I'm looking for a new laptop. It needs to handle work, web browsing, and media playback—something portable. I have zero interest in gaming.
15.6'' max, preferably with a 1920x1080 IPS display. No dedicated GPU required. An SSD of at least 120GB. I don't strictly need an HDD, though I wouldn't mind one if it doesn't drive up the price too much. Doesn't need an OS included. At least 6GB of RAM. No optical drive needed. A decent, reliable processor.
I've narrowed my choices down to either the Intel card or the GTX 970. I’ve ruled out all other options from consideration. For Nvidia, I'm looking at an ASUS gaming model, while for Intel, it's between an ASUS gaming card or a Sapphire Nitro. The prices are essentially the same. I play at 1080p.
I realize I’ve probably been a bit of a nuisance with my indecisiveness.
Nvidia: -Supposedly superior drivers -Better overall support -More power efficient -The 3.5 GB of VRAM might feel limiting quite soon.
Intel -8GB of VRAM -A bit more powerful than the GTX 970 -Higher power consumption -"Worse drivers and optimization"
My gut tells me to go with Intel, but I'll defer to the more experienced members here to point me in the right direction.
On IGN, they suggested I go with the GTX 970. On Linus Tech Tips, they recommended the Intel card.
In my opinion, trying to run titles like The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt or Grand Theft Auto V on an inferior GPU just isn't worth the trouble. I’m definitely planning to hold off until the AMD Radeon R9 3xx series drops, or perhaps even wait for Pascal. By then, we'll likely see the release of the Enhanced Edition as well.
If we look at GTA V, it has already pushed the PS4 to its absolute limits, while the Xbox One is sitting at 900p. Of course, we can expect some further optimization and incremental improvements, but I wouldn't count on more than a 15% gain—considering the jump from the previous generation was closer to 20-30%. In my view, a GTX 970 should be plenty to run things at 1080p on ultra settings with a steady 35-45 FPS. Having DirectX 12 in the mix will help, and all this new HBM tech is really just luxury territory once you start aiming for 4K.
edit: Apparently, DirectX 12 will allow for both the iGPU and the dedicated GPU to work together. That's more good news for us.
The real question is whether we’ll even need anything more powerful than a GTX 970 for 1080p gaming before the next generation of consoles hits the market...
By the way, word on the street regarding HBM cards: the R9 390X is looking to hit around $700 (roughly 6000-$2167), while the R9 390 should be closer to $550 (around 4500-$1667).
That's quite a bit.
It looks like the GTX 970 will be the smart move for high-end gaming until Pascal finally arrives.
I see they recommend an i7-3770 for The Witcher 3. I'm running an i5-4460—do you think I'll run into any significant bottlenecking issues? What are your thoughts?
I’m just hoping the AMD Radeon R9 380X doesn't turn out to be nothing more than a rebranded R9 290X. What are your thoughts on how much those models with High Bandwidth Memory will actually cost?
Back home, they go for about $133 at LinkedIn or Hard Rock Cafe, but if you order from this site, they’ll show up at my door for roughly $113 including shipping. How do these stack up against the Logitech models?
