Trading desktop gaming pc for laptop - help understanding real-world differences in gaming

[Xixor2000]

Due to space considerations in my apartment, it has become necessary to downsize my gaming setup.

I am thinking of trading in my desktop pc running an ivy-bridge core i3 cpu and GeForce GTX 660 gpu for a laptop running a haswell core i7 4710hq and GeForce GTX 850M gpu.

On paper, the GTX 660 desktop gpu blows away the GTX 850 mobile gpu, but can anyone give me a rough idea of how that actually would affect how pc games are experienced in practice? The on-paper downgrade in GPU but possible upgrade in CPU is hard for me to get my head wrapped around in terms of real-world effects.

I am mostly interested in older games, but do want to be able to play the new Pillars of Eternity and Torment: Tides of numanera games when they come out. I also currently play Dark Souls 2 on ultra settings with no frame rate problems on my desktop. Besides these games mentioned, I doubt I will be playing much in the way of newer AAA games coming out in the future.

Would moving to the laptop significantly affect my gaming experience given the above criteria?

Thanks!

 

[Nuckles_56]

I would say that you'll have to drop 1 or 2 quality levels at the same resolution, particularly with dark souls 2, so it depends on what you want with the game, whether it is the eye candy or the experience. The eye candy will go way down whilst the experience will remain much the same if you use the same monitor that you were using for your desktop

 

[Robert Cook]

An 850m is not too feeble, and while you may have to drop one quality level, of deal with occasional frame drops, but as it is slightly newer, it should be quite adequate. Also, as you mentioned that processor is much better, If this a straight up swap, and you have to down size I would make the switch.