What games can I run?

[Skeletonboy333]

On a very low budget, I went ahead and bought a doorcrasher laptop from FutureShop (I'm Canadian), and I want to know what games can I run smoothly on this laptop. I normally have all my games at lowest possible settings, so keep that in mind. Here are the specs:

Toshiba Satellite C50-A-0JR
Intel Core i5-3230M 2.6 GHz Proccessor
3 MB L3 Proccessor Cache
750 Gb Storage
8 Gb RAM
Intel HD Graphics 4000 (Integrated, I know it sucks, but this is for 450 bucks)
Windows 8.1 OS

So yea, I wanted a desktop, but my family strongly insisted on me getting a laptop that will live with me to University. I wanted to build my own computer with a better i5 Proccessor like 4450K but I guess this is what I get for my situation. Anyways, what games can this laptop run somewhat well? (Somewhat well as in 25-30+ FPS).

Thanks!

 

[Barbas]

You're likely to get more detailed answers from someone in the PC Hardware group:
http://www.escapistmagazine.com/groups/view/PC-Builders-and-Hardware-Group

I can say that 8GB of RAM is usually more than enough, but I don't know much more than that I'm afraid.

 

[nogitsune]

The graphics card really hurts, most modern games are very graphics intensive, though indie games with modest graphics, non 3d games should work well. I really think you should try a demo and pay a lot of attention to system Reqs, your CPU is a bit weak if it isn't a multicore too. Still there's a lot of great classics on GoG.com that you can play, I relied a lot on that for my PC gaming fix on my old PC that wouldn't play any 3d games made after 2004.

 

[Skeletonboy333]

It is a dual core CPU. I tried searching on YouTube, and I found many results of people playing BF3, BO2,, even crysis3 on lowest settings. And they run at 25-30+ fps too. Like what, a video on YouTube showed a guy using i5 3210m with Intel HD 4k and ran all of the above games 30+. I'm confused o_o

 

[MercurySteam]

Intel HD Graphics 4000 (Integrated, I know it sucks, but this is for 450 bucks)

On lowest settings at 720p, you can maybe get 30FPS out of some low end games. Forget about BF3 and Crysis 3.

 

[Skeletonboy333]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rf2Sp0XYzQs

That video shows Intel HD 4K on BF3. Around 15-20 FPS, if you read description, says around 30 FPS without Fraps. And the funny thing is he's using a i5 3210M (I'm using 3230M), and he has 4GB of RAM (I have 8GB).

Considering the fact that I never record, and my computer specs are better than his, I can hypothesize my computer will run around 30. So.....I'm even more confused now.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oOl2evh5leo

Another video, and to save 20 minutes of your time, he summed it up here (This is directly copy and pasted from his video description):

"Check The FPS on the video.
The game that i tested from the video are : (Including Notes)
1 - Battlefield 3 - Playable on Windowed Mode only,buggy on Fullscreen.
2 - Orc Must Die 2 - Perfectly Playable
3 - Dead Island - Playable
4 - Blacklight : Retribution - Playable
5 - Metro 2033 - Playable
6 - Alan Wake Americans Nightmare - A bit playable
7 - Darksiders 2 - Playable,but no settings.
8 - Need For Speed The Run - Unoptimized,but playable only on 640x400 xD
9 - Sniper Elite v2 - Playable
10 - Spec Ops The Line - Playable"

How Spec Ops, Blacklight Retribution and BF3 are playable is quite suggesting IMO. AND, he's using a 4GB RAM, i5 3210M Proccessor Computer! So....I'm even the more confused than ever now.

On other videos (from the same guy), he also tests many other games, but these in particular he quoted:

Far Cry 3 - Playable
Far Cry 2 - Playable
Call of Duty Black Ops - Runs Playable
Many others like Max Payne 3, Assasins Creed 3, Saints Row the 3rd, Dark Souls are all listed as playable.

If I'm not wrong, those are all 3D games released way after 2004. I don't mean to be counter questioning you guys....but I mean the video is proof! So......I'm super confused now, who to trust!

 

[MercurySteam]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rf2Sp0XYzQsThat video shows Intel HD 4K on BF3. Around 15-20 FPS, if you read description, says around 30 FPS without Fraps. And the funny thing is he's using a i5 3210M (I'm using 3230M), and he has 4GB of RAM (I have 8GB).

Considering the fact that I never record, and my computer specs are better than his, I can hypothesize my computer will run around 30. So.....I'm even more confused now.

He might say that he gets better FPS but there's not much evidence to support it so all you have is his word and a theory. Even then, his Core i5 is still better than your i3 and having more memory in this situation means nothing.

On top of that, I wouldn't call what he gets FPS-wise playable but maybe that's just me with my 60 FPS high standards.

 

[Costia]

You can run current 2D games(rayman etc), and 3D games from 2+ years ago probably on medium settings.
http://www.notebookcheck.net/Intel-HD-Graphics-4000.69168.0.html
RAM/CPU won't matter for gaming with a weak intel card.

 

[laggyteabag]

I have a friend of mine that has a very similar setup to you, here are a few games that he plays that i'd imagine you will be able to squeeze out of a card like that.
StarCraft 2
GMod
Left 4 Dead
Payday: The Heist
Team Fortress 2
Blacklight: Retribution
The Walking Dead

Steer clear of Battlefield though, he got Battlefield 3, loaded it up, and couldn't play because it was like looking at a slide show even on the lowest settings.

 

[Galen Marek]

Intel HD Graphics 4000 (Integrated, I know it sucks, but this is for 450 bucks)

On lowest settings at 720p, you can maybe get 30FPS out of some low end games. Forget about BF3 and Crysis 3.

It will handle BF3 on the lowest of settings and low res. But it won't be pretty. I wouldn't recommend but it is doable.

 

[Tom_green_day]

Portal, TF2, Minecraft, Mount & Blade, Terraria, Binding of Isaac, Fallout 1,2, and tactics. I'm a console gamer but my non-gaming computer can play these games.

 

[Jamash]

Just because something is doable doesn't mean it is sensible, and just because you could technically get some of the more graphics intensive AAA games to run on your laptop, that doesn't mean you should.

You may be able to spite system requirements and get games like Battlefield 3 or Blacklight: Retribution running on your laptop, chugging along in low detail at 30FPS, but the amount of strain that will put on your components will drastically shorten the life of your laptop.

Even laptops built for gaming have problems with heat, so a laptop not built for gaming, without sufficient cooling systems, having it's integrated GPU and processor pushed far beyond their intended capabilities, that's just a recipe for disaster and a good way to turn your new $450 laptop into a $450 space-heater and then a $450 doorstop within a few months.

Most of those Youtube videos showing such games running on laptops with a Intel HD graphics chip are made for bragging rights and to show-off technical prowess and computing wizardry, and aren't run on the persons main computer, but a disposable laptop that they don't value.

Nobody sensible would run those games on a laptop they valued, especially not a new purchase that was also their primary computer and was intended to be used for a reasonable amount of time for things other than gaming and melting (which I assume is the case with you, otherwise you would have spent $450 on a console that could run all those games a lot better). Once you fry a unrepairable and non-replaceable integrated component such the processor/GPU on a laptop, then you'll have to buy an entire new laptop.

 

[4RM3D]

Instead of straining your laptop, wouldn't it be better to just buy a console? The PS3, Xbox360 and Wii are pretty cheap. And if you wait a year, the new generation consoles will be affordable too.

Save yourself the hassle of trying out games, optimizing games and wondering every time whether or not your laptop can run it.

 

[GundamSentinel]

Instead of straining your laptop, wouldn't it be better to just buy a console? The PS3, Xbox360 and Wii and pretty cheap. And if you wait a year, the new generation consoles will be affordable too.

Save yourself the hassle of trying out games, optimizing games and wondering every time whether or not your laptop can run it.

Even though I agree, I'm wondering how much time it'll take for the PC Gaming Master Race Police to take you in.

Personally, I positively need a laptop for my work and for university, so I can't afford to get powerful gaming PC as well and continue to upgrade it (plus I don't really see the point). My laptop was reasonably cheap as well (some ?500). It will run some games like Rome II on lowest settings at about 20-30 fps, but it's very much hit and miss whether or not something will run well. So I've mostly been a console gamer for the past 5-6 years, because I just want to play newer titles without the hassle and I've been very happy with it.

And I too was plagued once by Intel Integrated Graphics. There are still plenty of good games out there that will run very well on OP's rig, but forget about newer titles. It's very much a case-by-case basis, but I'd say most games older than 2 years are pretty safe. I remember Dishonored running remarkably well on my laptop.

 

[4RM3D]

Even though I agree, I'm wondering how much time it'll take for the PC Gaming Master Race Police to take you in.

*snip*

I am a PC gamer myself. I do own a console. But that's just to play the exclusives (mostly JRPGs).

I am not like some people that worship the PC. I just look at the situation rationally. And in some cases a console is better choice. But even then you still going to need a laptop or PC for other stuff. So the real question is not laptop/PC vs console but rather gaming laptop/PC vs laptop/PC + console. In OP's case he already has a laptop. So the only question that remains is whether or not to get a console (and which one). In either case, stay away from all the new 3D games and save your laptop.

 

[Imperioratorex Caprae]

Just to let you know, unless you're playing a game that runs in 64-bit, you don't get to maximize the usage of your RAM, therefore you'll only have 4gb (well 3.something) which is also shared with your GPU since its integrated. Just a note to help you out.

 

[Skeletonboy333]

Just to be clear, it's a i5 3230M Proccessor, not i3

But regardless, thanks for all the replies, helps me balance what games I should be playing a lot.

Yes I've already bought the laptop, but the question isn't whether to get a console or not, as a matter of fact, the only console I ever owned was a N64 and a 2008 Wii. And the last time I played Wii was 2 years ago. I'm not a console gamer.

Maybe my question was misconcepted, but here's what I actually meant in my OP; What games can this computer handle, in terms of playability and fps, so that I know what games I should BUY/DOWNLOAD, and what games I shouldn't. Thanks for warning me about over running my laptop too much and I think hyper threading/over clocking isn't the best idea on a budget laptop either.

This laptop is mainly for high school/university usage, but I just side-game when I have time for a match or two.

I just didn't want to spend 8 hours downloading every game and testing them out which one I could play and couldn't. It seems to me that BF3 is a strain on the laptop, so I guess I'll stay away from that :/ But my friend actually got me a free copy of MW3, can this laptop handle MW3?

 

[SquidVicious]

http://systemrequirementslab.com/cyri

I've been using this website over the last year to make sure my PC can play games. So far I've found it pretty accurate with only a few instances where it said a game didn't meet the recommended requirements and would run slowly when in actuality it ran pretty well.

 

[SnakeDoctor]

http://systemrequirementslab.com/cyri

I've been using this website over the last year to make sure my PC can play games. So far I've found it pretty accurate with only a few instances where it said a game didn't meet the recommended requirements and would run slowly when in actuality it ran pretty well.

I agree though you are right that System Requirements Lab is not always reliable. I was told my PC couldn't run SC: Blacklist. I flipped them the bird and got the game and it ran 100% without hiccups or errors. Same thing with CS: Global Offensive.

 

[MercurySteam]

Intel HD Graphics 4000 (Integrated, I know it sucks, but this is for 450 bucks)

On lowest settings at 720p, you can maybe get 30FPS out of some low end games. Forget about BF3 and Crysis 3.

It will handle BF3 on the lowest of settings and low res. But it won't be pretty. I wouldn't recommend but it is doable.

That's my point. He'll likely get below 30 FPS average, which I don't classify as playable. Though I do suppose it's in the eye of the desperate beholder.