Upgrading my laptop to better handle games

[Javi]

[SouperMan]

With laptops, all you can do is upgrade memory. A better graphics card will definitely help out, but in most cases you cannot change the video card on a laptop.

You are above the minimum specs ever so slightly, but the graphics card is what is holding you back.

[CAL.BAR]

Yep. "real" gaming computers are large desktops. Multiple fans to cool oversized video cards etc.

[Javi]

With laptops, all you can do is upgrade memory. A better graphics card will definitely help out, but in most cases you cannot change the video card on a laptop.

You are above the minimum specs ever so slightly, but the graphics card is what is holding you back.

I wonder how I can find out if it can be changed on my Toshiba. I've actually never visited a "fry's", are there knowledgeable people there that could help me out? I tried browsing AMD's site for better graphic's cards but I just see desktop ones.

Yep. "real" gaming computers are large desktops. Multiple fans to cool oversized video cards etc.

I really, really wish I could get a desktop but it's not going to happen until I move out of my parent's home here haha. I need this to hold me over. If I can upgrade my graphics card on here, I'm most likely selling my xbox I would love to play TF2 and this new game on high settings with very fluid gameplay.

Souper: Should I buy the game? It's only $10 luckily but I would hate to own it if I find out that it's so sluggish that I find out that my character dies 2 seconds after the fact haha.

[Deadbolt]

dont let them sell you on the stationary beasts. Their longevity is what you are purchasing. My current tower has lived since 08 with only minor component changes (averages to about 100$ a year presently including initial purchase of build parts) it still plays all games on high or "ultra"

my next machine will be a laptop. You can modify them if you know the simple concepts of hardware and handling. if i can impart any advice its dont cheap out on FSB - it and your GPU + ram will be really the limiting factors. CPUs are often given too much attention and only because FSB chipset and graphics are under utilized by drivers

[Javi]

Are you piecing together a laptop? I don't really know if people do that or not haha I just hear about tower builds. I'll order 8gb memory sticks from Crucial probably on my next paycheck & see if that helps. I just really, really want to know if my laptop can accept a new ATI graphics card. I'd shell out at most $200 to replace this one!

[Merc1138]

dont let them sell you on the stationary beasts. Their longevity is what you are purchasing. My current tower has lived since 08 with only minor component changes (averages to about 100$ a year presently including initial purchase of build parts) it still plays all games on high or "ultra"

my next machine will be a laptop. You can modify them if you know the simple concepts of hardware and handling. if i can impart any advice its dont cheap out on FSB - it and your GPU + ram will be really the limiting factors. CPUs are often given too much attention and only because FSB chipset and graphics are under utilized by drivers

What?

Ok first, you can't "cheap out on FSB". FSB is the Front Side Bus. The CPU either runs on a faster or slower FSB. Additionally, the FSB itself isn't really much of a factor these days as it was say, 5-10 years ago considering the extremely high CPU multipliers used. My i7-3770k has a default FSB of 100mhz, but it's multiplier(stock) is between 35-39 depending on whether or not you have turbo enabled and a couple of other things(actually drops to 16x at idle). The memory speed isn't tied to the FSB either anymore.

Current laptop(mobile) discreet GPUs are a generation behind their desktop counterparts, but even the desktop equivalents are better. For example, a geforce 580m is not better than a GTX570 in a desktop system. I know the geforce 675m and it's equivalent were recently launched, and even if they're available, they're still not going to compare to the desktop equivalents. Plus, for the $2000 you're going to be spending on a laptop with one of those, you could have had a desktop equivalent system for much less(your battery life also goes down the toilet with high end mobile GPUs as well, kinda makes having a laptop pointless if you're constantly tethered to the wall). Hooray for 12 pound laptops?

I also don't understand what you mean about the GPU and FSB being underutilized by drivers. The FSB is a bus, it is a bus that devices connect to. That's it. If anything CPUs are currently overrated with regard to gaming performance, as most games will not take advantage of quad core CPUs, let alone hyperthreading. With a few exceptions(simulators, something like Civ V), the GPU does the bulk of the work when it comes to gaming.



Javi, the answer about upgrading your radeon mobility 4200 would be a no. If you're looking to upgrade that laptop with RAM just for gaming, I wouldn't bother(unless you know for absolute certain that pagefile swapping is what's causing your system lag spikes). The GPU doesn't meet the minimum requirements you listed, and the requirements you listed are very forgiving. As far as Fry's is concerned... it can be a good place to shop but do not trust the salespeople there. The bulk of them barely know anything about the products besides what is printed on the box, even the ones that do(with regard to laptop, and even videocard sales) are driven by commission rather than wanting to do you any favors. Fry's doesn't provide any training to their sales people besides lists of bullet points provided by manufacturers. I know this, because I used to be a salesman in the computer department at a Fry's.

If you want some sites to start doing research with, I suggest(in no particular order):

hardocp.com
anandtech.com
tomshardware.com (although their paid review scandal from a decade or so ago still irritates me)
bjorn3d.com
overclockers.com
guru3d.com

You'll find tons of info, as well as links to even more sites with additional info.

[Javi]

Thanks, Merc. I don't really know what's causing the system lag since computer specs go over my head. I changed the resolution in the Team Fortress 2 video settings and it seemed to work better. Haha I would have thought people at Fry's would be better than Best Buy. I'm on Tigerdirect right now checking out some components & re-looking at their 'barebones kits'.

[Merc1138]

Thanks, Merc. I don't really know what's causing the system lag since computer specs go over my head. I changed the resolution in the Team Fortress 2 video settings and it seemed to work better. Haha I would have thought people at Fry's would be better than Best Buy. I'm on Tigerdirect right now checking out some components & re-looking at their 'barebones kits'.

There are some rare exceptions as far as Fry's employees who know what they're talking about are concerned. But they're a rarity. On average a Fry's salesman might know more than someone at Best Buy, but we're talking about the difference in how much attention each person paid when someone was showing them marketing slides from a vendor.

Frankly, I'd stay away from the barebones kits as well. There are a few decent bundles, sometimes. However the bulk of them tend to be bottom of the barrel brands/components. Without knowing what ones you're looking at, I can't really give any advice on them.

Like I said, do the research. Don't be in a rush either. If you browse the deal sites after you know what you're looking for, it might take a week or two but you'll end up better off. Also, sites like camelegg.com help as well. The best way to describe it, is you search for things, then you get a history of that items price fluctuations on the sites they update from. That way you can see if you're really paying full price for an item, if the cost has been lower at times what to expect to pay if you wait, and so on.

edit: To clarify, I'm not saying the sales people are all ignorant and only know lies told to them by the various manufacturers. However anything you do hear from one of them, you should verify. If they claim a CPU offers low power consumption, you'll find that out on the sites I gave you in my post above. If they say a particular AMD based videocard is better than an nvidia based card, verify it.

[JDay]

If you want to game on a laptop you need to buy a gaming laptop, they are not cheap. This is a powerful gaming laptop that should handle anything you throw at it.

http://www.asus.com/Notebooks/Gaming_Powerhouse/G55VW/

[Javi]

Damn. Yeah, I'm just going to build a desktop later in about July or August & find a place to stick it in haha.