Need Help with Graphics Card Choice

kristiqn91

kristiqn91

kristiqn91

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Joined
9 Aug 2010
Posts
5
Hello guys. This is my first time here. I purchased the following laptop : Toshiba Satellite Pro L670-14P

Can someone tell me whether I made a good purchase?

Anyway I was wondering what's the best graphics card I can plug into the laptop because in my opinion the radeon 5650 is not sufficient for pro gaming.
Thank you for the information in advance.
 
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Oops.
Don't post links to competitors mate. I'd delete that link if I was you, Overclockers have a business to run you know. ;)
Also the mods may just decide to butt rape you. :eek:

EDIT: Welcome to the forums.
 
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SlugForAButt said:
Oops.
Don't post links to competitors mate. I'd delete that link if I was you, Overclockers have a business to run you know. ;)
Also the mods may just decide to butt rape you. :eek:

EDIT: Welcome to the forums.
Click to expand...

Ok thank you for the information. It does make sense actually (not the butt raping :D).

Here are the specs :Processor Intel® Core™ i5 Dual Core (430M, 3MB Cache, 2.26 GHz)
Screen 17.3" (Toshiba TruBrite HD+, 1600 x 900 HD Resolution)
Operating System Windows 7 Home Premium Edition 64-bit
RAM 3GB (DDR3 1066MHZ)
Hard Drive 500GB
Optical Drive DVD Rewriter (Records DVDs 8x & CDs 24x & Dual Layer Super Multi)
Graphics Dedicated (ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5650 with 1GB Dedicated DDR3 RAM)
Wireless LAN Wireless (WIFI LINK A,B,G,N Includes MIMO)
Network Card 10/100/1000 Gigabit Fast Ethernet
Integrated Webcam Integrated Webcam
Card Reader 4-in-1 card reader (MS, MS Pro, MMC, SD)
USB Ports 2x USB 2.0 ports
Bluetooth Version 2.0
Speakers Intergrated Stereo Speakers
VGA Port 1 External VGA Port
Kensington Lock Kensington lock slot
Charge Time 2.5 Hours
HDMI 1 HDMI Port
Warranty 1 Year International Toshiba Warranty
Battery Life 2-3 Hours (up to 3 hours with power management)
Weight 2-3 Kg (This Model 2.82 Kg)
Finger Print Reader No

Money paid: £704

Can someone tell me what the motherboard for this laptop is please and if it will enable me to plug in the best graphics card?
 
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You will not be able to upgrade the graphics card in that laptop. Only a very small number of laptops support graphics upgrades and even then it is a tricky job. The graphics card you've got in there isn't too bad though for a laptop... probably the best you'll get under £1000.

The machine is OK, but it's lacking in RAM and the processor is only a dual core.
 
personally I have a 5650 1gb (ddr3) and it is more than capable at the native resolution of a 15" (1360x768)... In fact there is not really a game I can't play with medium/high settings with a decent fps, this is coupled with an I5 M520 and 4gb ddr3.

I would think about tweaking the settings of what you have already to be fair, and if you want to do some "PRO" gaming your best of buying yourself a desktop. "PRO" gaming on a laptop is going to set you back a fair amount more than what you have already spent and go out of date more quickly than shell suits.
 
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Your specs are good. i5 + 5650 is the sweet spot for laptops. 3 gigs is fine, and you have 1600 x 900 resolution. Apart from the battery life, it's all good. This is pretty much a perfect home laptop, spec-wise (maybe a blueray drive). If you expected to play Crysis on full with a laptop, then they aren't designed for such a thing. But this one will play Starcraft 2 easy.
 
ok thank you very much guys. You have been very helpful. Could somebody tell me how I can boost the machine's power apart from the obvious ram upgrade?
Thanks
 
kristiqn91 said:
ok thank you very much guys. You have been very helpful. Could somebody tell me how I can boost the machine's power apart from the obvious ram upgrade?
Thanks
Click to expand...

Possibly a new CPU, although you'd have to disassemble the entire machine and would void your warranty. Plus there are power/thermal constraints to think about. Easiest and most beneficial upgrade would be an SSD I think, but bear in mind you will need to spend quite a lot.
 
Just curious, what do you need more power for from a laptop?

For changing the RAM, it could be, or could not be :) Usually, RAM sticks are easily interchangeable, and there are no warranty stickers on the trap door, so you can swap them. But then, it's not always the case.

Changing the processor will certainly void the warranty. Plus, as reflux said, it will mess up your laptop cooling and throttling, and will probably overheat.

Personally, I don't think you need more power, or you shouldn't have gone for a laptop, but for a desktop replacement (usually i7 quads, if gaming, with some beefy graphics card). I don't call them laptops, all you can do with them is sit them on a desk because they are so hot and heavy, and have no battery life.
 
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