970m or 860m GS60 for casual gamer?

Hi all, I know the information must be lurking somewhere in the owner's lounge but I've gone through so many pages over the last couple of days and haven't found it. I'm an occasional gamer so don't need the beefiest of graphics cards but have just seen that the 970m version has just arrived in stock. Question: I know the new gpu will run significantly cooler but would the machine run quieter and longer than the slightly older 860 version? Additional longevity would be a great bonus.

My other choice would be an XPS 15 or M3800 but am really liking the GS60 matte screen and excellent keyboard. the machine would be used for heavy photo editing in Lightroom and PS CC 2014 + alot of coding and VM work in addition to playing the occasional game (No Crysis or Bioshock or anything that demanding).

T

 

You can compare the benchmarks and see. I believe you get a bit more time out of 970m, but on a battery you're not going to get much longevity out of any laptop.

I'd go for a laptop with the 970m if it's in your budget. While you may not need the beef now, games will only get more complex. So the a 970m based laptop will last you longer before you start feeling the need to upgrade. However, if you can get a screaming deal on an 860 based system, I'd consider it as long as it's a Maxwell based 860.

 

Depending on which benchmark/game you look at the 970M can deliver over twice the performance vs the 860M. If you're looking for longevity in a way of not having to replace the notebook for slow performance, then I would definitely go with the 970M.

If you are going to be doing a lot of photo editing you should check out some of the MSI GS60 4K models. They have a glossy screen, however being a photographer my self I was really impressed with the picture quality. It does have a downfall of only being 48hz, but for casual gaming that shouldn't bother you too much.

 

860M in GS60 is not Maxwell based ... it is still Kepler ...