Serious PC Tech Question

Aldrea

Skeletron Prime
Hi everyone!
So, I'm getting this here laptop pretty soon...
Could you guys offer some input on how well this will perform in general, what Terraria framerates I can expect, and whether I can play other, intensive games on it? (Skyrim, Fallout 4, etc.)
And do you think I can record pretty well on this?

Thanks!
-Andr

Here are the specifications, in case you are too lazy to click the link...
-Windows 10 64 bit OS.
-16 GB DDR3L SDRAM
-1 TB Hard Drive Storage
-5th Gen Intel Core i7 Mobile Processor (2.4 Ghz)
-17.3" Full HD Screen, 1920 x 1080 resolution.
-NVIDIA GeForce 940M Graphics with 2GB Dedicated Video Memory
-Quad Speakers/Subwoofer
-Webcam
-Dual Microphones
 
940M will perform relatively poorly in more demanding games, If were you i'd opt for a laptop with a higher end gpu and 8gb ram to save money, also HP is well known for stuffing their computers with bloatware. I suggest you check this laptop out. My friend has it and she is very pleased with it. I personally stay away from gaming on laptops, but that's just me.
 
I'm talking about playing all the above and recording/skyping... which is why that's in there.
I'm not sure about graphics card since I'm squat familiar with laptop specs (By the way, get a tower PC.) but with the other specs, I assume it should be around the same level, so you should be able to run multiple game sessions together and not drop below 30. But then again, I'm still not familiar with laptops (Because they're terrible. Also, get a tower PC.) but I assume you have your reasons to hate yourself get a laptop.


Also, get a tower PC instead.
 
I'm not sure about graphics card since I'm squat familiar with laptop specs (By the way, get a tower PC.) but with the other specs, I assume it should be around the same level, so you should be able to run multiple game sessions together and not drop below 30. But then again, I'm still not familiar with laptops (Because they're terrible. Also, get a tower PC.) but I assume you have your reasons to hate yourself get a laptop.


Also, get a tower PC instead.
Agreed, A 999$ gaming laptop with a 940m is a ripoff. Honestly, unless you are going to be on the go a lot, a desktop PC will perform much better and be cheaper in both the long and short runs. However if you are hellbent on getting a laptop, I still suggest the Acer aspire V17 Nitro that I linked earlier, as it has a much more powerful GPU with 4gb vram. Albeit it only has 8gb ram, you won't need more unless you are doing intense stuff such as running virtual machines, etc. Also it's 40$ cheaper in the US.
 
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As far as I know, laptops have the thing, that makes them weaker. As for that graphic card, it wouldn't stand more intensive games. For example, Witcher 3 is known for its good optimalization for NVIDIA, as well the fact it has been slightly downgraded. This laptop would barely hold it on medium/low. Skyrim can do well on maximum settings, If you're not oveloading it with super graphical mods and ENBs. As for Fallout 4, I'm not too sure, though Bethesda upgraded graphical engine tremendously, so wouldn't expect that to do decently either. I always recommend to either buy a more expensive laptop ( if someone really wants it, because of many reasons ) or just a cheaper tower PC that can hold everything on ultra settings. It depends, really.
 
laptops have the thing, that makes them weaker
Desktops can cost half the cost of a laptop at the same benchmark level on occasions.


999$ dollars? Are you :red:ting me? My PC can just about run Star Citizen on a steady 30FPS and it doesn't cost that much.
You're, probably, being ripped off here.
 
For 1000$ you can have a PC with 970 GTX and i5 4690K... And pretty much run every game on ultra.
My little brother's recent build has a 6600k, r9 390x, 500GB SSD, 1TB 7200rpm platter drive, and costed just ~200$ more than that HP...

But seriously, just stay away from that HP laptop. It's a ripoff even compared to equivalently priced/cheaper gaming laptops.
 
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As I said, if you don't want to spend horrendous amounts of money, it's better to buy a good PC. And it usually depends where you buy it or to what kind of laptop you compare it.
Desktop gaming computer is at least as twice cost effective as the portable one.
 
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So here's the moral of the story;
Never ask someone's advice with a laptop, because they automatically assume you want a PC.
I want a "Laptop". Not a tower.
I'm not asking buying advice, I'm asking how well it will work.

For example, this is the "Tower" I've currently got, which runs like :red:;
4GB RAM
2.6 Ghz AMD Athelon 64 X2 Dual Core Processor 5000+
32 bit windows vista
 
I'm asking how well it will work.
Not exceptionally, based on what the others said.
You should look for a more balanced alternative.

However, sounds like you won't be getting any good juice out of that PC. At least, there's hardly a chance you'll run those intensive games on it.
This is the fate you've chosen ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
 
However, sounds like you won't be getting any good juice out of that PC. At least, there's hardly a chance you'll run those intensive games on it.
That is what I stated a few times.

Never ask someone's advice with a laptop, because they automatically assume you want a PC.
I only said that PC has advantage over a laptop, but if you really want the latter to run new intsense games well enough, you'd have to pay much more. That was your question and I answered it. It won't run any new game on even those 25-30 fps.
 
That laptop is built for movies and word processing. It won't run anything you want other then Terraria at all. Least you could do is build a semi portable PC or buy a better laptop, like the one Sergei suggested, but if you want to be ignorant and buy that laptop, good luck playing Fallout4 or Skyrim.
 
If I am correct, your title has the 'serious' tag, we were being serious with our advice, also you should have added more context. You should do research before shelling out 1000$ on a laptop. Now I will rephrase; the 940m is a modest performing mobile GPU which is intended for media and maybe some very, very light gaming. It performs similar to nVidia's 840m, even more closely to their 750m unit, which is not saying much. It could however play games like Fallout 4 and Skyrim if you turned down the settings a notch. 16gb of ram on a laptop, in my personal opinion, is an absolute waste for gaming unless you plan on doing intense stuff. Seriously, find a better/cheaper alternative if you have not bought it already.

I'm not saying "Oh f*ck laptops, pony up and build a beastie desktop!!!111" now, am I? Yes, Desktops will always be cheaper, but there are many reasons why one would prefer a laptop for gaming. Also, the Envy line is Hewlett-Packard's response to Macbooks/iMacs. They are for professional use/media consumption, not for gaming, as Pii stated above. I know someone who wasted 1800$ on a 13'' alienware with an abomination of a 1366x768p screen last year and it barely gets 40 fps in tf2. I'd rather not see people waste money.

EDIT: @Andr I found a laptop with the exact same gpu, 8gb ram, 1080p screen, and webcam on sale for 679$
 
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Re
That looks like a fairly good laptop. It should run Terraria well for sure.

For games like Skyrim/Fallout if you don't play them on "Super Ultra High" settings, they should perform pretty smoothly at a good Framerate. For when I play Skyrim and games like Skyrim, I normally play on the medium or lowest graphic settings and they run pretty well when I play them (because I care about performance over graphics and the game doesn't look too different to me if I don't play on the high settings). I would play on the lowest graphic settings even if I had the strongest gaming Laptop or PC in the world.

For the extremely graphic intense games like The Witcher games, it lags a little unless you play on the absolute lowest settings.

I also record using my laptop and haven't had any issues with framerate in recording Terraria.

For the people saying to buy a PC instead of a Laptop, there are legitimate reasons to choose a Laptop over a PC. Like living in a small house that has no space for a new desk/table area, when a person travels a lot, and the portability of a laptop overall. Sure they may not be as powerful as a PC, but I find that all of my games still run well on my laptop overall. And the laptop Andr wants to get looks stronger than mine so it should be good for Andr's needs.
Thanks for the first two paragraphs. That helped me decide that A. You don't know you're talking about and B. I didn't need to read the rest.
The GPU is not for gaming and is for simple multimedia and Word processing. You're also ignoring the point that Sergei found a BETTER DEAL on a laptop WITH BETTER PERFORMANCE. Please come back when you know what you're talking about.
 
The best advice that I can give you is: you have options.

Assuming $999 is your max budget, Newegg.com has a section dedicated to gaming laptops under $1000:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...814 4021 4022&name=Gaming-Laptops-Under-$1000

Another point to consider is that gaming is more GPU heavy than it is CPU heavy. There's a few on the list that I linked that feature the 960m, which is a much better card.
Recording is CPU heavy, so for your case you'll need the best of both worlds.

Before immediately jumping on that HP, take a look around. There's plenty of options out there, don't limit yourself to one model or brand. Check the reviews for each laptop you find, see if someone with similar interests and criteria left behind a rating. Watch out for sales, too. I've seem a few laptops around $1300 that got knocked down to ~$900 when I was shopping for my own gaming laptop.
If you can stretch your budget further (say, $1400+) you could probably head to one of those build-your-own sites and customize your own laptop with the hardware and software you want.
 
The best advice that I can give you is: you have options.

Assuming $999 is your max budget, Newegg.com has a section dedicated to gaming laptops under $1000:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductList.aspx?Submit=ENE&IsNodeId=1&N=100025325 4814 4021 4022&name=Gaming-Laptops-Under-$1000

Another point to consider is that gaming is more GPU heavy than it is CPU heavy. There's a few on the list that I linked that feature the 960m, which is a much better card.
Recording is CPU heavy, so for your case you'll need the best of both worlds.

Before immediately jumping on that HP, take a look around. There's plenty of options out there, don't limit yourself to one model or brand. Check the reviews for each laptop you find, see if someone with similar interests and criteria left behind a rating. Watch out for sales, too. I've seem a few laptops around $1300 that got knocked down to ~$900 when I was shopping for my own gaming laptop.
If you can stretch your budget further (say, $1400+) you could probably head to one of those build-your-own sites and customize your own laptop with the hardware and software you want.
Can confirm. My friend has a 960M. It's an excellent value for money laptop GPU.
 
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