Curious how powerful this pc is vs this laptop :)

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Orothin

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Hey guys :)

I'm torn between a laptop and a pc currently due to a unique circumstance that I'll spare you the details on.

I've only been able to study the latest PC stuff for the past couple hours, so I know full well this pc build could probably be a little bit more optimized. For example, I'm assuming the motherboard might be overkill for the processor right now, but that's not what I'm really the most interested in right now.

I'm more curious relatively how much more powerful you guys think this pc would be compared to this laptop here:

PC:
GPU - EVGA 02G-P4-2678-KR GeForce GTX 670 FTW 2GB 256-bit
CPU - Intel Core i5-2500K Sandy Bridge 3.3GHz (3.7GHz Turbo Boost)
Mobo - ASUS SABERTOOTH Z77 LGA 1155 Intel Z77
RAM - CORSAIR Vengeance 16GB (2 x 8GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600

Laptop:
GPU - 4GB GDDR5 NVIDIA GTX 680M
CPU - Intel Core i7 3740QM Quad-Core 2.70GHz (3.70GHz TurboBoost)
Mobo - Yikes... not listed in the specs apparently :(
RAM - 16GB Corsair Vengeance DDR3 1600MHz

I know this is hard to describe, but I'm curious about how much more powerful this pc would be in comparison. A break down of how much less powerful the cpu would be vs the pc, the gpu.. and the motherboard (a guestimate is fine since the only info on the laptop's motherboard is that it can support a mobile i7)

I'd be using this to play planetside 2 or gw2 for an example of what kind of FPS differences there might be.

Any idea's, thoughts, comments would be greatly appreciated on this!

I feel like that laptop should be powerful enough to last a long while, but I'm curious / worried that with the new console systems coming out this year, the standard graphical "bar" you might say will be increased for the majority of PC games at that point, and the laptop might not be able to handle it, though I think it should still suffice. For example, my old pc I built in 2007 ran everything aside from gw2, the witcher and planetside 2 fine up until it was stolen recently. 5 years is a pretty decent run compared to way back in the day!

Anyways.. yeah! I'd love some input if you're willing! :)
 
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manofchalk

manofchalk

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May 11, 2012
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Laptop components compared to their equivalent desktop models perform nowhere near as well. Think about it, they'v got less power and less room to use in a laptop. If they could perform as well as its desktop counterpart, why the hell would we have such large and power hungry cards in our desktops?

You wont find the motherboard listed in a laptops specs, chances are the board is unique to the laptop model.

If you want high end gaming ability, go with the desktop.
If you need a LAN-rig, look into a Small Form Factor build.
If you travel a lot and want gaming ability, get a high end gaming laptop.
If you want a computer that you can use on the bus, look further down the market at your Ultra/Netbook type options, because you wont find a gaming laptop that doesn't weigh a ton and suck down battery.
 
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MatildaPersson

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You'd be very surprised how well laptops can perform. Of course I'd take the PC, but purpose build laptops aren't just any old notebook.

Matilda~
 
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Cons29

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as far as i know, laptop gpu's perform less than their counterpart. a 680 desktop is faster than a 680m.

but ill take a desktop over a laptop in a heartbeat. the only reason to get a laptop (for me) is portability. but for everything else, desktop is better. it's just a waste not having to reuse even the monitor if you get a new laptop, just as sample
 
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Orothin

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This question is a bit more complicated, as it's more about predicting how much power the average game will require, post the release of the next gen systems.

For example, my computer from 2007 was a q6600 processor with an nvidia 8800 gts 512, and it's run everything to date at max or very close to it aside from Guild Wars 2, Planetside 2, The Witcher 2, and I'll throw Crysis in there for fun even though I never tried it.

This laptop I listed averages about 50ish fps on Planetside 2 on max settings. If the next gen consoles keep games requiring about the same power as Planetside 2 does, that laptop will probably last the entire life cycle of the "PS4 / XBOX 720", since due to development costs, the majority of PC games (like mass effect for example) will require the power of whatever the latest console can put out. I totally realize Planetside 2 is a PC specific game, but I "think" I'm safe in guessing that the next gen console games, will be around as demanding as Planetside 2, Guild Wars 2, The Witcher 2, etc.

I'm assuming that this PC I listed here will probably get around 60-70ish fps on planetside 2 at max but I'm not entirely sure. Of course it'd be fun to laugh to myself as my computer is absolutely destroying every game with over a 100 fps avg on max settings. The rate at which games require more powerful systems these days has drastically slowed compared to the olden days, so I personally don't feel it's as necessary to spend extra cash to get a computer that overkills the latest games at the time. To me, as long as a computer can stay around 40fps with max settings, I'm quite happy.

This is where mobility comes in. If the laptop can sustain around 40fps at max settings for the games over the next 2 years (due to the new console system releases), then the laptop would end up probably lasting at least 5 years at least before really starting to struggle. In this case, absolutely the mobility is worth the extra $1000ish bucks it's going to cost. (edit: worth the cost to me specifically, that is)

The PC on the otherhand is guaranteed to last about 5-7 years in my eyes via the current way I expect the the power requirements of games to go, but that lack of mobility rears it's ugly head a couple times a year when visiting family in another state for example.

The reason I'm asking for the power difference is to see if I can predict the longevity of the laptop here by seeing how much less powerful the laptop would be compared to a pretty good PC that can be built rigt now. I think it's safe to assume that the next gen consoles will be slightly less powerful than the PC I listed here, since they will probably be built with the power of parts acquired around this or last year. I know in reality it's anyone's guess, since the next gen console specs are still under NDA, but I figure I'd get some opinions anyways and see what people thought. :)

 
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p4nz3rm4d

p4nz3rm4d

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The PC will last even longer than 5-7 years because you can get a couple hundred dollars worth of upgraded GPU and have perfect frame rates again. The great thing with desktops is that they never die; you can just upgrade them for relatively little money...

If you NEED portability, then that is a different scenario. Perhaps compromise on the desktop and get a small macbook air or something like that.
 
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Orothin

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In my experience, by the time I ever needed to upgrade which was usually 3-5 years, there is a new graphical card slot requirement (agp to pcie, then pcie to pcie 2 for example). So in order to upgrade my video card and really get anything out of it, I'd have to replace the motherboard too. By tha point, ram has also upgraded in speed, so you might as well replace that too. By the time you're done, you've ended up replacing everything but the hard drives, case and dvd drive which is essentially just buying a new computer anyways at that point.

This may not be the case for everyone, but PC upgrading to me ended up being an illusion in my mind that I ended up using as an excuse to go "desktop" until I finally realized the pattern I've experienced over the last 3-4 pc's I've built hehe :)
 
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Orothin

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On the other note though, you bring up a totally valid point about the compromise.

I've totally thought about getting the PC for what is it.. $1700ish, then at some point if I really need, get a crappy laptop for $1000, that can run everything on low settings.

That'd end up being $2700 bucks which is what that laptop I listed costs.

It'd be nice to consolidate though if possible, which is why I'm curious about the power difference between the PC and Laptop listed.
 
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Orothin

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I've certainly not intended to come across as offensive here. I've just been hoping to hear sides I might not have considered, as there is a lot involved in the question. :)

The post about the 680m being a toned down version of the pc's 670 as well as underclocked was definitely informative.

There's still a lot of questions though, like random guesses as to where games are headed, and maybe personal experiences with how long other's laptops have lasted them lately for example.

I totally understand that PC's in general are going to be more powerful than laptops, which is what most have commented here, and I certainly appreciate the time taken. I'm just more curious about th details, if it's possible to give them :)
 
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shADy81

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The other thing to consider is how long you think a laptops life cycle is? In my experience they don't do much more then 5 years on average. If you factor in how much you might be bashing the keyboard and heating it up with a high end graphics card would it last 5-7 years?

Thats my 2c anyway your choice and good luck :)
 
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Orothin

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That's a really good point. Back in 2004-2005 I bough an XPS and had that as my main for a couple years. The keyboard totally croaked after 3 years, the hard drive failed, the power supply failed, etc. Point being, once the warranty ran out, it was an issue.

In that case I figured it might have just been crappy because it was Dell. Also that now there are solid state drives, the harddrives might last longer in a laptop, and I could maybe plug in a keyboard while at home and only use the laptop's keyboard while on the road, which might increase the longevity of everything but I really don't know.

Has anyone else with a laptop done better than 3-4 years before it's started to fall appart? I figured it might have been a fluke, but to you're point, that might just be how it is with laptops.
 
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Orothin

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Also on that same note, let's say we're 3 years in and it's past the warranty time. Has anyone tried replacing parts on a laptop on their own? I've done plenty of PC's, and I'm assuming it's do able, but I wouldn't mind someone's opinion that's actually done that before with a laptop on their own. :)
 
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FinneousPJ

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I'm not offended, I just think it's silly of you to argue this. If you want to buy the thing, buy it. As I said, you don't have to convince us. However, it's obvious it's a lot more expensive than a desktop of far more muscle - I can build a system for $1000 that'll beat the $2700 laptop.
 
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Orothin

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My apologies. I didn't realize that bringing up 2 options and discussing the pros and cons of each in order to get feedback and hear things that may not have been considered wasn't allowed. I'll remember that the next time I happen to be posting on a site that you could potentially be patrolling and try to be more careful. It seems I must have forgotten the point in the post where I said "Guys! I totally want you to listen to this decision I've already made because I just want to waste your time!", so my bad.

Also, thanks for letting me know that you could "beat" that laptop in under a thousand, since "clearly" it was my intent to bait people into an e-peen contest on who can do better than who involving computer builds.

/facepalm
 
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Orothin

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After listening to the people that actually tried to help with the matter, it seems the best solution right now for me is to go with the PC and then grab a cheaper laptop if/when it's needed, and leave the max setting epicness for when I'm at home base. I'd end up costing the same amount anyways, and even better, there's a backup computer in case one fries! That's certainly a nice bonus after having everything stolen and being without a computer for the past 3 weeks.

Thanks everyone who gave their time and insight on the matter! :)
 
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