Hi,

Recently I've debated getting a new up to date laptop. The current one I am using is a 4 year old Windows 7 that has gone through much wear and tear. And since it will not allow me to upgrade to Windows 10 I've been thinking about upgrading to a new computer altogether. My current computer seems to still work great for everything EXCEPT Game Guru. It constantly freezes and often does not load my level when I want to test it. I know this is now GG's fault, it's my laptop.

So, will I have to purchase GG again with a new computer, or is it stored on my Steam account?

Thanks!

Its stored in your steam account so you just need to install steam on your new system..
Log into steam and install GameGuru ..
Nice and simple

Great, thanks synchromesh!

Now I just need to decide of buying a brand new $1500 laptop for a hobby I'm still learning is a good idea.

Imagine the beast you would get for the same price as a desktop rather than a laptop I imagine you need a laptop if you want to spend that much, but really for this sort of thing you would be far better off with a desktop machine.

What DVader said and its all about GFX card.... Beware Laptops with high specs , windows 10, loads of Ram but the worst GFX gpu to keep thier price down .. Intel HD6000 dont really cut it these days for onboard GFX
Desktops can always be upgraded ?

Thanks for the advice guys! I admit I figured I could get the same results with a laptop as with a PC.

I had actually been eyeing the Windows Surface Pro 4 lately because of all the good reviews. Unfortunately due to current living conditions I have no room for a PC so I may have to stick with a laptop.

However, if it's possible can just upgrade my GFX card on my current computer? My computer still works great for everything else it's just giving me a hard time with GG. The more advanced I make my level, the glitchier it becomes to play.

Lately, villains to not become visible on my level (but they still attack you) and just today, as I continued to add assets to my level, not the screen is almost entirely black when I try it.

Can this all be fixed by simply upgrading my GFX card?

Thanks! You guys really have been a huge help!

Can you post your pc specs ..make or model ?

If you have a desktop currently, then you should be able to boost it with a new video card. I use a Nvidia 660GTX which is okay, but you would be far better off with a 760 or a 970 you may need an upgraded Power Supply, but for any of the 900 series except possibly the 970/980 you will probably be okay. AMD equivalents would be fine as well I imagine, I just generally prefer Nvidia for trrouble free gaming (mostly).

The CPU is very important with GG as well, but the video card is where you will see big gains. My Q6600 is a bit old now but manages to cope, but an I7 would be a big improvement

Unless space is a major issue, which if you already have a desktop, probably isn't, a desktop will always outperform a laptop of the same value. If you had an uber gaming setup, no laptop in the world is going to compete.

My computer is a Dell Windows 7 Intel Core i5-2430M
2.40 GHz 6.00GB
64-bit Operating System

Thanks!

I would upgrade that it should run really sweet with the right GFX card at a fraction of the price of a Laptop
Start here ... Loads to choose from but dont go to cheap ..
http://www.ebuyer.com/store/Components/cat/Graphics-Cards-Nvidia

Is that not a laptop? With most laptops you cannot upgrade the graphics card.

Buy parts, I got a AMD AM2+ with A6 APU (6400k), a GT 730 GFX card, a box, PSU and 4GB of ram for just over £200 .... a flat pack PC, saved a fortune!

Not the best PC in the world but would give a £700 dell a run for its money

Definitely better to get a graphics card upgrade rather than a laptop but if size is an issue then it's best to check the size of the graphics card before you buy as some can be very large and fitting them into smaller cases can be a real pain (or even impossible).
You should be OK on power really, again it's mostly huge cards or sli that would need extra power.

Laptops are great but even if they can run games and GG well there's always heat to worry about... And they just don't feel comfortable for me for extended periods of time, you can't beat sitting at a real PC for actual usage.

I could not agree more, touchpads drive me insane! lol

While in general I agree that a new graphics card is the best way to go, and I myself also fully comply with the "upgrade until you can't upgrade no more" theory of PC handling, there's something he needs to look into before he does that:

It's a Dell.

For those who are familiar with this brand then you will know what i'm getting at straight away, for those who aren't:

Unless it's an Alienware branded Dell PC then there's a high chance upgrading will be a lot more complicated than just slapping a new graphics card into it. Dell are notorious with their standard desktops for cutting corners by putting the bare minimum of components needed to run into the case.

The most predominant of these would be the PSU, generally a Dell PC will only have a PSU powerful enough to barely run the components in the machine including the graphics card, this usually means it will be in the region of 200w to 300w (i've actually seen a low end Dell with a 100w PSU) which means that you have a very small range of graphics cards to choose from unless you want to change the PSU, which in itself can be a pain in the butt too because Dell don't always use standard sized ATX PSU's, which means you have to source a specific sized PSU which will no doubt cost twice as much as a standard one.

On top of that, a lot of the standard Dell machines have small to medium form factor cases, which means there's not always a lot of room inside, meaning even if he has the PSU power, he may not be able to physically fit the card in side the case.

When I figure in Dells past record with exploding power supplies, and soldered in components, I personally wouldn't even attempt to upgrade a Dell (heck I wouldn't even own one in the first place, but that's just personal opinion), if you have the money then I would recommend buying a new PC form somewhere that builds them to your specifications, i'd also recommend this course of action for most branded PC's including companies such as HP and the like, as they're generally mass produced, using low end generic components, and are built to the bare minimum to run that specification and need a little more effort and money to upgrade than a custom PC would.

I'm not sure on TGC's policy about linking "shops" on the forum here, but if you're in the UK and want a recommendation for a very good custom PC company that I have been using for +10yrs with no issues and great quality work then send me a PM (they also do custom laptops if that's what you want).

Hmmm .... If they have a website showing thier hardware products , PC's etc .. And it can assist Dagger_Valley it should be ok
If in doubt then just PM him as you say

Dell's used to be awful. They used to have onboard video and no slot to even fit a graphics card. I worked in PC retail and repair so I saw a lot. There's a reason Dell's are so cheap.I couldn't say if the situation is the same now II wouldn't be surprised), but certainly check the inside of your PC before actually buying anything. The amount of people who used to come to have a Dell upgraded only to find out it is pretty much not possible without replacing most of it, was pretty high.

I've built hundreds and hundreds of PC's, don't just assume your power supply will be up to the job. Modern cards are way less power hungry than they used to be, but still may be more than your current PSU can manage. In fact, if it's got any age to it, really I would always recommend replacing it with a new one anyway when considering an upgrade. PSU failure can cause a lot of damage to a PC, not always, but sometimes I have seen systems fried completely.

Thanks for all the help, everyone!

Looks like I have a few options on the table as far as a new computer. I will probably take some time jazzing up my website and practicing modeling while I decide what I should do.

Thanks again!