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Socoder -> Off Topic -> Laptop vs GameDev

Fri, 17 Nov 2017, 11:38
GfK
Any thoughts on laptops for game dev? Looking at gaming laptops and wondering if a GTX1050 (or 1050Ti) will be enough? Also want a 17’’ 1920x1080 screen...
Fri, 17 Nov 2017, 11:38
Jayenkai
If you're expecting it to sit on your lap, a 17 might be a tad large. My 15's somewhat comfortable when sat cross-legged, but can be slightly wonky when sat on straight legs.

Also, if you're using Unity, I expect you'll probably be better off with a Mouse, and IMO laptop's become unwieldy the second you add a mouse!!

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Fri, 17 Nov 2017, 11:41
GfK
Yeah I thought of that but ultimately, the Unity environment has a lot of stuff in it, hence the need for a hi-res screen and preferably 17"+ so I can actually read stuff on it. I could sit at the table if I had to.

Re: The mouse - yeah I'd def need a mouse for anything artwork-related. But mostly that stuff would happen on the desktop PC. Laptop is primarily for codestuffs.

Also finding it odd that most laptops (even ones in the £1000+ price range) don't come with a CD/DVD drive. WTF is that all about?? Why make a high-end(ish) laptop and leave out a £20 optical drive?
Fri, 17 Nov 2017, 11:42
Jayenkai
I've written 130 games exclusively on laptops since 2013. Not even a Mouse plugged in. Just the laptop.
I don't "do" desktop anymore.

But I'm doing text-heavy coding, not GUI driven stuff.

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Fri, 17 Nov 2017, 11:45
Jayenkai
Last year I used my laptop's DVD drive to rip the Red Dwarf Series XI DVD to my NAS.
Next week, I'll be doing it to Series XII.
.. I don't think I've used it for anything else.

Personally, if it makes the whole laptop smalller/thinner/lighter, then I'd much prefer that. I can plug in a USB drive.

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Fri, 17 Nov 2017, 11:48
GfK
I hear you... and I don't use mine much other than for burning the odd DVD or when I reinstall Windows as most of my dev software is stored on DVD. Maybe I should just ditch most of it and shift it all onto my NAS, but then I'm getting into an "all eggs in one basket" scenario...
Fri, 17 Nov 2017, 12:50
rockford
I can't stand track pads on laptops, so I use a MS wireless mouse. No wires. No bother. Ever.

My lappy has a DVD writer - I think I've used it three times in five years. I do however also have an external DVD drive, which I've actually used more (on my son's old netbook). But yeah, I think I'd still miss it if my lappy didn't have a DVD drive.
Fri, 17 Nov 2017, 13:30
Pakz
I do not have a desktop anymore. I now use mostly my 15 inch asus rog strix laptop with 1050. It has 8gb ddr4 and 1tb + 256 gb ssd and 7300hq i5. Also full hd screen.

For me it is more than enough. I only used Unity a couple of times but it seemed pretty snappy on it. All the demo’s I tried from the store had no trouble with the fps as far as I could tell.

People seem to advice no less the a 1070 for a gaming laptop. They are a bit more expensive(1800 euro’s or so)

I payed 950 euro’s for the strix. A few weeks after I bought it the same store sold them for 800 euro’s So If you check every once in a while you sometimes might find a good deal.
Fri, 17 Nov 2017, 14:05
GfK
i'm not sure i could go to a laptop fulltime. My desktop PC has dual 27" monitors so even going down to a single 17" monitor permanently is a scary thought.
Fri, 17 Nov 2017, 16:39
therevillsgames
Hate laptops... way too small to be productive for me! I always end up connecting an external monitor, external keyboard and external mouse to them!
Fri, 17 Nov 2017, 22:43
Dabz
I'm the same, I have a dell laptop, which is getting on a bit, but still works a charm... And a netbook... I never use them both nowadays, I might just whack'em on fleabay to free up a bit of room.

Dabz

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Intel Core i5 6400 2.7GHz, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 (8GB), 8Gig DDR4 RAM, 256GB SSD, 1TB HDD, Windows 10 64bit
Mon, 04 Dec 2017, 15:36
GfK
Finally settled on this: https://www.msi.com/Laptop/GE72VR-7RF-Apache-Pro
Mon, 04 Dec 2017, 16:35
Jayenkai
That's an insane price-point..
I honestly would never consider spending that on a Laptop. A desktop, maybe.. I mean, I still wouldn't.. But at least I'd consider it.
For a laptop, though..
Yikes...

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Mon, 04 Dec 2017, 16:56
GfK
Desktop PC is a decent spec (i7-4790K, GTX970), so hopefully this will be in a similar ballpark. The Unity editor and Visual Studio are hungry beasts and I just can't work within the confines of my G580 and its shitty Intel shared graphics.

Anywho... for the price difference it didn't make sense to compromise with an i5 or a GTX1050/Ti. Might have saved £200 or so but I don't want to be in a situation where I'm spending that much on a laptop and still being disappointed with what it can do. Could also have gone for a smaller screen, but again, the saving didn't outweigh the needs of my ageing eyes.

The other thing - and this is a big plus, is that I won't have to sit coding in an 8x6 room, crammed to the rafters with all sorts of shit associated with running two businesses. I can escape. I can sit outside if I want. Don't think you can put a price on that sort of freedom. Though I guess you'd have to have spent the last three years working in the confines of a box-room to appreciate that.
Mon, 04 Dec 2017, 18:39
Pakz
I read that in january Intel will most likely release new 'gaming' laptop processors(gen 8). There will be 2 extra cores then. It seems to be getting more interesting to more frequently replace older systems. 2 cores were here for like a decade. I only had my first 4 core system this year.

As for new videocards, nvidia are master with their current gen and will wait maybe another 6 months to release new generation versions.
Tue, 05 Dec 2017, 03:14
Jayenkai
My Bedroom, Devroom, everything room was a box room from 1987 until about 2003...
..... don’t talk to me about f'ing box rooms being f'ing confined prison walls, driving you crazy from the insanely small space, looking at the same damn walls every god damned day for year after year after[snip]

When my sister moved out to Uni, I jumped at the chance to upgrade to the bigger bedroom!

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Tue, 05 Dec 2017, 03:28
GfK
Ah, then maybe you do understand!

I was offered the choice of free shipping (5-10 working days), or next-day for £9.95, which would have been Wednesday, cos it was late on last night when I ordered it. Being the cheapskate(!) I am, and not being allowed it til Christmas anyway, I went for the free option.

Just got an email confirming it's been shipped, and will be here tomorrow. Wednesday.

This sounds good but it's less than ideal. My inner-child now has to wait three bloody weeks, in full knowledge that a brand new sexy laptop is hiding in the house.

It's going to be the longest three weeks of my fucking life.
Tue, 05 Dec 2017, 04:04
Dabz
Lol... nowt worse!

Dabz
Wed, 06 Dec 2017, 03:56
GfK
It's just arrived. I REPEAT.... IT HAS ARRIVED!

Missus is now refusing to believe that I am in fact a Buddhist, and have been ever since we met and therefore do not identify with the concept of Christmas. I mean... just because I don't bang on about it all the time... I keep my religion to myself. It's not like I'm a wanker about it and shove it in everyone's face at any given opportunity.

But nope... she's having none of it. Fucks sake. 19 days and counting...
Wed, 06 Dec 2017, 04:33
Jayenkai
Muah-hah-haaa!!!
Wed, 06 Dec 2017, 04:59
GfK
Fucked if I'm telling her about her new ironing board now. She can bloody wait like I have to!
Wed, 06 Dec 2017, 06:17
rockford
LOL!
Wed, 06 Dec 2017, 12:06
Dabz


Dabz
Wed, 06 Dec 2017, 14:01
cyangames
Let's see, specs of the laptop i code on intel i5 2nd gen @ 2.5GHz, running 8GB of DDR3 RAM, 250gb SSD running windows 7 with meh integrated graphics from 2011.

Somehow it runs like a dream still!

Probably because i run a lot of software that's about 10 years old and still does the job mind you. Well, that and rarely Unity.

Strange that, how when I first joined this Forum I was all about the Unity. Today, not so much, if at al in fact.

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Web / Game Dev, occasionally finishes off coding games also!