Laptops Or desktop.

[Alwin Roth]

OK, I'm tired off playing halo ce on my shitty laptop, so i want to save up for a new one, currently have 200 bucks saved.

now, first off, what's better,

A laptop

Or

A Desktop.

Here's the info on me:

I travel a bit, go to Switzerland or Korea at least twice a year, and i bring my laptop. When playing halo, i sometimes need to move my laptop to the dining room to get better connection, only if im playing halo.

Laptop advantage:
-High accessibility (easy to carry)
-Small

Desktop advantage:
-Raw Gaming Power
-can change graphics card

For Laptops, I'm looking for a gaming laptop i could get for around 700-900 us dollars.

as for Desktops, I'm looking for a gaming desktop around 500-700 us dollars.



help me out, and post link's on some good laptops or desktops.

OH, and if you choose the laptop, are their any laptops that can change the graphics card???

[RobertGraham]

You can change any graphics card on a laptop. You just need a new motherboard for it.

As for me, Desktop is my choice. Otherwise I would have chosen a Macbook Pro

[OmegaDragon]

Wrong section bro.

Also, there are laptops out there that can have raw gaming power, it all depends on how much you plan on spending.

[Alwin Roth]

You can change any graphics card on a laptop. You just need a new motherboard for it.

As for me, Desktop is my choice. Otherwise I would have chosen a Macbook Pro

well, can you post a link of a suggested desktop?


Wrong section bro.

Also, there are laptops out there that can have raw gaming power, it all depends on how much you plan on spending.

i suggested 700-900 us dollars on laptops and 500-700 on desktops.

[sdavis117]

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814127406
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811156098
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813138106
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819103211
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820211363
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822136075
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827106228
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16832116488

Total Cost: $530

[legionaire45]

You can change any graphics card on a laptop. You just need a new motherboard for it.
Ummm....not really. Most laptop motherboards are custom built for the enclosure it is in; There is no standard laptop motherboard design.

For the most part, if you buy a laptop, don't expect to be able to easily upgrade anything on it besides the RAM and maybe the HDD.

Since you have $200 you're pretty much stuck between getting either a netbook or a very budget desktop; Both will play something like Halo fairly well, but neither will play anything modern without hiccups.

If you want portability more than being able to play games at 10,000 FPS, then go with the laptop.

[Warsaw]

You definitely want this:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834220503


I kid.

There are no serious gaming laptops for around your price range, they all go into the $1100+ range.

Within your price range, I recommend something like this:
http://www.xoticpc.com/sager-np2096-custom-laptop-built-compal-jhl90-p-2409.html

Going outside a little bit, I would sooner recommend this:
http://www.xoticpc.com/gt725074-order-p-2551.html
Or its slightly more expensive cousin:
http://www.xoticpc.com/gt725-order-p-2554.html

If you really MUST have 15.4", there's no substitute for the NP8660:
http://www.xoticpc.com/sager-np8660-built-clevo-m860tu-p-2411.html

[Xetsuei]

If you decide to get a desktop



~$700 (with MiRs) Low End
$189.00 - CPU: AMD Phenom II X4 920 2.8GHz (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819103472)
$89.99() - Motherboard: Biostar tForce 790GX AMD (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813138128)
$45.99() - Memory (RAM): OCZ Reaper HPC 2x2GB DDR2 1066 (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820227289)
$189.99() - Graphics: EVGA GeForce GTX 260 Core 216 (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814130434)
$69.99() - Power Supply: OCZ ModXStream 600W (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817341017)
$54.99 - Hard Drive: Western Digital Caviar 320GB (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822136074)
$24.99 - DVD Burner: LG DVD Burner (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827136152)

Actual price is about $665, and you probably do not need the DVD burner.

E: If you need a case or anything click the arrow next to my name in the quote and scroll down to the Low End (or Dirt Poor) peripherals/cases section.

E2: If you ever become really strapped for money, you can go with the Dirt Poor ($450 rig) which is also a little bit better than the $530 one spartan123209 (http://www.modacity.net/forums/member.php?u=1625) poster earlier.

[Atty]

Just do like I did, a gaming desktop that can run any game on the market just fine and won't need to be upgraded for a long time (especially with my gaming habits of late) and then buy a Macbook Pro for portability, bootcamp if necessary. Everything works out great in the end. :)


Also, despite being out of the scene for a while, I'm pretty sure the age old rule of never, ever, buying a laptop with any intent of upgrading it still applies, with the minor exception to storage and RAM. If you want to game on a Laptop, even marginally well, be ready to cough up some serious cash. If you want to game decently to well then buy a desktop and buy something worth while, never plan to upgrade major components, buy the best you can at the time.

Personally, I hardly bring my laptop anywhere with me, except for trips that require it. I've got my Blackberry with unlimited data for internet and most everything else I need from day-day, data sticks for everything else (work, school, etc, related items that I can access from whatever is available to me.)

[Warsaw]

If you decide to get a desktop



Actual price is about $665, and you probably do not need the DVD burner.

E: If you need a case or anything click the arrow next to my name in the quote and scroll down to the Low End (or Dirt Poor) peripherals/cases section.

E2: If you ever become really strapped for money, you can go with the Dirt Poor ($450 rig) which is also a little bit better than the $530 one spartan123209 (http://www.modacity.net/forums/member.php?u=1625) poster earlier.

He'd be better off with the X3 720 Black Box, since it can be overclocked to surpass the X4 920. Not to mention that it is AM3, which means future-proofing by buy an AM3 motherboard with DDR3.

[Mr Buckshot]

Only get a laptop if you, like me, will need to carry the computer away from the desk a lot. I "donated" my desktop with its 8800GT to my dad's office, because when I start university a desktop will just be impractical for me. I'll need to bring my LG P300 laptop away from the desk a lot, and I also need to save table space for other belongings in the confines of a Stanford dorm. Pretty much all the university undergrads I know personally use laptops and not desktops.

But if you're the type of person who doesn't need to bring a computer away from the desk often, then get a desktop, seriously. You may travel to other countries at least twice a year but do you really need to bring a gaming computer with you each time? Surely you can survive a week's vacation without access to video games right?


OH, and if you choose the laptop, are their any laptops that can change the graphics card???

Technically yes with MXM being a "standard" for laptop graphics, but this feature is so limited and impractical that it's safe to say no. Think of the graphics as being replaceable rather than upgradeable, e.g. if you have an 8600MGT and it fries, you can put in an identical 8600MGT but you can't upgrade or downgrade, no no.

Atty mentioned a Macbook Pro, I recommend against those unless you really want the Mac operating system. There are countless Windows laptops that match or even exceed the Macbook Pro's performance for significantly lower prices, plus they are more versatile, e.g. more USB ports, inclusion of Bluetooth, superior webcam, inclusion of HDMI/VGA port, etc. The only advantages of Macbooks are the light weight, and possibly the fact that they can run Mac OS but overall I have yet to see any "unique" thing in mac that can't be done in Windows.

[Xetsuei]

He'd be better off with the X3 720 Black Box, since it can be overclocked to surpass the X4 920. Not to mention that it is AM3, which means future-proofing by buy an AM3 motherboard with DDR3.

1) The X3 720 needs to be overclocked to surpass it.
2) The 920 has four cores.
3) The AM3 motherboards cost much more, which would raise the price for the whole rig.
4) Depending on the prices at the start of next month I'm rebuilding all the rigs, and we'll see if it's better to use AM3 then or not.

[Warsaw]

1. The fact is that it can still outperform the 920, due to unlocked multipliers.
2. Most applications are dual-core optimized, or not at all (especially games).
3. The lower cost of the 720 offsets the higher cost of the AM3 motherboard.

=/

What it boils down to is whether or not he wants to upgrade the computer again later. Going AM3, he can do that with only a CPU change and the addition of more RAM and maybe a new video card. If he goes with the 920, he has to buy a new motherboard as well as a new CPU, new type of RAM, and a new video card. Spend a little more now, spend a lot less later.

[Rook]

Desktop would be the way to go imo.

[Syuusuke]

If Halo is the only thing you play, then you won't need to fork out much for a gaming laptop...

Generally gaming laptops also have poor battery life, but who the hell plays on battery anyway.

[Warsaw]

They are getting better. Two hours isn't so bad for a gaming laptop, considering you used to be lucky if you got one hour.

[legionaire45]

It still sucks compared to the 6 or so hour battery life of the netbooks at my school :3.

PS. Get a netbook.

[Sel]

There really isn't a point to a gaming laptop unless you need portability that badly, and if you need portability then a gaming laptop is impractical because of the incredibly short battery life. Most laptops you would find in your price range are going to have integrated graphics, or the ATI 3450 which is nothing too hot either, so if gaming is what you want, go for a desktop, and keep the laptop you have now as a travel computer.

[Mr Buckshot]

incredibly short battery life.

Not totally true, look at my specs, I get 4 hours or more with wifi and bluetooth turned off and with screen brightness dimmed a little. However, if you refer to those expensive ultra heavy desktop replacement laptops (larger than 17") with SLI and such then you are totally right, those machines barely count as laptops, and given their comical battery life one might as well buy a desktop instead.


Most laptops you would find in your price range are going to have integrated graphics, or the ATI 3450 which is nothing too hot either

This is true for laptops you buy in physical stores, but I've seen plenty of laptops online (typically MSI or ASUS) that offer Macbook-Pro-level specs (minus the hybrid graphics, they just go with one 9600MGT) for under $1000 USD.

[beele]

If Halo is the only thing you play, then you won't need to fork out much for a gaming laptop...

Generally gaming laptops also have poor battery life, but who the hell plays on battery anyway.

I agree, my battery is empty in under the hour when at full performance on the battery. Good thing my gpu downclocks a huge amount, so I can at least get two hours out of my battery.

Also, most gaming notebooks go very hot (mine doesn't :)).

on topic:
I'd say like most people here, go with a budget desktop pc when you only need to play halo. You won't find a gaming notebook for about 700-900 bucks.

[RobertGraham]

I agree, my battery is empty in under the hour when at full performance on the battery. Good thing my gpu downclocks a huge amount, so I can at least get two hours out of my battery.

Also, most gaming notebooks go very hot (mine doesn't :)).

on topic:
I'd say like most people here, go with a budget desktop pc when you only need to play halo. You won't find a gaming notebook for about 700-900 bucks.
It also depends on your cooling system

[Atty]

yes because laptops have such advanced and varied cooling sysetms;

[RobertGraham]

I meant like a portable cooling fan. -.-'

[Warsaw]

Water-cooled laptop! Wait a minute...

[Sel]

lmao I have this USB fan board thing that does fuck all if that helps.