using a laptop for PJ64

[rmarier83]

I was just wondering what specs (processor, GPU, memory) I should get on a laptop (I will be buying soon)
I want it to run even the most graphical games, like Majora's Mask and Donkey Kong 64.

 

[Clements]

My laptop works great for N64 games. My advice would be to look for a laptop that uses ATi or NVIDIA graphics, and avoid any Intel graphics. Dedicated graphics is much less of a headache when using different plugins, and they are much faster with much better drivers, and do not cost much more than Intel graphics.

For memory, 512MB/1GB is comfortable for loading larger 512Mbit games such as Conker's BFD, Resident Evil 2 or Pokemon Stadium 2.

For the processor, I recommend Pentium-M (or Celeron-M if on a budget) and Turion processors, as they are fast for emulation and use less power than the processors used in desktop replacements. I would strongly advise you not get a Pentium 4 for a laptop, as they perform the same as Pentium-M but use a lot more power, so battery life will be poor.

 

[rmarier83]

So would 64MB Video card do it, or would I need 128. Also how many GHz would the processor need; I want the centrino, because I want the best in battery life.

 

[Clements]

64MB is enough. The amount of VRAM is not especially important for emulation. 128MB would be enough for 4xAA with all games in the native resolution of the screen.

The processor, if Pentium-M, can be anything above 1.5GHz and everything will work fine, including most games marked in the RDB as 'slow' or 'high system requirement'. The P-M at 1.86GHz is equivalent to a Pentium 4 at around 3.4GHz.

 

[rmarier83]

So then is ATI or Nvidia better? Also is turion (AMD) or the pentium-M better? And thanks for the quick answers.

 

[Clements]

They perform about the same at the same price point. You would not be disappointed with either. I haven't had a problem with either NVIDIA or ATI, and the Pentium-M and Turion are matched.

 

[rmarier83]

Thanks, I have now found the perfect laptop for me.
Vaio VGN-FS790 with:

512 MB DDR2 RAM
15.4" WXGA TFT with XBRITE Technology
NVIDIA GeForce™ Go 6400 with TurboCache™ supporting 128MB
Intel Pentium M Processor 760 (2.0 GHz)
DVD-ROM Drive
40 GB Hard Disk Drive (doesn't say its RPMs)
Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition

-I just hope I get a little over 4 hours of battery life with it's biggest capacity battery.

 

[Flash]

Thanks, I have now found the perfect laptop for me.
Vaio VGN-FS790 with:

512 MB DDR2 RAM
15.4" WXGA TFT with XBRITE Technology
NVIDIA GeForce™ Go 6400 with TurboCache™ supporting 128MB
Intel Pentium M Processor 760 (2.0 GHz)
DVD-ROM Drive
40 GB Hard Disk Drive (doesn't say its RPMs)
Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition

-I just hope I get a little over 4 hours of battery life with it's biggest capacity battery.

Ugh... Sony... Vaio uke: That's quite a money waste - Sony laptops are more expensive than others and not that fast. And TurboCache is... hello, ol' good shared memory Maybe it became a little faster now but still it's better to buy laptop that have real 64-128Mb of VRAM
And DVD-ROM... believe me, it's not that funny when you need to copy a few gigabytes from laptop and can't use network cable at that moment. So DVD-RW or at least combo drive is must have.

 

[Clements]

Yep, I'd avoid Sony Vaio personally (overpriced), and try to get a larger hard drive, as 40GB is small for a notebook nowadays (I'd fill over half of that with the bare minimum apps I use and a couple of games and emulation stuff) - aim for over 80GB.

 

[rmarier83]

I still have my desktop computer for everything else, but I would like to get a laptop too. So which of these manufacturers are better: HP/Compaq, Dell, Gateway, or Toshiba?

 

[Clements]

My laptop is a Gateway, and they are quite good. I'd also recommend Acer and Toshiba.

 

[rmarier83]

Actually when I started customizing the toshiba laptop, it's even more expensive than sony's laptop.

 

[Clements]

Depends where you are buying from. Sony's cheaper laptops compromise on a lot of features as Flash and I hinted, so it's likely the Toshiba is better featured or faster for a higher price.

 

[rmarier83]

I need the smallest hard drive and RAM I can get (these are things I can upgrade in the future) and for things like the processor and video card they cannot be upgraded.
>>Gateway is really bad about customizing these options, but I found HP/Compaq to be OK, are they any good?

 

[rmarier83]

Well any thoughts?

 

[Psythik]

Thanks, I have now found the perfect laptop for me.
Vaio VGN-FS790 with:

512 MB DDR2 RAM
15.4" WXGA TFT with XBRITE Technology
NVIDIA GeForce™ Go 6400 with TurboCache™ supporting 128MB
Intel Pentium M Processor 760 (2.0 GHz)
DVD-ROM Drive
40 GB Hard Disk Drive (doesn't say its RPMs)
Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition

-I just hope I get a little over 4 hours of battery life with it's biggest capacity battery.

Never ever, ever, ever, ever, EVER, EVER go with a video card that uses shared memory. My brother made that mistake by choosing a laptop that boasted 512MB of RAM and a 128MB Video card. The card just used nothing but the system's RAM, leaving him with only 384MB RAM for everything. Get a video card that uses nothing but it's own dedicated memory.

Also, try to go with 1GB of RAM if you can. Right now, just from running Firefox (with a few extensions & tabs open), Limewire, Microsoft Word, and Windows Explorer, my laptop is using about 684MB of RAM (although it only uses about 62.3MB once I close all applications). Right now you should be fine with just 512MB since you can usually upgrade it later (in very few laptops you can't). But if you plan on gaming on your lappy, you're better off with a gig or two.

I'd also recommend going with the largest hard drive you can get (at minimum, 80GB). It's a lot more cost effective in the long run considering that it's a real hassle to take out the old drive, copy all your data to the new one, then install the new drive (unless of course, you plan on lugging an expensive external drive around with you all the time).

By the way, do you mind telling us what your actual laptop budget is? We can help you better that way.

 

[Doomulation]

Having personal experience with my own, a gb of memory is a must. Especially if you use resource hungry programs (like emulators). The HD is usually slow, and if it is, you're going to get real annoyed, real soon. I also agree with the gfx card. Not only will it not leech system RAM, but it is also FASTER; MUCH faster. This would go for anything that uses the gfx card - namely anything.

 

[rmarier83]

I've actually found another laptop that fits my budget it's a COMPAQ:

Intel(R) Pentium(R) M Processor 760 (2.0 GHz)
FREE Upgrade to 15.4" WXGA BrightView Widescreen!
128MB ATI MOBILITY(TM) RADEON(R) X700
512MB DDR2 SDRAM (1x512MB)
80 GB 5400 RPM Hard Drive
DVD/CD-RW Combo Drive

My budget is $1350 area, this laptop is perfect, but I've never used a COMPAQ before.

 

[Doomulation]

I don't know how much the Pentium processor drains in power, but I would still get an Athlon with their Cool'n'Quiet technology. Still too little ram, but that could be upgraded.

 

[Clements]

I don't know how much the Pentium processor drains in power...

Much less than an Athlon to be precise, it's a Pentium-M, which has it's own version of Cool 'n Quiet. My P-M will downclock itself to 800MHz when AC power is taken away to give up to four hours battery life, longer than all current Athlon64 variants.