ok guys I need some advice on a new PC that gonna be prime for playing LFS. I dont know anything about computers or all the graphic card number babble so thats why i need advice from yall. So after doing some research which I still dont even understand im thinking of getting a Dell XPS8700, it has 4th Generation Intel® Core™ i7 Processor, 12GB Memory, and 1TB Hard Drive with Enhanced performance with upgraded NVIDIA GTX 645 graphics card and Windows 8.1 . Is this gonna be really good for playing LFS and and i gonna get really high FPS? please somebody lemme know. I use Logitech G27 and i mostly do drifting. Any advice from you people that know is greatly appreciated

Thank you

A GTX 6 series will run LFS alright, but it's not super future proof. If there's the ability to get a 760 or 770, you'll be able to play more recent games as well.

To put it into perspective, I have a 760, and can run LFS across 3 screens with reasonable FPS (>100FPS).

Actually any modern hardware will run LFS exceptionally well at 1920x1080 res. Perhaps you could consider building your own gaming rig instead of buying one from Dell? It'll be heaps cheaper. If you're just playing LFS, even a Core i3 would do, just couple it with a decent graphics card.

Hello,

As the title of this post says, I need advice on buying the best budgeted laptop available out there (not just to play LFS), but also for graphic design work. I'd like to run 3DS Max 09-12 with Adobe PS on and a browser (say Chrome or Opera) for googling as I work. My budget is around USD 900-950).

The reason I'm asking here is because I made the mistake of getting an Inspiron 5537 with 4th Gen core i7 dual core (4500U) 1.7 GHz to 3.00 GHz, 8 GB ram, 1TB HDD Sata, but with the stupi* AMD Radeon HD 8760M with 2GB. This idio* didn't have the express option of enabling me to run LFS and rFactor on AMD exclusively. Win 8 64 was installed. I read issues people were having, here at LFS, with Win 8 not having as much support as Win 7 64 for DirectX 9 applications. It kept on picking Intel HD 4400. Installed Win 7 64, got its AMD driver, but no change even after assigning it to High Performance. So, I returned the junk. I got the dough back fully, so no prob at the end. Interestingly, that junk ran LFS at 32 FPS on the highest settings.

My sibling's Dell Inspiron N4410 with 3rd Gen Intel core i5 2.40 GHz with no turbo, 500 GB HDD, 4 GB ram with AMD HD 6630M ran LFS at 100+ FPS minimum on the highest settings. On this great machine, I could chose AMD from AMD's CCC driver exclusively. No need to play around with the Bios or get 3rd party CCC driver. The Inspiron 5537 junk didn't have any options on its BIOS to play around with Switchable graphics.

While nosing around before buying, I looked at MSi CX61 2PC. It had Intel Core i7 4th Gen Quad Core (4702 MQ) clocked at 2.20 GHz, 8 GB Ram, nVidia GeForce 820M with 2GB Ram, 1TB HDD Sata 5400rpm (same as the junk above). I tested LFS on it. Ran on intel first, but I could chose nVidia. LFS ran at 100+ minimum on the highest settings. I wanted to get it, but went with Dell at the end.

I did some research before I got the Dell about MSi. Mostly good reviews for that model, but from international sites. The one I saw had a different chasis to the one I researched, the sticker mentioned nVidia GeForce GT 820M (This doesn't come as a GT apparently), and the seller sounded like he was about to sell a dummy. I went with Dell (brand wise) and because I had used Dell before as mentioned. The problem we have here is that there are no authorized dealers (some claim; can't trust 'em), and they assemble laptops and try to rip people off with 20-30,000 profit.

Desktop isn't an option, because of load shedding - the art of producing not enough electricity in the country, and the awesome surprise of an instant blank screen, which can happen at any given time. UPS prices make desktops even pricier than laptops. Laptops are good for work too.

I've also seen an Inspiron 5437 with everything same as the junk above, but with nVidia GT 740M 2 GB DDR5, but it's out of stock.

Should I get the MSi CX61 2PC or the GT 740M version of Inspiron 5437? Highest resolution for all 3 cards is 1366 X 768. Same with my sibling's version. All other brands are much pricier on just i5 with no GPU. Sorry about the rant.

I'll appreciate a few words of genuine help. Please don't troll.

/Disclaimer. I hate gaming on a laptop, especially with win 8 because it sucks donkey %@&&$. /End disclaimer

The 740 is far better for gaming, (We're talking laptops). Provided you can set it up to use the card for LFS (Which really just needs a fast processor) then that will work well.

I'd definetely prefer the 740 over the 820 for gaming.

There are probably even better choices but test whatever your buying here.
http://gpuboss.com/gpus/GeForce-GT-740M-vs-GeForce-820M

Hey, thanks Racer X NZ for your help. Thanks for the link also. Any ideas whether I should also try and find a machine that sports a quad core i7 4702mq. This wouldn't help much on the gaming side, but would for multitasking with applications.

Here's a comparison: http://cpuboss.com/cpus/Intel- ... MQ-vs-Intel-Core-i7-4500U.

I suggest the best box (lappy) you can find. It's always possible to find something better so a compromise is the only solution.
Personally, I'd go for a work laptop and a gaming box. (Desktop) It depends on your work requirements and your budget. There is never a single solution, all IT is a compromise so I suggest have a serious think about your requirements, space, budget etc.

Budget is really the decider, focus on work requirements first, then add in your other requirements.
You can get a great desktop to run LFS for $200 nz, so it really comes down to what you can afford, if gaming isn't an issue for your work laptop, then two machines may well cost less than a laptop to do both.

No help I know, but your the only one who understands your real requirements for work.
FYI, If you have an open budget I am available for consulting !

You've been quite helpful Racer X nz. I appreciate it. As I mentioned before, desktop isn't an option for me. We have power cuts here that go for 4 -5 hours during the monsoon, and as far as 12 hours of power cuts per day in the dry season. Fortunately, I have an inverter that keeps me plugged in most of the time. Laptop battery always comes in handy. If I get a desktop and a laptop, it'll be too expensive for my budget.

As far as my work is concerned, an i7 dual processor with a decent GPU (GT 740M) with 1 TB HD and 8 GB of ram will be enough, I'm sure, because my sibling's Dell - which is older, (i5 2nd Gen 2430m, half Ram and HDD - does the job for me. It can handle 500,000 on polygons on Max with PS CC running in the background and crisscross fine.

The problem is, it's not mine, so I can't use it all the time. LFS, rFactor, GTR2 and FSX run excellently fine on it, and so do DirectX 11 games like Battlefield 4 and Codemaster's F1 2012-13 (above 30 fps). I manage computers well both on the software and hardware side. I open the box and clean it up from time to time and do house cleaning on the OS and application side.

Interestingly, my laptop is an Acer 4715z, dual core T2 2370, 1.7GHz with 1.5 GB Ram, 128 GB HDD. It runs LFS with a minimum of 10 fps and max of 40 fps on Intel GMA 965 lol. So, anything slightly better than my bro's laptop is fine.

I did some more hunting today, and found one Inspiron 5437 with i7 4500u (but stuck at 1.8 GHz - couldn't see any hint of boost on it), with 1 TB HDD, 8 GB Ram and nVidia GeForce GT 750M with 2GB DDR5. Should I get it?

Is it possible to not have turbo boost on an i7. All specs of the 4500u says that it's possible to boost upto 3.00 GHz. But, the model I saw didn't show it on the bios or the device manager. Looks like someone trying to sell a dummy again lol. Dealer is charging 88 k. I can manage that if it's genuine.

Thanks again for your help so far. I really appreciate it.

I can wholly go for a desktop, but I would need a UPS with at least 5-6 hours of backup. I still need to do some research about desktops. We don't get the same models

make sure that your choice has a decent gpu and not none of the intel Cr@p

I have a samsung ativ 7 all in one for my graphics and music work(basically laptop components) and it has the intel i3 3220 2.4gz processor and 16gb ram yet with the intel 2500 graphics it struggles to run even lfs at a good fps

AS I said it's all about compromise, whatever works for you, at the best cost is the right choice for you.

Clearly a laptop with good graphics is the right choice for you, I'd recommend looking at AMD given your requirements as AMD has far better graphics than Intel, and their processors are, for LFS, just as fast in the real world.