Laptop for Gaming (GTX 560m) ; Built-in Bigfoot Networks Killer™

[ssambakd]

Hi, I noticed this is a great place to learn more about gaming systems and computers, so I just have 3 questions

1. I'm looking at a laptop for desktop replacement / gaming (I don't play Crysis 2 but only MMO's; plus I need mobile computing). So far I'm liking this one from MSI:

http://www.powernotebooks.com/config...p?special=1026

I prefer 15 inch screen to 17 inch, since I already have a desktop LCD at home, while I want my laptop to be more mobile.
The above MSI laptop has 2nd gen Intel i7 and GTX 560m graphics card. Would this be sufficient for playing mmo's (including those coming out within the next year) at a high graphic setting?
Or, should i push for a laptop with GTX 485m or even GTX 580m? The price increase is quite steep there lol


2. Also, while looking at the custom option for the laptop, I noticed something called the following...

Built-in Bigfoot Networks Killer™ Wireless-N 1102 - Ultimate Gaming Card

Is this "ultimate gaming card" wireless card really necessary, or even helpful? If it helps increase my wireless internet speed, that's good even outside gaming. But how significant would the improvement would be really? Has anyone used this? Is anyone familiar with the brand, or even such a concept as "gaming networks card"?


3. My last questions is related to the last one. Is wireless connection these days as fast as LAN cable connection (Ethernet)? I guess i'm just used to the notion that something with a physical connection such as LAN cable would offer faster internet service, but I've also heard claims to the otherwise. Did wireless internet technology improve so much over the past few years that it's maybe even faster than LAN cable connection?

Thanks

[ispano]

Unless you're one of those people who professionally plays games for money, ie the really hardcore twitch gamers, or someone like me who can just notice it anyways, the Killer won't do anything for you.

[vesseblah]

1.
WoW dont need that fast GPU, the 560M would be plenty for raiding. Not possible to say anything about next year's games, since my crystal ball ran out of batteries.

2.
Gaming network cards do work, but changing ISP makes bigger difference than changing network card. If you're already using best possible connection money can buy, then extra network card can give an extra edge.

3.
Wireless is still shit compared to wired internet, and will be as long as it uses open radio broadcasts in shared band.

[glo]

I noticed you said you want it to be mobile... but it's almost 8 pounds and twice as thick as a typical notebook. You'll also always need it to be propped up on a notebook cooler due to the massive amount of heat that it will generate. Otherwise, you'll more than likely overheat it.

Since using that type of notebook you limits you to a desk or table anyway, why not just get a -much- better desktop for the same price?

[ispano]

Pretty much. While nowhere near as immobile as my lapt... notebook, that thing isn't designed to be used on your lap. It's mobile, but still needs to be on a desk, and if used for games, plugged in.

[Musta Kyy]

It might be a better idea to buy a cheap little laptop for the mobility and a proper gaming desktop for everything else.
Gaming laptops are heavy and big, and they eat your battery fast.

If you are buying the laptop so you can take it to work/school and play games at home with it, you should buy a laptop and a desktop (would be cheaper too).
But if you are going to LAN events etc often, then I might understand a gaming laptop.

[Deleted]

1. A Geforce 560M is a very potent GPU and should easily suffice for all current and coming games. It should be fine for anything as long as you don't go beyond 1080p and push for Anti-Aliasing.

2. The Bigfoot Killer Network card is a network card optimized for gamers. It prioritizes Pings over other data and thus gives you a slightly lower latency. But the difference is less than 10% in most cases and barely noticeable in practice.

3. Wireless LAN might offer you the same bandwidth as a wired connection, but it still can't compete in terms of latency. In most situations using a Wireless connection will leave you with a ping 2-3 times higher than when using a land-line. Ergo, this means even if you can still download stuff at 10Mb/sec, your ping is going to be much higher.

[Deleted]

But the difference is less than 10% in most cases and barely noticeable in practice.

I don't know about you, but going even lower than the 3ms that my integrated Marvel LAN controller can get to good close-proximity servers is pretty damn hard to do. Noticing it even harder in lieu of the framerate interval and monitor's response time.

I remind you that this TS3 server is not hosted in my LAN, nor does it belong to me.