Laptop help

[Angel Khalim]

I am not a computer person but I am looking for a new laptop and I need a little help.  I am not looking for a gaming computer just one that allows me to run SL on high graphics and be able to use the shadows because I blog. Here are the specs on the computer I am looking at. 

 2.7GHz AMD 2nd Generation A6-4400M dual-core APU

6 GB DDR3

640 GB 5400RPM SATA

AMD Radeon HD 7520G discrete-class graphics Up to 3053MB total graphics memory

[Melita Magic]

I would love to know some specs for a desktop computer which would run SL well.

Ideally, people are welcome to choose all or any combination of these categories:

Runs SL well without crashing

Runs SL extremely well, with optimal viewing and performance

Budget below $600 USD

Budget below $1000 USD

Budget below $2000 USD

Of course if option 2 can be had cheaper than any of those, that's great; but not expected.

Grateful for any feedback. Thank you.

[Knowl Paine]

That graphics chip is Integrated.

You would want a graphics card that has it's own fan, and memory, on a separate circuit board.

A dedicated graphic card.

Have you considered getting a Desktop PC?

 

Most new PC's, have a 30 day return period. Create an alt, run SL, if you're not happy with the PC's performance, return it. Don't add any of your personal data to the PC, until you know if you're going to keep it.

Get the best full replacement / extended warranty you can buy.

 

Technology is advancing, and integrated graphics chipsets will be the way of the future, but for now; they just can't take the heat. They should stay out of the kitchen, imo.

 

Two photos, showing the 2 Graphics card types.

 

 

 

[SweetArashi]

HP has options for all budgets. I recently ordered a customized, special ed Dv6 from them and so far, its awesome. Its not the best of the best, but for my money, I got a great deal.

http://www.shopping.hp.com/

 

Now that I think of it: I would recommend, if you can afford it, to get an Intel i3 [at least, I've got an i5] processor and a dedicated graphics card. Dedicated graphics with 1GB would do nicely, but I think SL would run okay even with a graphics card that has 512MB dedicated memory.

[Peggy Paperdoll]

It's a mid-range graphics adapter which means it will probably run SL fairly well for most purposes.........high settings with a compromise on texture lag would be expected.  Shadows is going to give that card fits.....I think you are going to be disappointed running that feature.

Not very many desktops that are not pretty high end (gaming rigs or very close) can run shadows without significant texture issues........and even fewer laptops.  To get a laptop that will run SL at high and shadows you're going to have to lay out some substanial USD ($1500 would not surprise me for a laptop that barely runs shadows).

 

http://www.notebookcheck.net/AMD-Radeon-HD-7520G.71728.0.html

[steeljane42]

If you want to build a really good PC that will run SL and most of other stuff just fine, then I'll suggest something like that:

CPU: Intel i5 3470 or 3570k ( if you're planning to overclock CPU ). Do not buy AMD cpu for gaming, their PPC (perfomance per core ) is terrible compared to intel ones and since most of apps still doesn't use more than 2/4 cores, PPC is more important than ammount of cores.

Motherboard: any ATX ( do not buy mATX for a gaming rig, they are smaller and have less power phases for CPU ) H77 for ( 3470 ) or z77 ( for 3570k ), preferable not the cheapest one though. I like Asus and Asrock ones.

RAM: 8-16GB of DDR3, 1333 or 1600 doesn't matter that much in normal apps, so even cheapest 1333mhz one will do.

GPU: 660GTX Ti or 670GTX or 680GTX, depends how much you want to spend. There's AMD alternative too, but based on my bad experience with their cards for a few years, I won't suggest those, although they are a bit cheaper.

Power Supply: any quality 80+ bronze certified one, at least 600w. While 600w is not really needed, it's never good to run system that need let's say 450w on 450w PS, they lose a bit of their power as they age, so it's good to have a bit more than needed. My favorite brands are Corsair and Seasonic.

Case: with good airflow ( at least 1 intake fan and 1 exhaust fan, but the more slots the better ) and not too small, good GPUs are big, then just won't fit in to some small cases.

SSD/HDD: depends on what do you need from PC. Generally these days for ok builds people buy 1 64-128GB SSD to install OS, software and games there ( for games it's better to have 128gb one ) and 1-2TB HDD for the rest of stuff, like music, movies and other stuff.

SSD: crucial m4 is good stuff for it's money.

HDD: any brand, but assuming you will put SL cache there and maybe some games, 7200rpm one, 5400rpm are more quiet, but slower. If you don't need SSD, then just HDD will do too.

 

Depends on the prices and brands it should be about 1k $ with 660TI GPU.

 

I strongly suggest to NOT buy pre-built PCs, they are overpriced and/or have terrible combination of hardware. Like a good high end CPU with low end GPU and terrible power supply, which means you will need to change it if you want to buy a better GPU.

And I'm saying gaming rig, because SL is very demanding or rather horrible optimised, it won't run smooth on a budget PC at all, even at high settings leave alone ultra ones.

 

P.S.

Sorry OP, don't know much about laptops, so can't suggest anything other than staying away from laptops when it comes to gaming. =(

[Peggy Paperdoll]

Melita, check out

http://www.magicmicro.com/?gclid=CK2qxrbe47ICFdGizAodRk0Amw

 

Just the other day I worked up a system to replace my current machine (I didn't order it because, right now, it's a little too close to Christmas and my checking account needs a break).  I came up with a custom computer for $850 USD that is very close to a gaming rig......but I do have hardware in this machine that I will transfer to the new one so I did save some dollars there (probably about $200).  I've had a total of three computers built by Magic Micro over the last 3 or 4 years (two for others, one for me).  They will assemble the machine, test and burn it in for you and install your operating system for you so all you have to do is unpack it, plug it in, activate your Windows (if that is your OS) and then start doing all that setting stuff you do with any new computer.  You can not get the same performance computer for anywhere near the price with an off the shelf computer.  It's custom built according to your desires.  Just pick a base "starter" machine and then go to customize and buy.  Experiment with different hardware concentrating on the important stuff (like CPU, GPU, memory ect.........remember the high performance video cards need high wattage power supplies.  600 watts should do you unless you get two video cards).

Another place that looks good too but I've not tried them is

http://www.portatech.com/catalog/products.asp?id=1239&gclid=CKPk-KzXn7QCFUdxQgodRxIANw

Do the same thing......pick a base machine and customize.  The customization software for Portatech is a little easier to use since, according to what you change or add, it gives recommendations.  The only thing about that is that some of recommendations might be a little over the top (price wise).  The total cost for the work-ups I did a few days ago were pretty much the same.

I know Micro Magic is reliable and there service is excellent.......but no experience with Portatech (I'm sure they are good too....they ain't fly by nights).

[Peggy Paperdoll]

If we could give kudos in this section I'd give you one (or two ).  Pretty much my thoughts for a good system for, not only SL, but everything.  I havent' convinced myself I need an SSD...........I use 2 HDD's (one for most of my stuff and one for data and system backups, music, pictures, and videos too).  Two 500 gig HDD's are very much more than I will ever need in the forseeable future (my primary hard drive is about 20% full and my secondary is about 15%).

[Melita Magic]

Thank you so much, steeljane42 and Peggy. I will be checking into each option.

Others may still feel free to chime in, if they wish, on desktops.

[solstyse]

I'll be spending the rest of my night on that micromagic link now. Thanks a lot, Peggy Paperdoll, and I mean that sincerely. So far, the options I've been looking at on newegg and tigerdirect just don't compete with the cost of a ready-made computer from Staples.

As for ready-made vs. custom, the OP should be told that all the custom options listed are for desktops. If portability is a concern to the OP, then the laptop originally mentioned may be the best. (edit: Not THAT laptop. A different laptop. Sorry.)If the computer is going to mainly sit in one building, then I agree with everyone that a desktop, whether prebuilt or custom is going to give much better results for the money. I'm currently on a laptop that I paid $500 for three years ago, and currently lists on newegg for $650. When looking at any laptop or prebuilt desktop, look for promotions and special deals. That's how the cost of a prebuilt can be equal or better than a custom machine.

Avoid the AMD APU. It IS the plague. I have one, and it is the achilles heal in my machine. Right now, what you want is a third generation Intel core processor. i3, i5, or i7, depending on your budget. The next digit after that should be a 3, NOT a 2. (Eg I3-3xxx)

512 mb dedicated memory? Are you playing limbo to see how low you can go? lol. That's too low. Your machine will fall flat on it's back. And honestly, I think you'd have to find a machine that's quite old if you want anything under 1g dedicated to video anymore.

If it absolutely must be a laptop, then check out the "ultrabook" line. All ultrabooks have the third gen Intel core processors. They are rumored to handle graphics much better than a "normal" laptop. And as an added bonus, since the only reason to buy a laptop is that you want it to be portable, they are all less than an inch thick.

P.S. I just re-read the original post. Only dual core AND an APU... Sorry OP, but that's a recipe for buyers remorse. As for memory, it's cheap. If you need to skimp on ram to fit your budget, then get the better intel chipset with 4 gb of ddr3, and if you notice any problems, you can always upgrade to 6 gb for only $20 (And that price is from a brick-and-mortar store.)

[161488303349]

if you decide to get a NVidia gfx card then look at this graph first. the one on the bottom. can see what the numbers mean and how they compare performance wise

 

http://www.geforce.com/hardware/desktop-gpus/geforce-gtx-660/performance

[honerken]

---

steeljane42 wrote:

If you want to build a really good PC that will run SL and most of other stuff just fine, then I'll suggest something like that:

CPU: Intel i5 3470 or 3570k ( if you're planning to overclock CPU ). Do not buy AMD cpu for gaming, their PPC (perfomance per core ) is terrible compared to intel ones and since most of apps still doesn't use more than 2/4 cores, PPC is more important than ammount of cores.

Motherboard: any ATX ( do not buy mATX for a gaming rig, they are smaller and have less power phases for CPU ) H77 for ( 3470 ) or z77 ( for 3570k ), preferable not the cheapest one though. I like Asus and Asrock ones.

RAM: 8-16GB of DDR3, 1333 or 1600 doesn't matter that much in normal apps, so even cheapest 1333mhz one will do.

GPU: 660GTX Ti or 670GTX or 680GTX, depends how much you want to spend. There's AMD alternative too, but based on my bad experience with their cards for a few years, I won't suggest those, although they are a bit cheaper.

Power Supply: any quality 80+ bronze certified one, at least 600w. While 600w is not really needed, it's never good to run system that need let's say 450w on 450w PS, they lose a bit of their power as they age, so it's good to have a bit more than needed. My favorite brands are Corsair and Seasonic.

Case: with good airflow ( at least 1 intake fan and 1 exhaust fan, but the more slots the better ) and not too small, good GPUs are big, then just won't fit in to some small cases.

SSD/HDD: depends on what do you need from PC. Generally these days for ok builds people buy 1 64-128GB SSD to install OS, software and games there ( for games it's better to have 128gb one ) and 1-2TB HDD for the rest of stuff, like music, movies and other stuff.

SSD: crucial m4 is good stuff for it's money.

HDD: any brand, but assuming you will put SL cache there and maybe some games, 7200rpm one, 5400rpm are more quiet, but slower. If you don't need SSD, then just HDD will do too.

 

Depends on the prices and brands it should be about 1k $ with 660TI GPU.

 

I strongly suggest to NOT buy pre-built PCs, they are overpriced and/or have terrible combination of hardware. Like a good high end CPU with low end GPU and terrible power supply, which means you will need to change it if you want to buy a better GPU.

And I'm saying gaming rig, because SL is very demanding or rather horrible optimised, it won't run smooth on a budget PC at all, even at high settings leave alone ultra ones.

 

P.S.

Sorry OP, don't know much about laptops, so can't suggest anything other than staying away from laptops when it comes to gaming. =(

---

Why is it that people like this always come into these topic posting parts for high end super computers?  Speaking as a person with a high end machine (gtx680 and i7 2600), unless you want to play a game that needs a needs high specs (like Farcry 3 or Planetside 2) on max settings, you do not need to waste your money for a computer like that just to play "Second Life."  Second life on Max settings does not look all that better than SL on medium.  

 

gtx 660 ti and up cost over 300 dollars, and I certainly think you can run most things fine with a $100 card.  On my other computer, my 4 year old graphic card can run this game just fine on MAX settings.

[steeljane42]

ORLY, that is a high end PC config? Sorry, didn't know it. /sarcasm

1. That is NOT high end PC. It's a starting level for a good PC which will run everything including SL fine for a few years (it's better to buy one decent PC once 3 or so years, than buy bad PC and change it's part every year ).

2. I dare you to post how many FPS do you get with your 100$ or 4 year old card on Ultra settings + tweaks ( you said MAX and it is MAX ) using at least 1920x1080 resolution in crowded sim. Actually don't bother, because i know for sure that even 2 gens old top GPU 480GTX is not enough for that ( have it in my 3rd PC ).

3. SL does looks like day and night between high/ultra and medium/low settings.

4. The post I replied to had a few options, including budget below 2000$.

5. SL is terrible optimisation wise. It reminds me of console emulators. If you're familiar with those you should understand. You need at least 500$ PC to emulate (to play with decent FPS) 13 years old PS2 which has 299mhz CPU and 32MB of RAM with 148mhz GPU.

Same for SL, modern games such as BF3 or Skyrim may run decent on "meh" config, but SL won't. In fact, I have more GPU usage in SL than I have in Skyrim without graphics mods.

[161488303349]

depends on what the ordinary user wants to see

I have a laptop with GT230M. it goes ok on High. Atmospheric shaders and no anti-aliasing. for just playing is ok and acceptable to good FPS most times

if want to play on Ultra with shadows and subtle physics and depth of field and full on anti-aliasing tho then is no good. shadows will crash/timeout on Windows. so  I get a GTX660 to play that way

[Melita Magic]

Among Nvidia graphics cards what would you say? Which ones? For a desktop.

I'm getting more serious about this. Also I want to be able to run more than one program at once, for instance, blender, SL, photoshop, at the same time if possible.

[Peggy Paperdoll]

Melita.  I don't know who you asked but I'll give you my thoughts on a video card for your new desktop.  I'm not one to advocate purchasing more than you need (well, a little overkill is good but I will never recommend going for the best of the best when talking about a video card for SL).  I would recommend that you stick with a mid-range gaming card.  For nVidia cards that means the second number in the model number being 5 or greater (the higher, the "better").  The current newest series for nVidia cards is the 600 series.  For a brand new computer (like you are getting) I would try to stay with the newest series simply to get the benefit of a longer time before "obsolescence" (maybe up to a year but most likely 6 months).  I did a very quick Google search to get an idea of cost for 4 different cards that I know will give good performance in SL.  What I found it that if you go with the 600 series the lowest card I would recommend is the GTX 650......about $250 USD.  The highest card in the 600 series l would be GTX 660 Ti.........about $280 USD.  Those two are the cards in the newest series I would recommend (anything higher in performance such as a 670, 680 or 690) is going to be quite a bit more expensive and the benefit you would realize in SL would not be noticable..........the GTX 690 card is $1000 plus USD).  I happen to think $250 is a little steep (I'm a tightwad).  So I looked at the 500 series.  A 560 card is about $125 to $170 (depending on where you look......Newegg.com was about $125).  And the 550 Ti is right at $100 (that's the card I have in this computer right now).  All those card will run SL at high settings with no problems........I can tell you that my GTX 550 Ti shows a 5 to 10 frame rate drop with shadows and DOF enabled but it runs those setting fine (around 20 to 25 FPS).  All those cards will run multiple instances of the SL viewer (up to three that I can vouch for since that's all the accounts I have and therefore all I've ever logged in at once).  All those cards can run SL, GIMP, have multiple tabs open in IE, stream music or video, and/or play stored media across my home network to my TV or my friends computer......at the same time.  That really isn't taxing your video card much and most any card can do that same quite well.  If you want to run multiple monitors then a 670 or 570 card might be best..........but for a single monitor I would not recommend spending more money than the price of the 660 card (and that, for me, is a little more than I would ever need in a card so I'd go the 650 myself).

Hope that helps.

[TristanMercer]

I currently have the EVGA GTX 650ti card in my system right now.

It can run dual monitors no problem. It is also a short two slot card so it will fit most cases. One thing you will want to make sure of, if you get the 650ti is a power supply that can run it. You will need atleast one rail(6 pin connector) to be rated at atleast 20 amps. For my power supply upgrade, I got an Antec 650 watt. Be sure to check the specs on the power supply. Would be better if it has more than 1 rail that both rails are over 20amps (My Antec is 23 and 20 amps).

I got my video card at Best Buy - $199 on sale

Antec Power supply was $65.

After tax, I spent about $286 on just these two components. Anything more than the 650ti or the 660 is just overkill and not needed.

[Melita Magic]

Thank you so much Peggy and Tristan. That was very helpful.

The question was to anyone who wanted to help. Sorry for not being clearer on that.

Starting to get excited, and don't feel nearly as lost in the dark. Thank you.

[161488303349]

i done a stress test on my Asus NVidia GTX660 on Windows 8 (64)

3 x linden official 3.4.3 viewers all open at same time

Ultra settings and 512m draw distance and 16x anti-aliasing for all 3. (i turn off DOF bc i dont like fuzzy)

Linden Realms (to show all mesh) goes 55 about

Half Hitch (to show water reflections) goes 19 about

Sanctuary Rock (to show heaps animated avatars) goes 36 about

+

so i think GTX660 is pretty good for just about anything to do with multi-tasking graphics programs on Windows 8

i also got 16GB RAM so i think that helps as well to make all 3 go at the same time

and i had MS Paint open at same time as you can see

+

hope this can help you to decide what to get. can only get the best you afford. but bc you make stuff for sale then I think be wise to get best one you can afford

once you get over $200 to buy then compare say $200 to $250. is like $50 more. you already commit to the $200 tho bc you going get at least that much worths anyways. so what do I get for my $50?

is kinda how I decide when I buy expensive stuff. I was nearly get the 560 then I thought to pay the little relative bit extra and get the 660

 

edit: that didnt come out very well. I try again

I go in the shop. I already commit/spent the $200 (even if I havent paid yet) so regardless of what I do next then the $200 is not mine anymore

so next decision is do I leave the shop with $0 or -$50. and if is -$50 then what did i get for it?

 

+

[Melita Magic]

yes I'm the same with money which is why money and me is similar to a barrel and Niagara

But I do think it's cost effective, in a way. 50 more, but twice as nice. Makes sense to me.

I don't make things yet but I want to. It is time for my next phase of SL. Says Father Time. Only 2 more days. Happy 2013

[Melita Magic]

PS your little person on bottom right corner looks like they are having fun - or keeping warm, not sure which one.

[161488303349]

lol yes

I was on the dance ball they got there. it just happened to snap that way oh! well jejejejjee  (:

[Melita Magic]

Old school dances are fun. I still use an old freebie danceball with the original old SL dances in it. 

Now I want to try to run 3 windows just to see how many places I can go at once. Synchronous adventuring bilocating avatar.

[161488303349]

is quite fun sometimes

like can do 2 different things at same time and just go from one to next. like quite often I can/be helping some person in one like all serious. and be shopping in other or just playing on my board (:

also can swap trans clothes and stuff quite easy and try them on when both logged in at same time.i do shapes quite a bit that way

main thing tho is when you building. like can have two or more views of what you building at the same time. is really useful that is

[Peggy Paperdoll]

Multiple avatars logged in at the same time only confuses this one track girl.