Can I play recent games (2008-2012) games with any of these two set-ups?

If you want any hope of playing any modern games, a dedicated GPU is an absolute must. "Intel HD graphics" is not a dedicated GPU. At their best, the Intel HD graphics chips can handle flash and facebook/browser games, some modern Indie games, and older 3D games, from like 2005 and back. Gotta get something with a dedicated GPU. Something from Nvidia or AMD Radeon series. Even if it's a low end card, ANY dedicated card will be massive step up from integrated graphics.

If you want any hope of playing any modern games, a dedicated GPU is an absolute must. "Intel HD graphics" is not a dedicated GPU. At their best, the Intel HD graphics chips can handle flash and facebook/browser games, some modern Indie games, and older 3D games, from like 2005 and back. Gotta get something with a dedicated GPU. Something from Nvidia or AMD Radeon series. Even if it's a low end card, ANY dedicated card will be massive step up from integrated graphics.

the_bi99man

[QUOTE="the_bi99man"]

If you want any hope of playing any modern games, a dedicated GPU is an absolute must. "Intel HD graphics" is not a dedicated GPU. At their best, the Intel HD graphics chips can handle flash and facebook/browser games, some modern Indie games, and older 3D games, from like 2005 and back. Gotta get something with a dedicated GPU. Something from Nvidia or AMD Radeon series. Even if it's a low end card, ANY dedicated card will be massive step up from integrated graphics.

TheTolemac

You could probably play facebook game with this with a little lag.

[QUOTE="the_bi99man"]

If you want any hope of playing any modern games, a dedicated GPU is an absolute must. "Intel HD graphics" is not a dedicated GPU. At their best, the Intel HD graphics chips can handle flash and facebook/browser games, some modern Indie games, and older 3D games, from like 2005 and back. Gotta get something with a dedicated GPU. Something from Nvidia or AMD Radeon series. Even if it's a low end card, ANY dedicated card will be massive step up from integrated graphics.

TheTolemac

Umm... is the "Intel GMA 4500MHD" the graphics? If so, no. Same problem. Intel doesn't make graphics cards. They make integrated graphics chips, which come built into their newer processors, and are basically designed for video playback, and casual facebook browser games. You need to find something with an Nvidia GPU, or something that says AMD Radeon.

And yeah, if you're looking at laptops, something with a dedicated nvidia or AMD gpu is going to be much more expensive. That's just the way it is. Everything is more expensive in laptop form, and cheap laptops can't game.

[QUOTE="TheTolemac"][QUOTE="the_bi99man"]

If you want any hope of playing any modern games, a dedicated GPU is an absolute must. "Intel HD graphics" is not a dedicated GPU. At their best, the Intel HD graphics chips can handle flash and facebook/browser games, some modern Indie games, and older 3D games, from like 2005 and back. Gotta get something with a dedicated GPU. Something from Nvidia or AMD Radeon series. Even if it's a low end card, ANY dedicated card will be massive step up from integrated graphics.

the_bi99man

Umm... is the "Intel GMA 4500MHD" the graphics? If so, no. Same problem. Intel doesn't make graphics cards. They make integrated graphics chips, which come built into their newer processors, and are basically designed for video playback, and casual facebook browser games. You need to find something with an Nvidia GPU, or something that says AMD Radeon.

And yeah, if you're looking at laptops, something with a dedicated nvidia or AMD gpu is going to be much more expensive. That's just the way it is. Everything is more expensive in laptop form, and cheap laptops can't game.

Drop Gateway and go Alienware. People complain about their prices but that's usually because they just can't afford them...

[QUOTE="the_bi99man"]

[QUOTE="TheTolemac"] Ok, so how about if I upgrade to this laptop: Hp 2000: Intel Celeron T3500 2.1GHz Intel GMA 4500MHD 3Gbs of RAM?ionusX

Umm... is the "Intel GMA 4500MHD" the graphics? If so, no. Same problem. Intel doesn't make graphics cards. They make integrated graphics chips, which come built into their newer processors, and are basically designed for video playback, and casual facebook browser games. You need to find something with an Nvidia GPU, or something that says AMD Radeon.

And yeah, if you're looking at laptops, something with a dedicated nvidia or AMD gpu is going to be much more expensive. That's just the way it is. Everything is more expensive in laptop form, and cheap laptops can't game.

Yeah, especially with laptops. As has been mentioned on SW countless times, you can custom build a desktop for less than $500 that will play modern games. Laptops aren't so lucky, though. Everything has to be specially made, to fit in the tiny case, and to reduce heat output. That makes comparable parts way more expensive. Looking at any given video card, and comparing it to the laptop version with the same (or similar) name, the laptop version probably costs at least a couple hundred more, and actually has worse performance.

If you want a desktop, you can cut corners, cheap out on stuff that doesn't matter as much, and get yourself a cheap gaming PC that will be competent, at least. But if you want to be able to play modern games on a laptop, cheaping out isn't an option.

Drop Gateway and go Alienware. People complain about their prices but that's usually because they just can't afford them...

Starshine_M2A2

I could have easily afforded an alienware when I bought my last laptop. I chose, instead, to save hundreds of dollars by getting the exact same hardware, with a different name on it.

That said, if you want to game on a laptop, an Alienware might not be the worst choice. It'll be expensive, but it will definitely game. Seriously though, if you actually start considering an Alienware, do some real research on the parts, and shop around. I can almost guarantee that any Alienware you find, you can find something from Acer, Asus, or even Dell, that has the exact same hardware, considerably cheaper.

[QUOTE="Starshine_M2A2"]

Drop Gateway and go Alienware. People complain about their prices but that's usually because they just can't afford them...

the_bi99man

I could have easily afforded an alienware when I bought my last laptop. I chose, instead, to save hundreds of dollars by getting the exact same hardware, with a different name on it.

That said, if you want to game on a laptop, an Alienware might not be the worst choice. It'll be expensive, but it will definitely game. Seriously though, if you actually start considering an Alienware, do some real research on the parts, and shop around. I can almost guarantee that any Alienware you find, you can find something from Acer, Asus, or even Dell, that has the exact same hardware, considerably cheaper.

[QUOTE="Starshine_M2A2"]

Drop Gateway and go Alienware. People complain about their prices but that's usually because they just can't afford them...

the_bi99man

I could have easily afforded an alienware when I bought my last laptop. I chose, instead, to save hundreds of dollars by getting the exact same hardware, with a different name on it.

That said, if you want to game on a laptop, an Alienware might not be the worst choice. It'll be expensive, but it will definitely game. Seriously though, if you actually start considering an Alienware, do some real research on the parts, and shop around. I can almost guarantee that any Alienware you find, you can find something from Acer, Asus, or even Dell, that has the exact same hardware, considerably cheaper.

Alienware is usually a ripoff on the desktop depeartment, but the laptops are rather nicely priced for what you get. Myself, I got an Acer last summer for $800, has an Nvidia 660 2gb, 8gb ram, and an i7 3610Q. Maxes most games, even doing metro 2033 near max at a playable framerate. I was colored impressed

[QUOTE="the_bi99man"]

[QUOTE="Starshine_M2A2"]

Drop Gateway and go Alienware. People complain about their prices but that's usually because they just can't afford them...

TheTolemac

I could have easily afforded an alienware when I bought my last laptop. I chose, instead, to save hundreds of dollars by getting the exact same hardware, with a different name on it.

That said, if you want to game on a laptop, an Alienware might not be the worst choice. It'll be expensive, but it will definitely game. Seriously though, if you actually start considering an Alienware, do some real research on the parts, and shop around. I can almost guarantee that any Alienware you find, you can find something from Acer, Asus, or even Dell, that has the exact same hardware, considerably cheaper.

go back to OT and troll there. Better yet stop trolling period ;)

wis3boi

[QUOTE="wis3boi"]

go back to OT and troll there. Better yet stop trolling period ;)

TheTolemac

sorry confused this thread with the other craptastic one about nearly the same thing. Anyways, that GPU is pretty bad

[QUOTE="TheTolemac"][QUOTE="wis3boi"]

go back to OT and troll there. Better yet stop trolling period ;)

wis3boi

sorry confused this thread with the other craptastic one about nearly the same thing. Anyways, that GPU is pretty bad

[QUOTE="TheTolemac"][QUOTE="wis3boi"]

go back to OT and troll there. Better yet stop trolling period ;)

wis3boi

sorry confused this thread with the other craptastic one about nearly the same thing. Anyways, that GPU is pretty bad

[QUOTE="wis3boi"]

[QUOTE="TheTolemac"] How is trying to get a working gaming laptop trolling?TheTolemac

sorry confused this thread with the other craptastic one about nearly the same thing. Anyways, that GPU is pretty bad

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834131394

and that would be just to get started. you would need to get something alot better to start talking about maxing out games.

if you went with a gaming desktop and then got a laptop for non-gaming needs what you could do is simply get something on the cheap with a nice battery life for like $300 and then drop 500 dollar on a machine that could do basically the same things as that $625 machine

[QUOTE="TheTolemac"][QUOTE="wis3boi"]

sorry confused this thread with the other craptastic one about nearly the same thing. Anyways, that GPU is pretty bad

ionusX

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834131394

and that would be just to get started. you would need to get something alot better to start talking about maxing out games.

if you went with a gaming desktop and then got a laptop for non-gaming needs what you could do is simply get something on the cheap with a nice battery life for like $300 and then drop 500 dollar on a machine that could do basically the same things as that $625 machine

[QUOTE="ionusX"]

[QUOTE="TheTolemac"] Hmm, drat. I guess I'll have to fork over at least $500 than or more. That's the cheapest AMD computer I can find.TheTolemac

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834131394

and that would be just to get started. you would need to get something alot better to start talking about maxing out games.

if you went with a gaming desktop and then got a laptop for non-gaming needs what you could do is simply get something on the cheap with a nice battery life for like $300 and then drop 500 dollar on a machine that could do basically the same things as that $625 machine

Well you'll just have to spend the extra money, then. The laptop ionusX linked to is reasonably solid, for a cheap laptop. It will definitely run any game, but you won't come near max settings in the more recent ones. The AMD one you linked to would be basically bottom of the line, for something with a dedicated GPU. It'll still be leagues better than something with the integrated "Intel HD" graphics, though. I think you'd probably achieve playable framerates in almost anything, but you'd have to go minimum settings and 720p-ish resolution for more graphics intense games. 

I bought my Dell Studio XPS 17 in 2009, and spend about $1200 on it. At the time, it ran just about everything, at decent settings, even. These days, not so much. It's got a dual core i5 2.27 ghz, 4gb RAM, and an ATI 4670 1gb, and most modern games are pushing it to the limit, getting just barely playable framerates, at mostly minimum (with a couple things at medium or high) settings. It also has a native 1080p screen, and I've found turning down to 720p is pretty much essential for anything from the last couple years. 

A couple examples off the top of my head... I get like 25-40 fps in Far Cry 3, with a custom graphics profile, with high textures and foliage, medium shadows, low everything else, with SSAO and AA forced off, and 720p. I played through Crysis 2 at minimum settings (ironically labeled "high" in the options menu), 720p, with sweetfx forcing just a little bit of SMAA, and maintained framerates comparable to the console versions (like 20-35-40 at best). The Witcher 2 is completely unplayable (<18 fps), at any settings, any resolution. Running Diablo 3 at full settings and 1080p, it's playable. Like 20-30 fps, which works for that type of game better than it would for a shooter. I still turn down to 720p, though, and that gets me 40-60 fps easily. I run every Source game totally maxed out, 1080p, 60+ fps. Left 4 Dead 2 will ocassionally drop into the 50s, and Black Mesa was a more consistent 50ish than 60.