It's strange that a new computer doesn't have a good enough graphics card to
run GPL. It only requires a mid-powered D3D compatible card. If you only
want to do GPL, you could pick up an older GeForce2 card for less than the
price of a game and still be happy.
Not exactly a financially sound solution, especially since you already have
a desktop stashed away in a separate room, but I have been "racing" on a
notebook for years. Now that current notebooks have the muscle (GeForce2+
chips and 1GHz+ processors) it's finally an option with almost no
compromises. It lets me do a quick GPL race on the couch while my
girlfriend reads. For me, it makes a big difference compared to
disappearing into a different room for an hour or so.
I'm not going to add to the "you're whipped" argument. I've seen different
pressures encroach on my own time since the good old days of running full
championship seasons on GP2. Sim racing is now only one or two hours a
week, but it's still good to have those few spontaneous races.
Stephen