Where is the slowest part of your laptop?
Where is the slowest part of your laptop?
I aim to find the limiting factor in my present setup while saving for a more tailored laptop at Pc Specialist. I mainly use Total War games, plus other RTS and turn-based strategy titles. My current configuration is:
MSI GE75 Raider 2020
CPU: Intel Core i7 10750H (2.60 GHz to 5.00 GHz Turbo, 6 cores, 12 threads, 12 MB cache L3)
RAM: 32 GB DDR4 at 2933 MHz
Storage: 512 GB SSD NVMe plus 1 TB at 5400 rpm
GPU: Nvidia RTX 2070 Super mobile 8 GB DDR6
Occasionally I only achieve 40 fps, even lower in some games. I’m running tests to analyze this for a future laptop so I can choose the right components more wisely. What part is slowing me down? The GPU? The CPU? The frame rate drops usually occur under heavy loads.
In strategy games (RTS, TBS), the importance of CPU compute power outweighs that of a GPU. This is clear from:
It's the CPU that handles all unit positions and their actions. The GPU only manages colors.
Therefore, consider upgrading to a more powerful CPU for your needs.
When discussing the CPU, it's not unusual for a gaming laptop to experience thermal throttling, which greatly reduces performance. Even two laptops with the same specifications can behave differently due to variations in cooling systems.
Here are my two future choices:
1. 17,3" VALEON
Price: 2264€
Features: 17´´ Matte QHD 240 Hz sRGB LED Widescreen 2560x1440
Processor: AMD Ryzen 9 6900 HX
Memory: 64 GB Corsair 4800 MHz SODIMM (2x32GB)
Graphics: Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080 Ti Laptop
Storage: 1 TB Seagate Firecuda GEN 4 PCIe NMVe M.2 SSD
Cooling: Arctic MX-4 Extreme Thermal Conductivity Compound
Image: https://imgur.com/a/TiyXEon
2. 17,3" RECOIL
Price: 2159 €
Features: 17´´ Matte QHD 240 Hz sRGB LED Widescreen 2560x1440
Processor: Intel Core i9 13900HX
Memory: 64 GB Corsair 4800 MHz SODIMM (2x32GB)
Graphics: Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070 Laptop
Storage: 1 TB Seagate Firecuda GEN 4 PCIe NMVe M.2 SSDs & 1 TB Seagate Firecuda GEN 4 PCIe NMVe M.2 SSD
Cooling: PCS Liquid Series Laptop Cooler + Liquid Metal Performance Cooling
Image: https://imgur.com/a/Y2ORyxG
For RTS games mainly Total War, the VALEON seems more suited due to its powerful GPU and display specs.
To assess the cooling design, you can check the product images or contact PC Specialist for details.
Intel laptop offers superior performance for your needs. The CPU stands out significantly compared to alternatives. While the GPU performance matches, the RTX 40-series is more recent than the RTX 30-series. According to the specifications, AMD uses MX-4 thermal paste, whereas Intel employs liquid cooling with liquid metal as a thermal paste. Liquid metal provides exceptional thermal conductivity, surpassing what MX-4 can achieve.
The main constraint for any gaming laptop will be the cooling system. By necessity, the coolers must be lightweight and compact. This makes them less efficient. The best approach is to ensure the airways remain unobstructed. It may seem counterintuitive, but setting the power profile to balanced and 99% CPU usage often yields satisfactory outcomes.
Thank you for your questions. Could you clarify how the liquid cooling system functions? It appears it involves the device connected to the laptop along with the Thermal Paste labeled "Liquid Metal Performance Cooling." They note that the PCS Liquid Series Laptop Cooler is optional. Is it essential? How effective could this thermal paste be? If you need more details, please ask a PC specialist for further information.
The main positive side of a laptop is it's portability. For everything else, desktop PC does better.
Also, since all the components are downsized and cramped into a small laptop body, high thermals is biggest issue of any laptop. And there is little one can do, to fix the high thermals issue. The standalone AIO you linked on your image, is only way to combat high temps of a laptop, by giving it far better cooling performance.
Sure, hauling around laptop + it's standalone cooling unit is more inconvenient than just hauling around laptop itself. But compared to the desktop PC, it still is FAR more convenient.
So, up to you. If you absolutely need portability of a laptop, i'd suggest getting one with that external cooling unit, just to mitigate the high temps all laptops are prone of. But if portability isn't an issue, get desktop PC.