Good computer specs for playing games on a laptop?

thegamer340

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May 16, 2012
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hello, i wanted to know if you guys have any tips or info you can give me. i wanna buy this laptop with this specs from the hp website and i wanted to know if this specs are good for playing wow, starcraft, diablo, battlefiel and call of duty and tun smooth. is it to much "power" can i take out, reduce or upgrade some of the hardware, all suggestions are welcome.

dv6tqe series

Operating system Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit

Processor 3rd generation Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-3610QM Processor (2.3 GHz, 6MB L3 Cache)

Graphics card NVIDIA(R) GeForce(R) GT 650M Graphics with 1GB GDDR5 memory [HDMI, VGA]

Memory FREE Upgrade to 8GB DDR3 System Memory (2 Dimm)

Hard drive 1TB 5400 rpm Hard Drive with HP ProtectSmart Hard Drive Protection

Hard Drive Acceleration Cache 32GB mSSD Hard Drive Acceleration Cache

Office software Microsoft(R) Office Starter: reduced-functionality Word/Excel(R) only, No PowerPoint(R)/Outlook(R)

Security software No additional security software

Primary battery 30% off 9 cell Lithium Ion Battery

Display 15.6-inch diagonal HD BrightView LED-backlit Display (1366x768)

Primary optical drive FREE Upgrade to Blu-ray player & SuperMulti DVD burner

Personalization HP TrueVision HD Webcam

Networking Intel 802.11b/g/n WLAN and Bluetooth(R)

Keyboard Standard Keyboard
 
Solution
If you're going to get an HP DV6t Quad Edition, you should not buy it in any configuration that includes the stock 1366 x 768 display. You need to get the 1920 x 1080 display for the laptop to be worth buying. You shouldn't skip the 1920 x 1080 display upgrade for budget-related reasons or to trade it out for another upgrade.

15.6" 1366 x 768 displays limit multitasking because they make things onscreen large, and they tend to have terrible image quality due to low contrast. I recommend against laptops that have this type of display to those who have a budget that allows them to get a laptop that has a better display and at the same time suits their needs, and who don't require larger text for eyesight-related reasons.

The 1920 x 1080...

edit1754

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May 14, 2012
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If you're going to get an HP DV6t Quad Edition, you should not buy it in any configuration that includes the stock 1366 x 768 display. You need to get the 1920 x 1080 display for the laptop to be worth buying. You shouldn't skip the 1920 x 1080 display upgrade for budget-related reasons or to trade it out for another upgrade.

15.6" 1366 x 768 displays limit multitasking because they make things onscreen large, and they tend to have terrible image quality due to low contrast. I recommend against laptops that have this type of display to those who have a budget that allows them to get a laptop that has a better display and at the same time suits their needs, and who don't require larger text for eyesight-related reasons.

The 1920 x 1080 display available in the HP, on the other hand, is a particularly good display. Aside from the high resolution, its high contrast results in much better image quality, and its anti-glare finish and higher brightness makes it much more usable when glare is a potential issue.

Here is a saved configuration that includes the 1GB GT 650M and the 1920x1080 display upgrade. Apply coupon code NBP8784 to that configuration in order to make it $899. Use this as your base config, and add any needed upgrades onto it without downgrading the display or the GPU.

Also, consider the backlit keyboard upgrade. It helps when using the computer in dark rooms.
 
Solution

mesab66

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Aug 5, 2009
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"is it to much "power" can i take out" :) :)..........

As gaming laptops go it's not 'too' bad - you'll now know that to get close to even mid desktop performance is very expensive!

Ok so you're res is restricted to 1366x768 - this will 'help' - since it's << 1080p you have a chance of running those games - mainly at mid game gfx settings (yes, mid - not max)

To give yourself a laugh, head on over to dell alienware and spec out one of their 'top range' efforts - yup! damn that hurt! veeeerrry expensive! - and, get this, not very portable. You're gonna have to pay waaaay more that you've will do on your build - and you'll still not approach top-end destop capabilities.

LAPTOP GAMING IS A HUGE COMPROMISE!!

So, if you can, stick to a desktop and get close to top spec for your price. Or, of course, accept reduced desktop performance - even if you change to a 1080p screen (especially without laptop sli - and don't do this!! lol....unless you've money to burn). Either way, you will play those games.... just not maxed out. And, you're gonna form a fast opinion on 'those damn fans' under gaming/etc load.

Still, I'm not trying to put you off :)
 

edit1754

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May 14, 2012
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I really dislike this theory. Gaming shouldn't be a reason to choose a lower resolution display, and having a higher resolution doesn't require you to choose a faster GPU. Games can be run in non-native resolution for increased performance when necessary, so you can run in 1366x768 resolution on a 1920x1080 display. In doing so, there will be blur, but not enough to outweigh the large difference in overall image quality between typical 15.6" 1366x768 and 15.6" 1920x1080 displays. Games will often tend to look better running on a 15.6" 1920x1080 display in 1366x768 non-native resolution than they will look running on a 15.6" 1366x768 display in 1366x768 native resolution.



The portability is a significant benefit though, and maximum game performance isn't top priority in all cases. The GT 650M is definitely enough to run many games on more-than-acceptable settings.
 

mesab66

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Aug 5, 2009
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Hi edit1754, of course, I didn't mean to deliberately chose the lower res - hence the 'help' - it's not my, or anyone's theory. Of course, etc.

I agree with you absolutely, 100%, on your second point - if the OP, or anyone, is happy with the performance, then that's good - no probs.

My primary goal was to address the OP's clear uncertainty about the performance of his/her's listed specs.

Again, by all means, if the OP is fully aware of most laptop's gaming limitations then he/she can make an informed choice - and we will all be at ease :)
 

po1nted

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Apr 4, 2012
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+1 with the caveat of upgrading to a 1080p screen. i honestly wouldn't buy a laptop with 768 resolution. As mentioned before, it isn't a good decision and cannot be corrected later via an upgrade (at least easily).

The GPU you are getting is more than capable of driving games at 1080p with acceptable performance.