Hi Guys I'm Grant, my question is, I bought my son a laptop for his Christmas around three years ago, last year we bought him Championship manager 2010(I think) but he was unable to play it, obviously not up to spec. We have suggested maybe buying him one this Christmas, so here comes the question, what spec would be required to run games of this type? He only seems to be interested in these strategy games rather than high speed shoot em ups. When I see so called "Gaming laptops" they all seem to be very expensive. What would I be able to get one for? Mainly it will just be a browsing machine with the capability to play the likes of Champ manager or Football manager. Cheers in anticipation.
Laptop
- Thread starter grant.mackay
- Start date
The video card is the most important thing. Any new notebook is going to be a similar spec in performance (unless you go for a netbook) and for games it is the 3D performance that really matters.
You dont have to get a full gaming laptop but you do need to be carefull and choose the model carefully. Look for one with a dedicated Nvidea or ATI graphics card
Taking dell for example :-
http://www1.euro.dell.com/content/products/category.aspx/notebooks?c=uk&l=en&s=dhs&cs=ukdhs1&~ck=mn
Only the unit on the far right has a proper 3D video card so that would be the model to go for.
You dont have to get a full gaming laptop but you do need to be carefull and choose the model carefully. Look for one with a dedicated Nvidea or ATI graphics card
Taking dell for example :-
http://www1.euro.dell.com/content/products/category.aspx/notebooks?c=uk&l=en&s=dhs&cs=ukdhs1&~ck=mn
Only the unit on the far right has a proper 3D video card so that would be the model to go for.
Even if he only plays management games? He's never been interested in all action games. I thought memory would have been more important than graphics in that type of game.
Yes. The requirements as printed on the box :-
Operating System: XP with Service pack 2 or Vista
Processor: Intel 3GHz P4 or dual core intel / AMD equivalent
Memory: 1Gb
Graphics: Direct X 9 compatible. 128 Mb nVidia FX5600, ATi Radeon 9800 or equivalent
Soundcard: Direct X 9.0c compatible
Hard Drive: 3Gb + additional space required for CM Season Live™
The 'intel graphics media accelerator' that most of the lower end notebooks have (such as the other dells) are not up to this standard. Even if an older version of that game would work on the lower end notebooks if he bought a newer version of the game he would be in exactly the same situation again.
If the processor or memory are not up to spec then the game will typically at least run but very slowly. If the graphics is not up to standard then mostly the 3D effects the game is trying to use is not supported so it will refuse to work altogether.
Operating System: XP with Service pack 2 or Vista
Processor: Intel 3GHz P4 or dual core intel / AMD equivalent
Memory: 1Gb
Graphics: Direct X 9 compatible. 128 Mb nVidia FX5600, ATi Radeon 9800 or equivalent
Soundcard: Direct X 9.0c compatible
Hard Drive: 3Gb + additional space required for CM Season Live™
The 'intel graphics media accelerator' that most of the lower end notebooks have (such as the other dells) are not up to this standard. Even if an older version of that game would work on the lower end notebooks if he bought a newer version of the game he would be in exactly the same situation again.
If the processor or memory are not up to spec then the game will typically at least run but very slowly. If the graphics is not up to standard then mostly the 3D effects the game is trying to use is not supported so it will refuse to work altogether.
Hi grant
the 2d and 3d rendering is farmed out to the graphics card currently. So the card is as important or more than the processor.
Things are changing- for example the Chinese now have the fastest computer in the world but it is using the processing power and the graphics cards as well.
In a few years the grapics card might be less important but for now but one with 1gb of graphics ram if you can justify the cost.
the 2d and 3d rendering is farmed out to the graphics card currently. So the card is as important or more than the processor.
Things are changing- for example the Chinese now have the fastest computer in the world but it is using the processing power and the graphics cards as well.
In a few years the grapics card might be less important but for now but one with 1gb of graphics ram if you can justify the cost.
M
Mickymoody
3 yo lappy would be able to play a 2010 graphics NON intensive game..more statistical.
I'm thinking a 3 YO laptop shoul dbe able to play the game too.
What are the specs of your 3 YO laptop?
Check by going to Start-Control Panel-system and tell us whats listed there, and then click hardware - device manager - display adapters and tell us what is listed under that.
I think it would be important to make sure that there is an Nvidia or similar type graphics card under display adapters. Something with dedicated memory specifically for graphics, even if it is just a strategy game. I'm thinking though, that perhaps your laptop is clogged full of files such as photos, videos, music or other stuff like that. Perhaps the Hard drive is just close to full. This could be a problem in trying to install the game too so don't rule it out until you've checked that too.
What are the specs of your 3 YO laptop?
Check by going to Start-Control Panel-system and tell us whats listed there, and then click hardware - device manager - display adapters and tell us what is listed under that.
I think it would be important to make sure that there is an Nvidia or similar type graphics card under display adapters. Something with dedicated memory specifically for graphics, even if it is just a strategy game. I'm thinking though, that perhaps your laptop is clogged full of files such as photos, videos, music or other stuff like that. Perhaps the Hard drive is just close to full. This could be a problem in trying to install the game too so don't rule it out until you've checked that too.
M
Mickymoody
Maybe consider upgrading the memory in the existing laptop, but that still doesn't explain why a 3 yo laptop won't run a statistics based game, that isn't graphics intensive; other than it was new to you three years ago, but was second hand at the time?
His 3 year old laptop was a very basic one, it wasn't til we bought him C Manager 2010 last year for his birthday that we found how inadequate it was, Spoken to Dell a couple of times, on Saturday I was "sold" as far as he was concerned a laptop for £449, I dealt with someone different yesterday and he said that particular machine wouldn't do the job and i'd need to fork out £600. I said to him, can't a graphics card not be fitted to any decent laptop? There I hit a brick wall, obviously Dell don't do alterations, as none of our models have the ability. So, Can you fit a decent graphics card to a reasonably spec'd laptop? Or do all the ancilliary parts need to be relevant to that card? Painter and decorator here guys, so have pity, not sure after all this emissions sh@t that I know much about that either.
Laptops/Netbooks come as they are - the graphics cannot be upgraded. Depeding on the laptop you purchase, you can allocate additional graphics RAM.
Unfortunately, you do have to pay a bit more for dedicated graphics, this just means the RAM is not shared with system, instead it has its own, but can be shared if needed...
Something like http://www.ebuyer.com/product/195974 would do the job, but the price maybe out of reach?
Unfortunately, you do have to pay a bit more for dedicated graphics, this just means the RAM is not shared with system, instead it has its own, but can be shared if needed...
Something like http://www.ebuyer.com/product/195974 would do the job, but the price maybe out of reach?
The specs of the championship manager game I posted earlier does state that it requires a proper 3D graphics card. Dont know why that is if its not that graphical but they are probably using some DirectX features which requires it.
Notebooks are not as upgradable as regular machines. Graphics cards etc... are normally directly soldered to the main motherboard and the heat sink is designed to fit the exact size of the components. There is no PCI expansion port unlike desktops where you can fit an alternative video card.
Notebooks are not as upgradable as regular machines. Graphics cards etc... are normally directly soldered to the main motherboard and the heat sink is designed to fit the exact size of the components. There is no PCI expansion port unlike desktops where you can fit an alternative video card.
Thanks for clearing that up, I kinda expected something like that but didn't know enough about it. Maybe have to go down the route of second hand. What would be the numbers/descriptions I should be looking out for?
Look at the specification and under graphics look for Nvidia or ATI. They are the two main 3D graphics chip manufacturers. Cheaper notebooks may have an Intel graphics chip which is far more basic and not sufficient for your needs.
Yes i've seen that a lot and assumed it was very basic, was discussing it with my daughter last night, is there no kind of exterior reader that can be had for the likes of this? They seem to be able to do everything else.
Unfortunately not. The USB port is just not quick enough to transfer the amount of data. Video cards have an almost direct connection to the innards of the computer because they require a very fast transfer of data.