Laptop graphics chipsets

[evilmatt]

I'm thinking of getting a new PC towards the end of this year, and was beginning to think maybe a laptop would be the way to go. But what I am hoping someone can advise me on, is exactly how good are the laptop chipset versions of ATi/nVidia graphics cards these days? Are they nearly up there with the 9800Pro's of this world, or would I be better off in the long term sticking to a desktop machine? I am 95% only getting it for games (Half-Life 2 ) so that's the only worry really.

Cheers to anyone that knows these things

[Tom Salter]

I'm a little out of touch with mobile graphics chipsets, but I think the new Ati R9000 based chipsets are ruling the roost at the moment. Played on one last year, and it ran NOLF2 flawlessly. Plus you get all the DirectX 8 capabilities of cards like the GF4.

Sure something newer will have come along by now though

[Fire]

Noooo, I wouldn't touch a laptop for games.

Beasts of desktop graphics cards probably produce more heat and use more power than a whole laptop system, never mind their huge size - the mobile versions will usually be pretty badly crippled performance wise. Not to mention you'll be paying way over what you would for a similar desktop system. Then theres also the factor of a proper keyboard/mouse/monitor positionial setup for gaming.

Get a desktop for gaming, it's the only choice.

[charlesr]

Also, the screens blur like crazy. Get a desktop with a CRT monitor

[MD]

Desktops aren't exactly luggable....

Yes a Desktop is better but there are times when you need a laptop and playing one or two games to while away the time on the train or in a hotel could be fun.

My Laptop has fairly poor Savage 4 chipset (called Twister...) but it plays emulators for the games I own.

[darrylstott]

I own a P4 2.4Ghz Packard Bell laptop, it has a GeForce 4Go chip (32mb) it is great for pretty much any game out atm, i just got Vice City and Bloodrayne this week and they play fine on the highest display settings.

I would recommend this to anyone, it cost me ?1399, but PCWorld website do them for under a grand now.

[evilmatt]

Just had a look at ATi's site, and there's a DirectX 9 mobility chipset coming out soon apparently... on the one hand it'll rock, on the other it'll probably cost twice as much as going for an equivalent desktop machine. All for Championship Manager 4 at work....... hmm, think I just answered my own question!

[Supergoal]

I don't think I will ever buy a desktop again after using laptops for 2 years now.
Someone tell me that a small room with stuffy air and a standard chair. beats, sitting out in your garden or whatever takes your fancy while drinking a can of beer and playing great games..!

[metal_mutley]

Supergoal, you *can* drink beer at your desk <takes draft>

[Supergoal]

haha I see, but where your at metal mutley sitting out in your garden is not a good idea, with capenhurst being there.....

[gIzzE]

check out te new dell widescreen laptop the dells are always one of the first to add decent graphics cards to laptops.

phone their factory outlet, number on the website, to get some wicked deals, when I bought my insprion from them it was ?2300 online and I got a cancelled aorder for ?1300 and got them to throw ina carry case, extra psu, cd-rw for one of the docking bays and a wireless nic.

this was a couple of years ago , looking now the prices seem to be nearly half that for a much higher spec so I reckon you could get a cracking deal.

[2 Point]

Dell laptops are actually just generic ACL jobs, Dell just charge a whole heap more for them once their badge goes on. Very few manu make their own, most are produced by 2 or 3 generic outfits.

[gIzzE]

Dell just charge a whole heap more for them once their badge goes on.

I use a vaio and Sony know how to charge a whole lot more for a fancy brushed metal finish, an d I stil fall for it

[tankplanker]

i've got a dell latitude P4 2 Ghz, 1 Gb RAM, with a GeForce 4 440 Go (64 MB) and thats pretty fast. Plus it supports two monitors (the built in LCD & a CRT), has a 15.4 " screen and a fast 40 Gb drive. Its more than enough for most of the current games that I've tried.

Having said that any well spec'd desktop for the same money would kick its arse, obviously.