Time for a new laptop I think.

[Easilyconfused]

My positively geriatric Dell C640 has just about given up the ghost now - the hard drive is full and there is little I can delete and the screen no longer works so I have to use an external monitor. So I have been having a think about a new laptop that will run Railworks as well as MSTS.

Currently thinking about this and any comments would be welcomed :

15.6" Glossy Full HD LED Widescreen (1920x1080)
Intel® Core™i7 Quad Core Mobile Processor i7-2630QM (2.00GHz) 6MB Cache
8GB SAMSUNG 1333MHz SODIMM DDR3 MEMORY (2 x 4GB)
nVIDIA® GeForce® GT 540M - 2GB DDR3 Video RAM - DirectX® 11
1TB WD SCORPIO BLUE WD10JPVT, SATA 3 Gb/s, 8MB CACHE (5400 rpm)
DVD Drive 8x SATA DVD±R/RW/Dual Layer (+ 24x CD-RW)
Integrated 3 in 1 Memory Card Reader (SD, MMC, MS)
Intel 2 Channel High Definition Audio + MIC/Headphone Jack
ENIGMA GIGABIT LAN & WIRELESS 802.11N + BLUETOOTH 3.0
1 x USB 3.0 PORT + 2 x USB 2.0 PORTS AS STANDARD

Will be running Windows 7 Professional (64 bit).

[Kromaatikse]

A couple of thigs to watch out for in that spec list:

1) With a glossy screen you'll be staring at your own reflection more often than not. If you can get a matte screen, so much the better.

2) The graphics chipset looks a little on the weak side to drive that big a screen. It'll run Railworks okay now, but it could well struggle later on - we don't yet know what RW3 will need at full chat. I would aim for a 560M or a mid-range AMD chipset, even if you have to give up some VRAM to get it.

[lateagain]

The graphics chipset looks a little on the weak side to drive that big a screen. It'll run Railworks okay now, but it could well struggle later on - we don't yet know what RW3 will need at full chat. I would aim for a 560M or a mid-range AMD chipset, even if you have to give up some VRAM to get it.

...well if you're right RW might as well give up now

[Kromaatikse]

I'm not saying that RW3 will need a high-end graphics chipset to run at all. RSC say that the *minimum* requirements will remain the same as previous versions - and those are pretty minimal.

I'm just saying that to run it with *everything* turned on, as you would expect to with a brand-new machine, you *might* need a fairly decent graphics card. That's something we haven't got solid information about yet, so I'm going by the recommendations for semi-recent mainstream games.

RW3 is due next month, so if you can possibly hold out until then, the picture should get much clearer.

[phill70]

we don't yet know what RW3 will need at full chat.

I think that is pretty sound advice at the moment John, I would wait until it gets updated, and then go for the new laptop.

Glyn

[lateagain]

Why a Laptop? Boxes are so much more flexible and you can plug in or out (internally)all sorts as well. Some of the newer ones are quite compact too. I know you can plug in external stuff to laptops but once you start doing that it hardly become the portable device they were designed as?

Also why Win7 Professional? After XP professional, which did have extras not in the home edition, most of the extras in editions above Home Premium in OS's since have been pretty much aimed at corporate users as i understand it? Only a few quid in it but you could put that towards and SSD drive? I've got 7 64bit Home premium on my latest box and it does everything that my old XP professional box did, that I need. M$ do have a habit of bolting on the odd programme to their OS's and then dropping them for something else in the next one. Usually you can download old stuff for free from them anyway as this practice often brings howls of protest.

I've been looking at Laptops for a holiday "surf" machine (not interested in games for it) and looking at the specs of laptops they seem to have no comparison with desktops either in spec or pricing. The spec you've outlined above seems pretty top end but I suspect that SSD's may have the greatest effect on gaming speeds and they are only just beginning to come down in price. They ought to have a distinct effect on weight and case size too I'd have thought (?) but the only laptops with them in at the moment are nearly twice the price of those without. CPU's and GPU's have always demanded a ridiculous premium for the smallest of speed increases and I can't help but feel the only market is to those saddos who need to boast to everyone, whether they're interested or not, that they have the top model?

Another factor I've looked at is consumer reviews. No good compiling a dream spec only to find reviews with stuff like "Well it was brilliant while it worked but after the third replacement I gave up and demanded my money back...." and I've read SIMILAR for quite a few machines that looked excellent at first glance. Obviously you take more notice when a make or model starts getting a few of these rather than the odd one off "bitter and twisted of Orpington" type review. (PS Bitter and Twisted has relatives all over.... nothing against Orpington )

It's also worth reading some of the better technical review sites. The endless obsession with "top" GPU's shows some intersting results. Often the GPU's compared will have a clear leader.... UNTIL they run some actual games with them. Depending on the architecture of the game some may have a clear lead with THAT game but theire's hardly a fag paper between them on others. Given the price differentials and the depreciation in Graphics cards I've always found them an interesting read. The one simulator that does get used in tests occasionally is Flight Simulator. Whether that's a good match or guide for RW is down to RS to answer I guess?

The big trouble with Laptops is that they're very difficult to work on yourself. If for example you suspect a fault in your graphics card in a desktop it's a 5 miute job to whip it out and try another. No effect on your warranty either. Try that with a laptop and......

Just some thoughts. If you must have a laptop ignore the laptop specific downside bits but the rest are IMHO relevant.

geoff

[stephenholmes]

Good morning everyone
Wouldn't it be great if computers had the same spec as an Xbox 360 or Playstation3?
Better still if they were priced the same as the above
Computers are totally over priced in my opinion
Kind regards Stephen

[Kromaatikse]

You do realise that a typical console is not very powerful compared to a PC? PCs with such specs would be major steps backwards today. For example, an Xbox 360's CPU is roughly the RISC equivalent of a six-core Atom CPU, and is therefore outclassed by the low-cost Llano chips that AMD just released. The same goes for the graphics core.

Good games can still be written for consoles, but only because the hardware is so constant that optimisations which would be insane on a PC are actually feasible. Or, as Nintendo do, focus on gameplay instead of eye candy.

Most consoles are also sold at a heavy loss, with the deficit being made up by licensing revenue from game sales. That's why console games are so expensive. A more realistic cost for a current console is nearer $500, and you can already buy a sort-of-okay PC for that much.

[stephenholmes]

What a pity computers are not sold at an heavy loss
Kind regards Stephen

[gswindale]

No is the simple answer to that.

Take a ps3 for example. Look in your loft and find your old ps1 games. Will they play? No they won't.

Now take a look in your loft for a copy of Commander Keen. Dig out your brand new windows7 super duper pc. You can play all your old favourites with no problems. Plus you can write letters etc.

Compare the price of a ps3 plus tv to that of a computer and there isn't that much of a price differential either.

[Easilyconfused]

Why a Laptop? Boxes are so much more flexible and you can plug in or out (internally)all sorts as well. Some of the newer ones are quite compact too. I know you can plug in external stuff to laptops but once you start doing that it hardly become the portable device they were designed as?

Good poiints Geoff. I need a laptop since I already have the tower at home but need to replace my laptop that is in my rented location during the week and comes out to model railway shows to power my Lenz DCC / JMRI / SPROG II equipment.

Also why Win7 Professional? After XP professional, which did have extras not in the home edition, most of the extras in editions above Home Premium in OS's since have been pretty much aimed at corporate users as i understand it? Only a few quid in it but you could put that towards and SSD drive? I've got 7 64bit Home premium on my latest box and it does everything that my old XP professional box did, that I need.

According to the chart I am looking at Professional is my preferred route since I use my home network to backup large amounts of data every night. I can also do this remotely from Portsmouth if I need to. Also the chart indicates that the features I already use to run old programs in compatibility mode are enhanced with Professional and that is what I am used to on the desktop tower PC. More research needed I think but for ease of remembering how to do what I do like all the PCs to be on the same OS version if possible.

Another factor I've looked at is consumer reviews. No good compiling a dream spec only to find reviews with stuff like "Well it was brilliant while it worked but after the third replacement I gave up and demanded my money back...." and I've read SIMILAR for quite a few machines that looked excellent at first glance. Obviously you take more notice when a make or model starts getting a few of these rather than the odd one off "bitter and twisted of Orpington" type review. (PS Bitter and Twisted has relatives all over.... nothing against Orpington )

Good points again Geoff. This will be the 3rd PC from the same supplier and their customer service has been exemplary to date - after the warranty ran out on the tower the PSU blew (due to my idiocy). I rang for advice and they offered to repair it but told me if I was handy with a screwdriver I could do it myself. They even emailed me the exact specifications they would fit based on what the machine had inside it and recommended some suppliers with part numbers for the suitable PSU.

[Easilyconfused]

we don't yet know what RW3 will need at full chat.

I think that is pretty sound advice at the moment John, I would wait until it gets updated, and then go for the new laptop.

Sadly that is not an option really. I have a very small window before financial restrictions are likely to be imposed by SWMBO so it is a case of buy now (within the next week) or not at all and the Dell is clapped out after 9 years of hard use.

[Kromaatikse]

Well in that case, it's better to play safe and look for the better graphics card - especially if the machine might need to last another 9 years!

The serious gamer looking for an affordable machine should be gunning straight for notebooks with NVIDIA's GeForce GTX 560M. This, or AMD's Radeon HD 6800M, will be the bare minimum for gaming comfortably at 1080p, but honestly the GTX 560M is liable to be the sweet spot in offering the very best balance in form factor favoring performance before you start getting into the huge, heavy desktop replacement notebooks.

The rest of the specs look perfectly adequate, though again I would seriously sit down with the display model and make sure you won't be staring at your own reflection all day instead of an actual display.

[gswindale]

What a pity computers are not sold at an heavy loss
Kind regards Stephen

Again not really.

Consoles are sold at a loss because the same company sells the software/accessories - thus allowing them to make money that way.
If PCs were sold at a loss; all the manufacturers would soon go out of business as they would not be making any money from anything - the perils of an open system.

[lateagain]

we don't yet know what RW3 will need at full chat.

I think that is pretty sound advice at the moment John, I would wait until it gets updated, and then go for the new laptop.

Sadly that is not an option really. I have a very small window before financial restrictions are likely to be imposed by SWMBO so it is a case of buy now (within the next week) or not at all and the Dell is clapped out after 9 years of hard use.

Well I'm typing this on SWMBO's Dell Laptop and that's been pretty reliable (touch wood ...touches head ) apart from a blown PSU. Being a 17" model the battery life is naff but never had to use it much.

I see your need for the laptop and I quite agree that having the same OS on all machines is valuable This one is Vista (pause to spit) my old box has XP professional and the new one Win7 64bit. It does get confusing remembering how each deals with even simple tasks ...or is that just me being thick. Like XP a lot and Win7 is the dogs for me.

Sounds like a good supplier you have there? Care to share their name? After Sales is a must with laptops and anyone who's helpful has to get several PLUS points in my book. My replacement Dell PSU came via e-bay at 30% of Dell's asking price. My last box was from Mesh and sadly they have gone into administration. They did some nice machines and fixed the only fault I had quickly and without any problems. If I outlast it I'll need to look around for another reasonable supplier. Dell's equivalent for my Mesh box would have cost between 25/33% more for a slightly lesser spec.

Forgot to mention the OS is on a small (64Gb ...SMALL????!!!!!! how far we've come in the last ten years) SSD drive and it certainly seems very fast. I'd love to get more for FSX and the Train Sims but at the current price they're still too rich for my income.

BTW nice hi res screen for a 15.6" in your spec.

Geoff