TerraFORM

Does anyone else laptop game?

I recently came into some money and decided to buy a laptop. I'm a gamer, so I looked into the maker of two of my current desktop systems, Alienware.

I considered similar makes (e.g., Sager, Voodoo) but ended up with an Area-51m. It's a beast with a desktop P4 @ 3.2GHz, 1GB PC3200 RAM, 128 MB ATI Radeon 9600, 60 GB 7200RPM HDD, DVD/CD-RW, 16.1" TFT LCD. It plays most any game with aplomb, even the system hog and unoptimized Halo PC.

Gaming in general is a niche thing, but I believe it's begining to come into its own. Gamers already are the ones who push the technology because we demand realism, but I see the mainstream taking note. Witness Dell's release this week of its behemoth XPS gaming laptop, even bigger than my beast with more bells and whistles.

What do you think? Passing fad or yet another integration into our already saturated me-me society?

bltzkriegmcanon

I don't think I could laptop game, not without a mouse anyways. The screen is something I could probably get used to, and the specs that your alienware is boasting definitely do the job.

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Redjake

well, the only reason we have companies nowadays making better video cards and better CPUs is for games. you don't need much more than a bottom of the line shitbox to run Excel.

not a passing fad, I'd say high-roller laptops are here to stay.

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Hirare

I bought a hypersonic laptop back in september. Gaming on it is great. Runs as well as my friends desktop (similar components). I do use an external mouse while playing most games, but I love it and can play games anywhere.

TerraFORM

Yeah, another issue for me is that I game with a joystick. Actually, a hybrid: stick on the right for strafing/back and forth, and an optical trackball on the left for looking/aiming.

I've used that setup since my Quake1 days, and always have. There's a lively minority of us lurking out there. But anyways, it's difficult for me because a joystick isn't exactly easily stored nor is it totable practically. Still, I manage to bring it along.

Lucifer

I've been gaming, (along with working) on a Toshiba Satellite P4 2.8 Ghz, 512 MB DDR SD RAM, 80GB HD, 32MB GeForce 4 420. So far I haven't run into any serious problems with it. Quake III, Homeworld 2, whatever, all runs great.

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BuddyHawks

I can't imagine having to play a FPS with a joystick...well i can, but it ain't pretty. It would be harder than using a gamepad (which I also find impossible). A track ball would make it easier, but still.

A gaming laptop would be awesome, but only with a mouse.

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westothemax

I haven't really been keeping up to date with games, but I can play Counter Strike, Quake 3 Arena, Warcraft 3, MOHAA, and X-Wing Alliance just fine on my 3 year old HP laptop. It's an Athlon 1 GHz, 512mb PC133, and 16 mb no-name onboard video. The 15" display is excellent and I have to have a mouse, though I've tried playing with the touchpad and it isn't that bad after a while of getting used to.

I think you'll do just fine playing newer games on newer hardware, but I'm not sure if you'll *need* to go for an uberexpensive Alienware. If I had waited just a little bit I could've gotten a laptop with an ATi or Nvidia chip as well as DDR ram, which would've been much nicer.

viper11885

I don't play many games anymore. But my laptop is more than suitable for any recent game. Just tried out the UT2004 demo and it worked perfectly. No problems at all with my system.

Main purpose of my laptop is for school usage. Sometimes I do game, but not a lot nowadays.


Here are my specs if you are interested:

Dell Inspiron 8500
2.2ghz Intel Pentium 4M
256mb ram
64mb Nvidia 4200 Go
15.4" WSXGA display
30gb Toshiba hard drive

gamerguy

Oh hell yeah, laptop gaming is here to stay. I use a laptop exclusively (I'm a poor college student that had a great high school grad present). I can run a hell of a lot of games with my inspiron 8500 with 17" screen, which is just beautiful. I'm definitely happy with my laptop while gaming.

portwineboy

Seriously. I blew up my desktop and had to borrow an IBM T40 from work for about 3 months recently and I gamed my arse off. MOHAA online, Mafia, Max Payne, I replayed a lot of great stuff. I think it was a Radeon mobility 9000 video card.

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NeverBorn

Laptops are nice for LAN parties because of portibilities.. sometimes the old ones are all you need especially if your just playing CS

firevra

Laptops aren't that bad, I know my Sony GRT170 kicks my desktop/server's booty!