Laptop for PC games

[RighteousKil187]

I was thinking about getting SWTOR but only have a laptop,and im not sure if it will run smooth on it. Its brand new. Sony Vaio w/ windows 7 64 bit operating system, intel i3 processor (2.2ghz), 4gb ram, and 500gb on harddrive, intel HD graphics 3000

if anyone knows if this would be ok and would run smooth let me know. thanks.

[x_31BX_x]

What are the system requirements for the game?





Processor:

AMD Athlon 64 X2 Dual-Core 4000+ or better
Intel Core 2 Duo 2.0GHz or betterOperating System:
Windows XP or later
RAM:

Windows XP: 1.5GB RAM
Windows Vista and Windows 7: 2GB RAM
Note: PCs using a built-in graphical chipset are recommended to have 2GB of RAM.
Star Wars: The Old Republic requires a video card that has a minimum of 256MB of on-board RAM as well as support for Shader 3.0 or better. Examples include:

ATI X1800 or better
nVidia 7800 or better
Intel 4100 Integrated Graphics or better
DVD-ROM drive – 8x speed or better (required for installation from physical editions only) Internet connection required to play.








Source: http://www.swtor.com/info/faq#171060

[RighteousKil187]

thanks. everything seems ok except my graphics card...hmm

[x_31BX_x]

The performance of the Intel HD Graphics 3000 can indeed be called impressive. In many older and current gaming titles it competes at a level of entry-level graphics cards like the Geforce G 310M, the GT 220M or the ATI HD5470. It multiplies the performance of the previous Intel GMA HD solution. In practice this means that older games can be played at high graphics settings and current games mostly at low graphics details.

In our test we also noticed that some games did not run faultless on the Intel HD 3000 graphics. Obviously, software updates, which will hopefully be available in form of driver updates soon, are necessary here. E.g., there are problems with the brightness (Left 4 Dead 2 and Supreme Commander are too dark, Sims 3 and HAWX 2 too bright after changing the resolution) and Mafia II did not run at all. In comparison the drivers from AMD and NVIDIA are clearly more mature.

Because of the outstanding performance of the new Intel Sandy Bridge quad core CPU, a positive impact of the CPU on the recorded results should be considered. On contrary, the reference laptops were equipped with Clarksfield and Arrandale chips. Concerning the integrated Intel HD Graphics 3000, you should keep in mind that it is - depending on the CPU - differently clocked. While the tested i7-2720QM CPU clocks the graphics chip at 650 up to 1300 MHz, the clock rate of the GPU only ranges from 650-1200 MHz in the i7-2635QM or from 650-1100 MHz in the i7-2630QM. In ULV processors the clock rate is even lower at 350-900 MHz. So, the performance drops accordingly. The same is true for systems with slender cooling capacities, because this might hinder the turbo function in achieving the maximum performance boost.

Source: http://www.notebookcheck.net/Review-Intel-HD-Graphics-3000-graphics-solution.43710.0.html

You might have a problem running SWTOR with that graphics card. However, you can turn down the graphics settings to get the FPS that you want.

[RighteousKil187]

Turn down the settings for the game correct? and would it be possible to upgrade a graphics card in a laptop? if i purchased one compatible with my pc

[RighteousKil187]

its integrated so upgrading is out of the question...darn

[iamthesgt]

its integrated so upgrading is out of the question...darn

Right. The only way to upgrade would be to buy an entire new motherboard, which likely would need a new processor too. Cost there is $400-500, so you'd probably be better off getting a new laptop. But as the others said, you can probably run the game at low settings. Most games have run fine on my Intel card, albeit mostly older ones.

[RighteousKil187]

well i think integrated graphics cards are a complete sham! i also found out that the processors have a big role as well. i just dont like AMD.