Moving from desktop to laptop - what to buy?

[scae]

Hi,

I'm moving flat and the my new bedroom with be *very* small. No room for my huge desk and my desktop computer. So I thought I would try using a laptop (having never used one for games before).

Will I be able to play WoW at high settings with good fps as I do now? Or will playing games on a laptop just make me cry?

Currently I have a AMD Phenom II X4 3.2Ghx, Geforce GTX 460, 4GB of RAM. I also have 500GB of HDD space and a 22" screen.

My computer definitely isn't the fastest out there, but it suits my needs. What laptops out there are similar in power?


Also, I tend to multi task a lot (watch Films/TV the corner of the screen, while surfing the net, etc). Is this doable on a laptop screen, or they just too small?

Thanks for any advice.

[Deleted]

Well your PC is quite potent. Playing on a Laptop is fine in most cases but only if you're sitting at a desk. And in that case you might as well have a Desktop.

Laptop components are generally about 10% slower than their desktop counterparts but considering the power of modern GPUs and CPUs, it shouldn't be too noticeable.

As for concrete recommendations it's hard to say with such a vast number of Laptops out there. Knowing your budget would also help.

As a guideline you'll want at least:
CPU: i5 - 2410 or more
GPU: Geforce 550M or more
RAM: 4 GB or more
HDD: 500 GB or more (SSDs are always nice extras too)

Playing on a Laptop is fine but if you plan on doing so seriously I'd recommend attaching a regular PC keyboard, mouse and probably even a screen.

[Primernova]

Above poster is very correct but also don't be afraid to modify your surroundings to make more room. I have lived in very small homes and had to integrate fold out and detachable extensions that can be tucked away.

Lumber, a saw and some imigination go a long way.

[Deleted]

Yeah, I lived in a flat that was 12 m2 and still found enough room for my Desktop. You can't really play properly on your bed or on the floor so there's really no alternative to a desk if you're serious about it. And as I was saying, in that case you might as well keep your Desktop.

[vesseblah]

Will I be able to play WoW at high settings with good fps as I do now? Or will playing games on a laptop just make me cry?

Currently I have a AMD Phenom II X4 3.2Ghx, Geforce GTX 460, 4GB of RAM. I also have 500GB of HDD space and a 22" screen.

My computer definitely isn't the fastest out there, but it suits my needs. What laptops out there are similar in power?

You need to pay about $1200 to get similar power from laptop as your current desktop, so it's not gonna be cheap.

Also, I tend to multi task a lot (watch Films/TV the corner of the screen, while surfing the net, etc). Is this doable on a laptop screen, or they just too small?

One good thing about your planned switch to laptop would be that you can use the current 22" monitor with it, and play on one monitor while watching movies on another.

Would still recommend trying to use your current desktop in the new apartment, simply because laptops are very expensive and not good for regular gaming use because of heat issues.

[scae]

Thanks for your help guys. Very informative.

I think you're all right in saying that I'll need a desk for gaming, whether with a laptop or a desktop, which means I may as well keep the desktop. I'll try and see if I can buy a small desk for my desktop and fit it in my bedroom.

I may try and buy a very cheap laptop for web surfing / document processing purposes to get myself out of my tiny bedroom and into the living area (it's a shared flat, so I want to try and be sociable). Any recommendations for brands that do low-end laptops?