Laptop recommendations (integrated GPU preferred) to play Odyssey

[ShiMan]

Greetings.
So, I have a Lenovo Ideapad 100 laptop with Intel i3-5005U, with Intel HD 5500 + nVidia GeForce 920M, along with SSD drive and 8 gigs of RAM (both latter are the upgrades).
While this laptop is more than sufficient to play Horizons, I fear that the supposed 4.0 Update hits, it'll be unplayable (due to too weak hardware) as the Odyssey in the moment I wrote this post.
This is why I'm considering replacing the laptop, and I'm looking for a viable propositions (even just components are fine, since it'll help me go in the right direction).

 

[STRONTIUM DOG]

I hate to say it but you actually need to wait 6 months to a year imo as we are on the precipice of next gen 4nm tech
which should effect current tech prices greatly
for a good deal on something more current hopefully others can advise

 

[Fnord Velkor]

.....
While this laptop is more than sufficient to play Horizons, I fear that the supposed 4.0 Update hits, it'll be unplayable (due to too weak hardware) as the Odyssey in the moment I wrote this post.
....

Unless they have changed things in the last week you should still be OK with Horizons. They have said that Horizons will have two launcher options - the current game code (3.8) and the new Odyssey-based code (4.0). I don't know if they plan to keep that forever or just for a limited period - no doubt the actual FD post on this would help:

Update 13, Narrative and Access to 4.0. - Elite Dangerous

Greetings Commanders, We’re happy to confirm Update 13 is coming on Tuesday 9 August and will see the highly anticipated conclusion of the Az...

www.elitedangerous.com

the forum thread:

Update 13, Narrative and Access to 4.0

Hi all, We have just published the following article to our news page on the website and encourage you to have a read! https://www.elitedangerous.com/news/update-13-narrative-and-access-40 Please feel free to leave any thoughts down below and we'll do our best to answer any questions. O7

forums.frontier.co.uk

 

[Cmdr Zund]

Here's a video that nicely explains ED's video setting and their effects on game play. Some things make a bid diff, others don't. You can decide what to use for your needs vs. video device capabilities. (yeah, 25 min long because there's a lot of info)

It's best to watch the video in 1080p full screen settings (IMO).

Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G7efYzpquIs

 

[GroG79]

Just game on 800x600 and you should be fine (like steamdeck)

 

[Kalizandra]

@OP I'm in the same boat alas. My 4 year old 1070, i7-8750H laptop is really struggling. Especially with the summer we have had in the UK, when I play Ody I fear my Laptop will catch fire! Seen it running temps upto 95C. If I downgrade to Horizons I can just about get by with temps of high 80's to 90C...but its really chugging along. At the end of this year AMD, Nvidia and Intel are all releasing new iterations of CPU's and GPU's so if you can wait then you will either need to buy into the next Gen, or may get a nice deal on some of the higher end chips from the current gen.
Personally I'm trying to save the cash to move back to a full gaming rig, I think gaming Laptops are fine but the thermal issues will always mean they have a shorter lifespan than a desktop rig.
Also something else to consider: the new gen of Nividia GPU's are supposed to be very power hungry...by some estimates are going to require 1000w power supply units...given utility bills are about to go crazy that might play a part in your calculations.

I think there is a fair proportion of the player base who will be in the same boat tbh, hardware coming to the end of usefull life, code base of game moving onwards, higher requirements. etc and financial decisions needing to be made.
Depending on your gaming/productivity needs a high end rig could set you back £2.2k (current gen), but of course if you are willing to make some compromises then that price tag will certainly come down.

 

[Esteban]

The thermal environment in laptop computers has always been a challenging one so it's prudent to keep in mind the difficulty of keeping a laptop computer's internal heat-dissipation surfaces and channels clean. Let alone the desire, many folks probably have little to no idea about how to disassemble their laptops to clean the heatsinks, heat pipes, and/or the rather tiny heat vents and grilles commonly found on them, especially if this needs to be done on any basis approaching frequent (define the term based on your personal feeling about how often you'd actually want to do this operation).

Over the long term, these surfaces can accumulate dust and residue that reduce critical airflow and that coat surfaces that dissipate heat. Yes, most processing units are thermally protected, but we all know how that works: if temps get too high, reduce performance (essentially) to reduce temps.

I clean the insides of my desktop computer two-to-four times a year. I have the luxury of being able to see evidence of how much accumulation is present and making a call about if it's time for a cleaning. I'm pretty careful and could probably get away with less frequent cleanings but that's just me. Even though I have the patience and technical ability to do this safely on a laptop computer, the effort required is far more unpalatable than on my desktop computer. Let's face it, manufacturers just don't make them easy to disassemble, nor are they exactly forthcoming with the information that shows how to do so. This operation takes me about 20 minutes on my desktop computer; I wouldn't even want to do it once a year on a laptop computer...

 

[ShiMan]

Just game on 800x600 and you should be fine (like steamdeck)

Wish I could, but my display disallows going so low without risking pernament damage.

@OP I'm in the same boat alas. My 4 year old 1070, i7-8750H laptop is really struggling. Especially with the summer we have had in the UK, when I play Ody I fear my Laptop will catch fire!

(...)

Laptops are fine but the thermal issues will always mean they have a shorter lifespan than a desktop rig.

Yeah, the biggest issue of packing so much power in such small package.

Seen it running temps upto 95C. If I downgrade to Horizons I can just about get by with temps of high 80's to 90C...but its really chugging along. At the end of this year AMD, Nvidia and Intel are all releasing new iterations of CPU's and GPU's so if you can wait then you will either need to buy into the next Gen, or may get a nice deal on some of the higher end chips from the current gen.

(...)
Personally I'm trying to save the cash to move back to a full gaming rig, I think gaming
Also something else to consider: the new gen of Nividia GPU's are supposed to be very power hungry...by some estimates are going to require 1000w power supply units...given utility bills are about to go crazy that might play a part in your calculations.

If I check the current power mix in my country (mostly coal), and the energy costs being insanely driven up due to state-level (mis)management, purchasing and using RTX 4K would be a "suicide" for my finances.

Perhaps I'll give a shot for a Intel ARC A7xx series. Or a InnoSilicon Fantasy 1 (if it gets finally sale outside of China)

I think there is a fair proportion of the player base who will be in the same boat tbh, hardware coming to the end of usefull life, code base of game moving onwards, higher requirements. etc and financial decisions needing to be made.
Depending on your gaming/productivity needs a high end rig could set you back £2.2k (current gen), but of course if you are willing to make some compromises then that price tag will certainly come down.

Yeah, but problem is that I have to adjust the budget for my own earnings and local market prices. So, knowing this I can spare just between 363 and 545 GBP for a used laptop (and sadly I don't have space for a good ol' stationary rig like back in the days).

The thermal environment in laptop computers has always been a challenging one so it's prudent to keep in mind the difficulty of keeping a laptop computer's internal heat-dissipation surfaces and channels clean. Let alone the desire, many folks probably have little to no idea about how to disassemble their laptops to clean the heatsinks, heat pipes, and/or the rather tiny heat vents and grilles commonly found on them, especially if this needs to be done on any basis approaching frequent (define the term based on your personal feeling about how often you'd actually want to do this operation).
(...)

I remember doing the cleaning of the laptop I've bought from by brother for just Ł40 personally - had to remove a compressed dust, replace the thermal paste on both GPU and CPU, do the modifications I've mentioned before, and replace the worn keyboard.

Probably If I had a AiO computer, problem would be the same...

 

[Morbad]

The thermal environment in laptop computers has always been a challenging one so it's prudent to keep in mind the difficulty of keeping a laptop computer's internal heat-dissipation surfaces and channels clean. Let alone the desire, many folks probably have little to no idea about how to disassemble their laptops to clean the heatsinks, heat pipes, and/or the rather tiny heat vents and grilles commonly found on them, especially if this needs to be done on any basis approaching frequent (define the term based on your personal feeling about how often you'd actually want to do this operation).

In general, only the heatsinks really need to be cleaned and these can be cleaned by forcing air back through the exhaust vents to dislodge dust and blow it back out through the fans. Disassembly should not be required, or even particularly beneficial, for cleaning most laptops. I suppose a smoker's household or other unusual environments might complicate things.

Wish I could, but my display disallows going so low without risking pernament damage.

This would be exceptionally unusual for any digital display and even if true, modern GPU drivers can do all the scaling GPU side allowing essentially any resolution to be used then scaled to the display's native with negligible performance impact.

If I check the current power mix in my country (mostly coal), and the energy costs being insanely driven up due to state-level (mis)management, purchasing and using RTX 4K would be a "suicide" for my finances.

Perhaps I'll give a shot for a Intel ARC A7xx series. Or a InnoSilicon Fantasy 1 (if it gets finally sale outside of China)

Neither of those will be anywhere near as power efficient as current gen AMD or NVIDIA parts, let alone the RTX 4000 or RX 7000 series.

Almost without fail more advanced architectures and manufacturing processes will be more efficient in terms of performance per watt. The power figure on the label is an arbitrary power target meant to achive a certain level of performance, usually with no concern for efficiency. If you pick any arbitrarily lower power figure and normalize performance to that (which any end-user can do with basic software) the more advanced parts will prove to be the most efficient.

 

[Esteban]

In general, only the heatsinks really need to be cleaned and these can be cleaned by forcing air back through the exhaust vents to dislodge dust and blow it back out through the fans. Disassembly should not be required, or even particularly beneficial, for cleaning most laptops. I suppose a smoker's household or other unusual environments might complicate things.

The danger with this operation is the relative ease of subjecting cooling fans to excessive rotor speeds, causing possible premature bearing problems. It's not as difficult as it may seem. I have done my share of blowing and vacuuming tricks and it's pretty evident how fast one can make them spin quite readily.

I remember doing the cleaning of the laptop I've bought from by brother for just Ł40 personally - had to remove a compressed dust, replace the thermal paste on both GPU and CPU, do the modifications I've mentioned before, and replace the worn keyboard.

Thermal paste doesn't last forever. Although I haven't looked myself, I hope that Silpads last longer.

 

[Imo]

This is why I'm considering replacing the laptop, and I'm looking for a viable propositions (even just components are fine, since it'll help me go in the right direction).

I have a Lenovo Yoga Slim 7 Carbon OLED 14 inch with a Radeon RX Vega 8 (5000) iGPU and it performs not too bad for an iGPU. Performance wise I did not notice any changes from update 11 to 14 but I will record another test on request. This was my iGPU test with update 11: https://odysee.com/@Elite:35/DSC_4013:c