Hardware Should I sell my laptop and...

[Rockhoundhigh]

Wow, yeah, that one does have similar specs and is on sale for $729 on their site So is it a dual GPU setup then? How do other non-intensive games games in Dolphin run, like SSBB, Mario Kart Wii, Tales of Symphonia, etc? And PCSX2? I'm curious. The only thing that's off-putting is the somewhat small screen (14"), but it is 1600x900 so it's better resolution than my current Y570. I'll keep doing research as that looks like a solid laptop to get

Well I can't really say much for Dolphin since I have yet to experiment much. I might move to development builds and retest when I get the chance to see if the speed is any better than the current stable release, mind you though my speeds are referring to performance using OpenGL with the vertex streaming hack, not DirectX 9 which may be faster. As for PCSX2 well I'm able to run Shadow of the Colossus at "full speed" using the recommended settings on the wiki while playing at 2x internal resolution (it might work at higher resolutions) though I also haven't gone through any sort of thorough game testing on that end either. Something I should mention is that while the resolution is solid for a 14' display the screen itself leaves a bit to be desired. If you mess with Lenovo's OneKey Theater presets you can make the contrast look nicer at the expense of losing some detail but it's a band-aid fix at best especially since it also affects audio settings. And this is a single GPU setup. In all honesty with all the heat it's already capable of putting I'm not sure if I even want to imagine what an SLI setup would do to it. Anyways let me know any other specifics you want to know, tomorrow I should have some time to mess around.

 

[Ryukouki]

You should also seriously take a lot of caution if you plan to sell your laptop online. Personally it might even be better to do a local sale. Scams are rampant with computer sales online. Do your homework before you attempt to sell. Some suggestions include, if a sale goes through, verifying with the user that their address is legitimate, and also google that address before you ship. Make sure it's not some sketchy box that's associated with scams.

 

[the_randomizer]

You should also seriously take a lot of caution if you plan to sell your laptop on eBay. Personally it might even be better to do a local sale. Scams are rampant with computer sales on eBay. Do your homework before you attempt to sell, and keep in mind that you will forfeit a small percentage to eBay as a final value fee. I would highly recommend doing some homework on how to list a good laptop listing on eBay. Some suggestions include, if a sale goes through, verifying with the user that their address is legitimate, and also google that address quickly. Add another day or two for laptop prep (instead of two business days shipping, ship it out in three or four), wipe your notebook, clean it up, etc.

Oh hell no, I'm not going to sell on eBay, so no worries I refuse to sell ANYTHING on there, but I can sell it by making a thread on here, or make a Craigslist ad and tell people it will be cash only Too many bad experiences when I tried to sell my 3DS on there, and when some dude tried to screw me over.

Well I can't really say much for Dolphin since I have yet to experiment much. I might move to development builds and retest when I get the chance to see if the speed is any better than the current stable release, mind you though my speeds are referring to performance using OpenGL with the vertex streaming hack, not DirectX 9 which may be faster. As for PCSX2 well I'm able to run Shadow of the Colossus at "full speed" using the recommended settings on the wiki while playing at 2x internal resolution (it might work at higher resolutions) though I also haven't gone through any sort of thorough game testing on that end either. Something I should mention is that while the resolution is solid for a 14' display the screen itself leaves a bit to be desired. If you mess with Lenovo's OneKey Theater presets you can make the contrast look nicer at the expense of losing some detail but it's a band-aid fix at best especially since it also affects audio settings. And this is a single GPU setup. In all honesty with all the heat it's already capable of putting I'm not sure if I even want to imagine what an SLI setup would do to it. Anyways let me know any other specifics you want to know, tomorrow I should have some time to mess around.

Yeah, still kinda torn between the y410p, y510p and the Sager notebook. The lack of a number pad on the y410p just feels weird to me, I dunno, hard to describe....

 

[Ryukouki]

Oh hell no, I'm not going to sell on eBay, so no worries I refuse to sell on there, but I can sell it by making a thread on here, or make a Craigslist ad and tell people it will be cash only

I edited, to make it more generalized in terms of online selling. Best of luck. eBay is...best for small commodities...

 

[the_randomizer]

I edited, to make it more generalized in terms of online selling. Best of luck. eBay is...best for small commodities...

Whoops, yeah, just saw that, I will be careful, far too many people want to screw you over but I think I'll try Craigslist, or even Amazon and make an ad on there as that will be more reliable (I think) than eBay. Or make a WTS thread on here.

 

[the_randomizer]

Ryukouki, PityOnU trumpet-205 Okay, so a bit of a concern with the OS that these laptops are coming with: Windows 8.1. I have been using Windows 7 since the beta stages and have grown to love it since it has been the most stable OS I have ever used (only two BSODs in all the years I've been using it). People have told me time and time again that 8.1 is better for laptops and has the start button once more, but there are reasons I am wary about using it. One, I've heard horror stories about hardware driver incompatibilities, same with emulators and other programs. If I had a dime every time I heard about programs not loading properly in Windows 8/8.1, I'd be a millionaire. I'm perturbed by the fact I can download a driver for a GPU or sound card and have it not install for not being compatible. That, and that awful Metro GUI, it looks like it was designed exclusively for touch screen and not PCs. Once I get the laptop, should I keep it or wipe the HDD and put 7 on?

 

[trumpet-205]

If you know your way around a computer, which you are, you should wipe the HDD and install Windows 7. Do this after you created recovery discs though.

Wiping HDD for OS install removes all bloatware OEM computer comes with.

 

[the_randomizer]

If you know your way around a computer, which you are, you should wipe the HDD and install Windows 7. Do this after you created recovery discs though.

Wiping HDD for OS install removes all bloatware OEM computer comes with.

Out of curiosity, why would I need to make recovery discs? Are they for necessary drivers or another vital part of the OS that needs backing up? Just thought I'd ask But yeah, I was planning on going to Windows 7 since I'm wary about going with 8 or 8.1. I want to get rid of all the bloatware, it's useless and only the uniformed fall into its trap

 

[trumpet-205]

Just a precaution in case something goes wrong.

 

[the_randomizer]

Just a precaution in case something goes wrong.

You mean a recovery disk for the Windows 7 OS itself? Luckily I can get it for free legally

 

[GamerzHell9137]

Laptop and Gaming a big No No

 

[the_randomizer]

Laptop and Gaming a big No No

Lolwut? Uh, it is designed to play games, there are plenty of benchmark test result on the web. It's my laptop and I can do what I damn well please

 

[GamerzHell9137]

Lolwut?

Never buy a laptop for gaming. Never!

 

[the_randomizer]

Never buy a laptop for gaming. Never!

*Sigh* Too bad as I've used my current laptop for emulation and PC games and it still runs, so..... I can what I damn well please It has a dedicated GPU, there are benchmark test results all over the internet, there are YouTube videos that show this machine running games, so.....Yeah. Please don't clutter up my thread by telling me what not to do. Please, just don't. The machine is more than capable of running emulators and PC games, there is plenty of proof out there to substantiate that claim. It's my laptop, I can sell it if I want to and I can get another one if I so choose. It won't be my primary machine, but for on the go or going to a friend's house, it's convenient.

If I was running off battery power only, yes, that would be a concern. But, man, I'm going to use it for occasional gaming whether you want me to or not.

 

[GamerzHell9137]

*Sigh* Too bad as I've used my current laptop for emulation and PC games and it still runs, so..... I can what I damn well please It has a dedicated GPU, there are benchmark test results all over the internet, there are YouTube videos that show this machine running games, so.....Yeah. Please don't clutter up my thread by telling me what not to do. Please, just don't. The machine is more than capable of running emulators and PC games, there is plenty of proof out there to substantiate that claim. It's my laptop, I can sell it if I want to and I can get another one if I so choose. It won't be my primary machine, but for on the go or going to a friend's house, it's convenient.

I have some friends that melted their Laptops with emulating ;A;

 

[PityOnU]

Before I get into this, here is some information so you can know where I am coming from and make you judgment accordingly.

My system: Dell Precision M4700
Processor: Intel i7-3520M
GPU: AMD FirePro M4000
Main Memory: 16.0 GB DDR3-1600
Storage: Samsung 830 256GB SSD
Samsung PM830 128GB SSD
OS: Windows 8 Pro

I am also a Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer (for whatever that's worth)

Okay, so a bit of a concern with the OS that these laptops are coming with: Windows 8.1. I have been using Windows 7 since the beta stages and have grown to love it since it has been the most stable OS I have ever used (only two BSODs in all the years I've been using it). People have told me time and time again that 8.1 is better for laptops and has the start button once more, but there are reasons I am wary about using it. One, I've heard horror stories about hardware driver incompatibilities. I'm perturbed by the fact I can download a driver for a GPU or sound card and have it not install for not being compatible.

Like Windows 7 before it, Windows 8 is backwards compatible with Windows XP (citation needed, someone please confirm), Vista, and 7 drivers. If it works for you now, it will work with Windows 8.

Getting drivers is also stupidly easy now via Windows Update. Gone are ye olden days where you had to scour the web for each individual device on your system.

I have yet to have any blue screens. At all.

same with emulators and other programs. If I had a dime every time I heard about programs not loading properly in Windows 8/8.1, I'd be a millionaire.

Windows 8 streamlines a lot of things by removing backwards compatibility with old version of .NET by default. This is smart as there is less of an attack surface for malware. However, the first time you try to run a program which requires the libraries in question, Windows will prompt you and tell you what is needed, and ask if you want to install it. The whole process takes about 5 minutes.

I have used Windows 8 since it was released (last October?) and have yet to have any problems with running any software, emulators or otherwise.

That, and that awful Metro GUI, it looks like it was designed exclusively for touch screen and not PCs.

It was. But the Modern UI (that's what it's called now) is optional, and has been from day one. Windows is incredibly modular. One of the first things I did was disable all the Modern UI features. I think with 8.1, you can even disable the "hot corners" as well, meaning that short of the start screen there is no Modern GUI at all. Microsoft designed the system to be able to do that, so that you can have one OS for every device, no matter the interface requirements.

trumpet-205 : I didn't realize you had changed your avatar! A thought you disappeared months ago! Wow, I am dumb.

 

[the_randomizer]

I have some friends that melted their Laptops with emulating ;A;

Uh, there is a market for gaming laptops. I've never had an issue with gaming on my laptop, so yeah. Lenovo has a gaming laptop line, so does Asus, Sager, MSI, Sony, etc.

http://www.xoticpc.com/sager-np4650-clevo-w650sh-p-5997.html

This proves that there are gaming machines, built for gaming. Your friends used laptops that were not designed for gaming in mind. No one I know that has gamed on their laptops has ever had an issue. Your friends just used crappy machines Please, spare me your lectures. Argument invalidated.

Before I get into this, here is some information so you can know where I am coming from and make you judgment accordingly.

My system: Dell Precision M4700
Processor: Intel i7-3520M
GPU: AMD FirePro M4000
Main Memory: 16.0 GB DDR3-1600
Storage: Samsung 830 256GB SSD
Samsung PM830 128GB SSD
OS: Windows 8 Pro

I am also a Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer (for whatever that's worth)

Like Windows 7 before it, Windows 8 is backwards compatible with Windows XP (citation needed, someone please confirm), Vista, and 7 drivers. If it works for you now, it will work with Windows 8.

Getting drivers is also stupidly easy now via Windows Update. Gone are ye olden days where you had to scour the web for each individual device on your system.

I have yet to have any blue screens. At all.

Windows 8 streamlines a lot of things by removing backwards compatibility with old version of .NET by default. This is smart as there is less of an attack surface for malware. However, the first time you try to run a program which requires the libraries in question, Windows will prompt you and tell you what is needed, and ask if you want to install it. The whole process takes about 5 minutes.

I have used Windows 8 since it was released (last October?) and have yet to have any problems with running any software, emulators or otherwise.

It was. But the Modern UI (that's what it's called now) is optional, and has been from day one. Windows is incredibly modular. One of the first things I did was disable all the Modern UI features. I think with 8.1, you can even disable the "hot corners" as well, meaning that short of the touch screen there is no Modern GUI at all. Microsoft designed the system to be able to do that, so that you can have one OS for every device, no matter the interface requirements.


trumpet-205 : I didn't realize you had changed your avatar! A thought you disappeared months ago! Wow, I am dumb.

Still, I'm wary, but at least it installs the libraries. I'll give it more thought, and again, I'm biased to Windows 7, but to each their own I guess. As long as I can run the same things on my other laptop, I can't complain

 

[GamerzHell9137]

Uh, there is a market for gaming laptops. I've never had an issue with gaming on my laptop, so yeah. Lenovo has a gaming laptop line, so does Asus, Sager, MSI, Lenovo,

http://www.xoticpc.com/sager-np4650-clevo-w650sh-p-5997.html

This proves that there are gaming machines, built for gaming. Your friends used laptops that were not designed for gaming in mind. No one I know that has gamed on their laptops has ever had an issue. Your friends just used crappy machines Please, spare me your lectures.

That GPU and CPU are 80% stronger than my PC and the PC costed 350 bucks 2 years ago.
I think that you can get a lot better PC with that 820 price tag.

 

[the_randomizer]

That GPU and CPU are 80% stronger than my PC and the PC costed 350 bucks 2 years ago.
I think that you can get a lot better PC with that 820 price tag.

I already have a PC, this is for when I'm on the go (parent's house, friends, moving around the apartment), like I said if you read the first post in the thread. I'm getting sick of this... I know desktops are better and I already have one. I know what I'm doing, but please stop telling me what to do. There are gaming laptops, but I can't take my desktop everywhere I go when I visit people. This is more convenient.

 

[GamerzHell9137]

I already have a PC, this is for when I'm on the go (parent's house, friends, moving around the apartment), like I said if you read the first post in the thread. I'm getting sick of this bullshit, I know desktops are better and I already have one. I know what I'm doing, but please stop telling me what to do. This is your final warning.

Haven't read the first post and yeah, sorry for trying to help u -_-