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  1. BayView

    BayView Huh. Interesting. Contributor

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    Best laptop NOT for writing?

    Discussion in 'The Lounge' started by BayView, Jan 21, 2018.

    Well, I'll write on it. But I don't really have problems WRITING on my current laptop.

    I want a new one for gaming.

    So, it would make sense to get a gaming laptop, except... I don't play the graphics-intense first-person-shooter style games. They make me motion sick. (I know, I'm a sensitive flower).

    But I do play simulation and strategy games (current obsession is STILL stupid Stellaris, eating my life) and sometimes RPGs (as long as there isn't too much first person stuff). With my current laptop, Stellaris gets really slow once the universe gets more complex (and the rate it burns through my battery makes me think there's some serious calculation going on in there somewhere) and Dragon Age: Inquisition loads super-slow and crashes a LOT. The latest SimCity also runs really slow in the later parts of the game.

    So, my question for any wandering techies is: do I actually need a gaming laptop? I want it for games, but not for graphics-heavy action-y games. I do need the faster processor speeds, though...

    My current laptop is probably three years old, at least. Do I just need a new standard laptop and that'll give me enough power to play my games?

    Any recommendations? (I'm in Canada, so I need products available here. And by mail-order, if at all possible. I don't live near a major centre).
     
  2. DITF Ninja

    DITF Ninja Member

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    Unless you are travelling constantly don't bother getting a gaming laptop. Build or order a PC. In the end it is far cheaper and easier. It will last (in terms of graphic fidelity) longer, be half the price, and you can upgrade it for a fraction of the price then if you bought a new laptop years later. I know I am a bit of a techie but there are tons of resources to figure out how to build your own and even then there are planty of places that will build and ship one for you (like Ibuypower or Newegg).
     
  3. ChickenFreak

    ChickenFreak Contributor Contributor

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    Mac or PC? Not that I really have an answer after that; apparently I'm just curious.
     
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  4. ChickenFreak

    ChickenFreak Contributor Contributor

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    I asked The Guy, and:
    • He thinks that graphics is probably an issue even if you don't think it is.
    • He nevertheless says go for the fastest processor you can.
    • However, he said that his machine, on which he games, is three years old.
    • We both agreed that perhaps memory is an issue?
    No idea if any of that is useful, especially since you were looking for specific products.
     
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  5. BayView

    BayView Huh. Interesting. Contributor

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    That's a good point - I do travel around when I'm writing, but not when I'm gaming. So I could keep my current laptop as my writing computer and buy a PC for gaming...

    But do I need a gaming PC?
     
  6. BayView

    BayView Huh. Interesting. Contributor

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    PC, preferably. I'm not really Mac-trained.
     
  7. BayView

    BayView Huh. Interesting. Contributor

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    I wouldn't be surprised if it came down to RAM (lots of space on my hard drive). But with a three-or-four year old laptop, I'm not sure if it would be more trouble than it's worth to add RAM...
     
  8. ChickenFreak

    ChickenFreak Contributor Contributor

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    Dang. We depart my area of knowledge. :)
     
  9. ChickenFreak

    ChickenFreak Contributor Contributor

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    Yep, it might very well be--I was thinking, more, that if you get something new, a regular laptop with the maximum RAM might do the job.
     
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  10. BayView

    BayView Huh. Interesting. Contributor

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    I can't imagine I'm doing anything TOO damn challenging... they're mass-marketed games, and they're not even brand new.

    Of course, there'll probably be something brand new on the mass market next month that I'll want to be able to play!
     
  11. Mumble Bee

    Mumble Bee Keep writing. Contributor

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    I'd go desktop, research and build your own, and then write a story about a tech character later.

    You get the most bang for your buck, learn something interesting, and it can feed into writing.

    I built my own computer a few years back, but it randomly died after three years, so I'm not sure if I'm a good or bad example (it was great while it lasted)
     
    Last edited: Jan 21, 2018
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  12. NigeTheHat

    NigeTheHat Contributor Contributor

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    I had a similar question about a year ago. My techie friends told me: get the best processor you can afford, and as much RAM as you can afford. Don't worry too much about all the other numbers in the spec. That's likely to be more than you need right now, but it'll future-proof you as much as possible for future shinies without spending more than you need.
     
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  13. 8Bit Bob

    8Bit Bob Here ;) Contributor

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    Here's what I have: http://www.dell.com/en-us/shop/dell-laptops/inspiron-15-7000-gaming/spd/inspiron-15-7567-laptop/fncwf514h

    I love it. It runs all the games I play at over 60 fps (although most of the games I play aren't super demanding :p) and it's relatively cheap for a gaming laptop. One thing I will say is that you'd probably have to get a HDD to put in along with the SSD, because 256gb isn't all that much.

    ETA: Keep in mind that if you want a gaming laptop you're going to have to pay a bit more for one that can run high-end games with good fps ;)
     
    Last edited: Jan 22, 2018
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  14. DITF Ninja

    DITF Ninja Member

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    You may not need a 1500 dollar PC but any PC can be a gaming one. My current build is about 900 in total but I can play almost everything and still enjoy the graphics. If you are building one and don't want to break the bank might I suggest the following:
    i5 quad core (not the fastest but still good and cheap)
    8gb of ram (don't need much more than that, maybe 12 if you want to go crazy)
    Any full size mother board (just check reviews)
    And for the graphics on cheaper builds I recommend the video card by Nvidia called a gtx 1050ti. They are super cheap but perform very well for people who aren't going crazy.

    Everything else just falls into whatever you want. If you ever need specs checked don't hesitate to send me a PM.
     
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  15. The Dapper Hooligan

    The Dapper Hooligan (V) ( ;,,;) (v) Contributor

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    I've been using Nvidia for a while, not because I have anything against Radeon, but because the program I use to render likes them a lot better. I just recently got a GTX 1060, but up until then I was running a GTX 650ti and it would handle anything I threw at it. Though that's been mostly Fallout 4, but I could play it with the video settings on ultra for the most part. So, yeah, I guess the point I'm trying to make is that you don't really need some absolute beast of a GPU to play most games and a desktop setup would probably cost you less than a laptop. Plus, they are kind of fun to put together if you're into that sort of thing.
     
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  16. Steerpike

    Steerpike Felis amatus Contributor

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    Best? You can get laptops with a GTX 1080 and 12-16 GIGs of RAM. That should be more than sufficient for anything you want to do, especially because the processors that come with those are good. It'll run you minimum $2100-2200, and maybe more depending on size and how you spec it. If you're looking for a laptop I wouldn't bother trying to build it. If you'd also consider a desktop, then I'd consider building.

    Getting a lot of RAM in a laptop with a run of the mill GPU (i.e. on-board graphics) and a ho-hum processor isn't going to do you any good.
     
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  17. CoyoteKing

    CoyoteKing Good Boi Contributor

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    IDK if you're still looking for an answer to this.

    I had the exact same question a few months ago. Most of the games I play are pretty simple (The Sims, Stardew Valley, Dream Daddy), but sometimes I'm playing Mass Effect, or Dragon Age: Inquisition, a few horror games, ect.

    Anyway, long story short... I got a PS4.

    My partner, Bear, built his own computer. I still use my laptop for gaming on occasion, but it blows my mind how much better and faster his computer is. Honestly-- I just don't think laptops are good for gaming. In order to get a good gaming laptop capable of handling DA:I, then you need to spend $2000-3000. It just isn't worth it. For that price, you can built your own computer and get way better performance.

    Get a PC or get a console. Gaming laptops aren't worth it.
     
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  18. The Dapper Hooligan

    The Dapper Hooligan (V) ( ;,,;) (v) Contributor

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    The biggest downsides to desktops, to me at least, are size (mine's about 4 hands high, 4 deep, and 2 wide) and power consumption. My desktop runs on just under 300 watts at idle, while my laptop pretty much caps out at 65.
     
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  19. Steerpike

    Steerpike Felis amatus Contributor

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    Question is, if you’re drawing that little power are you really going to be able to power a decent GPU for gaming?
     
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  20. BayView

    BayView Huh. Interesting. Contributor

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    How does the PS4 compare, in terms of gameplay? I'm so used to doing everything with a computer keyboard and mouse... are the controls dramatically different? Are all the same games still available and equally enjoyable?
     
  21. Mouthwash

    Mouthwash Senior Member

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    Oh, yes, I am very excited for Apocalypse. Have you been following the dev diary?
     
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  22. BayView

    BayView Huh. Interesting. Contributor

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    No... I'm so torn by this stupid game. On my slow computer, I can only really play the smallest universe, and even with that it gets really slow towards the end of the game, so I honestly don't find it all that satisfying to play the game... but I'm unable to stop!!!

    (Honestly, one of my inspirations for buying a new computer is to get one that I can play and finish one huge game of Stellaris on and then walk away from the game, because it's sucking up a LOT of my time without giving me much in return...)
     
  23. Mouthwash

    Mouthwash Senior Member

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    Yes, there's no feeling quite like engaging a 123k awakened Empire fleet.

    Ha, that's what everyone thinks. I'll just finish this game and scratch the itch once and for all... but it never quite works out that way. :evilsmile:
     
    Last edited: Jan 27, 2018
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  24. Mink

    Mink Contributor Contributor

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    I also second this computer even though I don't have it. I really want it and almost bought it, but I chose the 5000 non-gaming instead. The 5000 is good for basic games and it's done everything I've requested so far.
     
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  25. CoyoteKing

    CoyoteKing Good Boi Contributor

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    For Dragon Age, specifically, it was a little weird going from computer to console, just because of all the spells and stuff. I liked playing the Dragon Age and Mass Effect games a little more on computer. But you rapidly get used to it.

    Availability-- I can't really comment. It had all the games I wanted.
     

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