Korean Job Discussion Forums

rocklee · Joined: 04 Oct 2005 Location: Seoul

I'm tempted to buy a cheap desktop but decided that a notebook would be a lot more convenient.

I need a good enough notebook to play the latest games on DX10 etc. The latest Quake Wars and Crysis are just too much for me to ignore. Don't care for bluetooth or built in camera. would like to have DVI out if possible for optimum video out in HD (1920x1080 no less). So far, the Dell XPS M170 impresses me but would like to know of any others that may be better.

Any comparison to the latest MacPro is welcome provided that you can give me some good arguments on what makes them better for current and future games.

Ta in advance.

PS. I'll be going overseas so if there aren't any good local stuff then I can try getting them in Australia.

kprrok · Joined: 06 Apr 2004 Location: KC

I don't think any laptop will give you DX10 compliance. I thought the only DX10 card was the 8800, right? And I have yet to see that in a notebook.

So, I think you're SOL in this. Please correct me if I'm wrong, that'd be good info to know.

And as for the notion of a gaming notebook...isn't it just stupid? Any notebook good enough to play all the bells and whistles of current games is gonna be big and heavy. So you won't be able to carry it around. Plus, the battery will be sucked dry pretty quickly, so you'll have to be near an outlet. Why bother?

KPRROK

rocklee · Joined: 04 Oct 2005 Location: Seoul

Yeah thanks. I agree it sounds silly but to me the convenience of a portable outweighs the bulk of a desktop with me moving around a lot. And yes one would not rely on battery to play games but I watch a lot of movies and web stuff on the road.

My current notebook plays Doom3 (albeit barely), it was the best "gaming" notebook I've ever used but its almost 3 years old now. Pretty good considering Doom3 isn't that old.

I'm not looking for the best possible graphics to appear on my screen, just sufficient frame rates to get through some of the latest FPS games.

So far, there are no DX10 notebooks out yet for at least a few months. Should I wait or is DX10 pointless?

Giant · Joined: 14 May 2003 Location: South Korea

There are three major components that make up a good gaming rig, CPU speed, RAM (2G min) and VGA card. (Also, a 7200RPM drive would not hurt)

So just get the best you can afford (And lean a bit more on getting a good VGA card with the laptop) and I am sure you will do just fine.

IMO dont wait to long, or you will be waiting forever.

cyrax · Joined: 31 Oct 2006

HELL bought it recently but still I prefer Alienware over DELL products.
They have some of the best pcs and laptops/notebooks.

Giant · Joined: 14 May 2003 Location: South Korea

Yes, Alienware is probably the best for gaming.

crazy_arcade · Joined: 05 Nov 2006

people always say they don't mind lugging their gigantic beast of a laptop around....but they never do.
go portable or go desktop...don't fool yourself.

smogdonkey · Joined: 19 Dec 2006

I think, like I was, he's looking for more of a 'desktop replacement'-sized notebook. It's not that I want to play it on the subway, or bring it to a friend's house, I just don't want to buy a new computer when I move again in 6 months. Nobody's being fooled, and yes, I will lug it with me when I go home.

Unfortunately, I was broke at the time, and I got a Dell. On the bright side, once you remove all the crap and reinstall, the system itself runs fine, bearing in mind that I'm not a PC gamer.

rocklee · Joined: 04 Oct 2005 Location: Seoul

smogdonkey, what Dell do you have?

I hope the next generation notebooks can separate the video performance into gaming and normal by having 2 different video chipsets, a built-in video function that handles desktop graphics and a dedicated card that can be switched on when needed.

Here are some gaming notebooks worthy of current games :

Sager has been making notebooks like these with built-in webcams for as long as I can remember.

Del XPS Gen2 is perhaps my best bet, but its over $3600 aussie bucks.

Acer's Ferrari

ASUS G2P - interesting

ASUS W2V - this one has a nice finish though the specs are a bit outdated using Pentium M

jazblanc77 · Joined: 22 Feb 2004

smogdonkey · Joined: 19 Dec 2006

I've got a Dell E1505. If I had it to do over again, I would upgrade the LCD to SXGA. Stupid, really, on my part, not to. 1G RAM, duo 1.83, intel 950 integrated video card. I didn't have the option, at the time, of upgrading the video card, or I may have. My only complaint is that because of my low resolution monitor and drivers, I'm unable to output a signal with a great enough resolution to look very good on my LCD TV.