28.01.2010, 20:34
Well, gaming laptops are usually much more expensive than a desktop of equal or somewhat greater gaming potential. So I would say low cost has united with portability just yet. A laptop with a mobile Core i7 and a GTX280M will run you around $1700-$1800 (rough estimate). A laptop with a desktop i7 and a GTX280M will run you around $2100. Ok, fine. A laptop GTX280M, however, is nothing more than a die-shrunk, underclocked, and undervolted GeForce 8800GTS 512...a card from 2007. Hardly worth the "GTX280M" name that nVidia has been seen fit to grace it with in their infinite wisdom (read: arrogant stupidity).
Now, A desktop PC with an i7 920 (an original LGA1366 socket, not that LGA 1156 neutered crap) and a Radeon 5850 will run you about $1200. That is a very, very large boost in power; the GTX280M can't even compare to the power of the 5850. Don't like ATi? Fine. Same system but with an nVidia GTX285 is also around the same price (give or take $100 for both, through the ATi is a better deal). On top of the massive performance gap, you also get many more USB ports to plug your various pedals, TrackIRs, flight sticks, throttles, etc. into. And the average screen is much larger and clearer than most laptops (a clear screen is important more in flight sims than any other genre due to massive distances).
But I digress. You can always buy a large monitor and USB hub to plug into a laptop, and then anything with an nVidia or ATi mobile graphics chip should be able to handle IL-2 in some way. I myself will be buying a laptop to replace my aging rig, but not until Summer 2011 when there should be plenty of Crysis-capable ones on the market. I go to LANs a lot and play IL-2 co-op campaigns at them among other things, and dragging around a tower and 5.1 system is no fun at all.
In a nutshell: portability is good, the power is at an IL-2 capable level at a decent price point (have to watch your draw distance), but you still can't compare them to desktops. It's getting better, but the best laptop is medicore at best compared to the fastest desktop, or even your average gaming desktop.
Now, A desktop PC with an i7 920 (an original LGA1366 socket, not that LGA 1156 neutered crap) and a Radeon 5850 will run you about $1200. That is a very, very large boost in power; the GTX280M can't even compare to the power of the 5850. Don't like ATi? Fine. Same system but with an nVidia GTX285 is also around the same price (give or take $100 for both, through the ATi is a better deal). On top of the massive performance gap, you also get many more USB ports to plug your various pedals, TrackIRs, flight sticks, throttles, etc. into. And the average screen is much larger and clearer than most laptops (a clear screen is important more in flight sims than any other genre due to massive distances).
But I digress. You can always buy a large monitor and USB hub to plug into a laptop, and then anything with an nVidia or ATi mobile graphics chip should be able to handle IL-2 in some way. I myself will be buying a laptop to replace my aging rig, but not until Summer 2011 when there should be plenty of Crysis-capable ones on the market. I go to LANs a lot and play IL-2 co-op campaigns at them among other things, and dragging around a tower and 5.1 system is no fun at all.
In a nutshell: portability is good, the power is at an IL-2 capable level at a decent price point (have to watch your draw distance), but you still can't compare them to desktops. It's getting better, but the best laptop is medicore at best compared to the fastest desktop, or even your average gaming desktop.