Need some advice on a semi-gaming laptop

[PepperBreath]

I previously posted about my Laptop that will no longer accept power or charge from an AC adapter here: http://forums.anandtech.com/showthread.php?t=2100361

I really need a working laptop and I'm not able to figure out what's wrong with my old one so I'm on the hunt for a new one. That particular laptop had a discrete GPU which while not very advanced, allowed for me to play a few 3d games like NFS: Most Wanted at a playable clip.

In any case, I really don't have the money to by a new laptop with a discrete GPU which is fine because I don't really play a lot of 3d games (I have a decent desktop for that), but I would like to have the ability to play some older 3d games such as Civilization 3, 3d/2d adventure titles, etc.

Will it be possible to do this reasonably in a laptop that's around $500, give or take? If so, what should I look for? I know Intel integrated graphics were something to be avoided back when I bought my laptop in 2005 or so, even for basic gaming. Is this still the case? Are AMD integrated graphics any better? Will an Intel Core i3 be ok or should I stretch the budget for an i5?

Any help will be appreciated.

 

[CurseTheSky]

Modern Intel integrated graphics chips (X4500MHD or newer) are loads better than the old ones, but still not suitable for much gaming. It should run older 2D / very light 3D games without any problems, though. Even older Intel chips like the GMA 950 (found in many last year's model netbooks) might work as well, but I would personally avoid them.

AMD/ATI's integrated chips are light years ahead of Intel's. For gaming on a budget, I would personally grab a decent AMD processor + AMD integrated GPU over an Intel setup any day. Intel does have the edge when it comes to processor performance and battery life though.

Core i3 and i5 really aren't all that different. The i5s often have higher clock speed, have turbo boost, and may have additional features, but it's not a night-and-day difference. The i3 should be plenty, if you go that route.

 

[PepperBreath]

Battery life isn't really that important to me. My previous laptop had a Pentium M processor and a huge 6 hour batt but the batt lost its capacity pretty quickly so for most of its life I was plugging it in as it only lasted 30 min at the end. I'm kind of used to it now.

 

[CurseTheSky]

Ok.

$500 may be a bit difficult. If you can afford to do $600-650, there are a bunch of good options out there, some even with entry-level discrete cards, which are even capable of playing some modern games. My girlfriend, for example, plays Titan Quest on a T6600 / 8400GS. It's not perfect, but it works well enough for her.

 

[StrangerGuy]

$500 should be able net a laptop with i3, the integrated GPU is decent enough and miles better than previous Intel IGPs. If you are lucky you might find a i3 or older C2D with discrete Nvidia/ATI for cheap. AMD offerings are worth a look, too.

i5 have no real advantage over i3s. Since old games runs pretty fast without Turbo and newer multithreaded games don't activate Turbo...I'll say its practically useless and you pay quite a bit more.

Atom netbooks should still not be touched with a 10 foot pole especially at the $500 range.

 

[PingSpike]

If battery life isn't important, I'd recommend going AMD since their integrated video is a better. Battery life is really their only weakness IMO, which is kind of a big one in the laptop market.

Anandtech had a piece awhile back where they tested netbooks using the the gma4500 and the 3dmark score was about the same as a ti4200. Which was a midrange card from 2002. Sadly, this is a massive improvement from the old intel GMAs.

 

[VirtualLarry]

I'm happy with my Toshiba C655D-S5048. AMD Athlon II P320 2.1Ghz dual-core CPU, AMD/ATI HD4250 integrated graphics, 3GB DDR3 RAM, 320GB HD, no webcam, no HDMI. Cost me $400 on sale at Office Depot last month.

Newegg recently had a sale on a similar model for $400 as well, but it had a webcam, 4GB RAM, but only a 250GB HD.

It's worth getting the AMD IGP, I think, over even the core i3/i5 models.

 

[PepperBreath]

Do you play any kind of games Larry? What kind of performance do you see?

Again, not looking to play Crysis, obviously, but I'd hate for my laptop to struggle with something like The Sims 3.

 

[PepperBreath]

Is buying a refurb laptop advisable? I found this Samsung on ebay. It's a little more than what I had planned to spend but if that's a good deal, I might be able to stretch it.

http://cgi.ebay.com/Samsung-R580-In...19833?_trksid=p1468660.m2000036#ht_2671wt_963

 

[doggyfromplanetwoof]

I got this laptop new at bestbuy for 850bucks back in may. and I love it! IT plays games fine, WoW, Starcraft 2, Civ 4, TF2, CSS. Awesome LED screen and I love the thinness and blueray drive.

Other than the short 3hr battery life I have no regrets at all.