Sure - so wrt ExpandedClaw156’s follow up questions on the xps 17 9700:
Thank you, I actually haven’t considered the XPS17 as I thought FS would require a full blown “gaming” laptop. I just watched some reviews and it does seem like a good option, especially since I don’t intend to play other games at all.
–> if you have looked at many reviews, you may well have come across folks who had a problem with the battery discharging excessively during gaming, even while plugged in. Newer units don’t have this problem. I was an early adopter, and amazing, when I called Dell to complain, they were at my house the next day and swapped out the motherboard for no charge.
Can I ask you a (possibly stupid) question about the touch screen (if that’s the version you have); in cockpit view, can the switches be turned on/off by simply touching the screen or do you must still rely on the keyboard/mouse?
–> yes, all the 4k display versions are touchscreen, and you can touch away on the screen instead of using a mouse. I myself almost never do this, as I hate smudges.
And when you run FS, do you have to switch to a Performance profile?
–> the battery icon in the system tray bottom right has a quick toggle between max battery, better performance and best performance. For gaming I put it in best performance mode. For anything beyond video editing, massive code compiles and gaming, this beast is more than fast enough for work tasks in either of the other modes.
The other thing to know is that there are separate settings for how aggressively the battery charges. If you want it to stay as close to 100% as possible during gaming, there is a rapid charge mode. I can verify that this works, but I actually leave it in “adaptive” mode these days - where I typically see it allow the battery to drain to 85 or 90 percent before it gets serious about keeping the level. I’ve read that the battery in aggressive charge model and pumping 130watts into the system when it is near 100% full charge is not terrific for the battery life. YMMV.
Finally, does it get uncomfortably hot?
–> the system blows hot air out the back, and the area above the function keys gets warm as well. During msfs, I see the GPU running around 66 to 68 degrees celsius. Bottom line, it won’t ruin a wood table, but I don’t think you would want it on your lap for extended periods without a tray or something under it. Also, since the air intakes are on the bottom, probably best not to have the unit on a lap or other soft surface that might block some of the intakes. Again, for normal use, the fan rarely comes on and the system runs cool enough for lap use.
FYI, when I’m home, I use the 4k built in screen for little nav map, email, browsing the web etc, while I use a larger 1440p external monitor for msfs. In fact, I’m doing that right now - the little savage cub is working a leg of the bushtrip. For the external 2560x1440 monitor, I run everything at high, render scaling at 90 and terrain LOD at 150 and get 35ish frames near the ground, 45ish frames up high. I have played with the settings and can get another 10 fps with a bit of compromise, but I like the extra detail and consider anything better than 30fps just fine.
if 'm playing on the build in 4k screen (which is actually 4k plus a bit since it is 16x10 ratio), I something run 1080 scaled up (which performs nicely) or in a 2560 x 1440 subwindow. I really only game on the built in lcd if I’m not at home, and since I’m not lugging my joystick and pedals away from home, I mostly just fly autopilot centric flights in the background while I’m doing something else.
), I would recommend to go for a rather custom built desktop than Alienware pcs. They over expensive. A desktop with decent cooling equipment will be very silent and will also have better performance. Cheers !
And the argument, that a good investment allways pays off in the future, works all the time (probabaly she knows better to, but trust me she has secrets for you to and agreeing with this gives her a credit for the next time, because thats how relations work)