Gaming laptop suitable for extended play?

[andykara2003]

Hi, I'm looking to guy a gaming laptop at some point, for general use and in large part for Dolphin. Are gaming laptops suitable for extended play, assuming the CPU and graphics card are powerful enough?

I'm looking to get something in the upper mid range with a GTX 1060 and would like to play the Mario Galaxy games with ease, using Hybrid Ubershaders.

I was toying with the idea of building a dedicated mini-PC to put next to the TV just for Dolphin and getting a non gaming laptop for everyday use (I don't play PC games) - would that be a better solution?

Cheers.

[Helios]

If PC building wasn't so expensive right now I'd recommend just that, but it may just be best to get a powerful laptop.

That said, I like my dell XPS laptop. I'd look at one of their XPS laptops if you value portability, or Inspiron if you value power.

You could also look at Sager/Clevo laptops, but I don't really like recommending those these days simply because build quality is largely meh. I've always seen physical issues after a couple years.

Finally, you don't need a 1060 to run the most demanding games in Dolphin in HD resolutions. A 1050 or 1050ti works just fine. The XPS line packs 1050ti's

[andykara2003]

If PC building wasn't so expensive right now I'd recommend just that, but it may just be best to get a powerful laptop.

That said, I like my dell XPS laptop. I'd look at one of their XPS laptops if you value portability, or Inspiron if you value power.

You could also look at Sager/Clevo laptops, but I don't really like recommending those these days simply because build quality is largely meh. I've always seen physical issues after a couple years.

Finally, you don't need a 1060 to run the most demanding games in Dolphin in HD resolutions. A 1050 or 1050ti works just fine. The XPS line packs 1050ti's

Thanks for that - may I ask what processor you have in your XPS? And just to clarify, will the CPU and 1050ti in your Dell run the Galaxy games with hybrid ubershaders and zero slowdown or stuttering for hours at a time without coming close to overheating? Just had another thought - I'm looking to connect the laptop to a 4K 65" TV - will I need a 1060 to run 4K?

[TKSilver]

The most important thing if you go for a laptop for emulation is making sure it has enough cooling and power distribution to handle running at or near full performance for extended periods of time. This usually means more bulk\weight or higher cost (the old saying "you can have performance, size or low cost.... pick 2").

If you want to build a mini pc heat might still be an issue depending on how "mini" you want to go. Small form factor builds can have cooling issues depending on the case and cooling solution used.

[Helios]

XPS and Inspirons have plenty of cooling power for Dolphin.

Source: My thin ass XPS 15 runs SMG and TLS fine.

As for the CPU, I have the i5 version. For Dolphin and older it will be just as fast as the i7 version.

[andykara2003]

XPS and Inspirons have plenty of cooling power for Dolphin.

Source: My thin ass XPS 15 runs SMG and TLS fine.

As for the CPU, I have the i5 version. For Dolphin and older it will be just as fast as the i7 version.

Thanks very much - I think a Dell laptop might be my best option then - the newest  Inspiron 7000 apparently has  a nice IPS screen, is built for gaming and looks to have very good cooling. This was a great recommendation - I've used Dell laptops for a good while & they've been solid & Dell will fix anything quickly if it goes wrong. Also the i5 Inspiron 7000 is relatively cheap for what it is. 

One function I'd like is the ability to instantly dip in and out of a game like you would in rest mode on the PS4. Would the best way to do this be having Dolphin always open, paused and minimized so I can just full-screen it and unpause it instantly anytime? I don't think that should place any extra stress or suck too many resources from the laptop should it?

Also, I realise I'll have to reconnect the Wiimotes to the bluetooth dongle every time I play a new game session - is this pretty instant, and can I configure the setup to do it in a super easy and quick way, like with a simple press of a button?

[Helios]

That should work.