Guild Wars 2

Hey guys, I hope this is the right place to post this but…

I’m looking to buy a new computer for the holidays and my friend recently purchased this:

http://www.amazon.com/ASUS-A55A-AB51-RD-15-6-Inch-Laptop-Red/dp/B008HDOCW4/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1355950586&sr=8-5&keywords=asus+a55a+AB51+rd

And it works WONDERS for the game, i would be fully content with something equal to this.
Now the problem is, its out of stock and I’m pretty sure its gonna go back to its regular price of 680+ after the holidays, but they have a newer model which is:

http://www.amazon.com/ASUS-A55A-AH51-WT-15-6-Inch-Laptop-White/dp/B009MBC2HW/ref=dp_ob_title_ce

Now what I’m worried about is, on the AB51 it shows the graphics being intel HD 4000, where as on the AH51 its just “intel GMA HD”

So what do I do, would that work, or should i just save the extra money and go with the 4000, Im planing on running the game on Mid-Max graphics, which is what his computer runs it at with NO lag whatsoever, on my current laptop now, i can see the TILES on the ground that makes the map look like its a blueprint!

ALL REPLIES ARE APPRECIATED! Thanks!!!

TBH u would be better of going with a self built desktop than a laptop if u dont need the portability.

If it needs to be a laptop then any with a 3220QM or 3240QM processor and a dedicated GPU like a Nvidia 570M or AMD 6900M or higher would be pritty much as good as could be done on a tight budget. The 3820QM or 3740Qm would be the best possible laptop cpu’s u could get along with a Nvidia 680m or AMD 7970m GPU ..but that cost a small fortune.

Integrated GPU’s that come within the CPU can run the game on low & medium settings with good fps.. So if ur ok with that then by all means go integrated.
However for high, you will need a dedicated card of atleast a 570m to keep ur fps good.

GW2 is a real pig to get good performance out of at the best of times and on laptops its next to impossible ..atleast when ur talking WvW fighting. For PvE though its not so bad. A laptop for pve will do fine so long as the GPU is not some low end media card like a 620m or somthing , and CPU is atleast modern, has 4 threads ( 2core wiht hyperthreading), and can manage 3ghz.

GMA HD is just another way of saying Integrated GPU. I.E the Intels integrated GPU is the HD 4000

Both those links show the graphics being the GMA HD….

SolarNova.1052:

TBH u would be better of going with a self built desktop than a laptop if u dont need the portability.

If it needs to be a laptop then any with a 3220QM or 3240QM processor and a dedicated GPU like a Nvidia 570M or AMD 6900M or higher would be pritty much as good as could be done on a tight budget. The 3820QM or 3740Qm would be the best possible laptop cpu’s u could get along with a Nvidia 680m or AMD 7970m GPU ..but that cost a small fortune.

Integrated GPU’s that come within the CPU can run the game on low & medium settings with good fps.. So if ur ok with that then by all means go integrated.
However for high, you will need a dedicated card of atleast a 570m to keep ur fps good.

GW2 is a real pig to get good performance out of at the best of times and on laptops its next to impossible ..atleast when ur talking WvW fighting. For PvE though its not so bad. A laptop for pve will do fine so long as the GPU is not some low end media card like a 620m or somthing , and CPU is atleast modern, has 4 threads ( 2core wiht hyperthreading), and can manage 3ghz.

GMA HD is just another way of saying Integrated GPU. I.E the Intels integrated GPU is the HD 4000

Thanks for the detailed reply! I understand what your saying and I’ve thought about a desktop but I really really need the portability. Im just worried of getting something thats too close to my laptop, cuz if im gonna pay 500-700 i might as well get something really noticeable you know? My laptop now has AMD M880G ATI Mobility Radeon HD 4250, I guess my question is, will that 2nd link’s laptop be better then mine when it comes to graphics?

@Sartori.1960
Im aware their both Intel HD but one of them says GMA and the other is HD 4000. Theirs a misprint i think in the description but if you check the first set of details, the first link will tell you its HD 4000, and the 2nd is Intel GMA HD. Unless their isnt a difference between those. Im not too informed about video cards, etc.

Basically there are two different types of GPU.

One type is generally on the same dye or built into the same chip as the CPU. In the specifications you’ll see that it uses “shared RAM”. If (for example) the machine came with 8GB of main memory you won’t be able to use all of it for the OS/Programs as some of it is being shared with the internal GPU. ‘Main memory’ or the kind that you can add/remove from your machine is generally slower than the kind that is used for dedicated video memory. Both ‘Internal GPUs’ and ‘shared memory’ is generally much slower and has less features as a external GPU with its own memory. The intel HD4000 and GMA are both examples of ‘internal GPUs’ that use shared memory.

A “video card” is the best example of a external GPU with dedicated memory. Usually the card has the GPU/Memory and cooling built into the card. Very high speed memory is often used with these solutions. In many cases the user can overclock the GPU.

Both AMD/ATI and Nvidia make some ‘mobile’ versions of their GPU’s. In Nvidias case the laptop/notebook’s specification will list a “GTX5xxM” or “GTX6xxM” as the GPU as well as how much dedicated memory is built into the laptop/notebook.

Generally you’ll have to look for specialized ‘gaming’ laptop/notebooks to find ones with dedicated graphics and memory. Also these usually are much more costly than the laptops/notebooks without a external dedicated graphics chip and memory.

If your buying the laptop specifically to play games then I’d recommend getting one that is specifically designed to do that, which are the ones with the dedicated graphics chips.

MaRko.3165:

Basically there are two different types of GPU.

One type is generally on the same dye or built into the same chip as the CPU. In the specifications you’ll see that it uses “shared RAM”. If (for example) the machine came with 8GB of main memory you won’t be able to use all of it for the OS/Programs as some of it is being shared with the internal GPU. ‘Main memory’ or the kind that you can add/remove from your machine is generally slower than the kind that is used for dedicated video memory. Both ‘Internal GPUs’ and ‘shared memory’ is generally much slower and has less features as a external GPU with its own memory. The intel HD4000 and GMA are both examples of ‘internal GPUs’ that use shared memory.

A “video card” is the best example of a external GPU with dedicated memory. Usually the card has the GPU/Memory and cooling built into the card. Very high speed memory is often used with these solutions. In many cases the user can overclock the GPU.

Both AMD/ATI and Nvidia make some ‘mobile’ versions of their GPU’s. In Nvidias case the laptop/notebook’s specification will list a “GTX5xxM” or “GTX6xxM” as the GPU as well as how much dedicated memory is built into the laptop/notebook.

Generally you’ll have to look for specialized ‘gaming’ laptop/notebooks to find ones with dedicated graphics and memory. Also these usually are much more costly than the laptops/notebooks without a external dedicated graphics chip and memory.

If your buying the laptop specifically to play games then I’d recommend getting one that is specifically designed to do that, which are the ones with the dedicated graphics chips.

Wow you made it actually really easy to understand, thanks so much. Would there be a specific laptop that you would mind giving me the link to is within a 500-700 range for me to look at, even to maybe just get an example of what exactly i should be looking for? Once again, i don’t expect to play on super max setting and all shadows on high etc, but if you guys need an example of what my game looks like, check the attachment.

EDIT: I was also taking a look back at this computer

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B008HDOCM4/ref=twister_B008HDOEAO?ie=UTF8&psc=1#productDetails

and it seems that the i3 core is avaiable, where as the one my friend bought (the core i5) is not. And i did some reading on the differences and it doesn’t seem too big of a difference. If for SURE my friends comp with the same stats and the only difference being the core i5 can run the game, would I be able to with the i3? Sorry if Im asking too many questions, just wanna have a good time in guild wars and ill be giving my current laptop to my sister and she needs it quick!

If i were You I wouldn’t buy a 600-700$ laptop for 1 reason.
Crap dedicated graphic card and massive freezes due to that when there are many spell effects going on.
Myself I got a i5 CPU with turbo to 3.0GHZ with 540m and 4gb ram. in pve steady 40 fps on low sett with spike to 25 where there are spell effects – crap graphic card.

The stationary PC on the other hand to run game smoothly ( with spike down to 20 FPS in massive WVW ) is :
i3-3220 ( got myself and it’s amazig for it’s price )
8gb ddr3
and a gtx 560 / 560ti / 660/ ati 7850/7870
this will allow you to be happy with the game on max settings in pve&events&spvp/tpvp. with some lag in WvW ( massive fights )

The laptop ! Minimum.!! that you should be looking for is :

It’s new so called " e-machine " which some companies create one few years.
Advantage of those is that they cost relatively cheap as to compare to stuff they have.

This is one of best:
Notebook MSI GE60 0ND-419X
http://www.msi.com/product/nb/GE60-0ND.html

In my store with this config :
Intel Core i7-3630QM (2.40 GHz, turbo 3.40 GHz) ( 4 cores / 8 threads / 6mb cache )
8192 MB DDR3
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 660M 2048 MB

costs around ~1000/1200$.
for example there are Asus and HP laptops with lower gen i7 and 630M cards on board for ~2000$

Dedicated GPU wise i wouldnt go any lower than a Nvidia X60m. Rememebrer that compared to desktop versions the gpu are roughly 1 stage lower. So:

Desktop 560ti = laptop 570m ..
Laptop 560m = Desktop 550 (possibly 550ti)

A ‘proper’ gaming laptop at best will cost about $1000.

For $700 you can get one that wil play Gw2 but u will sacrifice ether on the CPU or the GPU.

So yea at minimum u would need $1000 for a gaming laptop as thats the price they start at ..unless u find one on sale.
MSI do good ones and although i loathe to say it ..so do AlienWare.

if its possible to save up more money i sugest u do so.

If you look around/wait for deals, you can find a laptop in the $750 area, marked down from ~$1200 or something like that.

I have two gaming laptops, well over the specs you linked to, both right at $750 tax/title when purchased. I wouldn’t count on either of those you listed.

The two I have, one is an Asus gaming laptop that was refurb’d, but has been running well for 18 months of ownership. That just squeaks in as ok for GWs. Then I recently bought a new Acer gaming laptop, marked down from $1200 during Cyber Week. This is even better then the Asus, but still won’t own in WvWvW vs a desktop. Both i7’s, one with a NVidia the other a Radeon gpu of decent quality, 1 or 2 notches below their top of line mobile video card, not bottom rung, those can be just as bad or worse than a Intel HD 4000.

Yes, getting a cost effective desktop is the way to go. If you are shopping around for parts on a budget, AMD has the best budget friendly products in the Motherboard, GPU, and CPU market. 970 mobo, 7850 GPU, and an FX 6300 would run you ~$410-$430. Then you can get a $60 hdd, $70 psu, $40 worth in ram, and a nice 60 dollar case.

That puts you at <$680 that you were looking to put into a laptop, and youre getting something that will perform like a $1300 laptop.

I’m gonna reply to everyone as a whole cuz theirs alot of posts! So I read everything you guys said and I am completely aware that desktops do better! But in my current situation, I NEED a laptop. As for waiting for one to go on sale, that actually doesn’t sound like a bad idea, I JUST got an email with sales on more computers from amazon and even though they weren’t what I was looking for; it’s nice to see ongoing sales. And I also understand what maybe I should just save Abit more to get something rly worth the money, so I guess I’ll just do that as well. Thank you guys for your honest replies and detailed posts! I’m looking forward to playing with you guys online hopefully once I get my new comp! And sorry if there’s choppy grammar in here, just woke up and posting from my iPhone. Thanks again.

The laptop I ended up with was a : Aspire V3-771G series.

I was eyeballing two other systems in the same range, but the deals were moving fast and I wasn’t. So I lost out on two, however I found this and it was better then the other two and since I knew I had to act fast, I jumped on it within an hour or two of finding it. Unfortunately it didn’t last for others to jump in.

But it was right from their site:
http://store.acer.com/store/acerna/en_US/DisplayCategoryProductListPage/ThemeID.30483300/categoryID.61134100/parentCategoryID.60063600

The one on the far right is the deal right now, that is about the model I got (mine had 6gb), I did have it for $750 with tax, the one listed today will be around $850 with tax, free shipping. You’ll look hard to find a better deal.

I will let you know, these have dual video cards and it’s awesome. When running non D3D apps, it will use the intel, it will run a lot cooler and longer on the battery. When you game the NVidia card will kick in. The Asus I have with the radeon doesn’t have this and the VC runs super hot, in the 90’s. The Acre is just a lot more elegant this way.

Horrorscope.7632:

The laptop I ended up with was a : Aspire V3-771G series.

I was eyeballing two other systems in the same range, but the deals were moving fast and I wasn’t. So I lost out on two, however I found this and it was better then the other two and since I knew I had to act fast, I jumped on it within an hour or two of finding it. Unfortunately it didn’t last for others to jump in.

But it was right from their site:
http://store.acer.com/store/acerna/en_US/DisplayCategoryProductListPage/ThemeID.30483300/categoryID.61134100/parentCategoryID.60063600

The one on the far right is the deal right now, that is about the model I got (mine had 6gb), I did have it for $750 with tax, the one listed today will be around $850 with tax, free shipping. You’ll look hard to find a better deal.

I will let you know, these have dual video cards and it’s awesome. When running non D3D apps, it will use the intel, it will run a lot cooler and longer on the battery. When you game the NVidia card will kick in. The Asus I have with the radeon doesn’t have this and the VC runs super hot, in the 90’s. The Acre is just a lot more elegant this way.

wow that does look great, is there anything around the same range thats a 15’6 screen? i prefer for it to be a tad smaller then 17", ill take around the site some more but if you find any more then i’d realllly appreciate it! Thanks so much

Here are some smaller one’s. Very quick looksee, if interested I’d google those models and compare elsewhere.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834152377

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834215615

I surfed by a desktop/mobile benchmarking site and selected a few popular choices:
http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8212/8293016386_1e2e0074a2_o.jpg

The chart shows the approximate placement of performance compared to other GPU’s. You can see at the bottom is the Sandy Bridge integrated HD3000 (#286) and the newer HD4000 rates #214.

The GT540 has almost twice the performance as the intel graphics and the two 640’s are about to a little over twice as fast. (#84 & #89) However it appears that the 670 is only slightly faster or the same as a $100-150 (GTX460) desktop GPU card but in a few metrics are similar to the desktop 570.

The Radeon 7970 and Geforce GTX680M are currently the fastest single chip moble GPU’s.

The ‘general rule of thumb’ for PC games is that the publishers ‘minimum’ may not do much more than load and execute the program. Its more than likely unstable and unplayable.

I always consider the ‘recommended’ HW configuration as the minimum playable and might see an average of 30FPS (some OEM’s think 15FPS is playable!) If you want ‘first person shooter’ performance you’ll need much more than what is recommended.

In any event, this games performance (after a minimum/recommended HW configuration is met) appears to be tied how fast your CPU is. No matter what you end up purchasing you may or may not get enough performance to enjoy playing GW2. The good news is that other games may perform enjoyably enough.

@ Horrorscope
I was JUST looking at those the other day and was searching around, I didn’t really find a better deal so I’m actually considering saving up for the $799 one, since ill get paid a few days before Christmas. Thanks buddy.

@MaRko
Thanks for posting the chart, I’m starting to understand all these 2000 3000 and whatnot numbers better, I think I’m gonna take really good looks around and wait for a good deal, or go with the one Horror suggested that I had run into as well. Thanks for your time!

I think we found ourselves a winner, runs the game around the same as my friends and has a slightly faster video card, and is great within my budget, also lots of people say it runs gw no med NP. Which is fine for me.

Thoughts, advice?

http://www.amazon.com/Acer-Aspire-V3-571G-6407-15-6-Inch-Laptop/dp/B009JXK1WQ/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top

PS: Its also SUPER slim and looks sexy, ijs

http://www.techbargains.com/news_displayItem.cfm/329220

MaRko.3165:

http://www.techbargains.com/news_displayItem.cfm/329220

Screen too small =x. Advice on the one i just posted?

SolitaryTech.4859:

MaRko.3165:

http://www.techbargains.com/news_displayItem.cfm/329220

Screen too small =x. Advice on the one i just posted?

Awesome deal, less than 6lbs and near top-of-the-line performance.

You can compare the one you were looking at here (as well as any others that come to mind):
http://www.notebookcheck.net/Mobile-Graphics-Cards-Benchmark-List.844.0.html

Here’s where I got information on the deal from. There are other more expensive and less expensive options.

http://www.techbargains.com/

Personally, I like the < 16" screens without a keypad (it centers the keyboard in the middle of the screen) and are lighter to lug around. I’ve been eyeballing a Asus 14" at Bestbuy that looks interesting “Model: G46VW-BHI5N43”, while you’d be hard pressed to find more GPU power in a lighter package its missing wireless “A” and Bluetooth is kinda a deal breaker for me.

Thanks everyone for the help. I’ve decided to buy the Acer computer and truly thank everyone for the help! Happy Holidays!

That’s a solid for the price and will do pretty well as a gaming laptop.