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Thinking of CoT, laptop broke, what to get

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goesto
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Thinking of CoT, laptop broke, what to get

I know we're still some time away from CoT release and maybe I shouldn't even be considering CoT when replacing my broken laptop. But I figure there might be a chance that CoT might be available within the next 18 months and I won't be buying a laptop now and changing it in 2 years.

The question is what would be a good laptop to get with gaming in mind apart from all the other stuff. Not sure how much more I'll get from a 1070 than a 1080 or from a 7th gen i7 vs an 8th gen to warrant the investment. Nvme or ssd?

What companies or products have good track record for reliability or heat. Is thunderbolt a feature I'd want to have or not much of a deal breaker?

Just throwing stuff out there. Bit undecided.

Cobalt Azurean
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I've had a few tech-savvy

I've had a few tech-savvy people suggest https://www.logicalincrements.com/ as a good price / parts comparison website over the years, especially for someone on a budget. There are others but that's the one that sprang immediately to mind.
Plus, more than a few publications, such as PC Gamer, have done articles about gaming machines, both desktop and laptop, with price as a consideration.
I would personally start at Logical Increments and go from there.

Mind-Freeze
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Acer nitro 5 is a decent

Acer nitro 5 is a decent gaming laptop for a reasonable price I use to play over watch on high settings and never had a problem

goesto
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Thanks for the page. Took a

Thanks for the page. Took a look at it and was useful. Didn't see the laptop stuff but did get something out of it.

Now not sure how much I should spend or what graphics card I should get. Stay at 1060 or go for 1070 or 1080 so I don't fall short. Not sure how much is too little or just overkill for what I'll need in the coming years.

Took a look at an HP omen for $2000. It's got a 1080gfx an i7 processor and 1ssd and 1 hdd. It's got a 17" screen gsync and 120ghz.

Not sure though.

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You may be able to shave some

You may be able to shave some bucks off too if you do the build yourself, depending on how tech savvy you are. I've built my last three computers and have learned something useful (usually from making a mistake) each time.

goesto
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I'll have a look. I know they

I'll have a look. I know they have the predator line too that might be focused on gaming
Kind of forgot about Acer laptops. Years ago saw they had lots of trouble with heat and never looked at them again since there are options now and running the risk isn't worth it.

Thanks for

goesto
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Cobalt Azurean wrote:
Cobalt Azurean wrote:

You may be able to shave some bucks off too if you do the build yourself, depending on how tech savvy you are. I've built my last three computers and have learned something useful (usually from making a mistake) each time.

Yeah but being a laptop I don't have many options unfortunately. Got to be a laptop this time. I do have the advantage that it doesn't have to be light though.

Mind-Freeze
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That’s why I like the acer

That’s why I like the acer nitro 5 it’s i5 processor with dual fans keeps it cool for hours and for the price you get more bang for your buck after playing fortnite and overwatch for hours it holds up solid

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I just bought a Lenovo Legion

I just bought a Lenovo Legion Y720 laptop last year. Seemed pretty customizable and has the dual fans. Seems powerful enough. It is heavy though.

goesto
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How do you guys feel about

How do you guys feel about Alienware laptops?

Reason why I'm asking is I saw an offer for a 17 inch gsync, i7, 1070gtx, double hard drive, for $2000.

Similar spec for an HP omen or Acer predator. Big difference in spec was they had a 1080gtx.

Not sure about detailed specs like panel type etc.

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One of the big things about

One of the big things about Alienware is that you’re paying more for the name with them. They are pretty though, don’t get me wrong.

The dual-hard drive, while nice to have together, can be done cheaper by using an external that you pick up. If possible, based on my research, you would be better off getting a SSD on the computer, and then picking up a 1-2 TB external.

So for that price point, I would say that you could do better with another build. That’s just my opinion though - and then still my research into laptops was relatively limited because I ended up deciding to go with a tower.

This! Is! TITAN CITY!

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goesto wrote:
goesto wrote:
Cobalt Azurean wrote:

You may be able to shave some bucks off too if you do the build yourself, depending on how tech savvy you are. I've built my last three computers and have learned something useful (usually from making a mistake) each time.

Yeah but being a laptop I don't have many options unfortunately. Got to be a laptop this time. I do have the advantage that it doesn't have to be light though.

That's true, and I apologize that I keep thinking it's a desktop despite you mentioning it's not.
I'm currently on a business trip and could use a nice laptop. Then again, I've really only been in my hotel room to sleep and shower.

avelworldcreator
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I don't know about laptops

I don't know about laptops but I can build a custom system to spec that should run quite well for the engine we use.

-----------

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avelworldcreator wrote:
avelworldcreator wrote:

I don't know about laptops but I can build a custom system to spec that should run quite well for the engine we use.

Suggestions are ALWAYS welcome!

Mind-Freeze
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I remember asking one of the

I remember asking one of the devs about this through email and I asked if my Alienware would be enough and he said anything with Alienware would be more than enough to run city of titans

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Impulse King wrote:
Impulse King wrote:
avelworldcreator wrote:

I don't know about laptops but I can build a custom system to spec that should run quite well for the engine we use.

Suggestions are ALWAYS welcome!

I was going to building a new PC late this year/early next year, but it looks like it may be getting more expensive real soon due to all the tariffs flying around. Just as RAM and GPU costs were coming down too dammit. I guess I'll have to keep an eye on prices - maybe China will start shipping more product direct to Canada to allay some of the extra cost (one can hope)?

In the meantime, I hope my ancient potato computer will be able to run the Avatar Builder without melting.

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Interdictor wrote:
Interdictor wrote:
Impulse King wrote:
avelworldcreator wrote:

I don't know about laptops but I can build a custom system to spec that should run quite well for the engine we use.

Suggestions are ALWAYS welcome!

I was going to building a new PC late this year/early next year, but it looks like it may be getting more expensive real soon due to all the tariffs flying around. Just as RAM and GPU costs were coming down too dammit. I guess I'll have to keep an eye on prices - maybe China will start shipping more product direct to Canada to allay some of the extra cost (one can hope)?

In the meantime, I hope my ancient potato computer will be able to run the Avatar Builder without melting.

If it's a potato then wouldn't it fry instead, or at least bake?

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blacke4dawn wrote:
blacke4dawn wrote:
Interdictor wrote:
Impulse King wrote:
avelworldcreator wrote:

I don't know about laptops but I can build a custom system to spec that should run quite well for the engine we use.

Suggestions are ALWAYS welcome!

I was going to building a new PC late this year/early next year, but it looks like it may be getting more expensive real soon due to all the tariffs flying around. Just as RAM and GPU costs were coming down too dammit. I guess I'll have to keep an eye on prices - maybe China will start shipping more product direct to Canada to allay some of the extra cost (one can hope)?

In the meantime, I hope my ancient potato computer will be able to run the Avatar Builder without melting.

If it's a potato then wouldn't it fry instead, or at least bake?

Touche'

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As much as people like to

As much as people like to knock Alienware they do offer what is a highly reliable machine backed by an exceptionally well known and respected company. I shopped my laptop in 2011-2012. Back then the market was very different. Now there several times as many players. MSI, Acer, and ASUS all have slick competitive offerings. Along with the old guard Alienware HP Sager and Falcon NW.

Some thoughts on your purchase. Bigger screens are great. Some narrow bezel machines mean that you don't have to compromise on overall bulk to get that larger screen. Modern machines are also a lot better at keeping things in a much smaller and lighter package. Unless you love shooters, get an IPS display if you can TN panels are only good for their low cost and their fast response. Don't get a hard drive, get an SSD. They are more power efficient and more shock resistant.

Get the very best you can afford. It's unfortunate but a gaming laptop has a limited lifespan. At 6 years old. Mine is basically dead. It has to be plugged in all the time and I have a really hard time getting video drivers for it meaning new games wont run well on it. The better it is when you buy it, the longer it will last.

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Hey, everyone. Just a quick

Hey, everyone. Just a quick helper here. This link is to the minimum suggested specs for the engine the game uses for Windows/OS X/Linux:
https://docs.unrealengine.com/en-us/GettingStarted/RecommendedSpecifications

I build to a higher set of specs using the "Boy and His Kite Demo" as my standard (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PmZz4QztPpE ). This means:
6 core CPU 3.3Ghz or better
GTX 980 or better GPU, ideally Titan X.
24 GB RAM or better
20 GB of HDD space or better. Ideally at least a 1TB SSD or better for both the OS and the game drive (should be separate for best performance).
Recommended specs will get ~50-60fps @ 1080p

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avelworldcreator wrote:
avelworldcreator wrote:

Hey, everyone. Just a quick helper here. This link is to the minimum suggested specs for the engine the game uses for Windows/OS X/Linux:
https://docs.unrealengine.com/en-us/GettingStarted/RecommendedSpecifications

I build to a higher set of specs using the "Boy and His Kite Demo" as my standard (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PmZz4QztPpE ). This means:
6 core CPU 3.3Ghz or better
GTX 980 or better GPU, ideally Titan X.
24 GB RAM or better
20 GB of HDD space or better. Ideally at least a 1TB SSD or better for both the OS and the game drive (should be separate for best performance).
Recommended specs will get ~50-60fps @ 1080p

Charles Logan
www.cloganart.com

avelworldcreator
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It could be worse, Charles. I

It could be worse, Charles. I could post the specs on my current dream machine :) I think it was running about $4-5K

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On the subject of minimum

On the subject of minimum specs; the system I put together in 2010 just won't run Assassin's Creed Odyssey because it uses AVX (advanced vector extensions) that my cpu doesn't support. (Missed it by 1 yr.)

Does/will CoT use code, like avx, that just simply rules out older processors?

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Donhen wrote:
Donhen wrote:

On the subject of minimum specs; the system I put together in 2010 just won't run Assassin's Creed Odyssey because it uses AVX (advanced vector extensions) that my cpu doesn't support. (Missed it by 1 yr.)

Does/will CoT use code, like avx, that just simply rules out older processors?

If so, it's a very old processor. In a discussion from April of 2014,

Doctor Tyche wrote:

Our "Abuse the GPU" test had something on the order of 400 such particle systems running on maximum, using my cheap $400 laptop.

Doctor Tyche has been using that laptop for many tests along the way, so I expect they'd have found out about any problems of the "AVX v. Older Processor" sort on that venerable device, at least.

Edit: I haven't been able to find the actual age of that laptop, or the type of processor it uses, so your rig may be older. Can we get a confirmation on what the build of Doctor Tyche's Ancient Test Laptop is?

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And reminder that when games

And reminder that when games like CO and CoX came out first, due to their customization capabilities there was a sizable portion of people who couldn’t play with full settings. For a game that launches in the 2018-2019 season with cutting edge tech, probably doesn't hurt to beef it up :p

Charles Logan
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I’m a big Alienware user and

I’m a big Alienware user and I know you can get decent prices on their laptops cause they can be a little pricey but they do use top of the line technology

goesto
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Ok.thanks

Ok.thanks.
Finally got myself an Asus laptop. Fingers crossed it turns out ok. Got a good deal on it.

8th gen i7, 256 nvme (which I'll probably change), 1tb hybrid drive, 1070gtx, 17" 120hz screen.

Should be enough to enjoy the game I'm guessing, helat permitting.

I like the form factor of the Alienware but it was more expensive for something similar.

The Omen I liked surprisingly but I wasnt sure about 1 or 2 things although the 1080gtx and form factor were tempting but again more expensive. Same for the MSI. The Predator I didn't care for.

Anyway counting down the months to see you all in The City...of Titans ????

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goesto wrote:
goesto wrote:

Anyway counting down the months to see you all in The City...of Titans ????

Oh man, if they want Issue 0 out by end of year, we really are down to counting months eh? O_O

goesto
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McJigg wrote:
McJigg wrote:
goesto wrote:

Anyway counting down the months to see you all in The City...of Titans ????

Oh man, if they want Issue 0 out by end of year, we really are down to counting months eh? O_O

Hoping for something solid within the next 6 months. Having a chance to get in before that for me might be hyper unrealistic. 6 months is me being optimistic and hoping for the best.

Just waiting for them to think it's ready to be tinkered with. If I get a shot in early well that's just awesome gravy on top.

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cloganart wrote:
cloganart wrote:

And reminder that when games like CO and CoX came out first, due to their customization capabilities there was a sizable portion of people who couldn’t play with full settings. For a game that launches in the 2018-2019 season with cutting edge tech, probably doesn't hurt to beef it up :p

I'm hoping that the Acer laptop I bought a few months back with an i7 7700 with 1060 6GB would be plenty for some 1080p 60fps action once CoT is released. Is that reasonable?

Reward tactics as well as damage dealing.

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SavageFist wrote:
SavageFist wrote:
cloganart wrote:

And reminder that when games like CO and CoX came out first, due to their customization capabilities there was a sizable portion of people who couldn’t play with full settings. For a game that launches in the 2018-2019 season with cutting edge tech, probably doesn't hurt to beef it up :p

I'm hoping that the Acer laptop I bought a few months back with an i7 7700 with 1060 6GB would be plenty for some 1080p 60fps action once CoT is released. Is that reasonable?

Depends on where between min and max you set the quality settings. I fully expect that to be doable at at least medium settings.

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That should be good for high

That should be good for high settings savage I have one also and play WOW on high settings and a few other games and I keep mine plugged in and with the dual fans and new cooling they use you are good to go and YouTube gives good reviews as well check out mobile tech review she has good review on it

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I'd like to get an assessment

I'd love to get an assessment if possible on a specific laptop if someone wouldn't mind (especially a Dev, but anyone knowledgeable). I already picked this up for my wife to hopefully play CoT on because I got it from a local store dirt cheap with a good warranty. I know it's not a gaming computer--it's not at all put together for gaming--but it does have a separate GPU. She played STO on it and I was surprised at the lag and how low she had to turn the settings to get rid of it (she has NO tolerance for lag, though. She'll ruthlessly turn things down till there is NONE), but then again I've read that STO is horribly optimized.

I guess my real question is, did I get lucky and get a sufficient computer cheap, or will we need to plan on upgrading for CoT? Anyway, here it is: https://support.hp.com/us-en/document/c05535078

FIGHT EVIL! (or go cause trouble so the Heroes have something to do.)

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Everything looks great except

Everything looks great except for the GPU. A 940mx is just a smidge above integrated graphics. It still comes down to not knowing how optimized CoT will be but in general you are possibly looking at 720p gaming instead of 1080p. My laptop in Elder Scrolls Online gets around 45-75fps at 1080p with an Nvidia 1060 which is about 3 tiers above what you have(1050, 1050Ti then 1060. There are others in between but those are splitting hairs imo). Not an apples to apples comparison but just to give you an idea. I usually shoot for midrange when buying video cards.

If you don't mind reading benchmarks:
https://gpu.userbenchmark.com/Compare/Nvidia-GTX-1050-vs-Nvidia-940MX/3650vsm88506

Reward tactics as well as damage dealing.

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Thanks for the response,

Thanks for the response, Savage! Do you know (or know how can I find out) if this laptops GPU's upgradable? The reason I ask is the place I got it often has decent stuff laying around for cheap, so I could get lucky and find a cheap 1050 or something lying around there that they'd put in for me.

FIGHT EVIL! (or go cause trouble so the Heroes have something to do.)

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In general laptop GPUs are

In general laptop GPUs are not upgradeable. You can usually upgrade RAM or the storage drive and that's it.

Reward tactics as well as damage dealing.

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Ok, thanks again. Sounds

Ok, thanks again. I was afraid of that. Next time I need to pay more attention to the GPU. At least it was cheap :).

FIGHT EVIL! (or go cause trouble so the Heroes have something to do.)

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Hi all. Sorry for the minor

Hi all. Sorry for the minor necro, but I had a computer question that I didn't think fit on any current threads, and I didn't want to start a whole new thread :).

I got a line on two laptops for about the same price (both for a really good price), but I'm not sure which is a better gaming computer. One is:

HP Pavilion - 15t Laptop

•15.6" diagonal FHD IPS anti-glare micro-edge WLED-backlit (1920 x 1080)
•8 GB DDR4 SDRAM (1 x 8 GB [does have two slots, so another slot open])
•Intel® Core™ i5-8300H (2.3 GHz) + NVIDIA® GeForce® GTX 1050Ti (4 GB GDDR5 dedicated)
•1 TB 5400 rpm SATA + 16 GB PCIe® NVMe™ Intel® Optane™
•Windows 10 Home 64

The other is:

Dell Inspiron 15 7567

•Same quality screen (maybe slightly better)
•16 GB DDR4 (2 x 8 GB [two slots both in use])
•Intel(R) Core(TM) i5-7300HQ CPU @ 2.50GHz + NVIDIA® GeForce® GTX 1050Ti (4 GB GDDR5 dedicated)
•Disk Drives- SanDisk SDSSDA240G + TOSHIBA THNSNK256GVN8 M.2 2280 256GB
•Windows 10 Home 64

To my (very limited) knowledge, this looks maybe like almost a wash for the same price, but I'd love opinions from those more knowledgeable than me. If it is basically a wash, I'd love opinions on the comparative pros and cons of each.

Thanks in advance!

PS- If you want any more specs just ask! I only listed what I thought was most relevant.

FIGHT EVIL! (or go cause trouble so the Heroes have something to do.)

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I'd get the Dell, based on

I'd get the Dell, based on the stuff you list above. But I'd want to see stats on the reliability of the machines first, i.e. I'd get the Dell assuming it doesn't have a horrendous track record for poor reliability or something.

R.S.O. of Phoenix Rising

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From what I can tell both

From what I can tell both have decent reliability.

I my thinking is since they have the same GPU, it's sort of a CPU vs RAM/HD question, in that the HP's 8300H has 4 cores but 8 threads and turbo to 4.0, where the Dell's 7300HQ has 4 cores but only 4 threads and turbo to 3.5. But then the Dell has SSD and more RAM (but I can always increase the HP RAM later if needed). Also, while both are decent, I think the Dell's case will manage heat a little better.

But even if I'm understading all that correctly, I'm not sure how all that actually plays out in gaging which is a better gaming machine over all.

FIGHT EVIL! (or go cause trouble so the Heroes have something to do.)

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Adding ram to a laptop is

Adding ram to a laptop is problematic as it usually has to matched pairs.
Cores are not too dissimilar, so for me, RAM is the deciding factor. More is always better. And having SSDs is always good.

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Ok, two more factors. 1)

Ok, two more factors:

1) I found out I can take the Pavillion into any authorized HP dealer (like Best Buy or I'm pretty sure my local computer store) and have the RAM upgraded any time without affecting the warranty, so upgrading to 16 GB down the road is definitely a possibility

2) Two votes so far for the Dell, but the HP is a little cheaper, so how much better would the Dell be? Money's tight, but I'm willing to pay a little more if it's a significant difference.

And thanks, by the way. I've tried to do my homework but I don't feel super confident when it comes to this stuff.

FIGHT EVIL! (or go cause trouble so the Heroes have something to do.)

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Having a dedicated SSD is

Having a dedicated SSD is better in some ways than the hybrid drives. the SSD/HD combo treats the SSD as a RAM cache instead of a true drive and isn't much faster than a true 7200rpm drive.

I think it's interesting that the Dell has two small SSDs. If you use it only for playing games, okay. If you like downloading and watching a lot of movies, you'll eventually need an external HD.

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I had two SSDs in RAID until

I had two SSDs in RAID until it got unstable and made a big mess. I now run a single SSD for OS and a 4TB HD for programs and storage.

The advantage of SSDs in a Laptop is that they generally take less power to run and with no moving parts, you can bump the laptop, even tumble it, without killing the drive.

That said, I would not choose a laptop for any serious use unless one is SURE to be traveling. A lot. A 20-some inch screen and a 'real' keyboard are just too useful. In fact, I carry and use a 'real' keyboard with my Laptop, when I travel.

Only advantage with a Dell is Dell Support, which used to be legendary. Taking your HP (or Dell) to Best Buy etc. is an advantage over doing the exchange by mail. For routine maintenance and upgrades, it's Why you pay for the service contract in the first place. You could take your Windows PC or Apple device to your local University shop. If they have one.

Movies, Music and the like, are the main reason for a 'storage' drive and 'external' is your best bet, if you're using a laptop. Really, I can imagine no realistic replacement for a desktop machine of some sort.

Be Well!
Fireheart

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Fireheart wrote:
Fireheart wrote:

I had two SSDs in RAID until it got unstable and made a big mess. I now run a single SSD for OS and a 4TB HD for programs and storage.

The advantage of SSDs in a Laptop is that they generally take less power to run and with no moving parts, you can bump the laptop, even tumble it, without killing the drive.

That said, I would not choose a laptop for any serious use unless one is SURE to be traveling. A lot. A 20-some inch screen and a 'real' keyboard are just too useful. In fact, I carry and use a 'real' keyboard with my Laptop, when I travel.

Only advantage with a Dell is Dell Support, which used to be legendary. Taking your HP (or Dell) to Best Buy etc. is an advantage over doing the exchange by mail. For routine maintenance and upgrades, it's Why you pay for the service contract in the first place. You could take your Windows PC or Apple device to your local University shop. If they have one.

Movies, Music and the like, are the main reason for a 'storage' drive and 'external' is your best bet, if you're using a laptop. Really, I can imagine no realistic replacement for a desktop machine of some sort.

Be Well!
Fireheart

Well, our computer use is frequent but not at all demanding and largely cloud based, we stream most media, and we work both at home and at separate offices. I was a die-hard desktoper and always had a desktop up until last year, but it's been quite a while since we've actually needed the power or storage of a desktop.

We currently only game sporadically playing things like TSW or STO and we don't mind the smaller screens or keyboards. My wife only every played CoH--or anything else for that matter--on a laptop (plus we're looking forward to being able to sit side by side in bed and play CoT :P). Once CoT comes out we both plan on playing it regularly, but even with CoH our active game play time was never more than a few to several hours per week.

So for us laptops are not only sufficient but generally ideal--making my main concern getting laptop that that I can afford that will also allow us to play CoT decently. These two machines are both affordable for me and by far the best I've been able to find that I can afford, so I wanted to make sure I made the best choice between them, though the HP is a bit cheaper so I'd go with that unless it's really worth paying a little more for the Dell.

While SSD and RAM above 8 GB are important, I had thought CPU's counted a bit more for UE4 and an MMORPG with lots of AI, so I'm a bit surprised at the votes for the Dell. But, if it's better I'm happy to pay a bit more.

Thanks for the advice and any more compare/contrast between the two machines would be welcome, I have through the weekend to decide and I'll check back to see if anyone else comments.

FIGHT EVIL! (or go cause trouble so the Heroes have something to do.)

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You have to remember the new

You have to remember the new MMOs are graphics intensive things nowadays. A lot of that processing workload is picked up by the GPU. Also having a damn good internet solution is also needed.

SSDs for their load speeds, lots of RAM for "workspace" and a darn good GPU (which both machines have).

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The game-enjoyment

The game-enjoyment improvement I saw in getting a SSD by far outshone that in upgrading my GeForce 460 to a 950. (Ignore the hype about DirectX12).

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