suggestions Gaming Laptop Suggestions ( ONLY ) for SECOND LIFE

[CansuConte]

Hello wonderful people, i’m gonna get a good gaming laptop (Budget 1k - ish )  ( ONLY ) for SL. I have a work laptop ( macbook m1) But want a seperate gaming laptop just for SL. The one i’m thinking to get haves this specs:

Item model number ‎FA507NV#B0CLLV8CR3 

Manufacturer ‎ASUS 

Series ‎FA507NV-LP025W 

Screen Resolution ‎1920 x 1080 pixels 

Resolution ‎1920x1080 

Processor Brand ‎AMD 

Processor Type ‎Ryzen 5 

Processor Speed ‎3.3 GHz 

Processor Count ‎1 

Memory Technology ‎Lpddr 5 

Maximum Memory Supported ‎16 GB 

Hard Disk Description ‎SSD 

Hard Drive Interface ‎PCIE x 4 

Graphics Coprocessor ‎NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 

Graphics Chipset Brand ‎NVIDIA 

Graphics Card Description ‎NVIDIA RTX 4060 

Graphics RAM Type ‎VRAM 

Graphics Card Ram Size ‎8 GB 

Graphics Card Interface ‎PCI Express

Is this a good gaming laptop for SL? 
Thanks for helping in advance. 

Edited May 5 by CansuConte
Miss typed a word in the title

[AmeliaJ08]

Yes, it's fine. CPU and GPU are more than sufficient.

There is a slight weirdness:

"Memory Technology ‎Lpddr 5, Maximum Memory Supported ‎16 GB" which seems like an error, that chip can support a lot more RAM. I'm beginning to wonder if it has soldered/non upgradeable RAM though? you might want to check because if it does I'd suggest looking to another model, you want the ability to go beyond 16GB of RAM which should be considered the minimum spec these days. I believe LPDDR5 does usually signify soldered/non upgradable RAM but you might want to confirm this. If it is soldered you may want to look at a different model or see if there is a 32 or 64GB soldered RAM option.

16GB will work but don't expect a huge long life out of a machine that cannot go beyond this amount, the specs are good though and it would make a fine SL machine.

 

Edited May 5 by AmeliaJ08

[Rick Nightingale]

I'm far from up to date on laptop specs but is that 16GB maximum RAM supported accurate? That is low, and I would say minimal for SL or anything. I wouldn't put in less than 32GB myself.

Edit - ha, beaten to it by AmeliaJ08

Edited May 5 by Rick Nightingale

[gwynchisholm]

If it’s only for secondlife, prioritize the cpu performance over the GPU. You want something with a higher tier of mobile cpu than the usual ULV options.

Something like this

https://www.newegg.com/obsidian-black-acer-nitro-v-anv15-51-75he-gaming/p/N82E16834360319

 

To explain why, The difference between the letter designation on the end of Intel and amd CPUs is related to their power targets. For Intel the H mobile processors are 45 watt chips that are a little closer to their desktop counterparts (though not equivalent). U chips are the ones you normally see in most machines and a lot of lower end gaming laptops, or ones with thin and light designs, they’re 15 watt options. What this means in total is just a higher wattage chip will run at higher clock speeds, sustain them for longer, usually they offer more cores or threads. In this example that nitro v has an i7 13620H which is the 45w equivalent to a conventional ULV 13th gen i7, the 1365U

https://www.cpubenchmark.net/compare/5283vs5266/Intel-i7-13620H-vs-Intel-i7-1365U

Aim for stuff like that. SL runs on anything, but it’s heavily impacted by cpu performance. The more powerful the cpu the better.

 

[Rick Nightingale]

Looks like it is inaccurate. A quick google shows up to 96GB (but uncertain; far more mentions of 64GB). That's more like I would expect. Put at least 32GB in. I see 64 as a minimum for my assorted uses, but that might be overkill just for SL use.

Why??? Texture memory.

Edited May 5 by Rick Nightingale

[gwynchisholm]

4 minutes ago, Rick Nightingale said:

Looks like it is inaccurate. A quick google shows up to 96GB (but uncertain; far more mentions of 64GB). That's more like I would expect. Put at least 32GB in. I see 64 as a minimum for my assorted uses, but that might be overkill just for SL use.

For DDR5 platforms there are 48gb dimms now. So 96gb would be its limit with two slots.

Desktop ddr5 boards for example support up to 192gb.

I think 32 would be the most preferable, and most of these gaming laptops use single 16gb dimms anyway because it’s cheaper in manufacturing. So dropping another 16gb in would be easy. Though for a single instance of SL I think 16gb would be plenty, though that depends on the individual user.

[AmeliaJ08]

11 minutes ago, gwynchisholm said:

If it’s only for secondlife, prioritize the cpu performance over the GPU. You want something with a higher tier of mobile cpu than the usual ULV options.

Something like this

https://www.newegg.com/obsidian-black-acer-nitro-v-anv15-51-75he-gaming/p/N82E16834360319

 

To explain why, The difference between the letter designation on the end of Intel and amd CPUs is related to their power targets. For Intel the H mobile processors are 45 watt chips that are a little closer to their desktop counterparts (though not equivalent). U chips are the ones you normally see in most machines and a lot of lower end gaming laptops, or ones with thin and light designs, they’re 15 watt options. What this means in total is just a higher wattage chip will run at higher clock speeds, sustain them for longer, usually they offer more cores or threads. In this example that nitro v has an i7 13620H which is the 45w equivalent to a conventional ULV 13th gen i7, the 1365U

https://www.cpubenchmark.net/compare/5283vs5266/Intel-i7-13620H-vs-Intel-i7-1365U

Aim for stuff like that. SL runs on anything, but it’s heavily impacted by cpu performance. The more powerful the cpu the better.

 

Its a AMD Ryzen 5-7535HS apparently, 35W. I think it would be fine, could probably be compared to a 10th gen 12 thread 50W i7 mobile/H or something? probably a little better even. Those Ryzens do a lot with a few watts.

Edited May 5 by AmeliaJ08

[gwynchisholm]

5 minutes ago, AmeliaJ08 said:

Its a AMD Ryzen 5-7535HS apparently, 35W. I think it would be fine, could probably be compared to a 10th gen 12 thread 50W i7 mobile/H or something? probably a little better even. Those Ryzens do a lot with a few watts.

Slower by a decent bit

https://www.cpubenchmark.net/compare/5283vs5266vs5403/Intel-i7-13620H-vs-Intel-i7-1365U-vs-AMD-Ryzen-5-7535HS

Most notably in multicore which isn’t a huge deal for SL, but in single core it’s a lot slower which will be an issue for sl.

[CansuConte]

Thankyou for your replies to this post! I’m a little bit confused now since i’m not a techy kinda girl. If i understood correctly. The shown example of this Gaming laptop: ( https://www.newegg.com/obsidian-black-acer-nitro-v-anv15-51-75he-gaming/p/N82E16834360319 ) is the right way to go for? 

[Bree Giffen]

16gb is fine. It has an SSD drive so starting up SL should be fast.

15.6 inch screen is fine. I wouldn't get any screen size smaller.

It is 4.85 lbs. Not great to carry but most gaming laptops are not. Very light gaming laptops are super expensive. 

The Newegg listing is an Intel cpu version and not the AMD cpu version you listed in your first post. The intel version has an RTX4050 gpu not a RTX4060 gpu. I don't think anyone would notice the difference in SL. 

[Carolyn Zapedzki]

You need more  like 32g of ram

This is mine and it runs SL in ultra mode with ease

CPU: 11th Gen Intel(R) Core(TM) i9-11900K @ 3.50GHz (3504 MHz)
Memory: 65365 MB (Used: 1994 MB)
Concurrency: 16
OS Version: Microsoft Windows 11 64-bit (Build 22631.3447)
Graphics Card Vendor: NVIDIA Corporation
Graphics Card: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080/PCIe/SSE2
Graphics Card Memory: 10240 MB

[CansuConte]

Thanks for the replies! Bare in mind that this will be my “ second “ laptop. My macbook m1 is my priority of using it in daily tasks & work related stuff. I really wanna get a gaming pc just for SL. So i don’t know if i should get the 32  Ram one or the 16 one. 

[AmeliaJ08]

3 hours ago, gwynchisholm said:

Slower by a decent bit

https://www.cpubenchmark.net/compare/5283vs5266vs5403/Intel-i7-13620H-vs-Intel-i7-1365U-vs-AMD-Ryzen-5-7535HS

Most notably in multicore which isn’t a huge deal for SL, but in single core it’s a lot slower which will be an issue for sl.

I was thinking more like a 10750H or something, a 6 core/12 thread 50W CPU but sure.

I think that Ryzen will be more than fast enough though, it's not a slouch by any means.

[AmeliaJ08]

33 minutes ago, CansuConte said:

Thanks for the replies! Bare in mind that this will be my “ second “ laptop. My macbook m1 is my priority of using it in daily tasks & work related stuff. I really wanna get a gaming pc just for SL. So i don’t know if i should get the 32  Ram one or the 16 one. 

I'd say either are fine, 16 in my experience is enough for SL but I do like headroom so... the 32GB is fine too

I know it can be quite an expensive option with these soldered RAM laptops though, they really get you with that...

 

[AmeliaJ08]

2 hours ago, Bree Giffen said:

16gb is fine. It has an SSD drive so starting up SL should be fast.

15.6 inch screen is fine. I wouldn't get any screen size smaller.

It is 4.85 lbs. Not great to carry but most gaming laptops are not. Very light gaming laptops are super expensive. 

The Newegg listing is an Intel cpu version and not the AMD cpu version you listed in your first post. The intel version has an RTX4050 gpu not a RTX4060 gpu. I don't think anyone would notice the difference in SL. 

Oh I think you would! the 4050 Mobile is a very slow chip in comparison, 96 bit memory bus etc... the 4060 mobile is a lot faster.

4050 Mobile can be reasonably compared to GTX1660 which is fine but it will begin to chug in very busy scenes, the 4060 Mobile should be around the same as an RTX 2070 desktop.

Of course SL doesn't really utilize any GPU very well but it does respond to memory bandwidth and clock speed pretty well in my experience, I'd definitely say a 4060 Mobile laptop is worth it.

 

 

Edited May 5 by AmeliaJ08

[CansuConte]

Okay So to be clear, the specs of the laptop i’m gonna get ( https://www.amazon.co.uk/ASUS-FA507NV-5-7535HS-GeForce-Windows/dp/B0CLLV8CR3/ref=sr_1_4?crid=5UOA8IHFQH73&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.vDDkkQDYzM8REWW7Hh8h725ib1rHc1gHQkhnWv8Chr5dZ4sJeXErMVh1sDRguTLhLyyHxr_MJ990GB0FTELgbuyMCpAv_imJJ4zg6AE1HO1syBbrS-k9ZLGIkZspEG_aciA2POhXReu1Y-E0wqz8uAhGSfw9tgpadY3ylc2zr-OSObgDiIfutDjjaOL6_m4rQqGbpC0pR091lJgVTFHVKowXu3BdGqYATYCK71PvEQA3pWqVhY4HW9QL0885QtBE3qmWxGqvkKfdSnFFIGPJ41PJpbeINMqJHtzV7Ek0mGA.1aEWogncilnbs7XJ0AD3nqDvJmyDkgb1ED0XZUOxbso&dib_tag=se&keywords=gaming+laptop&qid=1714921658&refinements=p_36%3A9708210031&rnid=9708204031&s=computers&sprefix=gaming+laptop%2Caps%2C76&sr=1-4#customerReviews )

will be fast enough to run SL at highest rate ultra mode &  Blackdragon viewer, busy sim etc ?

[Extrude Ragu]

Maybe consider getting a desktop instead of a laptop?

Gaming laptops are portable in theory but in practise  You won't want to lug a gaming laptop around. Not only are gaming laptops more bulky but they also come with great big charger bricks.

A gaming laptop is going to perform worse than a desktop (they can't dissipate heat so well), and make more noise. It will also wear faster than a desktop and require replacement faster, whilst simultaneously costing more.

Typing on a laptop keyboard is usually a worse experience than a nice desktop keyboard.

When you want to do more things with your laptop you won't be able to upgrade it either. The desktop is future proof.

If you just wanted to move around the house, you could remote desktop into your main desktop from your lighter, cooler mac instead of lugging a gaming laptop around.

Just a thought.

[Aya Sweetheart]

2 hours ago, Extrude Ragu said:

Maybe consider getting a desktop instead of a laptop?

Gaming laptops are portable in theory but in practise  You won't want to lug a gaming laptop around. Not only are gaming laptops more bulky but they also come with great big charger bricks.

A gaming laptop is going to perform worse than a desktop (they can't dissipate heat so well), and make more noise. It will also wear faster than a desktop and require replacement faster, whilst simultaneously costing more.

Typing on a laptop keyboard is usually a worse experience than a nice desktop keyboard.

When you want to do more things with your laptop you won't be able to upgrade it either. The desktop is future proof.

If you just wanted to move around the house, you could remote desktop into your main desktop from your lighter, cooler mac instead of lugging a gaming laptop around.

Just a thought.

This is a good suggestion really.  Also a gaming laptop doesn't have enough power with the battery to run full speed.  You will have to use it plugged in all the time to actually play, or you'll get less than half the performance and your battery will still die quickly... its nothing like a Mac for battery life, not even close.

[Bree Giffen]

8 hours ago, AmeliaJ08 said:

Oh I think you would! the 4050 Mobile is a very slow chip in comparison, 96 bit memory bus etc... the 4060 mobile is a lot faster.

Of course SL doesn't really utilize any GPU very well but it does respond to memory bandwidth and clock speed pretty well in my experience, I'd definitely say a 4060 Mobile laptop is worth it.

That's why I hate Nvidia's numbering system. Anyways, the OP clarified it's a 4060.

 

7 hours ago, CansuConte said:

Okay So to be clear, the specs of the laptop i’m gonna get.

will be fast enough to run SL at highest rate ultra mode &  Blackdragon viewer, busy sim etc ?

I can't say for certain but I have a Ryzen 7,  RTX 3060 with 16gb and it is 22FPS in the London City sim at Ultra with about 30 avatars in camera view out of 60 total. It runs faster by lowering or turning off different graphic options. Edit: My laptop has a Ryzen cpu/gpu and 22 FPS is from running the Ryzen gpu + help from the 3060 gpu. Using only the 3060 gpu, I get 30 FPS. The OPs system seems to be a similar AMD/NVidia notebook so it may have two modes as well.

As to getting a notebook or desktop, I think technology has moved far enough that notebooks with lower power chips and efficient cooling are good enough for gaming and a user doesn't have to feel they are making a huge sacrifice if they buy a notebook.

Edited May 6 by Bree Giffen

[CansuConte]

So i should go for a different gaming laptop? I’m so confused now  

[CansuConte]

14 hours ago, Bree Giffen said:

That's why I hate Nvidia's numbering system. Anyways, the OP clarified it's a 4060.

 

I can't say for certain but I have a Ryzen 7,  RTX 3060 with 16gb and it is 22FPS in the London City sim at Ultra with about 30 avatars in camera view out of 60 total. It runs faster by lowering or turning off different graphic options. Edit: My laptop has a Ryzen cpu/gpu and 22 FPS is from running the Ryzen gpu + help from the 3060 gpu. Using only the 3060 gpu, I get 30 FPS. The OPs system seems to be a similar AMD/NVidia notebook so it may have two modes as well.

As to getting a notebook or desktop, I think technology has moved far enough that notebooks with lower power chips and efficient cooling are good enough for gaming and a user doesn't have to feel they are making a huge sacrifice if they buy a notebook.

If i’m right i found a next gen of this same gaming pc: ( https://amzn.eu/d/cQRqunE ) will this be a better option? 

[Bree Giffen]

Every laptop you've shown is actually good enough to play SL. The last one is better than the others. 

[Carolyn Zapedzki]

I should have posted my laptop stats rather than desktop stats. It is not strictly a gaming PC but it had been modified when I got it and it runs SL well. The graphic card is not the best and is a few years old now but it still works well.

Not sure how well the cooling would work for being logged in hours at a time as it is just really a back up and I mostly use it for work but never had an issue with it's performance in SL as yet. I do have a cooler though, so it would probably be ok.

CPU: Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-8850H CPU @ 2.60GHz (2592 MHz)
Memory: 98064 MB
Concurrency: 6
OS Version: Microsoft Windows 11 64-bit (Build 22631.3447)
Graphics Card Vendor: NVIDIA Corporation
Graphics Card: Quadro P2000/PCIe/SSE2
Graphics Card Memory: 4096 MB
Windows Graphics Driver Version: 31.0.15.3645
OpenGL Version: 4.6.0 NVIDIA 536.45

[OnoGrinds]

If you're not determined to get a laptop, you might want to try an M1 Mac Mini. That way you can take advantage of the processor power. Macofalltrades dot has refurbs that might do the trick. 

[AmeliaJ08]

3 hours ago, OnoGrinds said:

If you're not determined to get a laptop, you might want to try an M1 Mac Mini. That way you can take advantage of the processor power. Macofalltrades dot has refurbs that might do the trick. 

Pretty hopeless performance in SL, too many layers of emulation and not recommended until there's a native Metal viewer.

 

Edited May 18 by AmeliaJ08