Dual Gpu laptop

[AwesomeMcCoolName]

http://shop.lenovo.com/us/en/laptops/ideapad/y-series/y510p/?sb=:000001C9:0000ECB2:#features

 

Soooo tempting...

 

 

/some random bs background info: 

Looking for a new laptop to replace my 7-year old mbp. I was going to get a new mbp, but decided to take a look around and dayyum.....

[@@@@@@]

not bad http://www.notebookcheck.net/NVIDIA-GeForce-GT-750M-SLI.91280.0.html

 

heat issues maybe?

[AwesomeMcCoolName]

It shouldn't be an issue, especially since the gpu is on a tray that can slide out of the computer (i assume while running).

 

Plus this would kill 2 birds with one stone: 

 

#1 i want a more powerful gaming computer (Dell XPS 15)

#2 i want a more powerful/longer lasting laptop (2007 MBP)

 

I still am partial towards osx, i've always found it to be faster for general use, but now not so much--but its also not a very fair comparrison-->2010 Xps15 w/ ssd and 8gb 1333ram vs. 2007 mbp w/ 4gb 667ram.

[There]

I would go with the single GPU route. Dual cards suffer a lot from low memory bandwidth, and laptop GPU have ridiculously small memory bandwidth. 

[AwesomeMcCoolName]

I would go with the single GPU route. Dual cards suffer a lot from low memory bandwidth, and laptop GPU have ridiculously small memory bandwidth. 

Except that shouldn't really be much of an issue considering that they each have 2gb of vram, which should be more than enough to hande bandwidth issues. 

[There]

Except that shouldn't really be much of an issue considering that they each have 2gb of vram, which should be more than enough to hande bandwidth issues. 

 

Amount of VRAM doesn't really have anything to do with bandwidth. GTX 750 is 192 bit memory interface. That's not small, but considering how low the memory is clocked, you're gonna lose a lot of performance.

[AwesomeMcCoolName]

Amount of VRAM doesn't really have anything to do with bandwidth. GTX 750 is 192 bit memory interface. That's not small, but considering how low the memory is clocked, you're gonna lose a lot of performance.

Did they lower the clockspeed on the duals? (didn't notice that)

 

 

The thing is, i want to get a new laptop to use for class/notes/general use (internet) and stuff like that. I've been using my old mac for that, and my xps 15 for gaming. However, both have some issues. My mac is 7 years old, and runs out, and ends up "crashing" a couple times a week due to me pushing it too hard. While my xps 15 runs most games well enough, some games (like bf3) i need to run at shit resolution and shit settings. 

 

So what i'd like to do: 

Replace the Xps 15 with a custom gaming rig (totalling around $1500). 

Replace the 2007 mac with a 2013 mbp (TBR)

 

But i was thinking--Why do i want a mac. And i guess there are two answers to that. Firstly, i've always found my mac to do general stuff (i.e. internet surfing type stuff) faster and better than any windows computer; Secondly, i just like osx--its very streamlined, good multi touch support...idk, i just like it better than windows. But i started to think about it, a mac is like $2000 vs. pc which would be around $800-1200. So at that point i might as well just get a new laptop that can do both gaming and general use since i don't really see myself getting a new gaming desktop atm due to college.

[There]

Did they lower the clockspeed on the duals? (didn't notice that)

 

 

The thing is, i want to get a new laptop to use for class/notes/general use (internet) and stuff like that. I've been using my old mac for that, and my xps 15 for gaming. However, both have some issues. My mac is 7 years old, and runs out, and ends up "crashing" a couple times a week due to me pushing it too hard. While my xps 15 runs most games well enough, some games (like bf3) i need to run at shit resolution and shit settings. 

 

So what i'd like to do: 

Replace the Xps 15 with a custom gaming rig (totalling around $1500). 

Replace the 2007 mac with a 2013 mbp (TBR)

 

But i was thinking--Why do i want a mac. And i guess there are two answers to that. Firstly, i've always found my mac to do general stuff (i.e. internet surfing type stuff) faster and better than any windows computer; Secondly, i just like osx--its very streamlined, good multi touch support...idk, i just like it better than windows. But i started to think about it, a mac is like $2000 vs. pc which would be around $800-1200. So at that point i might as well just get a new laptop that can do both gaming and general use since i don't really see myself getting a new gaming desktop atm due to college.

 

They don't lower the clockspeed on duals-- (well, I don't think they do at least, but they might due to heat issues). They lower clock speeds on mobile cards quite a bit. SLI GTX 660 Tis take quite a performance hit in SLI due to their low memory bandwidth (which is also 192-bit), and they have memory clocked very high. Imagine how big the impact is with low memory clocks.

 

And why you want a Mac? Hmm, I don't particularly like Apple computers, but I don't hate them like some people do. I just think they're really overpriced. I sort of agree with you that they're better for general tasks like web surfing, etc, but my Windows 7 laptop with a Samsung 840 Pro SSD is extremely fast. I can't see any computer being faster than it. (No, I'm not bragging. I'm saying everything is instant--don't really think you would notice it if it was faster). 

[AwesomeMcCoolName]

They don't lower the clockspeed on duals-- (well, I don't think they do at least, but they might due to heat issues). They lower clock speeds on mobile cards quite a bit. SLI GTX 660 Tis take quite a performance hit in SLI due to their low memory bandwidth (which is also 192-bit), and they have memory clocked very high. Imagine how big the impact is with low memory clocks.

Except everything is still doubled, so why would their be a bandwidth issue? 

 

Also, i'm not saying this could compete with a custom rig, but its a good alternative. 

[There]

Except everything is still doubled, so why would their be a bandwidth issue? 

 

Also, i'm not saying this could compete with a custom rig, but its a good alternative. 

 

Let me see if I can explain this right: there are many things that can bottleneck a card. One of them is memory bandwidth. Memory bandwidth is one of the things that is not doubled when you go SLI, and it will be the limiting factor when you have cards with that small of memory bus. I think that's right. Maybe I'm wrong.

[AwesomeMcCoolName]

Let me see if I can explain this right: there are many things that can bottleneck a card. One of them is memory bandwidth. Memory bandwidth is one of the things that is not doubled when you go SLI, and it will be the limiting factor when you have cards with that small of memory bus. I think that's right. Maybe I'm wrong.

Except that shouldn't be laptop specific, that should be just the same on a desktop. Also, even with lesser bandwidth, wouldn't two still be better than one? 

[There]

Except that shouldn't be laptop specific, that should be just the same on a desktop. Also, even with lesser bandwidth, wouldn't two still be better than one? 

 

It's not laptop specific. It'll just be a bigger problem due to the lower memory speed on laptop cards. Desktops have this problem. And yes, two will be better than one, but will it be worth the extra money? You won't get the normal 80-90% performance improvement from a second card that you get with 256-bit or so desktop cards. More like 50-60%, I would guess. But it's still an improvement, yes.

[AwesomeMcCoolName]

It's not laptop specific. It'll just be a bigger problem due to the lower memory speed on laptop cards. Desktops have this problem. And yes, two will be better than one, but will it be worth the extra money? You won't get the normal 80-90% performance improvement from a second card that you get with 256-bit or so desktop cards. More like 50-60%, I would guess. But it's still an improvement, yes.

50-60% is still pretty good, a lot of sli-able gpus are 192 bit, its just high end ones that are 256.

[Pyrocide]

Sager/Clevo make some good dual GPU laptops. As well as Origin the Eon-17s *used* to, not sure if it still does.

 

My uncle has a Sager with dual 8800GTX, 2x1TB RAID1 and a 256 SSD. Pretty snappy for an older laptop.

 

There is right about the bandwidth bottle neck. You can have 1TB of RAM but sitting on a 100MHz bandwidth, where do you think the bottle neck exists?

 

I would first do a lot of research before getting a dual card setup in a notebook vs a single GPU.

 

Older games like TF2 you really aren't going to see a difference in quality with a single high end or 2 mid-range/high end. Games like Witcher 2 with all the mods or Crysis modded to hell and back I think a single card would give you better performance over 2 in a laptop . It also depends on what OS you are running. Hackintosh Linux and Windows on the same laptop same hardware have given me all sorts of weird ranges in FPS for the same game and settings.

[AwesomeMcCoolName]

Sager/Clevo make some good dual GPU laptops. As well as Origin the Eon-17s *used* to, not sure if it still does.

 

My uncle has a Sager with dual 8800GTX, 2x1TB RAID1 and a 256 SSD. Pretty snappy for an older laptop.

 

There is right about the bandwidth bottle neck. You can have 1TB of RAM but sitting on a 100MHz bandwidth, where do you think the bottle neck exists?

 

I would first do a lot of research before getting a dual card setup in a notebook vs a single GPU.

 

Older games like TF2 you really aren't going to see a difference in quality with a single high end or 2 mid-range/high end. Games like Witcher 2 with all the mods or Crysis modded to hell and back I think a single card would give you better performance over 2 in a laptop . It also depends on what OS you are running. Hackintosh Linux and Windows on the same laptop same hardware have given me all sorts of weird ranges in FPS for the same game and settings.

except im not planning on spending 2k on a gaming laptop. I'm either going to get a new mac or something better/cheaper if i can find it to replace my current mac. The lenovo just ends happening to have pretty good specs, making it a possible replacement for my dell as well. 

[There]

except im not planning on spending 2k on a gaming laptop. I'm either going to get a new mac or something better/cheaper if i can find it to replace my current mac. The lenovo just ends happening to have pretty good specs, making it a possible replacement for my dell as well. 

 

I think it would be smart to replace both of them with one laptop. I would consider this instead:

 

http://www.digitalstormonline.com/gaminglaptoploadlance.asp?id=854278

 

Maybe that's a little bit too much. But if you consider what you would pay if you bought a new Mac and a new gaming PC, then this is a pretty good deal. The 770M will kill the SLI 750Ms in whatever you compare them too. If that's too much or too big, I would consider this:

 

http://www.digitalstormonline.com/gaminglaptoploadveloce.asp?id=850546

 

765M is about equal with the dual 750Ms, but it'll produce less heat and use less energy. Digital Storm is a really great company and I would recommend buying from them. I bought my laptop with them about a year ago and it's still going strong. I have no complaints about them.

[AwesomeMcCoolName]

I was actually looking into the viper, but i don't really wanna spend so much money on a gaming laptop. From my experience windows computers last 3-4 years then get meh vs. macs which last quite a bit longer. My mac is still running fine and its 7 years old, its just overloaded.

[There]

I was actually looking into the viper, but i don't really wanna spend so much money on a gaming laptop. From my experience windows computers last 3-4 years then get meh vs. macs which last quite a bit longer. My mac is still running fine and its 7 years old, its just overloaded.

 

You're talking about a Dell laptop, right? I haven't noticed my Digital Storm slowing down at all. Not one bit. Still getting the same FPS in games that I was when I first unpackaged this laptop. OS X is a very streamlined OS, you could say, and that's why it doesn't really slow down over time. But I have a 2007 MacBook and it's almost unusable now due to how slow it is. Those are problem with the OS and software, not the hardware. A simple reinstall of the Win7 can easily fix this. I know it's a pain, but you only have to do it every couple of years or so. 

 

If you wouldn't mind answering, how much would you like to spend, and what is your max?

[AwesomeMcCoolName]

You're talking about a Dell laptop, right? I haven't noticed my Digital Storm slowing down at all. Not one bit. Still getting the same FPS in games that I was when I first unpackaged this laptop. OS X is a very streamlined OS, you could say, and that's why it doesn't really slow down over time. But I have a 2007 MacBook and it's almost unusable now due to how slow it is. Those are problem with the OS and software, not the hardware. A simple reinstall of the Win7 can easily fix this. I know it's a pain, but you only have to do it every couple of years or so. 

 

If you wouldn't mind answering, how much would you like to spend, and what is your max?

I've reinstalled windows on multiple occasions, still doesn't help. But i also happen to like osx. TBH i really have no budget, but i would ultimately like to get a new gaming desktop (which i was willing to spend around $1500) although it probably won't happen as im assuming im going to be too busy to use it/its a pain to get back and forth. And if you had a macbook im not surprised, those things are complete shit.

[There]

I've reinstalled windows on multiple occasions, still doesn't help. But i also happen to like osx. TBH i really have no budget, but i would ultimately like to get a new gaming desktop (which i was willing to spend around $1500) although it probably won't happen as im assuming im going to be too busy to use it/its a pain to get back and forth. And if you had a macbook im not surprised, those things are complete shit.

 

Well... $1200 shit.

 

If it's a shitty computer, then they should sell it for a shitty price. Apple overprices everything.

http://store.apple.com/us/memorymodel/ME_IMAC_F12_27

Really? $400 for 16GB RAM? ffs you could just download it for free

 

Anyway, reinstalling windows seems to do the trick. If you buy a computer from HP, it'll remind you every couple of months to reinstall your OS when it randomly wipes your hard drive clean of all data. If you want a laptop, I would recommend one of the ones I said above. A desktop would be a completely different discussion Anyway, I wouldn't really recommend dual GPUs in a laptop when a single GPU option is available. Good luck

[AwesomeMcCoolName]

Well... $1200 shit.

 

If it's a shitty computer, then they should sell it for a shitty price. Apple overprices everything.

http://store.apple.com/us/memorymodel/ME_IMAC_F12_27

Really? $400 for 16GB RAM? ffs you could just download it for free

 

Anyway, reinstalling windows seems to do the trick. If you buy a computer from HP, it'll remind you every couple of months to reinstall your OS when it randomly wipes your hard drive clean of all data. If you want a laptop, I would recommend one of the ones I said above. A desktop would be a completely different discussion Anyway, I wouldn't really recommend dual GPUs in a laptop when a single GPU option is available. Good luck

O, i know apple overprices everything, just check out their ssds, that puts their ram to shame...But they do however make a solid computer. Great battery life, pretty much always fast, solid build; really the only downsides are: high cost, low-res screen, poor gaming. But the purpose is to be a portable laptop with good battery life, with enough power to edit video/photos, which is where macs stride.

[There]

O, i know apple overprices everything, just check out their ssds, that puts their ram to shame...But they do however make a solid computer. Great battery life, pretty much always fast, solid build; really the only downsides are: high cost, low-res screen, poor gaming. But the purpose is to be a portable laptop with good battery life, with enough power to edit video/photos, which is where macs stride.

 

Their SSD prices are almost reasonable- a 512 GB SSD is $300 more than a 256 GB one. That's like $70 more than it should be, but not 4 times.

[AwesomeMcCoolName]

Except there giving you the crappies ssd ever made.

[There]

Except there giving you the crappies ssd ever made.

 

True. 

[macascfl]

I have the same laptop without the dual GPUs, works great.