Decisions about new desktop or laptop

[SassMaster]

Basically, I'm only 15. (I'm one of the smarter 15 year olds who actually knows how to program and how computers work). Either way, my dad has decided that my old, slow as drying paint, desktop (the one that started in the days of early windows vista) is too slow and unusable. He's decided that he'd chip in on getting me a new computer, although he has given me a choice of getting a desktop or laptop.

I was originally skeptical about laptops because I thought they were only used for word processing and things like that, but after seeing my friends laptop run a screen share, and Skyrim at 60 frames while hosting a hamachi server on Garry's mod for his brother to play on, I decided that a laptop may not be that bad.

I know that a desktop can deliver more power but I like the mobility of the laptop. Also, I do a lot of game development in the background using programs like 3Ds max, Maya and Unity. These are all 64 bit programs so whatever I get must be 64 bit.

Now I'm wondering, how much would a laptop that could handle things like Skyrim and Maya at a good frame rate cost? What specs would be in it? I just want something that can run a game well at medium graphics and can handle game development.

 

[Johnthefast]

Hi there.
Generally a half decent laptop that can play games but not the best or the latest games at reasonable frame rates/graphics quality start at around $1000 - $1500
and GOOD laptops designed for gaming start around $1500-2000+

Dell Laptops, Ultrabooks & Notebooks | Dell Australia < Alienware laptops are usually VERY expensive but get the job done
There are also laptops such as
Lenovo Y Series | Premium Multimedia Laptops | Lenovo (US)
Generally a laptop today for gaming is going to have an i5 or i7 cpu with 4-8gb+ ram and a 500gb-1tb hard drive and a 700-800 series mobile graphics card (nvidia/intel laptop)
If you buy a more expensive model you can get upgrades like a Solid State hard drive.

As for the 64 bit issue. its fairly safe to assume that a laptop or desktop with 4gb or more ram inside it will have a 64 bit OS installed by default. However if you order one off the internet or at a pc store ASK!
If your going to install it yourself then just purchase a 64 bit version of windows.

Almost any CPU built in recent years will support 64 bit operating systems so any laptop you buy should support a 64 bit OS

Skyrim is quite a few years old now so a $1000-1500 laptop SHOULD play it at reasonable frame rate/graphics setting but newer games may not perform well.

----
Something to remember for laptops. They heat up. alot. they are not actually designed to be sat on your lap and run constantly, frequently the exhaust vents for the cooling fans are put underneath and when its sat on your lap. the heat has nowhere to go and the laptop cooks. If you purchase a laptop, consider a cooling pad or raising it up off of whatever surface you use it on.

 

[Boozad]

Most importantly, what's your budget?

 

[SassMaster]

Most importantly, what's your budget?

I'm not fully sure what the budget would be yet. I need to ask my dad.

I assume that a desktop would be able to perform the same way for less?

 

[Boozad]

You'd get better value with a desktop, less problems with heat, more easily upgradable...

I'd go with a desktop personally, especially for what you want to use it for. If you let me know a budget when your dad checks his wallet I'll spec your a rig up.

 

[Johnthefast]

you can get a MUCH better desktop for the same price as a good laptop.
For example you could upgrade the ram, storage and graphics card.
Main thing in going desktop is whether you have a good monitor/keyboard/mouse and a windows license already. as barring the actual computer hardware they are somewhat costly.

For example a $1000 ish desktop without monitor would be something like...
amd fx-6300 6 core cpu = $143
Gigabyte Ga-990fxa-ude rev 4.0 (motherboard) = $189
Graphics card = Gtx 660 oc = $239
Ram = 8gb 1600mhz corsair = $119
SSD = 120gb samsung 540mb write 410mb read = $102
Optical drive = asus dvd burner = $40
Case = Thermal Take chaser a31 mid tower = $105
Power supply = corsair 750w RM750 Gold rated psu = $189
Total = $1126

^ Thats a full build except with slightly over the top parts for what you wanted to show you can get a good pc for same/less =p and no monitor/keyboard/mouse and windows. add those 4 things and the price can go up to
24" monitor = $175-200
Basic keyboard + mouse = $30-40
Windows 7 64 bit professional = $175

New total is about $1500 if you built it yourself. and thats a random build i put together on the internet
And still cheaper then an average gaming laptop with quite good parts.

If you purchased one from a online store or elsewhere you could probably find one cheaper and prebuilt.
But if you do buy a Desktop PC . Dont buy a cheap power supply. there are many issues with cheap power supplies that people on these forums come to get fixed regularily

 

[badger906]

^^^this^^^ is prity spot on for a decent build.
its almost the same spec I build for folk on a but of a budget but want decent performance!

the only thing I would do is maybe double the ram. for gaming 8gb is more than plenty, but as your into coding and rendering youd want the extra buffer in the long run. but even the 8gb will be fine for a starting point.

also back to the laptop vs desktop, yeah a laptop is portable, but its high end hot components like to eat battery life and youll find yourself sat next to a wall socket every couple of hours for a charge!!