First topic message reminder :

I got some donations form friends and family and I think I'll be able to get my video card, after all. I fould two here:

*Geforce GTS 450 1Gb RAM.
*GeForce GTX 550 Ti


Does anybody have any of these vcs? What anybody tell me anything about them?

Thanks

Ok I've decided I'll just get a laptop. But I have one more question for you...lol should I spend the money on an i7-2670QM processor or would I be fine with an i5-2450M?? When I looked up reviews most people said unless you do alot of hard core computer gaming then the i5 will be just fine.

EDIT: I'm getting a new laptop! It is not a super high-tech laptop but it does have an i5-2450 processor with 8gb of RAM and HD Intel Intergrated graphics. The sales person I talked to told me that it would run the Sims 3 on high settings no problem and I only needed an i7 processor if I do alot of multitasking and hard-core gaming (which I don't lol) so I hope it will not disappoint! Thank you SO much Ameenah for helping me! If you have anything else to say about my choice please let me know!

Hey, KK, I hope I'm posting this in time! *panics* XP

I have Intel HD Integrated graphics and so does my sis on her laptop, which is a step up from mine. I have i3 Intel HD with 4GB and she has i5 Intel HD with 8GB. The problem I've had with it, especially since it's a laptop is major overheating which has caused damage to the "card" (which is just part of the processor) over time. If you want to get a laptop I would really strongly recommend looking for one with a dedicated card. Intel HD Graphics are really really bad. I'm just saying this from the experience of owning a machine with integrated graphics - I wish they would stop making computers this way. They are eager to sell these because they are a lot cheaper for companies to produce. Also, you cannot upgrade your graphics if you have integrated graphics without completely replacing your processor. Granted, laptops are notoriously difficult to upgrade in comparison to desktops, but this makes your purchase all the more important. You'll end up spending more in the long run.

You can do fine with an i5 IF you have a dedicated card. That's the catch. An i5 with a dedicated card helping it out can run quite a few games. If the graphics are on board the processor, then it really does not run well. You actually would have to dial it down to medium to low settings for extended gameplay with Sims 3. You'll get a really bad frame rate, especially if you have any CC at all in your game. It might run it well at first, but the graphics will seriously degrade over time. And I'm not talking years, it's more like after a few months of play on the machine.



Here's what an article on MTS says about integrated graphics:

Quote :

Some computers, particularly package deals which aren't designed for gaming, don't have a real graphics card. Instead, they have a chip on the motherboard which does the job of the graphics card. However, even the strongest of these chips are not as effective as a real card, and for gaming you really want to have a separate graphics card.
Even if your computer seems to run okay with integrated graphics at first, it may not continue to be that way. What usually happens with computers trying to play The Sims games on integrated graphics is that things will work, although not perfectly, for a time. The longer you play the game the harder it is on your computer and eventually things work less and less well.

These are some of the problems that can/will occur with integrated graphics:

Quote :

Blurry clothes, skin and eyes on your sims
Blurry textures on objects and on the ground
Blurry reflections in mirrors
Blurry/crunchy thumbnails in the Buy and Build catalogue
Graphics may become distorted and textures may get strange patterns or holes over them. (Artifacts)
Water in neighbourhood view (TS2) shows up as big blue blocks, instead of a smooth shoreline with waves and reflections
Game crashes to desktop, the colors go weird and the resolution drops, and an error message tells you that your graphics drivers have stopped responding
The computer still appears to be running but the screen goes totally black. The computer will not recover and must be crashed.
Computer overheats and shuts itself down

Lenovo probably makes the most affordable laptops suited for gaming - their idea pad model - and they all have dedicated graphics cards.

http://shop.lenovo.com/SEUILibrary/controller/e/web/LenovoPortal/en_US/catalog.workflow:category.details?action=init¤t-catalog-id=12F0696583E04D86B9B79B0FEC01C087¤t-category-id=C46D71ACFD7C4475B8E490358F8CA8C3

You want at least a 1GB cache on your graphics card, and all of the above have that.

Would something like this be a better deal then? It has a dedicated card. http://www.toshibadirect.com/td/b2c/pdet.to?poid=2000025043

Yes, that's a much better deal! That's got a good quality NVIDIA card in it that's known to be stable for the game + all expansions.

That laptop also has a good quad-core processor which will help run the game more smoothly.

Yay! Then that is the one I shall get! Lol I was going to get the HD integrated graphics because that is what my sister has on her computer and her game looks awesome! But if this is an even better deal I'll go with this one

Yay! The integrated graphics definitely work - I have 'em - but with a fully dedicated card you'll get nice graphics AND super smooth gameplay for the long run.

So a dedicated card will last longer? I hope so lol there will probably be at least 2 more sims 3 expansions maybe more.

Yep, a dedicated card is a lot more stable and will last longer! And if it ever needs to be replaced, you can upgrade it separately. You'll have a certain amount of memory that is reserved JUST for graphics, so you should get much better gameplay than on your current machine.

The card that's included with the laptop you linked is definitely a solid card that has good reviews. So it should last you.

When you have an on board card, you have to replace the entire CPU to
upgrade which is a PAIN and sometimes not even possible.

Awesome! Lol this will be good. My mom tried to talk me out of getting a laptop but I keep trying to tell her I can use it for other things besides gaming lol. Most college students buy a laptop don't they? I won't be living with her much longer! I'm going on 20 and I want to be able to take a computer with me that will actually last in the long run.

Yeah, I think 90% of the people I know/knew from college have a laptop - it's just easier. Desktops are definitely a better deal, but they're not as convenient as far as being able to lug your computer around to class and such. I got so used to having a touchpad that using a mouse just feels weird - I think that's part of the reason why I'm having a hard time getting on my boyfriend's gaming computer (it's a desktop).

Toshiba makes good quality products too!

But don't expect a laptop to last as long as a desktop...the keyboard goes bad and you are talking shop time to get it fixed...a keyboard on a desktop goes bad and you just have to go buy a new one. I think laptops as far as portability cannot be beat but as far as lasting quality a desktop cannot be beat. Luckily i have both.

^ I definitely agree with you. But while you're in school - especially if you move around a lot (I moved into a new apartment just about every term) - a laptop can be convenient.

I plan to make sure my laptop lasts awhile lol. I am pretty good at keeping technology clean and unbroken in my house Although I've never had a laptop to myself, I am definitely going to be monitoring where it is going and who touches it. I have two desktops in my house if needed but I often get tired of sitting straight up in my uncomfortable computer chair...lol I am a short girl and looking up at the screen annoys me. I was so jealous of my sister since she can sit in her room and play on her bed.

Haha, I'm sitting on my bed right now while I type this! You can't beat the comfort of a laptop. You should keep a can of that compressed air-stuff around (if you don't already) - it'll help keep dust out of your keyboard so you avoid getting sticky keys.

This is not really relevant, but....horror story: When I lived in the dorm freshman year my room mate at the time decided to rip my the keys off of my laptop and super glue them back on - even though I had a lock on the laptop to keep people from taking it, that didn't stop someone with access to the room from messing with it. I had to get it replaced, but thankfully I had an insurance/damage plan to cover it.

OMG ...Why would your roommate do that?! I would've gone bat-shit crazy

I wish I had! I just...cried. Hahah. -___- She hated me for some reason??? I didn't know her prior, we were paired up by the housing system, but we ended up being total opposites in terms of personality. I moved out of the dorms the next year - I wanted to move out the next day, but they were pretty strict about the housing contract.

Wow...well I would've done something O.O Couldn't she have gotten in trouble for vandalizing your property?

They moved her into another dorm eventually! But then my next room mate got arrested a week after moving in....-___-. Hahaha. Sometimes I think kids in art school are a little more likely to be wacky than in other majors. But, on the upside, you DO meet a lot of creative and fun people.

But, this is totally relevant to the thread because a laptop = maximum portability for moving away from crazy room mates. :p

LMAO! yes I am often called weird and different by most people that know me. I've always kept a tight circle of about 3-4 close friends in highschool. Now in college my closest friend lives in Canada and we play online and mail each other things and text.... ALOT

Hahah, I will take weird and different to boring and commonplace any day!

I think keeping a small, close (in terms of relationship, not distance) group of friends is the best. I'm too shy and awkward for big social groups.

Yeah I have that problem too. That's why I hate when the teachers make me pick groups to be in for a project...why can't I just do the assinment on my own? Lol

Group projects are probably in the top ten on my list of worst nightmares. X_X

I have no small children and just constantly using the shift button to copy and paste a bunch of things with my sims made my left shift button go bad on my laptop in a matter of a few months. So yes it doesn't have to be ruff handling. It can be just continuous use of a button. I have HP for everything...i like their turn around with warranty issues and their customer service if you need help. So my laptop is pretty sturdy. Not like an acer with sorry buttons...my sister in law has one of them and they are so cheaply made its unreal.

Wow o.o I've never had that happen to me before! Lol all I know is that my brand is Toshiba.

I have a Sony Vaio Laptop and I previously owned one of the AR-Series (desktop "replacement" style) - the AR lasted for about four years and I was pretty clumsy with it. The keyboard never had any problems, though. I've been using this laptop for 1 1/2 years and have also had zero issues with the keyboard - but I definitely clean it out pretty regularly (dust is death to electronics). While I generally love Sony, I wouldn't recommend anyone buy their recent laptops - they've pretty much gone for on-board graphics all the way and are really overpriced. The laptops "look pretty" - but you'll pay more for the same specs.

The gaming computer we have is custom-built, which is the way to go if you have time.

As far as I know and my experience goes, Toshiba makes really sturdy products.

I don't personally use any HP products (whenever I write that I think of Harry Potter...), but my parents use their products pretty much 100%. I'm just not a fan of their printers. Hehe.

Ugh lol you ladies and my boyfriend are the only ones that aren't telling me to "use that money for school" currently I have more than enough money school. I am going to a community ollege to get the credits I need to transfer to a University so it doesn't cost that much. Not to mention idk how many times I've told my mom and sister that this laptop can be for school as well as gaming! I'm an art major! I want to start learning how to do different things on the computer with programs like photoshop! They don't seem to understand this -__- Butthen again they have laptops of their own so they have nothing to worry about. They don't have boot up the old desktops to surf the web and do assignments.

If you're an art major, I say it's a necessity to have a nice computer.

The money you're saving at community college is seriously 1000x more than the price of one computer.

Photoshop will simply NOT run on a bad machine. And 3D programs have even more demands on your system. If you're planning on doing a lot of digital painting/graphic design - you might want to consider a Mac, but those are really not meant for gaming at ALL. So I think a gaming computer would actually be doing double duty here.

Plus, if you spend the money to get a good quality product that will last you - you'll save in the long run (you won't have to constantly spend time, money, and sweat getting your machine fixed and parts replaced).

And in the future, you'll be able to write off the money you spend on computers/programs that are related to your field.

That is exactly what I was hoping for. A machine that can play games like the sims and do stuff related to graphic designing and actually last me more than a few years. That's why I just broke down and spent the money for the i7 processor and dedicated graphics card. The laptop I'm getting also has built in intergrated graphics as well so it should be a major inprovement. I think my mom and sister are just under the impression that I only want it because I can play the sims better -___-. My mom's laptop has an i5 processor and better graphics so I suggested (since she did'nt think that I needed a laptop) that if the type of computer didn't matter so much maybe she should take the desktop and I take the laptop but of course she wasn't going for that. Lol so I told her its my money and this case is closed.

My parents have sometimes given advice with all the best intentions that was sometimes a bit off the mark, so I can see where you are coming from. Well, I'm glad you'll be getting a badass computer so you'll have an easier time creating artwork and creating for the Sims. :D Super excited for you!

Thank you :D I am excited too!