How do you determine if laptop graphics are good enough for gaming

In My Humble Opinion
1

I am in the market for a laptop and looking to spend an amount of money that would give me one that has integrated graphics rather than a dedicated graphics card. Probably in the $400 range but if it is worth it I’d go up to $600, dedicated graphics usually run higher than what I’m looking to spend.

I am wanting a laptop that can also double as a desktop station for gaming (or use an HDMI port and wireless mouse/keyboard to game on the TV), but am not sure how to determine whether a laptop has good graphics or not just based on reading about it online or looking at models in the store.

I am currently gaming on a fairly mediocre desktop that has a stock GeForce 7050 / nForce 620i which according to videobenchmark has a score of about 56, so nothing special. But at that resolution I am able to play most of the games I like to play like left 4 dead, team fortress, counter strike, civilization, etc. The resolution isn’t great but that doesn’t really bother me. Other games like L4D 2, team fortress 2, bioshock, etc I have bought on sale but the card and system in general is not good enough to run the graphics. Now that I am researching the issue, I may pick up a $40 graphics card that will do a better job.

If a laptop comes with integrated graphics can you pick up a $50 graphics card and have it installed or do integrated graphics more or less prevent that?

Are there external devices you can attach through one of the ports that will process the graphics for you?

The integrated graphics of the models I am looking at are things like Intel HD 3000, or Radeon 6520G. The 6520G gets a 452 from benchmark, I have heard the Intel HD 3000 is roughly a 300 or so. Considering that I am currently using a card that scores a 56 either is an improvement. But I don’t really even understand what the benchmarks measure in real world terms.

From what I’ve read the Intel 3000 is not very good for gaming but the Radeon integrated graphics seen in toshiba models is passable. Does anyone know? I went on youtube and looked at video of graphics of games like L4D2, resident evil 5, COD, etc done on intel HD 3000 and they were pretty good graphics. However on RE5 the fps rate sometimes dropped to 6. I have read several people say the Radeon integrated graphics are better, but have no idea if that is just intel bashing or if that is coming from people with standards way higher than I have (like I said I’ve been using a GeForce7050 for a while and it mostly works ok). The Radeon graphics for games I can find on youtube are good too, I don’t really see a difference between that and the Intel HD 3000.

Keep in mind I’m used to fairly mediocre graphics, so I’m not looking for top of the line. Just stuff that’ll let me play games on Steam on a laptop station. The graphics I see on youtube for the Intel HD 3000 on left 4 dead are a lot better than what I’m getting on the current desktop setup.

Other than a good graphics card, high RPM hard drive, good processor and decent amount of RAM (this is all on a fairly low cost laptop system of $400 or so) are there other things I need to look for to do midrange gaming?

I might just end up getting a tower devoted solely to gaming for a few hundred since upgrading the graphics card will be easier, but if possible I’d rather get a laptop that can double as a gaming station.

2

a few laptops have had an “MXM” (Mobile eXpress Module) card slot for the promise of upgrading the graphics, but I think actual MXM cards are rarer than hen’s teeth. I think the current (or past generation) iMac has an MXM slot, in fact.

but for the most part, laptops have either integrated graphics, or the GPU is soldered onto the mainboard so you’re outta luck upgrading.

3

You sound as if you are at about my level of expertise. :wink:

I recently bought a laptop, and my requirements were very similar, I wanted something that would play games, but I had no intention of splashing the cash on something that was top of the range, I am a casual gamer only.

I got a great bargain on a Dell Inspiron 15R with an I3 processor, 3GB Ram, Dedicated Graphics card (ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5650 with 1GB Dedicated RAM).

It has played my games with no problems whatsoever, those games being Fallout 3, Halflife 2, Command and Conquer games, and some other RTS’s just for reference.

From my research at the time, I think what you need is one of the “I” series of processors (I3, I5 etc) which seem to be a benchmark these days, and a dedicated graphics card, NOT an integrated card.

Just the view of a non-expert, take it as you will.

ETA: That laptop cost me just under £400 of our english pounds. This one here… http://www.saveonlaptops.co.uk/Dell_Inspiron_15R_1085131.html

4

They’re not.

5

I recommend the HP DM1Z. I have one, it’s awesome, travels well and is not expensive.

6

Moved MPSIMS --> IMHO.

7

Are there mobile equivalents to the AMD A series of APU’s?

I’ve got a AMD A8 runnign on my small form fact Home Theater PC, it was a $100 part and plays all modern games at 720p 40 FPS.

8

  1. Keep in mind that it’s the holidays so you might want to shop around in the next couple weeks for deals.

  2. You want a dedicated graphics card. Also, 4gb Ram and Windows 7 64 bit.

  3. You should have no trouble finding oone at your price range.

  4. Here’s a link to neweggg.com’s laptop page - search for something with a dedicated card and 4gb RAM, under $650, in whatever size you want. They’ll have several choices at each size point.
    Laptops & Notebook Computers: PC Laptop, Notebooks - Newegg.com

9

(quibble)

That PC uses the mobility radeon chipset on its motherboard, it is integrated video, just a decent one.

In some respects by the time you get to machines with discrete video cards (as in removable/changable) you are already in the $2K plus range.

Any laptop below $1500 is going to be integrated video in some way shape or form.

[/quibble]

10

I don’t know. I’ve been researching for a month and haven’t really found dedicated graphics cards in the ones I look at, all are integrated. Recently I found an HP Pavilion dv7 that had an i7 processor, blu ray player, 9 cell battery, fingerprint scanner, beats audio and 4GB RAM that can be upgraded to a max of 16GB (most laptops in my price range max out at 8GB), and it was for sale for $579 after rebates. But it had Intel HD 3000 graphics, so from what I’ve read on the subject that was a deal breaker (intel HD graphics get a bad rap from what I’ve researched on it).

So even on a model like that you are still talking integrated graphics. Had that model had dedicated graphics I probably would have bought it. But I honestly don’t know enough to even know if Intel HD 3000 isn’t good enough for what I do (it probably is, I don’t know).

11

Be careful, lots of big name system builders play hardware games with those budget systems, low speed motherboards, limited RAM support, and my all time favorite, no full size PCI-E slots. I have seen tons of Dell, Compaq, and HP boxes where you can see the solder points for a PCI-E socket, but no socket.

You are talking numbers in the bargain basement of the PC world, expect bargain basement performance.

12

To sum it up, gaming on laptops is kinda like hunting deer with handguns, it can be done, but the handguns that are very good for it are specialized for the task.

13

Still, remember that, if all you are interested in is the current generation of games, and you don’t mind what consoles look like on HD TVs, you don’t really need top of the line graphics. You’ll just have to run games on medium to low settings.

14

You need to look for a dedicated card to get decent graphics, also the I5 or I7 procesor will be nice too. I set the filters in the following link to show dedicated graphics cards. I think the first two Acer laptops in this link meet your specs. The second one has a 17 inch screen which is nice for gaming. (edited the first link did not filter so added the links. You can filter the lsit by selecting CPUtYPE and setting it to dedcated card)

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834215191

I am currently using an ASUS G73-A1 for home use. It has been a good compouetr and was about $1500 when I bought it. The only thing about these laptop/gaming systems is that you need to watch that the do not overheat. I have to take mine apart about once every three months to clean the fans and heat sinks for the processor and graphics card . The computer will just shut down when it gets too hot which is annoying. You can find youtube how-tos descibing the process. I also am careful where I use my laptop, avoid blankets, carpets or other lint/dusty surfaces.

15

My mom just bought an Acer similar to the one in JackaRoe’s link. It’s a pretty decent machine for the price, and it does have a dedicated card.

Wesley:

  1. Go here: Laptops & Notebook Computers: PC Laptop, Notebooks - Newegg.com

  2. On the left hand menu, click on “more options”

  3. From the new options displayed, find the one labelled “Graphic Type” (middle of the bunch - it’s set to “Any” by default.)

  4. Select “Dedicated Card”

  5. Enjoy!
    drachillix -

It’s true that budget laptops don’t have the same bang-for-the-buck that a budget desktop has, but you can still do better than integrated graphics. All of the laptops I saw at newegg will play Bioshock and Left4Dead 2, or even Skyrim, provided he makes sure to get 4gb RAM.

16

I am saying this not as a debate of performance but as kinda a “fighting ignorance” moment

None of those machines have a graphics card.

Cards can be removed, replaced, upgraded if higher performance versions are available. All of those machines have a block of chips hard soldered onto the motherboard that are the graphics handling components. This is true of 95%+ of all notebook PC’s sold.

I say this because as a computer shop owner I get asked every couple weeks if we can “upgrade the graphics card” in a laptop and get to break someones heart who thought they could get the cheap one and upgrade later.

17

Didn’t read the whole thread.

Depending on the kind of games/amount of time spent playing games you might want to check out the service OnLive.com

It’s a service that allows any laptop (even tablets!) to play fairly high end games you wouldn’t otherwise be able to. The game actually runs on their servers and they stream the video to your computer. You therefore only need mediocre hardware to play. Their game selection is somewhat limited, twitchy FPS aren’t a good fit for the cloud gaming model(latency is obviously an issue) and it requires that you have a 5+ megabit line. The service isn’t for hardcore gamers, but for someone like me who used to be hardcore gamer, but now only plays on a limited basis. It’s pretty damn great. if you buy games on sale it can be super cheap too. I picked up Arkham city for a dollar a few weeks ago.

18

That’s just not true. My friend just bought a gaming laptop for under $1000 that had a good quad i7 and a GF 460M - a very capable gaming machine. I think it was one of the Asus G73 series. Well built, good system.

Keep in mind that the mobile versions of things are significantly less powerful than their desktop counterparts - a 460m is a very capable laptop card, but not as good as a desktop 460m. Just keep that in mind if you’re estimating your needs. But laptops tend to have lower resolution screens too, so you need less horsepower. A 460m is about what I’d recommend if you want something with serious horsepower but not high costs.

Edit: Rereading your post, I’m actually not sure it wasn’t integrated, but I don’t think they make 460m class GPUs in integrated form. So you might be right. Still - discrete or integrated, you’re probably not going to be upgrading a laptop, and when people talk about “integrated graphics” they’re usually talking about stuff like the intel HD graphics or a geforce 220m type stuff.

19

The desktop rig I am currently using is a celeron, 3GB of DDR2 RAM and a graphics card that scores a 56 from benchmark.net (midrange cards score 300-400 and top of the line get about 1300, mine is considered low end). With that I am able to play a lot of games, but games like counter strike:source, half life 2, left for dead 2, rainbow six vegas, etc. will not work. However I just play some of those games on the xbox 360 instead.

So even a base model laptop with a stock 4GB DDR3 RAM, modern integrated graphics (radeon or intel HD) and a dual core/quad core processor will be an amazing step up from my current desktop I’m using.

With gaming I tend to stay a few years behind the curve anyway, so I don’t need the newest technology. The games are a lot cheaper doing that.

Anyway, I finally decided on a laptop and bought it, so the point is moot now I guess. But looking up graphics on youtube, a lot of games that are run on integrated Radeon or Intel HD 3000 come in pretty clear, and they are a lot more clear than what I currently have on my desktop.