Curse

cebalrai · May 10, 2010, 10:54 AM // 10:54

Quote:

Originally Posted by tijo

Nothing prevents you from lowering the resolution in game to one lower than the native res of the laptop to improve performance.

6GB RAM won't be necessary for GW either

I agree with the GPU statement though. Just keep in mind that with An HP laptop you may or may not have quality issues (more that other brands, from personal experience) so be sure to check reviews from long time owners if possible before buying an HP laptop.

LCD screens tend to look bad at non-native resolutions.

tijo · May 10, 2010, 11:04 PM // 23:04

You're right, forgot about that detail. Both other statements still apply though

Here's a 14" from ASUS, similar specs to the HP
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16834220634

Lord Sojar · May 14, 2010, 01:58 AM // 01:58

When you are looking at laptops, you don't just look at raw GPU power like you do with a desktop. You look at power consumption and power saving technology.

Riot Narita · May 14, 2010, 08:12 AM // 08:12

Quote:

Originally Posted by cebalrai

LCD screens tend to look bad at non-native resolutions.

True. But with games like GW, you can stay in native resolution and play in a window. That way you can use a lower in-game resolution, without degradradation. It will just look smaller.

Quaker · May 14, 2010, 02:57 PM // 14:57

You know, way back in the late 1940's and early 50's when they were building the first computers, I doubt that anyone was thinking "This would be great for gaming!"

In other words, you can just as easily say "Computers are not for gaming" as "Laptops are not for gaming."

Telephones are not "for watching television" either, but people do it all the time.

Riot Narita · May 14, 2010, 04:56 PM // 16:56

Quote:

Originally Posted by Quaker

You know, way back in the late 1940's and early 50's when they were building the first computers, I doubt that anyone was thinking "This would be great for gaming!"

In other words, you can just as easily say "Computers are not for gaming" as "Laptops are not for gaming."

Telephones are not "for watching television" either, but people do it all the time.

Except that this is not the 40's/50's and computers have moved on. And so have phones.

Right now, laptops suck at everything compared to a desktop, except portability... and mobile phones suck at everything compared to a full size home computer/TV/phone/etc, except portability.

That may change in the future. But right now, portability is the only reason to use those things, for those purposes.

Tomkatt · May 18, 2010, 09:46 PM // 21:46

Quote:

Originally Posted by cebalrai

LCD screens tend to look bad at non-native resolutions.

This a thousand times. Because an LCD is a fixed pixel display, running at non-native resolutions spreads each virtual "pixel" across multiple "real" pixels on the display, causing everything to look fuzzy and downright bad.

That said, I play on a Dell XPS m1530 I bought nearly two years ago with the following specs:

2.1ghz core2duo w/800mhz FSB
300gig 5200RPM HDD 8 meg cache
4 gigs DDR2 667 RAM
Nvidia m8600GT 128 meg dedicated (on-board) memory (with up to 1 gig also able to be utilized from ram pool)
1440x900 display

I'm able to run guild wars just fine, with max settings in Prophecies and factions. I'm finding some stuttering in Nightfall, but changing terrain detail and reflections to medium and turning AA down to 2x (from 4x with 8x forced AF, AF left unchanged) seems to have resolved over 90% of that.

Any laptop for $1000 the OP buys today should run GW fine so long as they do the research and don't buy anything stupid (such as a system with on-board video instead of a dedicated video card). You can get systems equivalent to mine now for $700-1000 (I got lucky on a sale, it was originally $1600 or 1800 I think, but I bought out a clearance model when they were updating the XPS line), and much better in the $1000-1200 range.

Look to Tigerdirect and Newegg, they won't steer you wrong. Heck, given my experience, I'd even recommend Dell, though Alienware tends to be overpriced. HP is also generally a good performer. Sony's are great but way overpriced too.

Good luck!

Age · May 19, 2010, 12:49 AM // 00:49

This might be good for you seeing as it is in CDN $$ as you are in Canada.

http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product...82E16834220697

cebalrai · May 19, 2010, 11:30 PM // 23:30

Quote:

Originally Posted by Age

This might be good for you seeing as it is in CDN $$ as you are in Canada.

http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product...82E16834220697

Really? That's a terrible option. No video card.

shoyon456 · May 20, 2010, 02:05 AM // 02:05

I've been looking for a laptop as well. However, I've been looking for ones that sacrifice graphics/gaming power for a smaller size/greater mobility/better battery life. I haven't made a choice, but I'm leaning very heavily towards the Asus U30Jc-A1. It uses the Optimus, GT 310M, i3, 13.3", just under 5 lbs and under one grand.

I've also been looking at the AW M11x, Macbook 13" (because apparently Unix based is great to have), and my ultimate dream laptop: the Sony VAIO Z Series VPC-Z116GX/S. It's over a grand out of my price range as well ($2000

), but you get what you pay for. It has a backlit chiclet keyboard, GT 330M, Sony's Hybrid Graphics system, Under 4 lbs, 13.1", bluetooth, fingerprint reader, i5, etc...

I don't know how portable you want to go, but mobility and battery life are most important to me now.

Del · May 20, 2010, 05:36 AM // 05:36

Quote:

Originally Posted by shoyon456

It's over a grand out of my price range as well ($2000

), but you get what you pay for..

Name. you can get something well less than that for a lot less just by buying off brand stuff, i've had this awesome laptop for the past two years that cost me about 1300$. even survived a ramen spill ^__^. but generally, don't spend a shitload on stuff when you don't have to.

shoyon456 · May 20, 2010, 07:38 AM // 07:38

Quote:

Originally Posted by Del

Name. you can get something well less than that for a lot less just by buying off brand stuff, i've had this awesome laptop for the past two years that cost me about 1300$. even survived a ramen spill ^__^. but generally, don't spend a shitload on stuff when you don't have to.

Of course I don't know what the OP wants in terms of specs, but if your $1300 offbrand is in the 13" category with switchable graphics and under 5 lbs, model/make please?

For me at least, it's come down to that small list mainly because I haven't found many laptops in the 13" category with that battery life b/c of the switchable graphics. If you have something with similar/same features and specs as the Vaio I mentioned, please for the love of god, share!