What computer can run newer game titles on medium settings? (cheapest option)?

best gaming laptops july 2012 image

Matthew

I currently have a Dell Inspiron 15R laptop.... it's hell to play Planetside 2, Call of Duty, Guild Wars 2, Battlefield 3, and pretty much any modern game. For my next upgrade, I want a computer that's not too much (preferably below $1000) money.
I would like to avoid building a computer, but if it's really all I can do for my price range I can get a friend to help me.
I know this price range isn't optimal but I figure there has to be something out there that's right for me. Again, not looking to completely max out the graphics, but just to be able to run the game from 30-60 FPS around medium settings.

Answer
My combo is an AMD FX-4100, EVGA GTX 560 SE, and 8GB 1600MHz RAM. The total build was $750 back in July 2012. It runs Skyrim maxed out with no lag. Planetside 2 runs maxed out without too much lag (definitely playable). Crysis 3 got about 50 FPS on all medium settings with anti aliasing. Crysis 2 had almost no lag at all maxed out. So get an FX-4300 with a GTX 650 Ti (BOOST if you can afford it, and 8GB RAM.

Dell XPS 15 (L521x) GPU Too Hot When Gaming - Decreased Performance - How Can I Cool It?

Nick

Hello,

I have a Dell XPS 15 (L521x) laptop. While gaming my GPU heats up to temperatures ranging from 73 to 77 degrees Celsius (NOTE: This is with a CM Storm SF-19 cooling pad).

My question is how else can I reduce this heat because I know as it gets hotter it throttles back to avoid crashing, thus decreasing performance.

Here are specs of everything:

Model - Dell XPS 15 (L521x)
OS- Windows 7 64-bit
CPU - Intel Core i7-3632QM
BIOS - A13 (Up to date)
SSD - 128GB (OS is on this, 30GB free)
HDD - 1TB (300GB free)
RAM - 16GB
GPU - Nvidia GT 640M

Drivers for EVERYTHING (including my graphics card) are up to date.

CM Storm SF-19 Gaming Laptop Cooling Pad with two 140mm Turbine Fans (1200-2600 RPM's, I always keep it at max blast)

Using software program, Open Hardware Monitor (and having my cooling pad on max blast), I have retrieved the following data:

~ My CPU idles around 60 degrees Celsius and can max around 70 degrees Celsius
~ My GPU idles around 44 degrees Celsius and can max around 77 degrees Celsius

My room temperature varies from 10-20 degrees Celsius (50-65 degrees Fahrenheit)

I had this laptop since July of 2012 and I had just had my motherboard swapped (GPU was integrated), heat sink re-seated, and cleaned of dust (wasn't really any in there). It was under warranty (and still is).

There aren't any problems with the fan and I've tried using Speed Fan to manually regulate fan speed but it can't detect my fan (I don't think it would matter anyway because the fan always properly adjusts to the demand of power and processing). I made my own power plan (using the "High Performance Plan" as a foundation) which makes my laptop at max performance (no power saving).

I always defragment both drives (SSD only when above 15% because I heard defragging a SSD is not good for its longevity) and I always perform disk cleanups, scans, etc. Essentially I try to keep everything clean, organized, and updated.

I have a lot of games on Steam and Origin that I play and most of the more graphic demanding games (such as Battlefield 3, even on minimum graphics) really heat up the GPU and as a result the performance decreases (and no it's not lag). Note: These games are not played from CD's.

I always leave my laptop plugged in (but not always on, mostly on sleep or shut down at night), any unnecessary background programs or services closed, and try to lower brightness and turn off LED key lights unless necessary.

I've looked everywhere for an answer but I still can't seem to find one.

I want to thank in advance those of you who fully read and provide any such answer to my problem.

I know a decent amount about software programs and hardware so don't be tempted to "baby" technical terms with me.

Lastly, please DO NOT comment on things (such as why I need 16GB of RAM) unless it contributes to answering my question.

Also, I know the cooling pad blows out air but does not suck in any and redirect it and my intake vent is in the front of the laptop and the exhaust vent is opposite (in the back). The pad definitely makes a difference but is there a way I can simply "suck out" the hot exhaust air and blow air into the intake? And I know the aluminum body does not help for reducing heat.

One more thing, please don't recommend me any software programs to download because I just don't like having them or relying on them.

Like I said before, thank you in advance.
~ Nick

Answer
turn it upside down & blow out the dust w/compressed air. delete unneeded programs, stop all unneeded background programs using the task manager. use ccleaner & advanced system care 6.0 free from http://www.cnet.com. finally use a fan cooling system under it., defrag the hhd.

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