Forums » Off-Topic and Casual Chatter

4k gaming laptop/build/thoughts

    • 249 posts
    December 11, 2016 9:52 PM PST

    What kind of experience have you had with 4k gaming? specifically mmo's like pantheon. what gpu's have you used. size of screen. etc.

     

    I ask because i really want to enjoy pantheon in 4k. the zones look amazing so far. however, im restricted to a laptop if i want to game at work (overnights rock). there are a few gtx1080 laptops with 4k screens out there. Im sure more will be out come launch.they can run Witcher 3 around the 50-60fps mark avg at ultra in 4k without hairworks, which is fine by me. do you think Pantheon will be more or less demanding? i think i read somewhere that Unity is well optimized and will run well on weak machines, but i cant remember where i read that. there are also 1440p/120hz screens out on some laptops, but im not sure if 120hz will truely look different on an mmo. 

    What hardware do mmo's stress the most?

     

    Im considering a high end laptop, but i could be convinced into a pc build (something ive never done before, but if i can rebuild an engine i should be able to handle a pc) if the price is right and performance is godly. i like the thought of a larger(than 17.3") 4k screen.

     let's hear your thoughts/experiences!

     Looks like nvidia and amd will be announcing new gpu's in january. think ill wait and see what they bring. this game will look AMAZING in 4k


    This post was edited by VR-Mod1 at January 2, 2017 3:24 PM PST
    • 1281 posts
    January 2, 2017 2:04 AM PST

    AMD is announcing Vega parts in a few days. Nvidia is going to announce additional models for their current version but nothing substantially different and not new technology.

    Keep in mind that mobile GPU variants are always significantly underpowered compared to the similarly named desktop versions. If you want to do 4k gaming it will require a desktop, unless you will be happy with significantly lowering texture quality and many other settings on a laptop.


    This post was edited by bigdogchris at January 2, 2017 2:05 AM PST
    • 2130 posts
    January 2, 2017 4:29 AM PST

    You will dip below 60 FPS at 4k even with absolute top of the line 2017 hardware. Would not recommend.

    • 57 posts
    January 4, 2018 11:38 AM PST

    4k really is not there yet, effeciently anyways.

    I just built a new rig, i7 7700k 16gigs 3200ram, gtx 1080 with 2 Samsung SSDs raided ( yes, i know there was no real point in raiding them, I'm just a fan of raiding HDs)

    I was originally looking to do 4k gaming, until I did many hours of research and found out that even with the most costly of machines, 4grand+ you will still run into 4k bog downs...

    I settled for the Rogue Swift PG278q and am very glad I did.  2k looks amazing still and I can run most stuff at 90+ FPS max max settings.

    I also have a 65" 4k LG tv that I like to play Cities Skylines and other non FPS needy games on.  Skylines btw, on a 4k 65" looks beyond amazing

     

    No clue why they are looking into 8k stuff already, we can't power and run the 4k easily enough yet...

    https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2018/01/youll-probably-never-own-lgs-88-inch-8k-oled-tv-and-thats-ok/

     

    Personally,  I can't wait to see this game on the big 65" 4k... I think it will look great, and play well enough to enjoy it.   4k with extreme draw distance will be interesting to see how it handles though.

    But if you better be ready to drop a pretty penny on a rig that will just coast through 4k consistently

    • 123 posts
    January 4, 2018 12:33 PM PST

    Liav said:

    You will dip below 60 FPS at 4k even with absolute top of the line 2017 hardware. Would not recommend.

    Huumm not true, I have an SLI bridge with 2 GTX1080, a core i7 7700, 32Go ram 3200, and a Samsung M2 NVMe, I never got less than 70fps in 4k , and I played full options at FFXIV, GW2, Mass Effect Andromeda, Assassin's Creed Origins, Fallout 4. Never got a single visible problem even during big FFXIV or GW2 events with tons of people on screen.

    I plan to play Pantheon on a Samsung 55'' 4k HDR TV in 60Hz, I prefer very big screen for 4k even if it is only 60Hz, I like to get some space for interface in an MMO.

     

    • 3852 posts
    January 5, 2018 7:39 AM PST

    I am not at all familiar with laptops. 

    For MMOs 4k is questionable. Higher resolutions mean you have to dramatically lower your settings to get anywhere near the same framerate, and 4k doesn't necessarily make things that aren't built for it look much better.

    I am considering 4k for my next desktop but logic tells me not to go that route since I mostly use it for MMOs.

    • 1479 posts
    January 5, 2018 7:57 AM PST

    Khendall said:

    Liav said:

    You will dip below 60 FPS at 4k even with absolute top of the line 2017 hardware. Would not recommend.

    Huumm not true, I have an SLI bridge with 2 GTX1080, a core i7 7700, 32Go ram 3200, and a Samsung M2 NVMe, I never got less than 70fps in 4k , and I played full options at FFXIV, GW2, Mass Effect Andromeda, Assassin's Creed Origins, Fallout 4. Never got a single visible problem even during big FFXIV or GW2 events with tons of people on screen.

    I plan to play Pantheon on a Samsung 55'' 4k HDR TV in 60Hz, I prefer very big screen for 4k even if it is only 60Hz, I like to get some space for interface in an MMO.

     

     

    Good, now my computer looks like a quarter of yours.

    • 123 posts
    January 5, 2018 9:54 AM PST

    Oops, I made a typo error in my message, read 60 fps above, like in the quote, not 70 fps.

    • 123 posts
    January 5, 2018 11:06 AM PST

    Honestly, with a common gaming config based on a GTX1070 or GTX1080, you'll be able to play in 4k with a reasonable fps. In the past we played EQ with less than 20 fps, it's a bit ridiculous to consider 40-45 fps being not enough to enjoy an MMO in 4k.

    The real utility of 4k depends on the screen size you wanna use, the larger it is, the more 4k is valuable.

     

    • 56 posts
    January 7, 2018 11:13 AM PST

    https://www.amazon.com/GIGABYTE-Aero-15W-BK4-i7-7700HQ-GeForce/dp/B07141QMKD

     

    This gaming laptop is what i’m looking at currently. 


    This post was edited by Ator at January 7, 2018 11:13 AM PST
    • 57 posts
    January 7, 2018 1:17 PM PST

    @Ator,

     

    Decent laptop, should be able to play most anything 1080p at max settings.    

    plus, you can always use a cable to run a nicer 2K-4K monitor (I would be wary of 4k though if you are a "max settings" kind of player)

    16gigs RAM, pretty much minimum from here on out. 

    the 1060 6gig Vcard is nice man, don't let the elitists turn you away.

    --------------

    I would now, look at other Laptop options at that price point and see if there is anything else, similar ( maybe with the better Vcard, I would insist on the 16gig RAM though)

    • 363 posts
    January 9, 2018 2:11 PM PST

    I have an i7 4GHz, 32 gb DDR5, GTX 1070 (overclocked to 1080 specs) and dual SSDs. I loaded up a few games @4K on a 50" 4K TV (one supposedly good for gaming) and the experience was less than pleasing. If I decide to go the 4K route, I'll slap another 1070 in there and that should definitely make it okay. For now, I am using a 32" 2560X1440 monitor and am quite pleased with the overall results.


    This post was edited by Anistosoles at January 9, 2018 2:12 PM PST
    • 105 posts
    January 10, 2018 5:08 AM PST

    If you are looking at laptops I would recommend https://www.utopiacomputers.co.uk, they did mine and as far as I'm concerns its as good as an Alienware but 400 odd quid cheaper... 

    • 557 posts
    January 10, 2018 6:46 AM PST

    I'm not sure I would ever go 4K on a laptop.

    With a 17.3" monitor viewed at 2 feet, your viewing angle is about 35 degrees.   Based on 20/20 vision, your eye's resolution is about 2K at that viewing angle.  If you have something closer to optimal vision, then you'll see a difference with 4K at 2 feet.  Folks like me would have to lean in closer to resolve the added detail.

    If you have a desktop monitor, let's say it's a modest 27", viewed at two feet your viewing angle is going to be just over 50 degrees.  For us 20/20 vision folk, we're going to be able to resolve about 3K pixels.  So again, while we'd have to lean in to get the full 4K detail, we'd be able to easily discern a difference between 1080P and 4K.

    One gripe that I have with the increasing monitor resolution evolution is that older games often don't scale well.   If you play them at "native" monitor resolution, the UI elements become ridiculously small.  Some older games don't allow UI scaling, so the only real option is to play at a simulated lower resolution, which always feels "blurry" to me.

    The other thing I've noticed over the years is that the move to widescreen monitors meant that more of the screen was out in what I feel is my peripheral vision.  When I'm writing code, I have a lot of windows open, spread across two monitors, but I'm only focused on one thing at a time.  For that, I love my high res, dual monitors and my tiny fonts.  I really pack a lot of information into my screens.   

    For gaming, I find that unless I'm able to sit back further from the monitor and reduce my viewing angle, more of the UI elements end up in my peripheral vision.  I tend to miss things which might be updated in the screen corners.  I suspect others  are experiencing the same thing as I've had more than one occasion where a healer has said, "Sorry, didn't see your health drop, I was reading chat."   I have to be much more aware of my screen layout, making sure the important stuff is where it's going to catch my attention.

    Back in 2000, when we had to walk uphill both ways to the dungeons in our father's boots, the screens were smaller and closer to being square.  You didn't worry so much about where you positioned UI elements as your eye picked up the entire screen.

    It's all about the viewing angle.  The feeling of immersion in the scene is in direct opposition to seeing UI elements.  For immersion, you don't want to feel as if you're looking at something bounded by a box.  Traditional UI layouts don't work with immersive viewing angles.  For immersive UI elements, we want them to work more like a HUD and we have to plan layout much more carefully.

    But then my eye doctor says I'm suffering from "Birthday Syndrome", so this isn't going to get a lot better.  

     


    This post was edited by Celandor at January 10, 2018 7:01 AM PST
    • 56 posts
    March 11, 2018 11:00 AM PDT

    I have been experimenting with this laptop playing Pantheon: 

     

    https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0757Z9XP6/ref=sspa_dk_detail_2?psc=1&pd_rd_i=B0757Z9XP6&pd_rd_wg=3DqRL&pd_rd_r=SE5D04EZ5HNN0NCYSCVJ&pd_rd_w=OuGnB

     

    Has been an absolute blast so far. 


    This post was edited by Ator at March 11, 2018 11:02 AM PDT