Posted: 8/10/2004 12:36:47 PM EDT
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I'm ordering a laptop tonight, and I need opinions on 2 things: 1. Video Card: The 2 cards I'm looking at are the 64MB DDR NVIDIA GeForce FX Go5200 AGP 4X Graphics or the 128MB DDR ATI's MOBILITY RADEON 9600 PROTURBO. 2. Processor: Intel Pentium M Processor 725 (1.6A GHz),15.4in WSXGA+ I don't know jack about the M series Processors. I know the ATI should be a better card, but I want to know if the Nvidia would suffice. This will be a laptop to last at least 2.5 years. I do play games, and I do want Doom 3. Any opinions are welcome. |
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Don't expect any laptop made today to run Doom 3 well. The video chipsets in any laptop have to be stripped down, low-power versions that don't have anywhere near the performance of a modern high-end AGP video card. Maybe in 2 years, you'll be able to buy a laptop that does Doom 3 okay (but maybe not). M-series processers are just the low-power mobile versions that can step down in speed when usage is low to save power and reduce heat. -Troy |
If your primary purpose in the laptop is mobile computing, ie doing actual work outside of your home a lot, then get one. If you are getting it mainly to surf, type some stuff, and play games a lot, then you would probably be better off getting a desktop. I went this route last Christmas, getting a laptop that I thought would be a decent replacement for my aging Celeron 500 desktop (and as a gift to myself... ) Boy, was I wrong. Not only does it run the games I play (Warcraft III, Starcraft, etc) poorly, it also runs hot, and the keys are hard as hell to use. I would seriously sit down and list out what you are planning to do with it and compare before plunking down hard cash. That said, the ATI card should be better, but you might want to make sure to have at least 512 MB of RAM (1 GB+ being ideal). Also, an external mouse does wonders...ever tried playing games with the little touch pad 
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