Help: Buying Gaming Laptop

I need a new gaming laptop to replace my old outdated Mac Mini. I was thinking of a Windows Vista gaming laptop of some sort, in the price range around $900-$1300. My minimum specs are around 2.4 GHz Dual Core, 2 Gbs Memory, 100 Gbs Hardrive, gaming GPU of some sort, a PSU that fits my other specs, and whatever else that I need for a good gaming laptop. I have already looked around HP and Dell, but wanted to ask the guys here at TWC. Thanks.

Originally Posted by Wijpiggeon

a PSU that fits my other specs

I don't think laptops have PSU's, just battery and charger...

Someone correct me if I'm wrong

Also: you'll get a lot better value if you buy a desktop & build it yourself

Originally Posted by nickb64

Also: you'll get a lot better value if you buy a desktop & build it yourself

Very true. Sounds to me like he needs a laptop anyway though for portability.

Mac mini is a desktop type thing, right(not a large one, I know)??? I thought so, so I kind of assumed that portability was a possible sacrifice...

@OP: If you need portability, go for a laptop. For value, desktops are the way to go.

Yeah, Im looking for the portability of a gaming laptop.

Any recommendations?

Originally Posted by Wijpiggeon

Yeah, Im looking for the portability of a gaming laptop.

Any recommendations?

Have you considered building a shuttle PC instead of buying an overpriced 'gaming laptop'? It's an idea to consider when you primary concern is portability, I just can't recommend buying a laptop for gaming purposes, GPU's just aren't up to it on laptops and the ones that are semi decent cost an arm and leg (in other words a lot more then $1300). Also I don't believe laptops are suitable for powerful hardware due to the heat they produce and given that all that hardware is crammed inside a small case I can only foresee problems down the road in 2 or 3 years time.

Originally Posted by Freddie

Have you considered building a shuttle PC instead of buying an overpriced 'gaming laptop'? It's an idea to consider when you primary concern is portability, I just can't recommend buying a laptop for gaming purposes, GPU's just aren't up to it on laptops and the ones that are semi decent cost an arm and leg (in other words a lot more then $1300). Also I don't believe laptops are suitable for powerful hardware due to the heat they produce and given that all that hardware is crammed inside a small case I can only foresee problems down the road in 2 or 3 years time.

I would have to partially agree with Freedie here, there's no such thing as a "gaming laptop". However I would assume that a desktop would be out of the picture as mobility would be crucial for you, as for a "shuttle PC", there's also the screen and keyboard to worry about which could be considered "dead weight".

I myself was under the same situation as you are now for a long time in the past, and my response is that there's really no "gaming friendly laptop", and the ones that are minimably able to run some of most graphics intensive games at medium/high settings cost at least 1300€/$, and never mind about very/high - ultra-high settings.

Shuttle PC? Enlighten me, what is that? A portable desktop?

Originally Posted by Godless Pickle

Shuttle PC? Enlighten me, what is that? A portable desktop?

Pretty much, Handles on the case for easy lifting ,relatively small so it's not overly heavy, etc.

I seen this PC one time with a tray attached to the case for the keyboard, a monitor that flipped up, and a mouse on the side, a ghetto laptop if you will

Originally Posted by Godless Pickle

Shuttle PC? Enlighten me, what is that? A portable desktop?

All the power of a desktop in small case.

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Originally Posted by Freddie

All the power of a desktop in small case.

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Though, to be pedantically correct, it's actually called a barebone micro-ATX form factor desktop PC. Shuttle was merely the first company to produce an integrated case+PSU+mobo bundle for sale as a single unit.

Originally Posted by Slowpoke

Though, to be pedantically correct, it's actually called a barebone micro-ATX form factor desktop PC. Shuttle was merely the first company to produce an integrated case+PSU+mobo bundle for sale as a single unit.

I stand corrected, your right of course but 'Shuttle PC' rolls of the tongue a lot easier then 'Bare Bones Micro ATX'.

Would you recommend a Shuttle PC if I wanted the portability of a laptop (under 10 pounds to be picky) and not the best specs, just enough to play a game such as, Crysis or Far Cry 2. It doesnt have to a a Quad Core 3 Ghz excessive power machine. It seems like it would still weigh alot with the keyboard, monitor, and the actual computer...

Im thinking of something that I can bring over to a friends house easily, or bring on a road trip, or use in a different room of the house. This Shuttle Pc reminds me of just a smaller desktop, and essentially it is, just more expensive.

Laptops?

[QUOTE=Wijpiggeon;6137902] not the best specs, just enough to play a game such as, Crysis or Far Cry 2.UOTE]



Not the best specs but you want it to run the most CPU/GPU intensive game on the market? It takes a pretty decent GPU just to crank out 25fps in that game.

[QUOTE=ChaobSiroc;6137946]

Originally Posted by Wijpiggeon

not the best specs, just enough to play a game such as, Crysis or Far Cry 2.UOTE]



Not the best specs but you want it to run the most CPU/GPU intensive game on the market? It takes a pretty decent GPU just to crank out 25fps in that game.

LOL

I have a quad core and I can barely go over 40 fps.

Alright, it was a slight exaggeration, I just mean it doesnt have to be a powerhouse machine. The games I might need to play on it are Mount & Blade, Orange Box, Half Life 1, Counter-Strike, Rome Total War, Medieval 2 TW, Hearts of Iron 1 & 2, and Age Of Empire II, and others around the same graphical demand.

Something like this: http://www.shopping.hp.com/webapp/sh...329_saveconfig

Anyone?

Ebay has alot of laptops around that cost or lower brand new that have dedicated gpus. Such as this one. You wont get amazing performance out of a gaming laptop unless you pay serious dollars but you should be able to at least play the total war games and other games like source games will easily run.

I looked around a bit and here's probably the best you can get-

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage....=1218092150636
2.0GHz Intel Core 2 Duo
4GB RAM
Nvidia Geforce GTX 260M 1GB

I believe I read that a GTX 260M is somewhere near the performance of a 9800GT. On that screen (15" 1366x768) it should play games pretty well at high settings. Might have to turn them down for Crysis, but I'm pretty sure that the GTX 260M is the best graphics card you can get on a laptop.

edit- to correct myself, the 260M is the best you can get IN YOUR PRICE RANGE. Only Alienware goes higher than that. Up to 2 Mobility HD 4870s in crossfire and a quad core processor. But that starts at $1800.

Originally Posted by Welshman25

I looked around a bit and here's probably the best you can get-

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage....=1218092150636
2.0GHz Intel Core 2 Duo
4GB RAM
Nvidia Geforce GTX 260M 1GB

I believe I read that a GTX 260M is somewhere near the performance of a 9800GT. On that screen (15" 1366x768) it should play games pretty well at high settings. Might have to turn them down for Crysis, but I'm pretty sure that the GTX 260M is the best graphics card you can get on a laptop.

edit- to correct myself, the 260M is the best you can get IN YOUR PRICE RANGE. Only Alienware goes higher than that. Up to 2 Mobility HD 4870s in crossfire and a quad core processor. But that starts at $1800.

Actually this is the best anyone can currently get, I think???(if it's still actually available, )
http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/...ther,2354.html