with GFX card that isn't intergrated with the motherboard and don't share memory with the ram, those always suck.

    You should however get an external monitor to it for home use, it have a rather tiny screen. Same with keyboard, laptop keyboards suck.

    Sonys laptops are slightly more expensive that ASUS but they do have the best support out there. Most laptops tend to be somewhat heavy so most brands wont work.

  • Loke666Loke666 Member EpicPosts: 21,441

    Originally posted by Quizzical

    £1300 for a laptop with a fairly low end GPU that won't meaningfully outperform AMD's latest integrated graphics?  Seriously?  Even at half that price, it wouldn't be a good value if gaming is the goal.

    -----

    For the original poster, you have a big decision to make, as good gaming performance and light weight are very much contradictory goals.  You can give up the light weight and get something that will run games pretty well, but be expensive, heavy, and run hot.  Or you can give up a lot of gaming performance and get something that will run nearly all games smoothly at moderate settings, but has no real chance of running Guild Wars 2 on max settings, and in exchange get something cheaper, light weight, with low power consumption and good battery life.

    For the former, on your budget, it would be nice to get a system with a Core i7-2720QM, a Radeon HD 6970M, and a good SSD.  I don't know what's available to buy in Norway, but Clevo's P150HM or P170HM would work.  Clevo doesn't sell laptops directly to the general public, but sells them to other companies that rebrand and customize them, and then sell them to the general public, so if you can get high end gaming laptops at all in Norway, then it's probable that someone is selling rebranded Clevo units.  Apparently the P150HM (the 15.6" version) weighs 7 pounds and the P170HM (the 17.3" version) weighs 8.6 pounds, so those do go over the weight limit.  The battery life will also be dismal, and you'll have to have the laptop plugged in in order to play games.

    For the latter option, the only good choice is an AMD Llano-based system where you use the integrated graphics and no discrete card.  That will be low power and give you long battery life, and the integrated graphics really are meant for gaming.  AMD gave laptop vendors the go-ahead to start selling Llano-based systems on June 14, but it's taking a while to get everything put together and put it up for sale.  There are a handful of Llano systems available to buy in the United States, but none that are configured properly just yet.

    The hardware configuration you want is an A8-3530MX APU (processor+graphics), though an A8-3510MX would be close enough if you can't find the -3530MX, as that's the same thing except that you lose 100 MHz of processor speed.  You also want 8 GB of 1600 MHz DDR3 memory, using exactly two memory modules and not some other number.  12 GB is actually worse than 8 GB.  6 GB is bad, too.  4 GB would be acceptable if it's two 2 GB modules, 1600 MHz, and you can't find it with 8 GB.  The 1600 MHz is actually really important, as Llano can make good use of more memory bandwidth than you can feed it.  Llano is the first chip in many years to desperately need more memory bandwidth, and it needs it because both the graphics and the processor share system memory bandwidth, rather than just the processor.  Ideally, you'd like a good SSD instead of a hard drive, though you could get a 7200 RPM hard drive and call it good enough.  Even with a good ~120 GB SSD, such a system should be available for significantly under $1000 pretty soon.

    Another option that you might not have considered is getting both a gaming desktop and a non-gaming laptop.  Even if you need both a laptop and a gaming system, it doesn't follow that you need a gaming laptop.  You could get a $1500 gaming desktop that is much nicer than any gaming laptop you can get, at any price, and also get a $400 laptop that won't run most games well.  For the latter, either a system based on AMD's Zacate E-350 APU or a low bin of Llano would work nicely.  You could also scale back the cost of the gaming desktop considerably and still get something nice, if you're more budget-conscious than you sound.

    It is the weight he specified that is the problem, most laptops are comparibly heavy. The SSD is a good idea however since it actually lowers the weight.

  • TyrxzTyrxz Member Posts: 329

     


    So, thank you for the wall of text there quizzical :) Now my eye kinda hurt... BUT you have given light to some other possibilities here, with you flashlight of knowledge! I might just get two computers, like you suggested. A gaming desktop, which I can aquire for around half of my budget. I could spend more, for a little bit of overkill, knowing a lightweight laptop for school use only isn’t really that expensive at all. As a bonus, my dad just signed a deal so that he gets 20% them lightweight Lenovo thinkspads, so that cheaper for me! :D


     


    To answer your questions about the Norwegian market for computer and gaming computers. Yes, you can get almost anything here in Norway, computer related. Some of the stuff might be a bit expensive, as Norway is a REALLY expensive country to live in (healthcare <3). If they don’t sell them, they’ll actually order a couple for you and other possible customers.


     


    Well that’s all, thank you for your help. I really, really appreciate it :)

    scribble scribble scribble

  • QuizzicalQuizzical Member LegendaryPosts: 25,347

    Originally posted by Loke666

    Nah, I meant that you needed one with GFX card that isn't intergrated with the motherboard and don't share memory with the ram, those always suck.

    If the problem is that integrated graphics don't perform well enough, then why did you recommend one with a card that is markedly worse than AMD's latest integrated graphics?

    "It is the weight he specified that is the problem, most laptops are comparibly heavy."

    If weight is the problem, then why is the other laptop that you recommended over the weight limit, without being much better than AMD's latest integrated graphics?  Having a discrete video card, and more to the point, having to cool a discrete video card, adds considerably to the weight, as well as the price tag.  You're picking cards that bring the drawbacks of a discrete video card, but not the benefits of higher performance than integrated graphics, which is the whole point of getting a discrete card.

    -----

    Something like this is on the right track, at least:

    http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834214401

    That's not really what you'd want for a Llano system, though.

    1)   It's a lower bin that disables 1/5 of the graphics.

    2)   It's a 35 W APU rather than 45 W, which means lower clock speeds.

    3)   It's 1333 MHz DDR3 memory rather than 1600 MHz.

    4)   The hard drive is only 5400 RPM, which is really slow.

    5)   Toshiba disables video driver updates, which could be a big problem when you need to update your drivers in the future.

    Something like this is perhaps a little closer to the right specs:

    http://www.amazon.com/Gateway-NV75S02u-17-3-Inch-Laptop-Ebony/dp/B0051OLCTS/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1309374831&sr=8-2

    That avoids the first and fifth problems, but it also goes over the weight limit, in part because it's too big.  It doesn't say the memory clock speed at all, nor the module configuration, so those might be really bad.

    Really, though, it's a matter of waiting until someone decides to assemble a laptop with the proper hardware, and I'm not sure how long the wait will be.  Most OEMs probably never will offer a good SSD, though you can install that yourself.

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