Tech Talk

"

thenecromancer wrote:

Cpu: Core 2 Duo 1.2ghz
Mem: 4Gb DDR3 800Mhz
Gpu: Intel GMA 4500MHD
OS: Windows 7 Professional 32-bit

Sigh... Laptops are not gaming platforms.

Really? Says who? lol
Now, seriously, mine was obviously not meant for gaming, but basic games like RTS or RPG should be playable. I have no problem playing SC2, for example, which has clearly higher requirements than PoE.

Moreover, there are plenty of laptops designed for gaming.

And finally, I am 100% sure that GGG wants to make PoE a game played in as many laptops as possible.

Almost all games out there are perfectly playable even on older on-board GPU computers - just turn off advanced settings, like shadows and AA, and reduce amount of character / environment details and window resolution. FPS and internet connection matters, all else are cosmetics.

Desktop
CPU : Intel Pentium E2180 [core duo 2ghz]
Mem : 2048mhz DDR2 Dual
GPU : NVIDIA GeForce 8400 GS
OS : Windows XP
Mon : 1440x900 (wide) Professional 32-bit

is this enough ? can i play PoE on medium/high settings ?

"

thenecromancer wrote:

Really? Says who? lol
Now, seriously, mine was obviously not meant for gaming, but basic games like RTS or RPG should be playable. I have no problem playing SC2, for example, which has clearly higher requirements than PoE.

Moreover, there are plenty of laptops designed for gaming.

And finally, I am 100% sure that GGG wants to make PoE a game played in as many laptops as possible.

I didn't necessarily mean your laptop has low hardware. I just mean laptops' components were not chosen for gaming.

Let's review yours.

CPU: 2 cores @ 1.2 ghz is a big waste. One core 2ghz+ would be better
Ram: Big waste considering cpu and gpu
GPU: Just not for modern games.
OS: Windows 7 for these components is simply silly. It needs better hardware than XP especially @ gaming.

BUT;

If you look at things from work computer perspective; they all make sense. Like i said before; laptops are generally not for games. I know there a few exceptions and they are called gaming-laptops. However your laptop is not one of them and you can't blame any game company if you can't play modern games smooth.

Shortly, your laptop is good for working. Bad for gaming. There are also some gaming-laptops priced nearly-same with your laptop but they are mediocre at processing. Just bad choice if you use that laptop for gaming.

Oh dear...
No, I don't use it mainly for gaming, BUT as I said my laptop works just fine with games like Sacred 2, PES 2010, Command and Conquer 3 and Starcraft 2.

Second, game companies are not silly. They used to pay no attention to laptop, because, well, there were not that many. With a boom of laptops worldwide and with basic and onboard videocards having a much broader bandwidth nowadays, it is very interesting (and now feasible) to reach for those people.
It is already possible to find companies that test their games with (surprise, surprise) Intel gma 4500mhd! (who would've thought that?)
I have never planned to play PoE with high resolution or configuration, but it is very reasonable to believe it will be playable in low res. (I would bet I'll be able to play between low and mid.)

And finally, let me review your review:
CPU: 2 cores @ 1.2 ghz is a big waste. One core 2ghz+ would be better
Wrong, a 1.2 GHz 2 cores is better for multiple tasking and equivalent to a 2.0 GHz single core. Plus consumes less energy.

Ram: Big waste considering cpu and gpu
Absolutely right (damn you laptop manufacturers!)

GPU: Just not for modern games.
Wrong. Not for state-of-the-art gaming (hardware intensive games). There are plenty of "modern" games that require not so modern hardware.

OS: Windows 7 for these components is simply silly. It needs better hardware than XP especially @ gaming.
Dependes on how the game was designed/written. I have played games that ran better with XP, others with 7 (none with Vista thought).
I have both OS by the way (dual boot). And I use 7 just for gaming, while XP is for work.

Don't get me wrong, I would love to play with a GTX 260. The problem is, I just don't need it.
But once I want again to play hardware intensive games (CoD, BF, Mass Effect 3, Crysis) I will 100% absolutely definitely certainly look for a graphics card with AT LEAST 80 GB/s bandwidth.

You'll probably play PoE @ low settings but it's certain that you don't know too much about computers. My job is computers :)

Except maybe GTA4, one core 2ghz+ is always better than 2 cores 1.2ghz in games

Again your GPU is not for modern games. You can't play Crysis, GTA 4, Assassin's Creed 2, even World in Conflict etc. The games you mention don't have modern graphics thus it's perfectly reasonable you can play them.

If you still insist check some reviews on the net or go to some computer shop and check the components there.

Your post just confirms what I had written. Crysis, GT4, etc are hardware intensive games and I am well aware that my laptop isn't for that and I won't even try to play such games.

I said EXACTLY what you said. Those games (SC2, etc) do not have modern graphics BUT they are NEW games and I can play them. That's all I wanted to say.

What I don't get is why you're discussing this, when this is a forum for a game with requirements similar to SC2, not Crysis.

You may work with computers, but I worked a little with computers too and though I am no expert, I know a thing or two.

Anf finally, if you say games will run better witha single core 2 GHz (+) instead of a 1.2 GHz 2 core. I believe you. But I have read many times that a 1.2 2 Core is equivalent to a 2.0 (not 2.0+), so I believe you that a 2.1 will indeed have a better performance. But I can tell you from experience that a 2.3 single core is worse than a 1.2 2 core for every day activities.

As for CPU thing, actually it depends on the structure and technology of the CPU. If we take last one-core CPUs into account one core 2ghz cpu is definetely better than 2 cores 1.2ghz cpu in most of the games. For every-day activities 2 core-cpus are definetely better.

I believe PoE looks way way better than SC2 and system requirements will reflect it no matter how much GGG tries to optimize the engine.

Whatever. This is a pointless discussion :) I wish I hadn't written anything about laptops although i'm 100% sure it was true.

ya besides for getting the most bang for your buck core 2 duo is where its at. Having two processors make more sense. Or even 4....though i am only a poor student so i just stick with my Sony Vaio.