The whole notion that laptops are still miles behind (and can't reliably run modern games on higher settings) when it comes to gaming is a little outdated to be honest.
I'm not saying they are on par with gaming desktops, not at all, but they're certainly not as terribly behind as they were several years ago.
A gaming laptop is like the tallest midget. It sucks at both sides of the description.
Yes, the gap isn't quite as bad as is used to be (when the average laptop graphics card was an ATi Rage Mobility with 2MB of dedicated video memory, as compared to a GeForce 3 or 4 on the desktop side), but it's still there. And the laptop side is still significantly worse, while at the same time significantly more expensive.
I really believe that when a unified laptop video card specification is established (which it won't be any time soon) we'll see a lot more improvement. But the lower thermal envelope available to a laptop, power constraints, and space considerations make that a relative impossibility.
That said, the bottleneck is still your CPU, not your GPU.
So, first of all, laptops are not "bad" for gaming just because they're laptops. They simply cost more for the specs you get if you compare it to a desktop PC but the parts are not that much/at all slower (only the graphics card is noticeably slower compared to the desktop version).
So, having said that, I have a 3rd gen Core i7 that boosts up to "3.4 Ghz" but that can be a bit misleading. On the new core i7 laptops if you don't see a turbo option then there's no way to "force" it to run at a high clock, it will simply overclock itself when it needs the power. The thing that is misleading a bit is that you can only achieve the advertised "3.4" or in your case "2.9" Ghz when a single core is under heavy use. If more cores are used then the top speed gets a bit decreased (3.17 Ghz in my case with a load on all cores). To check your speed you might want to try CPU-Z or the task manager on windows 8.
To answer the throttle question - yes, if your CPU overheats it will clock itself down. If you notice a sudden fps drop ingame I'd suggest you check your temperature with speedfan.
I have a 650M and I get 50+ (usually 60, 80 in ready room) fps in 1600x900 with everything on low.
I dont know what mean throttle but my laptop got option to increase cooling (i dont use its too noise ) the only problems with my laptop are freez spikes and sometimes i feel like i got low fps but r_stats says 40-50.
I done ~10min fraps benchmark in late game Frames: 21592 - Time: 487831ms - Avg: 44.261 - Min: 5 - Max: 74 in fight 30-40 server 18players - 5fps probaly freez spike , getting most of them when spawing as alien or pressing E on Armor(100% short freez like 0.5s - 1s when click on armory for the first time in game).
My cpu got ~20ms gpu 0ms, changing the resolution dont give any effects same fps 800x600 as 1920x1080 maby only in ready room increase ;]
Tried changing affinity to core 2&3, still stutters horribly and frames drop. Tried turning up priority too. I wish I could monitor CPU usage during gameplay, it is seeming the CPU is the issue.... sad that the game can't utilize the true potential...
Try throttlestop: http://www.techinferno.com/downloads/?did=41
Normally I would ask to monitor your CPU speed and temp with a tool but it won't hurt to run this whilst playing to see if it makes a difference.
Don't fiddle with the settings.. just turn it on and play a match to see if it helps.
TalesinOur own little well of hateJoin Date: 2002-11-08Member: 7710NS1 Playtester, Forum Moderators
Incorrect. Take a look at RMClock. An older utility for power-users ONLY; it allows you to force CPU stepping, including disabling certain steps and forcing full-power modes, and disabling some sleep-modes. That said, it can also apparently allow you to destroy some CPUs that use OS-stepping instead of a separate internal multiplier for internal thermal safety.
That said, know what you're doing before you use it.
But if you /do/, you can disable 'useless' CPU steps (clocked lower than the 'idle' CPU step but still drawing more power) extending battery life and letting you optimize the internal step adjustments.
And yes. Due to the worse thermal envelope and inherent sacrifices that must be made to make them into a laptop, performance on a 'gaming laptop' is going to be inferior to a (significantly less expensive) desktop equivalent.
I am not trying to get them to force full power modes.. what for? Their goal is to remove the throttling (if there really is any.. of which I doubt since these are gaming laptops known for having hardware "overclocking" buttons).
With throttlestop their processor will run the same at full capacity when it needs it without throttling down.
So, first of all, laptops are not "bad" for gaming just because they're laptops. They simply cost more for the specs you get if you compare it to a desktop PC but the parts are not that much/at all slower (only the graphics card is noticeably slower compared to the desktop version).
The only reason to get a laptop over a desktop is if you need to take your laptop with you.
Ie: School or work.
I do not have read the whole post, but on a laptop there is frequently 2 graphic cards (Main & the shitty one on the motherboard), and NS2 is taking the shitty one ( was the case for me and a friend).
So we have solved this issue by changing one thing in the Nvidia panel (right click > Nvidia > Adjust image settings with preview > Use the advanced 3D image settings = you get your FPS back.
(if it's your problem)
My laptop runs Crysis 2 @ 1920x1080 @ 30FPS on "Hardcore" and 50FPS on "Gamer".... so you are severely ignorant by saying laptops are rubbish....
Why NS2 can't is an issue with the game, not it being a laptop.
Crysis 2 is one of the standards but it's still a 2 year old game and just cause you can run it on 1920x1080 doesn't mean it looks good and has no chop to it. I'd be willing to bet that it does lag quite a bit. 30fps is a fairly low number also, it's playable but it doesn't look nearly as smooth as it would at 60fps. It's not ignorant to say laptop gaming is rubbish, because it is. I have one of the best Asus gaming laptops out there and it's still not even close to my PC. If it's all you have, it's all you have. Doesn't mean it isn't bad though.
Is that even true? Mobile CPUs are typically massively downclocked to prevent instantaneous combustion aren't they? Same with graphics card frequencies I believe.
I don't think the fastest possible mobile CPU comes close to the fastest available desktop CPU.
OP, I have basically the exact same setup as you except i have a 460gtx and only 8 gigs of ram. Last time I benchmarked NS2 I got an average of something like 33 FPS, with a low of around 15 and a high around 50.
Is that even true? Mobile CPUs are typically massively downclocked to prevent instantaneous combustion aren't they? Same with graphics card frequencies I believe.
I don't think the fastest possible mobile CPU comes close to the fastest available desktop CPU.
OP, I have basically the exact same setup as you except i have a 460gtx and only 8 gigs of ram. Last time I benchmarked NS2 I got an average of something like 33 FPS, with a low of around 15 and a high around 50.
Stro check this out. Go onto this site: http://ark.intel.com/ and compare. If you want benchmarks use the internet.
People cannot afford laptops where the CPU alone costs 1k. For that you are looking at high end custom laptops like Sager or something like the EliteBooks from HP which will set you back an easy 5k.
Most "consumer" laptops are junk if you are not willing to spend above a certain amount.
There was talk of the next PS4 using a mobile AMD APU. If that will be the case is yet to be seen.
Laptops are good for things like school. I go to class everyday and at least half the class now just takes notes on their laptop. They can also bring up course reading material or do other useful things. They can also dick around but hey. Laptops are good when you need to be mobile. So things like college are perfect for them.
When it comes to stationary computing that 99% of people would be fine with, desktops are a no brainer.
Can laptops be as powerful as a desktop? Absolutely not.
Don't be silly. A very expensive laptop will run better than a piece of crap HP tower that you can buy off the shelf at Wal-Mart. It's all a matter of comparison, so there is some overlap until you get into "real" desktops.
And I am getting, with EVERYTHING off/low except infestation, using r_stats I get about 30fps... peak of 50fps in corners, low of 20fps in combat..... for EVERYTHING off, I would expect higher....
In Just Cause 2, open world, I get higher FPS with settings almost maxed, this seems like PISS POOR performance from this game...
Any ideas?
When every thing's off I hoped you didn't turn Multi-core rendering off. With an i7 you should definitely have that ON
Is that even true? Mobile CPUs are typically massively downclocked to prevent instantaneous combustion aren't they? Same with graphics card frequencies I believe.
I don't think the fastest possible mobile CPU comes close to the fastest available desktop CPU.
OP, I have basically the exact same setup as you except i have a 460gtx and only 8 gigs of ram. Last time I benchmarked NS2 I got an average of something like 33 FPS, with a low of around 15 and a high around 50.
Can laptops be as powerful as a desktop? Yes.
Can laptops be as powerful as a desktop of the same price? Absolutely not.
Can laptops be as powerful as a desktop? Absolutely not.
Can laptops be as powerful as a desktop of the same price? Absolutely not.
I was just saying that if you could find a laptop as powerful as a desktop, the desktop would be way cheaper because the laptop would require more advanced-expensive parts in order to do the same amount of work in a smaller area.
But that's on the basic scale of things, $2000 laptop will always be blown out of the water by a $2000 desktop, especially a self built gaming engine. My two cents is that unless if you need that portability, don't get laptop because you can find a desktop of the same price that will do more.
Just curious, are laptops as easily upgraded a desktop? Because I'm pretty sure they aren't.
Is that even true? Mobile CPUs are typically massively downclocked to prevent instantaneous combustion aren't they? Same with graphics card frequencies I believe.
I don't think the fastest possible mobile CPU comes close to the fastest available desktop CPU.
OP, I have basically the exact same setup as you except i have a 460gtx and only 8 gigs of ram. Last time I benchmarked NS2 I got an average of something like 33 FPS, with a low of around 15 and a high around 50.
Can laptops be as powerful as a desktop? Yes.
Can laptops be as powerful as a desktop of the same price? Absolutely not.
Can laptops be as powerful as a desktop? Absolutely not.
Can laptops be as powerful as a desktop of the same price? Absolutely not.
I was just saying that if you could find a laptop as powerful as a desktop, the desktop would be way cheaper because the laptop would require more advanced-expensive parts in order to do the same amount of work in a smaller area.
But that's on the ba scale of things, $2000 laptop will always be blown out of the water by a $2000 desktop, especially a self built gaming engine. My two cents is that unless if you need that portability, don't get laptop because you can get a desktop of the same price that will do more.
Just curious, are laptops as easily upgraded a desktop? Because I'm pretty sure they aren't.
Even in that case, no. If you have a $1500 budget, you compare a $1500 laptop with a $1500 desktop. There's no point in comparing up or down unless you are looking to save money.
Upgraded RAM and HDD/SSD's in laptops is normally a non-issue. Buying mobile processors that are comparable to the desktop models is very very expensive, but I've upgraded them before for other people. Upgrading GPUs is pretty much a no-go in 99% of laptops. Even if you could upgrade, finding mobile GPUs for sale is hard and they are quite expensive.
The best i7 mobile cpu is still slower than the best i7 desktop cpu and it's about half as expensive. This isn't even figuring in the amount of overclocking you can do for a desktop, come on now. If you think laptops can be as powerful as an actual desktop you're just lying to yourself.
I think it's safe to say unless if you need portability for collage, traveling, etc... laptops suck since a desktop of the same price will always be much more powerful. Plus DT's are more easily upgraded.
Comments
A gaming laptop is like the tallest midget. It sucks at both sides of the description.
Yes, the gap isn't quite as bad as is used to be (when the average laptop graphics card was an ATi Rage Mobility with 2MB of dedicated video memory, as compared to a GeForce 3 or 4 on the desktop side), but it's still there. And the laptop side is still significantly worse, while at the same time significantly more expensive.
I really believe that when a unified laptop video card specification is established (which it won't be any time soon) we'll see a lot more improvement. But the lower thermal envelope available to a laptop, power constraints, and space considerations make that a relative impossibility.
That said, the bottleneck is still your CPU, not your GPU.
So, having said that, I have a 3rd gen Core i7 that boosts up to "3.4 Ghz" but that can be a bit misleading. On the new core i7 laptops if you don't see a turbo option then there's no way to "force" it to run at a high clock, it will simply overclock itself when it needs the power. The thing that is misleading a bit is that you can only achieve the advertised "3.4" or in your case "2.9" Ghz when a single core is under heavy use. If more cores are used then the top speed gets a bit decreased (3.17 Ghz in my case with a load on all cores). To check your speed you might want to try CPU-Z or the task manager on windows 8.
To answer the throttle question - yes, if your CPU overheats it will clock itself down. If you notice a sudden fps drop ingame I'd suggest you check your temperature with speedfan.
I have a 650M and I get 50+ (usually 60, 80 in ready room) fps in 1600x900 with everything on low.
Try throttlestop: http://www.techinferno.com/downloads/?did=41
Normally I would ask to monitor your CPU speed and temp with a tool but it won't hurt to run this whilst playing to see if it makes a difference.
Don't fiddle with the settings.. just turn it on and play a match to see if it helps.
That said, know what you're doing before you use it.
But if you /do/, you can disable 'useless' CPU steps (clocked lower than the 'idle' CPU step but still drawing more power) extending battery life and letting you optimize the internal step adjustments.
And yes. Due to the worse thermal envelope and inherent sacrifices that must be made to make them into a laptop, performance on a 'gaming laptop' is going to be inferior to a (significantly less expensive) desktop equivalent.
With throttlestop their processor will run the same at full capacity when it needs it without throttling down.
The only reason to get a laptop over a desktop is if you need to take your laptop with you.
Ie: School or work.
So we have solved this issue by changing one thing in the Nvidia panel (right click > Nvidia > Adjust image settings with preview > Use the advanced 3D image settings = you get your FPS back.
(if it's your problem)
Crysis 2 is one of the standards but it's still a 2 year old game and just cause you can run it on 1920x1080 doesn't mean it looks good and has no chop to it. I'd be willing to bet that it does lag quite a bit. 30fps is a fairly low number also, it's playable but it doesn't look nearly as smooth as it would at 60fps. It's not ignorant to say laptop gaming is rubbish, because it is. I have one of the best Asus gaming laptops out there and it's still not even close to my PC. If it's all you have, it's all you have. Doesn't mean it isn't bad though.
Can laptops be as powerful as a desktop of the same price? Absolutely not.
Is that even true? Mobile CPUs are typically massively downclocked to prevent instantaneous combustion aren't they? Same with graphics card frequencies I believe.
I don't think the fastest possible mobile CPU comes close to the fastest available desktop CPU.
OP, I have basically the exact same setup as you except i have a 460gtx and only 8 gigs of ram. Last time I benchmarked NS2 I got an average of something like 33 FPS, with a low of around 15 and a high around 50.
Can laptops be as powerful as a desktop? Absolutely not.
Can laptops be as powerful as a desktop of the same price? Absolutely not.
Stro check this out. Go onto this site: http://ark.intel.com/ and compare. If you want benchmarks use the internet.
People cannot afford laptops where the CPU alone costs 1k. For that you are looking at high end custom laptops like Sager or something like the EliteBooks from HP which will set you back an easy 5k.
Most "consumer" laptops are junk if you are not willing to spend above a certain amount.
There was talk of the next PS4 using a mobile AMD APU. If that will be the case is yet to be seen.
When it comes to stationary computing that 99% of people would be fine with, desktops are a no brainer.
Don't be silly. A very expensive laptop will run better than a piece of crap HP tower that you can buy off the shelf at Wal-Mart. It's all a matter of comparison, so there is some overlap until you get into "real" desktops.
When every thing's off I hoped you didn't turn Multi-core rendering off. With an i7 you should definitely have that ON
I was just saying that if you could find a laptop as powerful as a desktop, the desktop would be way cheaper because the laptop would require more advanced-expensive parts in order to do the same amount of work in a smaller area.
But that's on the basic scale of things, $2000 laptop will always be blown out of the water by a $2000 desktop, especially a self built gaming engine. My two cents is that unless if you need that portability, don't get laptop because you can find a desktop of the same price that will do more.
Just curious, are laptops as easily upgraded a desktop? Because I'm pretty sure they aren't.
Even in that case, no. If you have a $1500 budget, you compare a $1500 laptop with a $1500 desktop. There's no point in comparing up or down unless you are looking to save money.
Upgraded RAM and HDD/SSD's in laptops is normally a non-issue. Buying mobile processors that are comparable to the desktop models is very very expensive, but I've upgraded them before for other people. Upgrading GPUs is pretty much a no-go in 99% of laptops. Even if you could upgrade, finding mobile GPUs for sale is hard and they are quite expensive.