dual core 2.4 ghz, 512 mb graphic memory, 3 gb ram memory is recommended,
in my experience a good processor comes in handy for faster calculations (Ghz)
Chess Laptop
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Hi,
I have a MacBook Pro and use all these programs with VMware Fusion running Windows 7.
The performance is excellent and the Windows apps integrate seamlessly into the Mac Desktop. To get good performance you probably need at least 8GB Ram to allocate enough to Fusion so that the Chessbase tables are cached, but memory's cheap now.
Should be cheaper than buying a new laptop.
I use all of those programs on an 11" Macbook Air with no issues using Parallels.
Sorry guys, but I don't want VMWare Fusion or Parallels on my Mac. I am looking for a Windows laptop, in a specific brand. Also, cheaper is good :)
If you insist on getting a new laptop, then just get whatever is cheapest. Win XP is pre-installed on many lower-spec laptops simply because it costs almost nothing OEM nowadays.
AFAIK all of the programs you run will work on XP, even on an older system, so the only real question is how much analysis you plan on getting the laptop to do. If you plan on doing a lot of analysis, then a faster CPU would be beneficial. But if you were to look for the cheapest laptop you could find in a store you would find something that should be able to run everything you have listed.
The best deal for you is to choose a new modern windows 7 laptop. For better results it must be at least quad core core i7 . With at least 4 Gig Ram and preferably with SSD memories.They are blazingly fast. .....one other most important point is Temprature. You should be sure that the model has a good record in cooling and temperature . The best site to check this , is Notebookcheck.net........... / so far the best chess professional laptop I know is Dell precision M4600 .
Feb 27, 2012
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#8
chessisgood wrote:
What should I get? This would be a purely chess-based computer, so I don't want something that costs a fortune. Please post any suggestions.
I think the first thing to decide is what you consider a fortune to be. Or in better terms, what is the most you are willing to pay? That will go a long way to determine what you will be able to get and if/what you will need to cut to get there.
Agree 100% with the two posters above. i7 processor is best.
I bought this less than two months ago mainly for running engines and other chess programs and have been extremely satisfied: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834230133 Unfortunately out of stock on Newegg, but I highly recommend an Asus.
Also, in ChessBase make sure to set your engine priority "below normal". This will prevent a powerful engine like Houdini from holding your computer hostage while running.
pfren wrote:
You will need an i7 notebook with at least 4G of RAM.
Running chess engines via vmware is out of the question: too much performance loss.
Whilst this was once true when the virtualisation software had to emulate the Intel instruction set, this is no longer the case for modern Intel based Macs. The computational code runs at the same speed it would on a native windows machine.
The only performance bottlenecks are related to Graphics applications where emulation of the graphics subsytem, where possible, would be too slow to run any graphics intensive application. This, however, is not the case for any of the software we are discussing here and the performance is excellent. As I noted above, you do have to have sufficient RAM to effectively run two machines and this may be a barrier for some.
RAM is the most important thing to consider. 4gb minimum. Intel processors are in general more reliable than AMD in the lower priced laptops. AMD tends to have heat problems on a lot of cheaper laptops. Any dual core processor should be fine. i-3 should be more than sufficient. I prefer windows 7 but xp is still very popular with a lot of people.
randalla9999 ! ..... RAM is not the most important thing ! It's second . The first is CPU. .............another thing to consider : AMD 's new generation and AMD fusion type processors are suitable more. .....3- any dual core is not sufficient ! Since new Deep versions of chess engines desire more than two cores practically , to achieve the Max indexes . ....4- windows XP is not throughly compatible with Direct X 11 , so not recommended for chessbase products especially .
Greenmtnboy wrote:
What would be the best mini unit to play chess here and have a chess analysis program also? Are there smart phones or Blackberrys with this capability?
Probably not a blackbery, but either an iPhone of Android phone serves the purpose really well. An iPhone with the chess.com app and Shredder and/or tChess Pro is a great combination.
+1^ pwwaring is right . Stockfish is a free app and you can do most of what you want and there is a shredder lite (free) also.
Having tested both IPhone 4 and Android platform , also Wm 6.5 , and all the programs mentioned , I can say with confident that The best and most featured rich Application for chess analysis and training is Chessbase's Pocket Fritz 4.3 on an strong PPc like Htc Hd2. .....stockfish is great but unfortunately without Multi variant analysis capabilities . Don't count on shredder as a reliable chess app and analysor ! I have both shredder HD on IPad 2 and also pocket shredder .not reliable !
I don't have any specifics, as I've never had a no-contract phone, but there are many Android no-contract deals out there. A few apps that I know are available for Android include Chess.com, Shredder, DroidFish (Stockfish port) and, I'm sure, many others. I'm on an iPhone myself, so I'm sure some Android users out there could give you more solid advice. Not as sure about PPC phones, but they have one disadvantage as I believe there is no Chess.com app for them...
Droidfish has the most ridicolouse chess interface and design among all chess programs.
Small laptop - Alienware M13
Big laptop - Alienware M17
Get something with plenty of HD space; some of those Chessbase files are huge. But, since you're wanting the machine for gaming, for the money, you can't go wrong with Alienware. My s/o and I both have their laptops and have never once regretted the decision.
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Hello everyone, I currently have a MacBook Pro and am looking for a computer more compatible with some chess programs and such things. Here is a list of features I need:
What should I get? This would be a purely chess-based computer, so I don't want something that costs a fortune. Please post any suggestions.