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Laptop hardware question
I've been gaming a lot more recently and noticed that my laptop can't really handle current games, even on low settings, running even more pitifully than a sub $100 desktop I've used, and it even seemed to have some hiccups in a Half-Life Deathmatch (Yes, the first one) I was testing something in. I'd like to know what's holding my laptop back from running something like Dragon Age: Origins on the lowest settings without it being borderline unplayable at times.
Operating System: Windows Vista™ Home Premium (6.0, Build 6002) Service Pack 2
Processor: AMD Turion(tm) 64 X2 Mobile Technology TL-60 (2 CPUs), ~2.0GHz
Memory: 1918MB RAM
Card name: ATI Radeon X1200 Series
Display Memory: 830 MB
Dedicated Memory: 127 MB
Shared Memory: 703 MB
Dedicated Memory: 127 MB
Shared Memory: 703 MB
Are there any components to my computer that would be important for gaming that I missed getting out of my dxdiag? Searching around, it seems that my video card is fairly bad and not made for gaming, as well as no longer being supported, but is that really all that holds me back from being able to play at least on low settings? I know Vista isn't the best OS ever, and I'm probably gonna upgrade to Windows 7 soon. Would I likely be better off just buying a new laptop?
Comments
You have an integrated graphics card, which is bad. You're also trying to run Vista on 2gb ram and trying to game. From personal experience of running Vista on 2 desktops and 5 laptops, 2gb isn't enough for even low quality games when combined with an integrated graphics card, which is why you hiccup on ancient games like HL. Vista is extremely resource intensive, it uses the hell out of the CPU and the RAM. 7 is much much better. If you upgrade to 7, you will be able to run most old games fine but you're still held back by that graphics card on stuff like Dragon Age.
Honestly, buying 7 wouldn't be worth it since you want to game and your graphics card is pretty bad. If you're wanting a gaming laptop, you're looking at least at $1500 for something half way decent.... but there is actually a really good deal on a ASUS on newegg for $1500.
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Ah, thanks for the quick reply and info, meant to ask whether my graphics card was integrated since I saw something make a mention towards it while looking it up but couldn't find something to really confirm it.
Yeah......... I use the forums to procrastinate things I should be doing. lol
Anyway, I pulled that from here
www.notebookcheck.net/ATI-Radeon-Xpress-X1200.3775.0.html
"The Radeon Xpress X1200 (RS600M or RS690M) is an onboard graphics card for notebooks / laptops and..."
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And what will make it worse is the shared memory that is being advertised in order to make the graphics system sound better than it is. That shared memory, if used by the graphics card, results in you having only 1.2 GB of RAM memory available for the operating system and any applications/games you are running. That system really only has 128 MB of graphics memory.
Frankly Id buy a newer laptop. Be sure to get a laptop with a discrete graphics card and not a integrated. That way the graphics card has internal memory. The one I use has a GeForce 9600M GT. Pretty hefty to say the least since I can run directx 10.1 without a hitch. Just upgraded the laptop to windows 7 and boy does it scream. I think the laptop is the MSI gx620. Runs about 700 bucks. You can get 9800M series cards as well but they cost a bit. Strictly speaking these arent gaming pc's, they just run as well.