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Centrinos for Gaming?

post #1 of 17
5/2/04 at 5:07am
Thread Starter 
In the next couple weeks I'm going to be purchasing a laptop. Now I've never purchased a laptop before and I don't come from a technical background. I've tried my best to research all of the available information on different components, and whatnot and decided on pretty much the configuration I want for my laptop. However, I have a question as to the performance of a 1.5gHz Pentium M versus a 2.8 gHz Pentium 4, assuming both are running an ATI Mobility Radeon 9700 (128mb). Could someone please give me some usable information on this?

Also, on a related topic I was looking at many resellers and I believe I have settled on GamePc. I sent them a list of technical questions and within a half hour they sent a detailed reply (just like the website said). I still feel I have to ask though, has anyone had any dealings with them that they could share? What should I expect when dealing with them?
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post #2 of 17
5/2/04 at 2:41pm
The rule when dealing with Pentium-M processors... is to multiply the frequency to 1.5, to find out how it stacks up to a Pentium-4. Some people will tell you to multiply by 1.6, 1.4, 1.7 etc. I say 1.5, because its best to expect less in performance, and then be overwhelmed, than being over expectant, and then be underwhelmed (if thats a word).

I suggest, that if you want the performance of a 2.8, you should either get the 1.7GHz Pentium-M, or if you have the money, in a few weeks time there should be the new 1.8 Pentium-M, which should be closer to a 2.8.

In regards to GamePC, try www.resellerratings.com to find out what other people have to say about them.
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post #3 of 17
5/2/04 at 3:02pm
why did you decide on Game PC? I am considering a Centrino for gaming too and have been leaning towards the Acer 8003 or maybe 2025.
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post #4 of 17
5/2/04 at 3:17pm
Thread Starter 
Well, they're definitely a reputable outfit in terms of what they do. Their articles on computer components are referenced in dozens of other places. My primary worry is making sure I don't get the shaft in terms of a POS computer that I can't get service for.

Of course the computer I'm looking at from them is running a basic chassis from Compal, so it's not like I couldn't get it somewhere else.
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post #5 of 17
5/2/04 at 3:21pm
My take on this is that the graphics on the laptop are more important when it comes to games than the processor. After all, it seems that most games are limited more by the graphics capabilities than the CPU. That's not to say that you should disregard CPU type and speed. In my opinion though, Centrinos should be more than adequate for gaming.
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post #6 of 17
5/2/04 at 6:48pm
How well do current games (FarCry/Halo/BF1942/Planetside) perform on a Centrino? Is there a noticeable difference between a Centrino and a P4? I’m a college student, so the added mobility would be greatly appreciated, but at the same time, I don’t want a rig that won’t be able to keep up with the gaming trend a two years down the road. Any advice would be greatly appreciated!!!
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post #7 of 17
5/2/04 at 7:36pm
It's all about bottlenecks and making sure a cpu can scale with the video card. That said there is no MOBILE video card that is out that a Centrino can't handle.
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post #8 of 17
5/2/04 at 7:55pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Jester6578
How well do current games (FarCry/Halo/BF1942/Planetside) perform on a Centrino? Is there a noticeable difference between a Centrino and a P4? I’m a college student, so the added mobility would be greatly appreciated, but at the same time, I don’t want a rig that won’t be able to keep up with the gaming trend a two years down the road. Any advice would be greatly appreciated!!!

1. Perfectly.

2. Yes... a P4 is overall more powerful than a Penitum-M (the processor is not called Centrino...ok? Its called a Pentium-M). Also, the P4 generates more heat, because it lacks the ability to scale its processor down (when not under stress, the Pentium-M processor scales down to 600MHz) that the Pentium-M has. This makes it so that it uses up the battery faster, and makes notebooks that use it hot, and thus louder because of the fan constantly blowing to cool the notebook.

Finally, just wanted to make sure that whatever notebook you buy now... it wont be able to play the top of the line games two years from now at high resolutions and with all of the eye candy on. In 2 years there will most likely be 2, if not more, new generations of gpus, and in the market we will be seeing the 3rd or 4th generation Pentium-Ms.
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post #9 of 17
5/2/04 at 8:34pm
if gaming is important to you, buy the best card you can get now....get one with a 9700 128MB. Within two years the best games will be written for the best cards of that time, but the 9700 should still be able to run them, but probably not get the full effect of the top of the line cards of 2006

Some of the bigger Desktop Replacement type of laptops sell themselves on having an upgradable GPU, but they are AGP based. The next generation of ATI cards due out later this year will be made for both AGP and PCIe, but who knows about the generation after that. It may be that in 2 years they cant get a card that is much better than the one they got.
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post #10 of 17
5/2/04 at 8:41pm
Adding to what TonyinLA said... you could get a Sager notebook, for which they almost always offer an upgrade of internals. This year you might buy one of their notebooks, but in a year when their new model comes out, you pay about 600 and you get an all new mobo, gpu, and processor.
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post #11 of 17
5/2/04 at 10:45pm
[quote=Enderet]1. Perfectly.

2. Yes... a P4 is overall more powerful than a Penitum-M (the processor is not called Centrino...ok? Its called a Pentium-M). QUOTE]

Damnation, I knew that. Centrino is the name for the combo of all the parts. sigh That's what final exam's will do to you.


About playing games two years from now: I fully understand that I won't beable to play then with full resolution and eyecandy - but do you think I'll be able to play them at lower resolutions? I have a 2 1/2 year old Dell and it can't run squat. Even Counter-Strike can tax it. I plan to get a 9700 128MB, am I correct to understand that that will be what limits my gaming and not the processor?

Also Enderet: I've been looking at Sager's (on pctorque), specifically the 5690, they're awesome, and highly recomended. If I get a P4, it will probably be a 5690. Have they come out with a Pentium-M notebook with a 128MB GPU? Thanks for the help!!

PS If I get a Centrino Notebook, I've been looking at the PowerPro M 5:6. Any thoughts?
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post #12 of 17
5/2/04 at 10:51pm
Yes, the Hypersonic CX6 has a Pentium M as well as the M11 (Ati 9700 128mb video card) Acer's 2025 which comes out this month will have the Dothan processor (next generation of Banias a.k.a. the pentium M) as well as the M11.
As for gaming in the future; you should be able to play most games with low resolution with the M11. The thing that makes predictions hard is what new technologies that will come out. Take DirectX for example which is used in many video games; a lot of notebook video cards can't utilize it; the M10 and M11 as well as Nvidia's FX5700 can handle it. Maybe in the next 2.5 years something will come out that the video card can't handle.
solution: by a desktop for gaming and just upgrade the gpu when needed.
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post #13 of 17
5/2/04 at 10:58pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Jester6578

I plan to get a 9700 128MB, am I correct to understand that that will be what limits my gaming and not the processor?

Also Enderet: I've been looking at Sager's (on pctorque), specifically the 5690, they're awesome, and highly recomended. If I get a P4, it will probably be a 5690. Have they come out with a Pentium-M notebook with a 128MB GPU? Thanks for the help!!
Yeah, it will most probably be the gpu that will bottleneck your gaming performance.

The 5690 is definetely a great notebook, I bought one of the older versions of it a couple of years ago. Maybe you dont know this, but the chasis for the 5690 has been used for about 4 notebook generations already. I bought it back when it was the 5660, and now we are at 5690. That definetely speaks good for that notebook. Just keep in mind that it has 128mb and not 256, and I see 256mb as being good for games 2 years from now. While right now we dont really need 256, in 2 years it might be real good.

There are several Pentium-M notebooks with 128mb. The first ones that come to mind are the Compal 5:6 (which is sold by powernotebooks, Chembook, ibuypower, and others) and the Hypersonic-PC CX6, which is really a Mitac 8050.
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post #14 of 17
5/2/04 at 11:04pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Jester6578
PS If I get a Centrino Notebook, I've been looking at the PowerPro M 5:6. Any thoughts?
Dang... Tourney beat me with the last post, I guess I took too long in typing mine.

But to reply to your editing...

The 5:6 looks like a very nice notebook, but there have been some problems spotted with it. Take a look over at the Reviews Section, and read up on what other who have bought it have to say about it. Maybe you can even go to the Vodoo forum, since they also sell their version of it.

edit==>

http://notebookforums.com/showthread.php?t=22680

http://notebookforums.com/showthread.php?t=22690

http://notebookforums.com/showthread.php?t=21160
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post #15 of 17
5/2/04 at 11:29pm
hey ill let u know how my CX6 handles everything i throw at it, and its 3Dmark score.
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post #16 of 17
5/3/04 at 12:40am
I don't think the pentium M is of concern when you're looking into gaming. Most motherboards will be able to support the dothan, so you can most likely swap the processors at a later time. I would recommend 1.4 ghz now and swap to a dothan after prices go down (maybe fall of this year to over 3ghz).

What you want to focus on is the video card (Gpu). With the nvidia 6800 ultra out for the desktop that scores a wopping 12000 (yes that's twelve thousand) for 3dmark03, the standards for gaming in the near future will go up drastically. Thus, all this hype about the 9600 and 9700 which score around 3000 will be old news. Try to get the best one that your money can buy now if you want to play dx9 games though. my 9600 plays farcry rather well, and my friend's xps with a 9700 gpu plays it awesome with very decent frame rates.
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post #17 of 17
5/4/04 at 4:06am
search the forums, everyone and their mother has started a thread like this including me. I don't own a centrino or a P4 laptop but from the scores and fps rates I've seen the video card is the limiting factor. Seems that the highest laptop 3dmark03 scores are around 4000, most of the 9700 centrino scores are about 3000, and you could probably OC their cards to 3500. If thats really the case I would rather skip the short battery life/ 300 pound, 25 pound, 3 inch tall wrist breakers (heh sorry I have a big lappy now so I'm bitter and my next one will be small form and quiet).
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