Laptop recommendation

[Scarecrow88]

Want to get a new laptop that is capable of running KSP with decent graphic settings. Can anyone recommend one or least give an idea as to what hardware and systems I should be looking for? I have no idea in such matters - my desktop was bought for photo processing so I guess that has a pretty decent graphics card and it runs KSP fine. Looking for similar performance, if possible, in a laptop.

[Flowz0r]

Anything calling itself a "gaming laptop" is basically a scam.

They are way too expensive for their specs, run way too hot for their own good while doing what they were supposedly designed for and have pitiful battery life when the GPU is in use.

If you actually want to use one to play games, you'll pretty much HAVE to keep them plugged in at all times, which could be a turn-off for your mobile gaming needs.

A decently priced netbook with a recent CPU and an ivy bridge onboard GPU should be more than enough to run KSP well enough.

[stupid_chris]

I'm rolling on a HP Envy M6, and it works without a hitch. 8Gb of Ram, A10-4600M quad core 2,3GHz processor, AMD Radeon HD 7660G integrated memory with AMD Radeon HD 7670M 2Gb dedicated memory, both set up in crossfire. Really, I got it for 810$ (without tax and the guarantee), and it was totally worth it. By far the smoothest laptop experience I ever had so far.

Only thing that might be a problem to you is that the screen is 15,6". That was perfect for me because that way I can easily carry it around for school, and plug it on my 19" monitor at home for gaming, but yeah, that's me.

[PhsycoTimmay]

I'm rolling on a HP Envy M6, and it works without a hitch. 8Gb of Ram, A10-4600M quad core 2,3GHz processor, AMD Radeon HD 7660G integrated memory with AMD Radeon HD 7670M 2Gb dedicated memory, both set up in crossfire. Really, I got it for 810$ (without tax and the guarantee), and it was totally worth it. By far the smoothest laptop experience I ever had so far.

Only thing that might be a problem to you is that the screen is 15,6". That was perfect for me because that way I can easily carry it around for school, and plug it on my 19" monitor at home for gaming, but yeah, that's me.

This Got an Envy 14 myself with only 4GB of Ram and an Intel I5 processor and it runs pretty well on the highest settings, but you can build one on cyberpower or somewhere similar for cheaper I would imagine.

[stupid_chris]

This Got an Envy 14 myself with only 4GB of Ram and an Intel I5 processor and it runs pretty well on the highest settings, but you can build one on cyberpower or somewhere similar for cheaper I would imagine.

The only thing I don't like about Intel processors is that they generally tend to pack with Nvidia graphic cards. My past experience showed me that AMD graphic cars run much more smoothly with games than Nvidia cards.

[joppiesaus]

At least 3 GB of ram an a Intel i5 is a good choice. Of course gaming laptops "don't exist", so don't buy a super-duper one because that's a waste of money.

[espm400]

Anything calling itself a "gaming laptop" is basically a scam.

They are way too expensive for their specs, run way too hot for their own good while doing what they were supposedly designed for and have pitiful battery life when the GPU is in use.

If you actually want to use one to play games, you'll pretty much HAVE to keep them plugged in at all times, which could be a turn-off for your mobile gaming needs.

A decently priced netbook with a recent CPU and an ivy bridge onboard GPU should be more than enough to run KSP well enough.

Okay, I'm not going to pick a fight, but as someone who's had gaming laptops for years, I feel I can rightly say that they have their place (why would they exist otherwise?). Personally, I travel a lot for work, so I want something that can play whatever I want, whenever I want, provided that there's a power outlet near me. True, gaming laptops a) are prohibitively expensive, can't be used without being plugged in, and c) will melt your jumblies if you use them on your lap, but they have their place. Currently I'm using a slightly dated ASUS G74SW, and to say it's kept up with todays gaming is an understatement. Sure, I could have spent the $1600 CDN on a rig that would be easily upgradable and last me for half a decade, but I can't take that with me when I go up north to work. A gaming laptop is not meant to be played on your lap on public transport, but more, a way to take your games with you if you're staying at a hotel (or equivalent) on a long-term basis. Think, portable gaming rig.

So, Flowz0r, before you open your mouth (or in this case, type), know what you're talking about. Also, Scarecrow, if you're away from your main PC for long stretches of time, and are serious about a gaming laptop that will play more than just KSP, I would suggest the brand ASUS. However, if you're just looking to play KSP and nothing else, Flowz0r is right (at least on one point), a decent netbook will do ya.

EDIT: Teach me to go for smokes in the middle of writing a post... Anyways @joppiesaus, yeah, actually they do. Unfortunately, the only two competitors when I was looking for mine (as I said, two years ago) were Alienware and ASUS, and when it comes to laptops, Alienware is the biggest rip off in consumerism that I've ever seen. Again, @Scarecrow, it all depends on what you want to spend. A decent portable gaming rig will end up costing you around $1500-2000, whereas if you just want to play KSP, see above.

Edited July 12, 2013 by espm400

[Flowz0r]

True, gaming laptops a) are prohibitively expensive, can't be used without being plugged in, and c) will melt your jumblies if you use them on your lap

So, Flowz0r, before you open your mouth (or in this case, type), know what you're talking about. Also, Scarecrow, if you're away from your main PC for long stretches of time, and are serious about a gaming laptop that will play more than just KSP, I would suggest the brand ASUS. However, if you're just looking to play KSP and nothing else, Flowz0r is right (at least on one point), a decent netbook will do ya.

But you agreed with me in every single point I brought up, the only difference being that you're fine with that while I'm not.

[stupid_chris]

But you agreed with me in every single point I brought up, the only difference being that you're fine with that while I'm not.

So your argument is basically "Well because I'm not fine with those features, it's not a gaming laptop"? I think the right logic would be "Yes gaming laptops exist, but those make them suck: ~features~" Ja feel?

[Flowz0r]

So your argument is basically "Well because I'm not fine with those features, it's not a gaming laptop"? I think the right logic would be "Yes gaming laptops exist, but those make them suck: ~features~" Ja feel?

I simply pointed out things that put me off gaming laptops that might also be important to the OP, calm down.

Sure is post purchase rationalisation in here.

[joppiesaus]

EDIT: Teach me to go for smokes in the middle of writing a post... Anyways @joppiesaus, yeah, actually they do. Unfortunately, the only two competitors when I was looking for mine (as I said, two years ago) were Alienware and ASUS, and when it comes to laptops, Alienware is the biggest rip off in consumerism that I've ever seen. Again, @Scarecrow, it all depends on what you want to spend. A decent portable gaming rig will end up costing you around $1500-2000, whereas if you just want to play KSP, see above.

Conclusion: Gaming laptops exists, but they are (relatively) very expensive. Just for KSP you just need good laptop, but if you want a portable gaming rig it will be very expensive.

[JakeGrey]

I'm going to have to side with Flowz0r on this. Not only are gaming laptops much more expensive than a desktop of equivalent performance, but like all laptops these days they're effectively impossible to upgrade them or replace a failed component and it's a ridiculous amount of hassle to carry out the most basic upkeep maintenance on one. That's a hell of a price to pay to be able to play KSP while you're sat on the crapper.

[nhnifong]

Personally, I think the only purpose of a laptop is portability. I don't care if it's got a 4 year old CPU and 1 Gb of ram as long as it's battery lasts all day, it fits nicely in my backpack, weighs no more than 2 or 3 kg, and it wakes up immedietely upon opening. It'd be a nice extra touch if it was also waterproof but apparently that's just never going to happen.

Edited July 12, 2013 by nhnifong

[Scarecrow88]

Not after a gaming laptop per se just one that is capable of running KSP with reasonable settings. Also tend to use a laptop when away from home but still able to plug in so battery life isn't a major priority. Current laptop has a 15" screen which is fine so don't feel the need to go bigger. Anything fit that or would a notepad be the way to go.

[spacecake]

knowing your budget would be useful.

[Scarecrow88]

Not after high end gaming rig costing thousands but £400-£500 is ok if it can get me what I need. Could go a bit higher if that's what it takes but as this is only for occasional use I don't want to go silly.

[ComradeGoat]

It actually runs decently on my build to order i7 Haswell Macbook Air. Not lag free, but entirely playable.

[thirstyemu]

In my opinion, the limitations of the unity engine (little multi-core and dual-gpu support) make top end gaming rigs not worth the extra money you have to spend on them.

My MacBook Pro runs KSP on the same settings, just as well as my Mac Pro and my friends gaming pc.

Although granted, the specs of mine are a little out of the price range:

2.8GHz quad-core Intel Core i7

16GB 1600MHz memory

768TB flash storage

NVIDIA GeForce GT 650M with 1GB of GDDR5 memory

A decent 2.5+ CPU, fast memory and a decent 512mb graphics card are going to give you enjoyable playback. However, bear in mind monster 1000+ part ships etc will be well out of reach on a laptop.

Do bear in mind people, the cost of buying a gaming PC for home and then a competent laptop that can handle you workload will probably end up being much more expensive than a high powered laptop anyway and only for a few tiny tiny gains.

My piece on it anyway, hope it helps.

[SRV Ron]

The HP, with its separate 1G graphic card, works quite well with KSP on the native setting. Now, what does really generate the heat is a game like Painkiller. That game is very demanding on processor and graphic card soon kicking the cooling fan to full noisy roaring speed. BTW, those tiny portable vibration external speakers that you sit on something hollow can really put out the roar of the rocket engine. That laptop I bought at Sams Club for $800 which included a $200 discount for Plus members.

[boxman]

So your argument is basically "Well because I'm not fine with those features, it's not a gaming laptop"? I think the right logic would be "Yes gaming laptops exist, but those make them suck: ~features~" Ja feel?

But he is right though... Not only are they slower, runs hot and have extremely short battery span, but you are also lucky if it still runs stable after a few years.

Most if not all gaming laptops have such underpowered cooling that tiny bit of dust build up will lead to stability issues or kill it after a rather short time.

[Naelo]

For decent graphics capabilities, you could choose a Laptop with one of the much suggested AMD Trinity (A10).

The problem is that AMD, while the integrated graphics are the only ones worth using, the single core performance, which is important for KSP, is pretty bad. You'd be better off with an Intel Core-i processor paired with NVidia dedicated graphics (something from the low-range 600/700 series like 730M, don't use AMD dedicated graphics, they have massive driver issues), but that is undoubtedly the more expensive solution.

EDIT:

Most if not all gaming laptops have such underpowered cooling

You clearly never looked at the G series from ASUS.

Also, if you have to argue about gaming laptops, which are far too expensive and thus

of no use to the OP anyway, could you please do this elsewhere and not derail this thread?

EDIT2: A bit stretchy for your budget, but a truly excellent laptop with good graphics, a fast i5 and a gorgeous screen. It also runs very quiet and is not too heavy, and very good value for money. http://skinflint.co.uk/msi-ge60-0nc-630uk-a954635.html

Edited July 12, 2013 by Naelo

[Loerelau]

I am running KSP on a MEDION® ERAZER® X6823. It is rather cheap for a gaming laptop. It is quite heavy, so not so portable. I bought this one because I did not want a desktop computer in my living room.

http://www.medion.com/gb/prod/MEDION%C2%AE+ERAZER%C2%AE+X6823+%28MD98314%29/30015497A1

[Spartwo]

toshiba c850-19z,It runs on magic

[_Aramchek_]

In my opinion, the limitations of the unity engine (little multi-core and dual-gpu support) make top end gaming rigs not worth the extra money you have to spend on them.

Trust me, they are worth it, high end graphics cards aren't, if all you do is play KSP, but high end cpu makes a huuuuuuuge difference.

I've actually been keeping track of part count now, and my designs tend to be 250 parts per stage with multiple stages, my previous cpu, which wasn't exactly slow either, couldn't have done that.

[last_user]

Usually I use a Macbook Air(i know, out of your budget), but if you get something with similar specs it should run KSP well.

Specs: 1.86 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo, 4GB DDR3 RAM, NVIDIA GeForce 320M

Pretty much the only limit is addons, if you add too many, it'll grind to a halt. It has a limit of about ~250-300 parts, but it's always worked fine for me.