Laptop to replace destop

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  freemoneyhunter on 31/03/2013 - 13:15

  You can not use a laptop for gaming or if you do they are very expensive.

  What people usually do is put a laptop on a laptop stand and connect external mouse and keyboard + external monitor. You then can use dual display.

  Mobile versions of graphics cards are terrible, simply plan to not do any serious gaming on it, keep a desktop near by for that.

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    dreadpiratedan on 03/04/2013 - 10:51

    I don't think that's true at all. Maybe a few years ago it would have held more truth but even entry level gaming laptops have a pretty good bang for their buck. Longevity of those cheaper options is a whole different debacle though. Just about any current gaming laptop on the market now is more than sufficient for gaming.

    Desktop advantages: Higher spec, longevity - up-gradable, eye-candy in games, probably more but really those are the ones that matter.
    Disadvantages: Portability, power consumption, size (for those with limited space), not assembled and OS not installed if building yourself, mess due to cords

    Laptop advantages: Completely portable, complete package (has all essentials such as OS, wifi, bluetooth, assembled, OS pre-loaded, optical disc drive), less power consumption, essentially has an uninterruptible power supply via the battery, takes up very little space when in use and can easily be stored when not in use, less cords
    Disadvantages: Can only really upgrade RAM/HDD, weaker than desktop equivalents, budget models cannot max out more intensive games, budget models often have lower screen resolution, high end models come with a very high pricetag.

    My Acer v3-751g did a damn good job playing Crysis on high, so for $700 I paid for it I'm very happy with it.

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  scrimshaw on 31/03/2013 - 16:13

  How about a replacement to your shuttle?
  This is more capable than a laptop in terms of gaming and is upgradable in the long run.

  CPU: Core i5 3470 $195
  Mobo: ASRock B75M-ITX $99
  RAM: Gskill 1600mhz 2x2GB kit $42
  Graphics: Fanless Sapphire Ultimate HD7750 $125
  SSD: Sandisk Extreme 120 $115
  HDD: reuse from old computer or get 2TB for an extra $100.
  Case and power supply: Silverstone SG05 450w $145

  OPTIONAL: Nexus Real silent 120mm case fan $9
  $730

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  _Bruce_ on 01/04/2013 - 10:14

  The 7670M will probably play the games you list, but don't expect them to look great. On SSD it is usually cheaper to buy a laptop with any cheap drive and buy an SSD to replace it.

  As for VGA does it really need to be VGA or will DVI-I do (use an adapter for VGA)?

  You can also probably drop down to an i5 and barely notice the difference.

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  geebee on 01/04/2013 - 18:33

  Thanks for the replies, after a bit more research it looks like this is what I will buy 15.6" Acer V3-571G-736B4G1TMAKK Notebook with 3rd Generation Intel Core i7-3630QM 2.4GHz CPU, 4GB RAM, 1TB HDD, NVIDIA GeForce GT 640M, DVD, Windows 8.

  Unless something else comes up :) It scores well on game tests and I found sound ratings at different loads (fan noise is a big issue to me) and as Bruce suggested I can always throw an SSD in if I find the HDD to slow.