Linden on a Laptop--Graphics Card?

I've always struggled to enjoy SL on my desktop because of the rather specific graphics card requirements--my older system originally had an incompatible card, and when I was able to upgrade it was to an older Radeon card that still doesn't do a great job (lots of lag in rendering, etc).

So I am finally in a position to just by a new computer, and I'm thinking of going the laptop route. However, I can't seem to figure out how, with the graphics card requirements SL has, that anyone could run SL on a laptop. Every model I look at doesn't seem to have a true graphics card, but some variation on an Intel video chipset or Intel media accelerator.

I can't believe that no one plays SL on their laptop. Can anyone give me some advice on what to look for in a laptop, that will allow me to enjoy SL from the comfort of my couch?

What size laptop do you want, and how much do you want to spend?

I made a few comments on this in a recent thread ( http://forums.secondlife.com/showthread.php?t=345403 ). I am running SL on an Asus G51 with a q9000 CPU and an Nvidia GTX 260m at ultra settings. If you want good performance, there are some 15"+ laptops that will handle SL very well. A handful of 13-14" models can do SL at medium-high settings. You will find that a gaming laptop or high-end multimedia laptop will cost about twice what a similar-spec'd desktop will cost, and cooling is a challenge for high-end notebook GPU's, but it is possible.

For specific GPUs to look for, the current Nvidia lineup is listed at http://www.nvidia.com/object/geforce_m_series.html anything listed as "High Performance" or "Enthusiast" will give good results. The "Performance" models will give acceptable results, but may not run smoothly at high-ultra settings with full effects. "Mainstream" GPUs will run at low-medium settings: they meet the minimum requirements for SL, but are below the the recommended level. "Value" cards will struggle at low settings.

Intel graphics are not recommended for SL because they are not as good as the dedicated GPUs, but they will work in a pinch if you have low expectations. ATI has some good gaming and multimedia GPUs, but they have more issues running intensive OpenGL programs (like SL), so most people avoid them. That said, you can run SL in high-ultra with a 3800/4600 or higher ATI, but expect some frustration.

Yeah, I've seen the high end systems (Alienware, etc.), but honestly I'm hoping to keep it as far under $1000 as I can. That's why I was curious about these Intel chipsets and such. I did find one mention of them in the Wiki, but it was kind of vague. .

Don't get a laptop.

Seriously.

Just get a beefy desktop for under $1000usd. SL also eats laptops for breakfast, lunch, and dinner so you will need a laptop cooler as well.

If the goal is to run SL from the comfort of your couch, I would recommend getting a desktop and a wireless keyboard to connect to a TV. You can spend $600-800 for a good system that will perform as well as a gaming laptop. If you want true mobility, the G51 is the best low-price system at the moment: there is a version for $999 at Best Buy that will handle SL well, or a better version for $1299 at Newegg (high screen resolution, better CPU, Asus warranty instead of "Geek" Squad). When you factor in tax and an extended warranty from Best Buy, the Newegg model is cheaper. If you use Bing Cashback you can save a bit more.

I'll second Vertable's recommendation for ASUS, if you want to go the off-the-shelf laptop route. As the only laptop manufacturer in the world who also manufactures their own motherboards and video cards, ASUS consistently offers more bang for the buck than anybody else. I absolutely love my G70 (quite outside your price range, though).

The G series is their gaming line, but their N series machines also work well for SL. The N's aren't typically quite as good as G's, since the graphics cards are midrange instead of high end, but they're a damned sight better than what you've got now. There are several that would fit within your budget.

That said, the unfortunate truth is that in order to keep the costs down in most sub-$1500 machines, laptop makers have been making the screen resolution worse and worse and worse with each new generation, as they put in better CPU's and graphics cards. Apparently, they figure people who buy cheap laptops don't care about how much they can see, as opposed to how fast they can see it. We're now at the point where most laptops in the $1000 range come with resolutions of 1366x768, which in my opinion, is pathetic. If you plan on doing any texture work, forget it. That's barely enough pixels to see a 512x512 at full resolution, once you factor in the couple hundred pixels needed for the GUI of your paint program.

If you can up your budget to about $1700, the game totally changes. Check this out: http://www.malibal.com/boutique/pc/configurePrd.asp?idproduct=84

Malibal is awesome. For just $1772 (after you up the screen resolution to 1920x1080, increase the memory to 4GB instead of 2, and put in a 7200 RPM hard drive instead of the stock 5400), you get one of the fastest 15" notebooks on the planet. It should last you a good many years before you'll need to upgrade it.


All that said, if that $1000 figure is firm, then I'll echo Briana's recommendation. Get a desktop. For a grand, you can put together a really decent machine. Cheap laptops are a very poor investment by comparison. You'll just have to spend that same $1000 again on a new laptop in a year or two when the current one can't keep up anymore. The desktop, on the other hand, will likely just need a new graphics card in three or four years, which will probably cost you just a couple hundred bucks, and then you're good for the next two years or so before the CPU is no longer up to snuff.

So, if you think in terms of the next six years, which is about how long you can get out of a sufficiently maintained desktop, you'd be looking at $3000 for poorly performing laptops, or $1200 for a well performing desktop. Is it worth the additional $1800 to you to be able to sit on the couch with a slower machine in your lap? I say sit in a chair, spend less, and enjoy the nice fast desktop.

I play it on my laptop. It's works pretty good with my shitty graphics card... It makes my computer heat up quickly but I have a fan and it's all ok. A friend of mine runs it on high on her laptop and it's smooth and really nice. So a laptop is ok... but desktops are better in the long run. I used to play SL on this computer but suddenly vista killed it... It just doesn't even open anymore. D:
So get a desktop and get Windows 7.