Gone are the days when I could play the latest games on my trusty, old laptop. As the industry evolved and expectations rose, it became hard to find something with decent specs for a reasonable price.
Enter Deliver Us Mars. This game is not only beautiful but also quite demanding, which means you'll need powerful specs to run it smoothly. Not something that should worry us though – what's the point of a gorgeous game if you can't properly play it?
That's why I've put together this laptop buying guide, specifically for those who want to make sure they get the best gaming rig for Deliver Us Mars. I've studied the game's requirements, gone through benchmark scores, read up on bestsellers and compiled all the information into an easy-to-digest format. Let's take a look at the laptops and their specs.
Processor Power
laptops
The processor (or CPU) is the most important component in a laptop. Whether you're doing heavy-duty work, light web browsing, or gaming, the CPU will determine the laptop's performance.
There's been quite a bit of change in the laptop processor market over the last few years. Apple has released their own ARM-based M1, M1 Pro, M1 Max and M2 system-on-chip modules, which offer exceptional single-core performance and battery life. On the PC side, AMD has managed to take 20% of the CPU market; their 6th generation Ryzen processors have become quite popular. We're still waiting for Intel's 13th-gen processors to reach laptops, though their 12th-gen are already available. Both Intel's and Apple's silicon chips adopted a hybrid performance/efficiency core design (based on big.LITTLE). Ryzen models are best if you need a good battery life in a PC laptop.
Do you really need a powerful CPU for your laptop? It really depends on the type of work you do. If you're just doing casual browsing and light tasks like writing documents and emails, then any modern processor will do. However, if you're into gaming, photo/video editing, or engineering/3D CAD design, then you will want to invest in a processor with more power.
How can you tell if a processor is fast or not? You can compare processors in terms of their performance-to-price ratio. A few sites like PassMark and Cinebench R23 provide comparative performance scores. But keep in mind that there are other factors that might limit the performance of your laptop – such as the graphics card and its drivers.
If you're looking for a gaming laptop with a top-shelf CPU (i7/Ryzen 7), then you'll have to shell out more money. If you don't want to break the bank, here are some recommended processors with their expected price ranges:
Processor | Price Range |
---|---|
i3-1115G4 | <$600 |
i5-10310U | $600-$1000 |
i7-1180G7 | >$1000 |
Graphics Power
It's no surprise that Nvidia continues to dominate the laptop GPU market. While the latest desktop GPUs are now a lot more power-hungry, Nvidia recently released a few RTX 40 series cards for laptops, but these are not yet available (expected in 2023). Until then, the latest notebook cards are in RTX 30 series (such as RTX 3070 Ti). Also, Nvidia has discontinued the Max-Q label for its RTX graphics cards. Now, an exact GPU wattage is determined by the laptop manufacturer (OEM). Unfortunately, this leads to a wide variance in graphics performance even in laptops with the same GPU chipset.
The graphics requirements for Deliver Us Mars are relatively low, so even a laptop with an integrated GPU will suffice. If you plan on playing other games on your laptop, however, a dedicated GPU is necessary. Fortunately, the graphics card market has been consolidating for years, and Nvidia's latest generation of GPUs has resulted in fewer models than in previous years. This makes it easier to tell which GPUs are better than others at the outset. To compare different graphics cards, I suggest using 3DMark since it provides a good indication of how well a laptop performs in games. When it comes to gaming laptops, you'll want one with an Nvidia GPU, but if you're okay with playing less demanding titles, an AMD chip will suffice.
In terms of how a laptop's graphics card affects the workflows of VR developers, the key takeaway is that more powerful GPUs offer a higher level of performance and reliability. This is especially true when dealing with complex 3D environments and when using the latest tools and plugins. Moreover, the laptop's display can affect the graphics card choice since a higher resolution display needs a more powerful graphics card to power it. It's also important to consider whether a high-end GPU is possible on a budget laptop, as some OEMs provide a surprisingly capable combination of components at an attractive price.
To help you pick the right GPU for Deliver Us Mars, I've created a handy table of recommended GPUs for VR developers at various price points. Please note that the prices listed are median prices from various sources, and are subject to change depending on various factors.
Price | Recommended GPU |
---|---|
<$1,000 | GeForce RTX 3050 |
$1,000 – $1,500 | GeForce RTX 2060 |
>$1,500 | GeForce RTX 2080 |
RAM: Ready for Launch
When it comes to finding the right RAM for your Mars laptop, there are a few things to consider. Most mid-range laptops come with 16 GB of RAM and high-end – 32 GB or more. The latest-gen Intel and AMD CPUs support DDR4 and DDR5, though DDR5 is still quite expensive and needs time to mature as a technology.
RAM is one of the most important components in a gaming laptop, and it's one of the few that you can upgrade later on. But I recommend getting as much as possible from the start since it's not easy to find laptops with high-capacity modules. The amount of memory you need depends on your budget and what you're using your laptop for. If you're a professional coder, designer, or data analyst – 16 GB is the minimum requirement. If you're looking for a gaming laptop, 32 GB should be the minimum, and 64 GB should be the sweet spot for enthusiasts. While DDR5 is the latest standard, DDR4 is still more than adequate for most people.
For running virtual machines and other memory-hungry applications in Linux, you'll need to consider how much RAM you need. While 8 GB is enough to get started, it won't be able to handle many high-end tasks. To get the most out of your Mars laptop, we recommend at least 16 GB of RAM.
When shopping for RAM, make sure you take a look at the latency, frequency, and ECC (error correction code). While these are not as important as the capacity, they can affect the performance of your laptop. For example, higher latency RAM will generally have slower response times, while higher frequency RAM will have faster response times.
So, what can you expect when shopping for RAM for your Deliver Us Mars laptop? Here are our recommendations for different price points:
Price | RAM |
---|---|
Budget | 8 GB |
Mid-range | 16 GB |
High-end | 32 GB |
At the end of the day, you should consider how you plan on using your laptop and how much RAM you're willing to invest in. We hope this guide has helped you make the best decision for your needs!
6 Best Laptops for Deliver Us Mars
GIGABYTE A5 K1
Pros and cons
- 144 Hz panel for smooth visuals
- Fast WLAN and up to three storage options
- Cheap-looking surfaces
- Poor cooling efficiency
Dell G15
Pros and cons
- Vivid 120 Hz display panel
- High CPU and WLAN performance
- Poor contrast and color accuracy
- PWM flickering at low brightness
ASUS ZenBook Pro 15 UM535QE-XH71T
Pros and cons
- 1080p OLED touchscreen delivers stunning visuals
- Runs silently, even under heavy loads
- RAM is not upgradeable
- PWM present on all brightness levels
Alternatives
Dell G15
- Ergonomic Keyboard for Extended Typing Sessions.
- Powerful CPU GPU for Heavy Workloads.
- Bulky and Heavy.
- Short Battery Life.
GIGABYTE AERO 17 XE5
Pros and cons
- Impressive System Performance
- Thunderbolt 4 Connectivity
- Webcam Placement is Unfortunate
- No Illumination for Secondary Functions
Alternatives
ASUS ROG Zephyrus G14
- Sleek, eye-catching design
- Powerful hardware for multitasking
- Low RAM soldered on-board
- Performance mode can be inconsistent
GIGABYTE AORUS 15 XE4
Pros and cons
- Fast and Responsive 165Hz Display
- Abundant Storage with PCIe 4.0 SSD and Free M.2 2280 Slot
- High Power Usage at Idle and Low Load
- No Card Reader
Alternatives
ASUS ROG Strix G15
- Solid build quality and design
- Versatile IO and powerful inputs
- No Thunderbolt, card reader or biometrics
- High temperatures under demanding loads
Dell XPS 17 9720
Pros and cons
- Fantastic 4K resolution and AdobeRGB display
- Robust, quality construction
- Lacking in graphics performance compared to predecessor
- System can become unstable under certain loads
Alternatives
MSI Titan GT77 12UHS-064
- Bright 4K display with great color coverage
- Extremely powerful system performance
- Bulky and heavy design
- Expensive price tag
Table of the Best Laptops for Deliver Us Mars
Laptop | Price (approx) |
GIGABYTE A5 K1 | $790 |
Dell G15 | $1090 |
ASUS ZenBook Pro 15 UM535QE-XH71T | $1130 |
GIGABYTE AERO 17 XE5 | $1400 |
GIGABYTE AORUS 15 XE4 | $1750 |
Dell XPS 17 9720 | $6000 |