[Drkchaos999]

Hey guys, I am thinking of getting a new laptop with my tax refund and I was wondering if this Dell XPS 17 (not 3D) that I built on Dell's site would be good enough to play any of the current games out right now, e.g. Skyrim, Crysis 2, or SWToR.

Here is a pic of the pc, and any input will be much appreciated.

The memory is not in the pic, but it is 8GB Shared Dual Channel DDR3.

 

[RockmasteR]

Hello and welcome to TSF,
first as a gamer, a laptop won't be first first choice, to be honest it won't be my choice at all
this is a good overall laptop for games, but don't expect to run the new games on high settings, it could run on medium but yes you will be able to play all games
older games should run on high with no problem
the GT 555M is a mid range card and 3 GB VRAM will help you in the big resolutions but on low settings (1920 x 1080)

 

[ReviverSoft]

as a gamer, a laptop won't be first first choice, to be honest

That's true. But if you need portability, there's no other option.

would be good enough to play any of the current games out right now, e.g. Skyrim, Crysis 2, or SWToR.

the GT 555M is a mid range card

Look for laptops with the GTX560/570/580M/HD6970/HD6990 cards. Apart from Alienware (overpriced), you could also consider the gaming laptops (G Series) from ASUS and MSI. Unlike Dell, these brands offer good video card options.

 

[Drkchaos999]

That's true. But if you need portability, there's no other option.




Look for laptops with the GTX560/570/580M/HD6970/HD6990 cards. Apart from Alienware (overpriced), you could also consider the gaming laptops (G Series) from ASUS and MSI. Unlike Dell, these brands offer good video card options.

Thanks for the help, but out of the 5 GPU's you mentioned which is the best in terms of "bang for your buck?"

How reliable is ASUS and MSI compared to other big brand companies like Dell or Toshiba, just to name a few?

 

[PoWn3d_0704]

I would have to say that BOTH MSI and Asus are way more reliable than Dell or Toshiba. I actually find it funny anyone would consider Dell or Toshiba reliable at all. (Just from my own experiences)

I've had an issue with MSI, but they QUICKLY fixed that for me
Asus is the new king of gaming in my book.

As for 'Bang for your buck' in laptops, you're going to get what you pay for, in terms of performance (Unless you buy Alienware (Dell) because they just overcharge for everything.)

I believe the Raedon HD6990m is the king of mobile cards at the moment.
But a GTX580m will hold it's own.

 

[ReviverSoft]

ASUS > MSI - Design, Build quality

MSI > ASUS - Specs., overall value

Some of the ASUS laptops put ones from Dell, HP and Toshiba to shame.

which is the best in terms of "bang for your buck?"

As mentioned above, the HD6990M is the most powerful card of the lot. Probably offers a lot more value than the GTX580 based laptops.

 

[Drkchaos999]

As for 'Bang for your buck' in laptops, you're going to get what you pay for, in terms of performance (Unless you buy Alienware (Dell) because they just overcharge for everything.)

I believe the Radeon HD6990m is the king of mobile cards at the moment.
But a GTX580m will hold it's own.

OK, so i decided to go ahead and get an Alienware M17x (I know I probably paid too much, but a desktop is not an option for me), so could you please tell me what you think:

-Alienware M17x Soft Touch Nebula Red
-17.3-inch Wide FHD 1920 x 1080 60Hz WLED
-Intel Core i7 2760QM 2.4GHz (3.5GHz w/Turbo Boost, 6MB Cache)
-750GB 7,200RPM HDD
-8GB Dual Channel DDR3 at 1600MHz (4DIMMS)
-2GB GDDR5 AMD Radeon HD 6990M
-Slot-Loading Dual Layer Blu-ray Reader (BR-ROM, DVD+-RW, CD-RW)

 

[ReviverSoft]

OK, so i decided to go ahead and get an Alienware M17x (I know I probably paid too much, but a desktop is not an option for me), so could you please tell me what you think:

-Alienware M17x Soft Touch Nebula Red
-17.3-inch Wide FHD 1920 x 1080 60Hz WLED
-Intel Core i7 2760QM 2.4GHz (3.5GHz w/Turbo Boost, 6MB Cache)
-750GB 7,200RPM HDD
-8GB Dual Channel DDR3 at 1600MHz (4DIMMS)
-2GB GDDR5 AMD Radeon HD 6990M
-Slot-Loading Dual Layer Blu-ray Reader (BR-ROM, DVD+-RW, CD-RW)

Looks sweet! Pretty sure these specs. will last you a while.

 

[PoWn3d_0704]

Hey man, if money isn't an issue, you get whatever looks the best, and those alienwares... Though I don't like the price... Look amazing.

 

[RockmasteR]

Nice Specs
be sure to get a Laptop Cooling Pad that suits your laptop
you don't want your games to lag because of heat
a good brand cooler should do, like Antec