Buying new laptops, which one will work best with PCSX2?
#1
Well my old HP laptop suffered from hard drive failure, so I have to buy a new one but this also opens opportunity for PCSX2 gaming. I was searching on Amazon for computers with the best specs, here are three that I have found:

Model 1: Alienware 14
Processor: Intel i7-4800MQ 2.70 GHz (x 8 threads) | 3.70 GHz (x 4 Threads) | 6 MB L3 Cache | 47 Watts
Graphics: nVIDIA GeForce GTX 765M 2GB GDDR5 | Display: 14" FullHD 1920x1080 LED Screen
RAM: 16GB (2 X 8GB) DDR3 1600MHz 1.35V | Hard Drive: 1TB 7200rpm HDD | Optical Drive: SuperMulti 8X DVD+/-R/RW Dual Layer (Slot Loading 9.5mm)

Model 2: Alienware 17
ntel Core i7-4700MQ Processor (6MB Cache, up to 3.4GHz w/ Turbo Boost)
16 GB DDR3L SDRAM
750 GB 7200 rpm Hard Drive
17-Inch Screen
Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit

Model 3: Dell Inspiron 15z
Intel Core i7 3537U 3.1 GHz
8 GB DDR3
500 GB 5400 rpm Hard Drive, 32 GB Solid-State Drive
15.6-Inch Screen
Windows 8


How do they compare to the recommended specs as listed in PCSX2 FAQs? Are they able to run the emulator at full speed? Which one do you recommend?
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#2
What games do you have that you want to play?
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#3
Games like FF12, Tales of the Abyss, AR Tornelico. Can you just tell me how the specs of these laptops compare to the recommended specs listed on PCSX2's FAQ site? Heres this recommended specs:

* Windows Vista / Windows 7 32bit/64bit
* CPU: Intel Core 2 Duo @ 3.2ghz or better
* GPU: 8600gt or better
* 1gb RAM (2gb if on Vista / Windows 7)

I am pretty sure the operating system and the memory wont be a problem, the comparison of CPU and GPU will be necessary and advices will be appreciated.

Also do you know what it means by CPU speed on 8 threads and 4 threads? Why is it slower on 8 threads? And is it possible to switch from 8 threads to 4 threads in order to get PCSX2 to work better?
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#4
The laptop specs are pretty damn good. The games you listed should run at full speed on both alienware laptops but the dell probably has a pretty weak GPU.
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#5
I see, thats why they cost $1500-$2000 lol. Thanks for your comment. Also I wonder which brand of laptops are the best at heat sink/prevention of overheating(minus Mac, I know it does the best at keeping its computer cool but Mac is not an option here). The biggest issue with my HP computer was that it got way too hot even just by watching youtube(let alone playing games), having an external cooler wont make it much better(ironically, with a Macbook air on my external cooler the laptop is quite cool, even making me feel cold lol). Is alienware generally better at handling heat problems compared to HP?
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#6
(11-27-2013, 01:32 PM)Hall of Famer Wrote: I see, thats why they cost $1500-$2000 lol. Thanks for your comment. Also I wonder which brand of laptops are the best at heat sink/prevention of overheating(minus Mac, I know it does the best at keeping its computer cool but Mac is not an option here). The biggest issue with my HP computer was that it got way too hot even just by watching youtube(let alone playing games), having an external cooler wont make it much better(ironically, with a Macbook air on my external cooler the laptop is quite cool, even making me feel cold lol). Is alienware generally better at handling heat problems compared to HP?
I'm not sure about how the cooling on the alienware is considering that I have never owned one but if you would like a few diferent options then here is a link.

http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2020688,00.asp
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#7
i could pick model 1 but...i7 laptop on pcsx2 is stiffy dangerous,HT issues and quick-overheating concerns.
you should get the i5-4330M as a mainstream laptop.
go to http://www.originpc.com/ to customise your laptop.
i3 laptop it's "not" enough for pcsx2 and since i3 doesn't have a turbo boost.

i'm not sure alienware laptop's overheating rate is same as the HP laptops. depends it's design and it's CPU heat ventilation design.
best to check its base of the laptop if the CPU ventilation is enough for heat dissipation before you purchase it.
Main PC1:i5-4670,HD7770(Active!)
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#8
Under the same PCSX2 load, I don't think an i7 would heat more than an i5 from the same generation and architecture. Also, i7 works great for PCSX2, and the extra cores can be used for extra threads for SW rendering, when needed.

FWIW, my i7-3630qm could work for hours at full load (and max frequency) without being throttled, even while playing games which also stress the GPU, so it depends on the cooling system of each specific laptop.

Since Alienware is known for their gaming laptops, I'd expect them to have good cooling, but I've never owned one and I don't know how good their cooling actually is.
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#9
Don't be fooled by the name "i7" of the third laptop, the "U" at the end of the name means that's an Ultrabook CPU, so even if it's an i7, in reality it's a dual core (+HT) with a very low base frequency (2GHz), so it's as good as a normal i3 for laptop.
The first and second ones instead are quad core (+HT) starting at higher frequency (2.4GHz for the i7-4700QM and 2.8GHz for the i7-4800QM), and thus they are way better. PCSX2 generally uses only 2 cores, but if you enable the MTVU you can use a 3rd one (so better performances on the first laptop), and in software mode you can use even more cores, so there's no doubt which one is the best choice.
The first laptop has also a good dedicated GPU, that is way better than the Intel HD you can find in the second and third one. So go for the first one, without any doubts.
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#10
The ASUS G750JX has a dual cooling system for both CPU and GPU. I heard it's cooler than Alienware.
There is also the MSI GE70 which I just bought, it has a button for max fan speed which is very effective (and therefor noisy).
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