Laptop Hardware for Second Life
This is a follow-on from the Desktop Hardware for Second Life post. Again, these are only suggestions, and are not meant to be comprehensive. I focus on the two mainstream platforms, Dell and Apple.
Main Options
The primary options are to choose between a laptop and a laptop + external monitor options The question is as to whether laptop won’t need to run Second Life or other large-scale three-dimensional applications a majority of the time when there are no large, wide external monitors available. It is true that a laptop + external monitor is more expensive, however it provides a much better experience. For example, even with the MacBook Pro, a difference between a 17″ lcd display and a 20″ lcd display is around 35% more visibility.
Video Card Discussion
The video card is the key element for 3d display, with out a good video card, memory, CPU, and HDD don’t matter at all.
- Check out the notebookreview.com forum for more detail. I roughly follow their guidelines.
- The big question is what minimum requirements does someone need if they want to have a laptop be usable for the next three years or so. This is a big challenge, because unlike desktops (and like the iMacs) it is likely impossible to upgrade the video card. Basically when our software requires greater hardware at the graphics card, the laptop becomes something that even your kids won’t want when you give it to them…
- (As an aside, Apple is brilliant at making their iMacs non-upgradable, and making the Mac Pros so expensive that people will adopt iMacs. Their revenue stream will jump in two years from many of the folks that bought an iMac last year, and will buy a low-end iMac this year.)
- Therefore, it is even more important to get a powerful graphics card. For example, folks who get the Dell E1405, an otherwise compelling piece of hardware, can only choose the 256mb version of the ATI Mobility Radeon x1400 Hypermemory card (and that is if they pony up the additional $99). This is a mid-range card that can play many current games on full settings, but by next year will have trouble and will have to go to medium settings. Two years out and the experience will be much more degraded. Now for virtual worlds, the same issues apply. What this means is next year, Second Life will not be as nice, and in two years, the experience of virtual worlds and 3d enviroments are going to feel clunky, slow, and with limited distance visibility. Sigh.
- Guideline: Nvidia GeForce Go7600 w/256mb or better, or an ATI Mobility Radeon X1600 w/256 or better
- For benchmarks, check out the Freestone Group
Apple MacBook Pro
- For Mac folks, the decision is fairly straightforward, get the MacBook Pro 17″ or the 15″ model which comes with the 256mb Radeon X1600 video card. While Apple distinguishes between the two 15″ versions by processor speed, that isn’t important. “It’s the video card, stupid.” Currently, the 2.33ghz model comes with a base memory of 2gb. That’s just a good call, so go with it.
- To put the options in another light, there are two main possibilities: Get the 17″ MacBook Pro, or get the 15″ MacBook Pro and use an external monitor the majority of the time when using Second Life. This could be done as well with the 17″ MacBook Pro, but would be a few hundred dollars more expensive, and a heavier, bulkier system to tout around.
- For the monitor, do not buy Apple, they simply charge a premium. Apple and Dell monitors, especially the 20.1″ wide models use exactly the same Samsung LCD screen. At this point, if the idea is to save a little money where one can, choose the Dell E207FPW, which is $246 with free shipping, as opposed to Apple’s 20″ Cinema Display for $699.
- Recommendation: 15″ MacBook Pro w/x1600 256mb video card, 2gb RAM, and a Dell E207FPW. If you are a student or faculty at my university, it is possible to get something like this for $1,699 + 1gb RAM upgrade + $246 + tax = apx. $2,200. (Check out the UH bookstore)
- While you are at it, add in the Tumi T3 Balance pack for another $150 or so (find a sale), and you have an up-to-date rig.
Dell XPS M1710 or Inspiron E1710
Sigh. With Dell we have only one size option. Only the 17″ Dells offer anything above an X1400 card, which is simply not acceptable. So the choice is between an M170, M1710, or E1710. On the upside, these boxes freakin’ rock.
- Since there is little difference between the XPS M170 and 1710, besides the main processor (and accompanying battery life), it seems that for longevity go with M1710. Now it is a choice between M1710 and E1710.
- Because of the changing nature of components, this posting will be out of date soon, so head over to Dell to see the options. If you configure the E1710 enough, you can get it to look a lot like the M1710 (except less RAM but bigger HDD). The main thing is to get the 7800 or 7900 nVidia cards. Also, the XPS M1710 is ruggedized and can take more abuse.
- Yeah these are heavy and pricey, but use the Dell Outlet and it is possible to find (as of 2006.11.18) a 2gb RAM, Core 2 Duo, 80gb HDD, 256mb 7900 card for a little over $1,800. That’s the same price as the 15″ MacBook Pro (and therefore $300-500 less than a comparable 17″ MacBook Pro. (Granted, another drawback is the size of the HDD.)
- In terms of a new Dell XPS M1710, you get a Core 2 Duo processor, up to 4gb RAM, 256mb nVidia Go 7800 or 7900 card, wow! The machine should be serviceable for at least three years of solid performance.
- Recommendation: XPS M1710 w/ 2gb RAM and a Dell E207FPW
- Too bad the Tumi T3 won’t work, because this laptop is too big.
To keep up with prices and product news, check out the dealmac people, who are good for non-mac or non-mac-only items such as monitors, etc.
Related posts:
- Desktop Hardware for Second Life
- Dell Inspiron Mini 9 Debuts to Asus EeePC 901 price drop – $500
- Minimum Computing Environment – Windows Edition
- Asus EeePC 1000H One Month Review
- Banking in Second Life gets competitive
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Organization Science Website Blog » Blog Archive » Com320 Second Life account instructions - April 7, 2007
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