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The Quest
for a Gaming Laptop…
"Prince of Persia"
Several weeks ago, my friend asked me to recommend a good gaming laptop, that will be able to run modern next-gen 3d games. Most games now require shader 3.0 enabled GPU (graphics processing unit) as a minimum. So, it’s undeniable that one of the most important factor is of course the GPU. Next, your CPU (central processing unit), your memory (random access memory a.k.a RAM), and Hard drive (hard disk drive a.k.a HDD).
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Graphics
Make sure you go with a dedicated GPU, instead of integrated ones (like Intel GMA solutions). I’m not saying that Intel GMA (Graphics Media Accelerator) can’t perform well, they are good with graphics for productivity applications, but when it comes to gaming, it will hurt your heart out. I’ve played “Titan Quest” on Intel GMA X3100 laptop, and *ouch* the frame rate gave me a headache. 
Apple’s recent “upgrade” in their MacBook line, by switching from Intel GMA to nVidia’s GeForce 9X00M GPU, is a testament to my last statement. One biggest disadvantage of laptop’s GPU is that you can’t simply upgrade it like their CPU counterparts. You can’t just unplug your GPU like you unplug your PCI-Express or AGP (accelerated graphics port) graphics card off your desktop PC motherboard. That’s why it is very important to choose the right dedicated graphics from the start.
nVidia and ATi are the best dedicated graphics provider at the moment, and they have produced graphics solution for laptops. ATi’s Mobility Radeon, nVidia’s GeForce Go are most well-known. I own a ATi X700 Mobility Radeon laptop and got nVidia GeForce 8600GT on my desktop PC, so that makes me neutral to both camps. As for Q4 2008, nVidia’s latest GPU for desktop PCs and laptops are the GeForce 9X00 generation, ATi’s latest is the HD 4XX0 generation, but I haven’t seen laptops with these GPU around. Most comes with HD 3XX0 inside. Read the rest of this entry »
