4 ms·

Seems like theres all these amazing laptops now for all kinds of developers except those that need GPU power (game devs) :( There's no such thing as a laptop w

Seems like theres all these amazing laptops now for all kinds of developers except those that need GPU power (game devs) :( There's no such thing as a laptop with a good GPU that isn't ugly and bulky, and that doesn't have a nice hi-res IPS screen, and have a good keyboard and touchpad.

tluyben2 13y ago
And battery life :) I know I cannot expect top battery life in this case, but I would like something more than the abismal stuff they sell now. I guess the game dev niche is too small to cater too for laptop makers. And probably too hard as well; you need to do everything even better (not just different) than normal dev laptops.
jsnell 13y ago
Such a device would necessarily need to make some engineering compromises (thermal and layout issues). It would also have a tiny market. As such, the price would also be rather high. For example this is pretty much what the Vaio Z was. A very thin and light (17mm, 1.15kg) laptop with a high-res screen (1920*1080), a real CPU (up to quad core mobile i7, not a ULV chip), and a 7670M GPU. There were just two catches: the GPU was housed in the (tiny) external docking station, and the laptop + dock cost something like $3000. Unsurprisingly, it looks like Sony killed the whole external GPU concept in this years refresh.
lotso 13y ago
What about the Razer Edge? http://www.razerzone.com/gaming-systems/razer-blade http://www.razerzone.com/gaming-systems/razer-blade
- lifeformed 13y ago
  I've looked at that, and it's probably the closest thing there is. I just wish it had a higher res screen (1080p isn't that impressive for a 17" screen), and I wish it had room for another HDD (I've got a lot of music production software which takes up hundreds of gigs). Also, I'd prefer a top of the line GPU, like a 780M; the 765M falls a little short. Lastly, I definitely need more than 8GB of ram, but I'm sure I could add that in myself (I hope). But the great thing is they have that indie developer discount! I think I can get one for like $1000.
kayoone 13y ago
depending on what you need for game dev there are a couple, but they are bulky thats right. But its also necessary i guess because they need to have proper cooling. I have been game developing on a 2011 macbook pro (unity3d engine) for some time and ditched it fairly quickly because the constant fan noise was just unbearable for me and my co-workers.
- lifeformed 13y ago
  I guess bulk isn't too much of a problem, I'd just at least like a nice interface (keyboard, touchpad, screen). All the gaming laptops I can find fall short in that regard.
  - kayoone 13y ago
    what about HPs Elitebooks, Lenovo W Series or Dells Latitude/Precision ? They are pricey but offer alot of performance, good cooling and decent GPU options. Also the new Macbook Pros (Retina) should be alot less noisy because of some special fan design (see Reviews and youtube).

tluyben2 13y ago

And battery life :) I know I cannot expect top battery life in this case, but I would like something more than the abismal stuff they sell now. I guess the game dev niche is too small to cater too for laptop makers. And probably too hard as well; you need to do everything even better (not just different) than normal dev laptops.

jsnell 13y ago

Such a device would necessarily need to make some engineering compromises (thermal and layout issues). It would also have a tiny market. As such, the price would also be rather high. For example this is pretty much what the Vaio Z was. A very thin and light (17mm, 1.15kg) laptop with a high-res screen (1920*1080), a real CPU (up to quad core mobile i7, not a ULV chip), and a 7670M GPU. There were just two catches: the GPU was housed in the (tiny) external docking station, and the laptop + dock cost something like $3000. Unsurprisingly, it looks like Sony killed the whole external GPU concept in this years refresh.

lotso 13y ago

What about the Razer Edge? http://www.razerzone.com/gaming-systems/razer-blade http://www.razerzone.com/gaming-systems/razer-blade

lifeformed 13y ago
I've looked at that, and it's probably the closest thing there is. I just wish it had a higher res screen (1080p isn't that impressive for a 17" screen), and I wish it had room for another HDD (I've got a lot of music production software which takes up hundreds of gigs). Also, I'd prefer a top of the line GPU, like a 780M; the 765M falls a little short. Lastly, I definitely need more than 8GB of ram, but I'm sure I could add that in myself (I hope). But the great thing is they have that indie developer discount! I think I can get one for like $1000.

kayoone 13y ago

depending on what you need for game dev there are a couple, but they are bulky thats right. But its also necessary i guess because they need to have proper cooling. I have been game developing on a 2011 macbook pro (unity3d engine) for some time and ditched it fairly quickly because the constant fan noise was just unbearable for me and my co-workers.

lifeformed 13y ago
I guess bulk isn't too much of a problem, I'd just at least like a nice interface (keyboard, touchpad, screen). All the gaming laptops I can find fall short in that regard.
- kayoone 13y ago
  what about HPs Elitebooks, Lenovo W Series or Dells Latitude/Precision ? They are pricey but offer alot of performance, good cooling and decent GPU options. Also the new Macbook Pros (Retina) should be alot less noisy because of some special fan design (see Reviews and youtube).