Looking for computer advice

[nolan16]

Hi, I'm getting a new laptop and I was wanting to make sure that I got one that would be able to play Starcraft II and Diablo III when those eventually come out.. I know that the required specs aren't out yet but I also know that Blizz usually doesn't require you to spend a ton of money on your computer to play their games..
I found this one that I thought might do http://www.dell.com/content/products/productdetails.aspx/inspnnb_1525?c=us&l=en&s=dhs&cs=19&~oid=us~en~29~inspnnb_1525_anav2~~
..but I am unsure about the graphics card and the shared memory.. Also would a computer like this support direct x10?

Any advice would be appreciated, Thanks

[Fallen_62]

If you follow this link (http://www.notebookcheck.net/Intel-Graphics-Media-Accelerator-X2000.2176.0.html) you will find a listing of benchmarks for that card, as well as a list of games that were playable on it... (Click the "More Details" links under the benchmarks to see what rigs they were using, then find one comperable to yours (one using a T7250 CPU should be somewhat close, may be better or worse depending on the amount of RAM the computer they used has)).

That will also support DX10.

IMHO, you would be better off going for a different video card if at all possible... That's a pretty low end one.

[poroboszcz]

Also would a computer like this support direct x10?


It depends what do you mean by "support", but I highly doubt it. You maybe be able to run DX 10 game and, with a bit of luck, watch the slide show after you actualy start plying it, but that's about all you'll get from intel card. They're just not meant to be cards for gaming. I even doubt you'll be able to play D3 with satisfactory settings/frame rate on this card.

If you're really planning to play games on a notebook you should consider nvidia 8/9 or ati 3800 series card. The latter also supports DX 10.1 which is going to be included in D3, although the real benefits of it over DX 10 are marginal. Hera are some of the cards that would actually allow you to play contemporary games smoothly:

Nvidia Geforce 9800M (GTX, GTS and GT) single or SLI
Nvidia Geforce 8800M (GTX, GTS and GT) single or SLI
ATI Mobility Radeon HD 3870, single or X2
ATI Mobility Radeon HD 3850, single or X2

They may be quite expensive, but that's the price you have to pay for gaming on a laptop. You may also consider getting a cheaper laptop and just buying a cheap desktop for games.

[p0isonapple]

Hey there Nolan,

I'd suggest perhaps waiting a few months if possible to see some higher end laptops come out supporting the radeon HDxxxx mobile series, also, if it is possible I would recommend you build a desktop computer.

I'm an experienced PC builder and if you have a budget to work in and would like further advice feel free to post back here, PM me, or add me on AIM : p0isonappleAU

[nolan16]

Thanks for the good advice and helpful links everyone..

Here is the deal, when I was moving one of my friends dropped my desktop and now the hard drive is scratched I believe (it just makes a whiny noise when i try to turn it on). The desktop is prob 4-5 years old (I had upgraded the ram to 1gb and put in a new video card-the video card wasn't that great though because my computer could only support a few cards because of its age and plug in type) and I figured that instead of paying to get the old desktop fixed it would be better to just get a new laptop since I needed one for school and work anyways.. Would it be better to try to fix the old desktop and get a cheap laptop?

Best Buy told me it would be $100 to diagnose the problem and then $200 (I think) to fix the computer if it was indeed a scratched hard drive. I don't know if a computer this old is even worth that much?

old desktop specs-
1gig memory (origonally 512mb)
80 gig hard drive
340 intel D celeron proccessor
and I could find out about the video card tomo..

-Thanks

[ThulRasha]

Since you need a new computer now and need a laptop for school & work.

You would be much better off with a Dell XPS M1530. Be sure to customize and select the 8600GT graphics card. That will put it at a total of roughly $1000.

[lordchar]

whats your computer assembely skills like as buying them from dell etc is always going to be more expensive, especially if your paying for the software. you could use your old licence and not have to buy windows again (i assume your using windows)

the prices for diagnostics and a new hardrive seems WAY over the top new hard drive = £30 ~ $60.

then once you have a deacent desktop, lap tops are cheap for an entry level one.

i think this is your best route as i hate gaming on laptops :D

[ThulRasha]

Yeah, $300 for repairs is indeed WAY over the top.
Since you can have a complete new desktop with decent hardware for $650.

But if you need a laptop anyway... Then I would not spend money to fix or get a new desktop.

[nolan16]

Thanks for the advice everyone.. I think I'm going to take ThulRahsa's advice and go for the XPS M1530.. tyvm ThulRasha

@Lordchar- unfortunately my computer building skills are severly lacking and I no longer have my windows license.. I did install my upgrades to the old comp (ram and video card) but those came w/ instruction booklets haha (again this took me less than an hour and Best Buy told me it would cost me 80$ for them to do it)..

I hate gaming on a laptop too so I am planning to plug the laptop into my old monitor, speakers, and also plug in a mouse and keyboard into the thing.. (if I can do all that?) haha

[mhl12]

laptops are not really meant for gaming. Yes, there are higher end laptops out there that can handle the majority of pc games right now.

But the performance you get with a gaming desktop will always surpass that of that laptop. My advice is to get a cheap laptop for your mobile needs and spend your money on a desktop instead.

[Telzen]

Yeah if you want something for D3, I'd say to wait for a year before buying something. Damn 300 dollars to put a new hard drive in, they are ripping people off way bad there. Damn makes me want to go find people that need help lol. All you need to do is get a spare hard drive and switch it with the other to see if that is the problem. If you don't know how just google it, take 5 minutes to find if thats the problem, then just buy a new hard drive.

[5zigen]

Don't get that computer, OP. In fact, wait till the game is almost out if you can (at least wait a year) if you MUST buy now, get something with a Nvidia 9500GS or better. That should play the game at a 1200x800ish resolution with no AA on.

laptops are not really meant for gaming. Yes, there are higher end laptops out there that can handle the majority of pc games right now.

But the performance you get with a gaming desktop will always surpass that of that laptop. My advice is to get a cheap laptop for your mobile needs and spend your money on a desktop instead.

No offense, but that's pretty much bull.

I've done all my computer gaming for the past 3 years on a laptop. Though most of it was for WoW.

That said, the whole "you need to get a 8800 or 9800 or 3850 or 3870" is a bunch of crap too. At least, it's not even close to the whole story. The whole story is that if you want to play new games at super high resolutions WSXGA+ or WUXGA, with AA / AF and still have a high framerate, then those cards are necessary.

If you get a 15.4in notebook with a 9500gs/8600gt or better , you will have something that will more than likely play diablo 3 fine at normal settings. Blizzard is one of the most adamant companies about making their games playable on a large range of systems, and that has served them well with all of their games.

You can get a nb with a 9500 or 8600 for under 1 grand also. And you can get a nb with a 9600gt for just over a grand. A nb with a 8800 or 9800 will run you 1600 at the low end and 3000ish at the high end. Clevo probably makes the most attractive 'affordable' gaming notebooks imo, but MSI has a couple good entries into the arena and so does Asus.

Also, if you buy a Dell, ONLY buy it when you have a coupon for it or it's on a really good sale. Their computers are generally not very good deals without a coupon or a discount of some sort.

If you do decide on getting a notebook that can play games, make sure you get one that has a tried and tested design, because design is really important in notebooks as that dictates whether or not they have chronic overheating problems or not (particularly a problem with a gaming notebooks, but this problem decreases every time video cards get smaller and smaller dies).

In short, don't listen to the naysayers. Notebooks are perfectly viable for gaming. They're just more expensive to get the same performance, but not by a lot, unless you're doing something stupid like comparing a boutique notebook with a home made desktop. And getting a desktop to play games + a non gaming notebook will be more expensive than getting a notebook that can play games, but that sort of depends on what kind of performance you feel you need.