3 ms·
Honestly - just build a small form factor desktop. I tried really hard to make gaming on laptops work - and the result is that you get a more expensive, less c
by horsawlarway 5y ago
Honestly - just build a small form factor desktop.
I tried really hard to make gaming on laptops work - and the result is that you get a more expensive, less capable machine. You'll end up spending 3 times the money, and are usually left disappointed (I know I was!).
Most vendors will happily shove high end components into a box they know doesn't have the right thermals to keep everything running, so unless you're also dragging a freezer around to keep the thing cool - it will hit thermal limits pretty fast. At which point the nice cpu/gpu no longer matter, and god help you if you actually intend to use it on your lap (bank some sperm - because it will fry yours...).
I can fit my current travel box (mini-itx InWin case, 20 inch display, keyboard/mouse, mousepad, power cable, hdmi cable) in a carry-on sized piece of luggage, with a smidge of space left over.
Yes - it's still a lot bulkier than a laptop, but I can actually play games on it and have fun. Which is not really something my "gaming" laptops ever did very well.
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Bonus - if you retire it after 4-6 years, it makes a killer media pc. Most of my laptops were basically garbage after 3 years (Cheap plastic cases degrade/crack. Screen/keyboard are worn out and not economical to replace. Bad thermals decrease component lifespan noticeably.)
- HalcyonicStorm 5y agoI'm game if i can buy a 3080 or 3090 or an equivalent ATI. I love desktops so i have nothing against it.
- horsawlarway 5y agoUsually you can fit a full-size card in most of the mini-itx cases. Not every full-sized card, but a full-sized card. I was lucky and building before prices shot sky high and availability became so limited, so it might be harder to find a card you know for sure will fit. There's a pretty large community around building small form factor pcs, and a lot of forums will have case/card compatibility lists.
- HalcyonicStorm 5y agoThanks for this suggestion! I didn't think about it at all. I will look into it. I'd rather have a small desktop that I can carry than yet another laptop. I completely agree with you that laptops degrade way faster than I like
- baq 5y agopcpartpicker has dimension compatibility for at least some cases and cards, so it isn’t an impossible task, though it’s much more difficult than just buying a big case and not caring about size at all.