HiI am replacing my laptop and would like to get something that will play FSX with very good detail and frame rates. There are a number of laptops which have 1GB Graphics and 8GB ram but they almost all have the Core i7-720 QM which is a 1.6GHz and overclocks to 2.6GHz. Given that FSX is processor hungry will I get a good result with a laptop like this? The laptop I have in mind is a Sony Vaio F series. If you have any other suggestions for a similarly priced laptop that would be great too.

"1GB graphics" is not a measurement of performance. You can take the slowest GPU in the world and pair it with 1GB of video RAM and it will still run like a dog. You need to find out which GPU the laptop you'll be considering uses. Also, Sony laptops are extremely over-priced and ridiculously expensive to repair when the warranty period ends. If you must buy a Sony, be sure to get a warranty that will cover the entire period of time you plan on using it. Alternatively, I'd recommend a DIY kit from Asus or MSI, or simply an Asus G-series laptop.

Thank you for your reply. The graphics card is NVidia GE Force GT 330M and it has 8GB DDR3 SDRAM. I had thought of the Asus but can't find a proper dealer in Ireland. My previous computers have all been Dell but they seem to be overpriced for the specs.

GT330 = re-named GT230, the two are identical in all but name. You really should try to find a laptop with at least a 240 in it.

GT330 = re-named GT230, the two are identical in all but name. You really should try to find a laptop with at least a 240 in it.

Thank you for the advice about the graphics card. What about the processor though is it powerful enough do you think?

I have been looking at the sager laptops. They can be custom configured at resellers. To me a couple hundred bucks for the i7 820 is worth it. These laptops also come with GTX280 gpu

Yet another case of part re-naming by Nvidia, the "GTX 280M" is nothing more than a glorified 9800 GT. Native resolution + high settings will be a chore for this GPU, but that's what you get when you buy a laptop for gaming. The core i7 720QM is a great mobile chip and should handle FSX with mid-high settings.

I have been looking at the sager laptops. They can be custom configured at resellers. To me a couple hundred bucks for the i7 820 is worth it. These laptops also come with GTX280 gpu

Hi As for the your machine coming with a 5870 you might want to check is what you are really getting as both the upcoming Fermi GPU's and the higher end ATI GPU's (5870\5970 are not meant for lap top use. The power that high end cards require and thus the heat they produce are just to much for any lap top. I have a system with a 5870 in it and the card alone is around 2lb and is almost 11" long due to the cooling required So I don't think you will see either in a laptop any time soon.Dan Martin Flight Ontario'

The GPU's above that I am talking about are MOBILE versions, they are not the same as the desktop versions. please go to Nvidia's and/or ATI's website to see for your self what I am talking about.

Getting back to the processor, Id be really curious if FSX is "turbo mode" capable in the i7 mobile. Essentially, turbo mode increases the clock speed to a predetermined amount when the CPU senses that the remaining cores have available headroom. Given that FSX Sp2 is coded to take advantage of multi core processors, I'm concerned that the CPU might sense strain & restrict the turbo range altogether. That's why I haven't given more consideration to the i7-820QM. Instead, I see the need for a traditional i7 as in the Sager 9280. What say the masses on this issue?

I have been pondering the point you bring up as well. What I see is a double edged sword here. On the one hand CPU speed rules with FSX, but it also can take advantage of multiple cores.Unfortunately without a machine to play with it

Thanks for the advice so far and I will hold off on that Sony and maybe look at something like the Asus. I hope you guys realise how lucky you are to have all of those options and such low prices where you live! We can't get Sager here (at least not very easily) and the price for computers is also much higher, that Sony for example is about $2300, 1700euro!!