Archived from groups: comp.sys.laptops,uk.comp.sys.laptops (
More info?)
David Gartrell wrote:
> Hi there
>
> I wonder if someone could give me some advice please. I'm thinking of
> getting a laptop with a 17 inch screen and I'll be playing a lot of
> games on it. On my desktop pc I usually play with a resolution of
> 1024x768 - will i be able to use the same resolution comforatbaly on
> a 17" laptop or will the display end up looking all odd.
>
> The thing is, if i have to set my games to the best resolution for the
> screen then they may not run too well, in which case I may have to
> think about a 15" screen instead.
>
> I'd be grateful for any advice you could give.
>
> Thanks
>
> David
The laptop will need a good video card with at least 64MB dedicated
VRAM, not shared RAM. Even then, if the native resolution is say
1280x1024, you might find that the video cannot keep up with game
requirements and running at a lower resolution, 1024x768, is required.
If the native resolution is 1280x768 or greater, reducing the resolution
for gaming will reduce the size of the display, leaving a black border
around the lower resolution display. Screen expansion to full screen
can be used to compensate for the reduced display size, but recognize
that games are designed to take advantage of greater resolutions with
smaller detailed elements crucial to the game so that expanding the
display with its inherent loss of detail might not be acceptable for
gameplay. Additionally, not all video adapters support screen
expansion, and with laptops, it is an OEM choice if screen expansion is
an available option.
Another issue is pixel response time. Standalone LCDs have response
specifications like 40 milliseconds, 25 milliseconds, etc. where the
smaller the response time, ghosting (smearing) of rapidly changing
elements is reduced. The response times of laptop LCD displays is
typically unpublished/unknown so there is no way to determine how that
display will function in gaming, except by word of mouth, forum
postings, pre-purchase testing, etc.
If considering a laptop for gaming , the only way to verify that the
display/video adapter is suitable is to test the unit before purchase,
if possible. Note that other issues like HD speed, 4200 rpm vs 5400 -
7200 rpm, CD-ROM performance, total RAM also can affect gameplay on
laptops and can be as important as the video adapter/LCD/VRAM issues and
should not be ignored in the laptop gaming evaluation.
It is my *opinion* that for gaming, laptops are by their nature poor
choices in price/performance/adaptability compared to desktop computers.
A new laptop is by definition at the end of the performance road since
there is very little upgrade path available to improve performance in
the future. For serious gaming, this is a significant and potentially
expensive handicap.
Q
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