Solved! Help deciding on video card and RAM for Laptop

cyric

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Oct 8, 2011
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I am looking at buying a Sager NP8150 from XOTICPC and I am trying to decide if its worth the cost to update the video card and what the sweet spot for RAM would be.

I am trying to decide between staying with the 1.5GB GTX 560M or upgrading to the 2GB HD 6990 for $245 more or I can go all out and get the 2GB GTX 580M for $495 more than the 560M

I am also trying to decide what amount and speed RAM to get is there a huge difference between the 1600mhz and 1866mhz RAM. I could go 16GB of 1600mhz RAM for the same price as 8GB of 1866 RAM. also not sure how much RAM is too much and if 8GB is more than enough.
 
Solution
For the games you'll be playing, the 6990m is more than enough. It'll play basically everything on highest settings, besides maybe the Witcher 2. Just keep in mind, that with the 570m and anything above, you're looking at 1-2 hours battery life max. The 560m you might get 3 hours out of, and the 555m, depending on what you get, can get anywhere from 3-6 hours. But if battery life doesn't matter, I suggest the 6990m, the performance isn't that far off the 580m, and it'll play games on ultra for years to come.

Honestly I would buy 8gb of 1600mhz ram. 16gb is just overkill, and 1866mhz is too. I would actually say just get 1333mhz but the price of 1600mhz and 1333mhz is identical.

Abyssalx

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With this setup it makes me wonder - why are you buying a laptop? For the amount you're spending you could get way more in a desktop, and you're gonna be plugged in like, all the time anyway.
 

cyric

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With this setup it makes me wonder - why are you buying a laptop? For the amount you're spending you could get way more in a desktop, and you're gonna be plugged in like, all the time anyway.

I know I could get a much more powerful system if I got a desktop but I need a laptop and I would rather have the mobility that comes with a laptop than a more powerful desktop PC. I dont really play FPS games and I think the laptop should handle everything I need for now. I am mainly going to be playing WOW, TOR, and Diablo 3 and just want to be able to max out the graphics or atleast play them on a high setting. I am currently using my work laptop to play wow and it has an I-5 with an nvidia quadro NVS 135M and 2GB of Ram. I just want something that is portable so no 17" screens and I need to get my personal info and games off my work laptop.


Go with the 6990 and 8 gigs of ram is good enough no need for the 1866 unless it will be ocd.

Thanks, so the 6990 should be a good jump from the 560M? originally I was looking at an alienware 14" and it just had the 555M but the Sager seems to give me much more for my money.I guess I am just trying to figure out how much more performance you get for the money. the 580 seems so much more expensive than the rest. I like the 6990 since its kind of a middle ground between my options.
 

Abyssalx

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For the games you'll be playing, the 6990m is more than enough. It'll play basically everything on highest settings, besides maybe the Witcher 2. Just keep in mind, that with the 570m and anything above, you're looking at 1-2 hours battery life max. The 560m you might get 3 hours out of, and the 555m, depending on what you get, can get anywhere from 3-6 hours. But if battery life doesn't matter, I suggest the 6990m, the performance isn't that far off the 580m, and it'll play games on ultra for years to come.

Honestly I would buy 8gb of 1600mhz ram. 16gb is just overkill, and 1866mhz is too. I would actually say just get 1333mhz but the price of 1600mhz and 1333mhz is identical.
 
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