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Santa was Bad - 1/2/2017 2:14:18 AM   
kevinkins


Posts: 2257
Joined: 3/8/2006
Status: offline 		No dream PC system under the Tree this year.

But my laptop is still falling apart !!!

Please recommend a laptop for Command . Sky is the limit. No desktops in my future.

Kevin
Post #: 1
RE: Santa was Bad - 1/2/2017 8:50:49 PM   
severe7


Posts: 78
Joined: 10/14/2013
Status: offline 		A couple of questions for you:

1.) Are you only going to play command or other more graphically demanding games?

2.) Do you want a portable (14 inches or smaller) or a movable (15-20 inches) laptop?


(in reply to kevinkins)
Post #: 2
RE: Santa was Bad - 1/3/2017 12:56:04 PM   
Boltzmann

 

Posts: 41
Joined: 12/28/2012
Status: offline 		Any laptop should due given you get a solid state hard drive (SSD). That is a must to have Command run smooth. Graphically you don't need much.

(in reply to severe7)
Post #: 3
RE: Santa was Bad - 1/3/2017 1:44:51 PM   
kevinkins


Posts: 2257
Joined: 3/8/2006
Status: offline 		My other games are Combat Mission and flight sims. But I want to be ready to run stuff in the pipeline over the next 3 years of so. Flightsims are improving rapidly after laying low for a number of year. I am looking for a 15 or 17 inch that's actually used on a lap. Mine. Thanks.

Kevin

(in reply to Boltzmann)
Post #: 4
RE: Santa was Bad - 1/3/2017 3:08:42 PM   
severe7


Posts: 78
Joined: 10/14/2013
Status: offline 		If money was not a problem and I wanted to get a very powerful laptop I could I would buy a razer or a Dell Alienware of some kind. There are a lot of different brands and I know that these two don't have a minimalist design at all, but from what I've heard and experienced Dell and Razor have a good customer support and don't fill their computers with too much junk.

Command likes fast hard drives (like a SSD) more than a top of the line processor from what I have experienced, but If you want a laptop that can play something demanding like DCS, you need a good GPU. Combat mission does not need too much, but I haven't played any newer than Shock Force so I don't know how demanding the later ones are.


Almost all brands have gaming laptops, but I have no experience with ASUS, MSI och HP so I can't recommend them, and the two I've recommended are the latest and best from both manufacturer, you can probably find something that fits your need for less money.



(in reply to kevinkins)
Post #: 5
RE: Santa was Bad - 1/3/2017 5:07:37 PM   
Rory Noonan

 

Posts: 2816
Joined: 12/18/2014
From: Brooklyn, NY
Status: offline 		I bought a $3,500 AUD Alienware laptop in 2011. It was terrible. It wouldn't even run WoW without overheating. After a long process I ended up getting a refund.

Beware the high spec laptop. Only so much fits inside them before heat becomes a serious problem.

(in reply to severe7)
Post #: 6
RE: Santa was Bad - 1/3/2017 6:01:34 PM   
Cik

 

Posts: 671
Joined: 10/5/2016
Status: offline 		there is no real solution to the heating problem. gaming laptops are a fantasy imo. you can probably get one to run command, sure; but other, more graphical sims?

i have a mid-range video card and the cooling unit (fan+heat sink) is three times thicker than your average laptop. it's simply not possible to have a powerful GPU that is 1. working and 2. not melting through your desk in such a small space.


(in reply to Rory Noonan)
Post #: 7
RE: Santa was Bad - 1/3/2017 8:54:59 PM   
kevinkins


Posts: 2257
Joined: 3/8/2006
Status: offline 		Thanks guys. The heat issue never dawned on me as an ongoing industry problem. SSD Drive + a medium video card + 16 gig Ram might be a the sweet stop for me. Infinitely better than what I bought in 2014.

Kevin

(in reply to Cik)
Post #: 8
RE: Santa was Bad - 1/3/2017 10:00:45 PM   
severe7


Posts: 78
Joined: 10/14/2013
Status: offline 		I have never personally experienced overheating problems with a laptop, but I have heard plenty from friends and relatives, one of my best friends even started a fire in his bed!
One of the biggest problems with laptops apart from how close all the components are is that the ventilation ports are easily covered, especially if they are all underneath or on one side.
Through work I got a laptop that I'm quite impressed with, last years version of this. I has average battery life and the speakers are not the loudest, but and can play Borderlands 2 and many other games. It is not the fastest gaming laptop, but the metal body really keeps it cooler than any other laptops I've tested. Just remember to get the SSD version..
If you have trouble comparing different processors I would recommend using this website.

(in reply to kevinkins)
Post #: 9
RE: Santa was Bad - 1/4/2017 2:57:30 AM   
mavfin

 

Posts: 274
Joined: 6/22/2010
Status: offline 		Well, while I have a desktop, and not a laptop, I don't think an SSD is required for Command to run smoothly.

CPU and RAM to burn is a plus, though. I run smoothly with Command with a normal SATA HD. This machine was bought in 2010 for development work running multiple VMs, which it does very well, but it incidentally games very well, too. It has a 6-core Xeon (Intel X3680, 2010-ish vintage) and 16 GB of RAM. Command runs smoothly, and the game can run at whatever compression I set it at w/o freezing or waiting, so I don't think the SSD is 'required to run Command smoothly'. .





(in reply to severe7)
Post #: 10
RE: Santa was Bad - 1/4/2017 1:53:43 PM   
mikmykWS

 

Posts: 11524
Joined: 3/22/2005
Status: offline 		Hi guys

Its definitely not required but we see better performance with a SSD. We've said this in numerous strings. If this is one of your primary games it would make you happier.

As far as laptops if you really do alot of flight sims etc. make sure you shop under gaming computers etc so you get a high end videocard etc. You might even consider a vendor that does custom builds. I know Alienware is Dell now but happy with them and there are a number of other vendors out there like them. No bought computer should just overheat. If it does return it.

Thanks!

Mike




_____________________________


(in reply to mavfin)
Post #: 11
RE: Santa was Bad - 1/4/2017 2:28:30 PM   
Rory Noonan

 

Posts: 2816
Joined: 12/18/2014
From: Brooklyn, NY
Status: offline
quote:

ORIGINAL: mikmyk
No bought computer should just overheat. If it does return it.

Thanks!

Mike




Very true, but in my experience it was much easier to buy a bad laptop than return it. I agree that no factory option laptop should overheat unless given unusual strain, this however was what I experienced. It was a long (6-9 months) process of getting a refund and involved a lawyer and consumer affairs.

On the other hand a ~$2K MSI laptop I bought as a replacement ran rings around the top of the line Dell.

My conclusions are that a mid level gaming laptop is probably superior to a maxed out one (in terms of price:performance due to finite space and heat issues inherent with a portable PC.

< Message edited by apache85 -- 1/4/2017 2:31:18 PM >

(in reply to mikmykWS)
Post #: 12
RE: Santa was Bad - 1/4/2017 3:49:24 PM   
mikmykWS

 

Posts: 11524
Joined: 3/22/2005
Status: offline
quote:

ORIGINAL: apache85

quote:

ORIGINAL: mikmyk
No bought computer should just overheat. If it does return it.

Thanks!

Mike




Very true, but in my experience it was much easier to buy a bad laptop than return it. I agree that no factory option laptop should overheat unless given unusual strain, this however was what I experienced. It was a long (6-9 months) process of getting a refund and involved a lawyer and consumer affairs.

On the other hand a ~$2K MSI laptop I bought as a replacement ran rings around the top of the line Dell.

My conclusions are that a mid level gaming laptop is probably superior to a maxed out one (in terms of price:performance due to finite space and heat issues inherent with a portable PC.


Probably a good example that doing some research ahead of time on what your buying is worth it. Hope you wrote a review so the next person doesn't get jammed up? The time and lawyer likely well exceeded the cost of the stupid thing.

Mike



_____________________________


(in reply to Rory Noonan)
Post #: 13
RE: Santa was Bad - 1/4/2017 4:37:31 PM   
Cik

 

Posts: 671
Joined: 10/5/2016
Status: offline 		i recently reinstalled command on my SSD so i have a recent first-hand account and i can confirm it runs better on an SSD

SSDs are just better anyway. quieter and the boot's very fast. probably the largest hardware revolution in computing since at least Y2K

drives are still good for large storage space of course but i doubt you need that on a laptop

i would never pay 2k for a laptop honestly. anything above the latest i7 derivative and a mid-range card is a waste i think

~opinions~

(in reply to mikmykWS)
Post #: 14
RE: Santa was Bad - 1/4/2017 7:36:09 PM   
kevinkins


Posts: 2257
Joined: 3/8/2006
Status: offline 		In doing some fact finding I see laptops ship with both types of drives. Is this standard practice? One for installed resource intensive apps and the other for data and apps like Office? I guess this keeps the system's cost lower.

Kevin

(in reply to Cik)
Post #: 15
RE: Santa was Bad - 1/4/2017 8:03:41 PM   
Cik

 

Posts: 671
Joined: 10/5/2016
Status: offline 		sure. i have that sort of setup. 1+ tb drives are cheap, and 1+ tb SSDs are not.

if all you need to do is store files, drives beat SSDs for cost per unit of space

i wouldn't use SSDs for anything but system files and/or particularly file-intensive games.

for the average user though one SSD is enough. but i don't really see a reason to have bays of SSD as opposed to 1 SSD and a bay of drives

cheaper and mostly as functional. for laptops i guess maybe. noise might be an issue. heat too maybe.

(in reply to kevinkins)
Post #: 16
RE: Santa was Bad - 1/4/2017 11:34:34 PM   
mikmykWS

 

Posts: 11524
Joined: 3/22/2005
Status: offline
quote:

ORIGINAL: kevinkin

In doing some fact finding I see laptops ship with both types of drives. Is this standard practice? One for installed resource intensive apps and the other for data and apps like Office? I guess this keeps the system's cost lower.

Kevin


Yeah this is true on a lot of desktops as well. I think you're correct on the rationale behind it.

Mike

_____________________________


(in reply to kevinkins)
Post #: 17
RE: Santa was Bad - 1/4/2017 11:56:32 PM   
strykerpsg

 

Posts: 277
Joined: 11/13/2010
Status: offline 		I have been a loyal buyer of Alienware for many years and can say, there have been some rough ones occasionally, but by and large, very robust and great gaming machines.

I too fly lots of simulators, play FPS and MMO, as well a wealth of strategy type games, many graphically pretty and those, including CMANO, I play on my Alienware 17, with a graphics amplifier and absolutely no heating issues arise. Additionally, I have a Microsoft Surface tablet that runs CMANO exceptionally well, as it's on an SSD and again, no hiccups or over heating. As others have stated, it just really pays to do your own research ahead of time. I liked the option of upgradability of a desktop type GPU married to my laptop. So, read the reviews and made some decisions. I also formerly ran CMANO on a Surface Pro 2 and 3, both with SSDs and it ran great. However, FPS and simulators don't generally like the lower performing tablet variety, even though the Surface has a dedicated GPU and i7 processor.

_____________________________


(in reply to mikmykWS)
Post #: 18
RE: Santa was Bad - 1/5/2017 12:00:01 AM   
mikmykWS

 

Posts: 11524
Joined: 3/22/2005
Status: offline 		Btw which Flight Sim should I'd be using?

Is DCS really it or is there something else out there? I want something I can jump into quickly but not arcade.

I tried Falcon with the BMS patch but gave up trying to program my joystick. This was my lack of spare time (and patience) not the devs!

Mike

_____________________________


(in reply to strykerpsg)
Post #: 19
RE: Santa was Bad - 1/5/2017 12:13:18 AM   
Cik

 

Posts: 671
Joined: 10/5/2016
Status: offline 		falcon's the best IMO.

DCS' flight models, damage models and avionics are very good, but it lacks things to do with them. missions are sparse, even for very old modules.

falcon has a robust campaign system and very easy cooperative multiplayer. the flight model is among the best in the genre with peerless source data and attention to detail.

it also helps that the falcon's such a robust multirole. it doesn't get boring because when you get tired of A-A, you can employ 50 different types of A-G ordnance with 5+ attack methods in day, night, rough weather, clear weather, in 5 different distinct regions with their own campaign.

if you like WWII the IL-2 cliffs of dover ATAG mod is also very good. adversarial multiplayer is very good fun. it's a very gritty close-in game with an absolutely excellent sound engine.

turn down your subwoofer before you fire the kurfurst's cannons. my god. shook my house!

i don't mean to discount DCS though. it does things that no other sim does; has very cool rotary-wing platforms and a decent shared multiplayer environment. it's just that if you play a lot of sims you might run out of stuff to do.

(in reply to mikmykWS)
Post #: 20
RE: Santa was Bad - 1/5/2017 1:32:34 AM   
CV60


Posts: 992
Joined: 10/1/2012
Status: offline
quote:

Btw which Flight Sim should I'd be using?

Is DCS really it or is there something else out there? I want something I can jump into quickly but not arcade.

I tried Falcon with the BMS patch but gave up trying to program my joystick. This was my lack of spare time (and patience) not the devs!


Mike-If you want to go "old school" try Wings over Flanders Field (http://www.overflandersfields.com/index.html). One of the best games of 2016, according to armchair general. http://www.armchairgeneral.com/best-of-2016-gaming-guide.htm

< Message edited by CV60 -- 1/5/2017 1:33:30 AM >

(in reply to mikmykWS)
Post #: 21
RE: Santa was Bad - 1/5/2017 2:14:55 AM   
mikmykWS

 

Posts: 11524
Joined: 3/22/2005
Status: offline 		Thanks guys will check them out!

Mike

_____________________________


(in reply to CV60)
Post #: 22
RE: Santa was Bad - 1/5/2017 11:39:35 AM   
CV60


Posts: 992
Joined: 10/1/2012
Status: offline
quote:

Thanks guys will check them out!

Mike


Mike-One thing about Wings over Flanders Field (WOFF). It requires Microsoft combat Flight Simulator 3 to run. WIth that said, the game is so extensively modified, you don't realize the sim is based on a 10+ year old simulator engine. The campaign engine is really good. Very engaging. You end up mourning the loss of your virtual pilots. Check out some of the flight logs at
http://simhq.com/forum/ubbthreads.php/forums/372/1

(in reply to mikmykWS)
Post #: 23
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