Best netbook for IE games?

[conan26]

Hey guys!

 

Hope im in the right forum here. Im looking for advice on netbook specs to run all my favorite games like BG series, IWD series, and planescape, also Toee, arcanum and Fallout series. Just wondering if anyone has any insight on hardware within a netbook I should look for or recommendations on what I need?

 

Thanks in advance everyone.

 

Keep up the good work!

[theacefes]

Not trying to sound like a smartass but it may come off like this anyway. Try looking at the hardware specs for the netbook and then what the games require in terms of graphics, memory, etc. Keeping in mind that netbooks don't have optical drives so you'll have to install off another device, most should be able to run an IE game.

 

The thing about netbooks is that they are in my opinion, still overpriced considering how much less they do than a laptop. They are made to cater to a specific demographic (people that ONLY go online and don't care about tiny screens or tiny keyboards and no CD drives or people that write their award winning screenplay at Starbucks and want to let everyone else know that they are writing it - sorry couldn't resist Family Guy reference ).

[conan26]

HAHA, got ya.

No worries on the smartass comment, the reason Im asking is because I am not sure how similiar netbook hardware is compared to say desktops, or laptops. So for instance, The Integrated Chipset in alot of netbooks, no idea how that works compared to my laptop Nividia that runs these games fine (with all the fixes or tweaks or Directx SDK of course)

 

I dont know much about netbooks or their hardware but I am interested in getting rid of my laptop and getting a netbook instead. My laptop moves around ALOT, and its a pain in the butt, and its old.

 

I should prob research myself more, but was hoping people had some first hand experience with these games on a netbook of their own.

 

Any help is appreciated.

 

Not trying to sound like a smartass but it may come off like this anyway. Try looking at the hardware specs for the netbook and then what the games require in terms of graphics, memory, etc. Keeping in mind that netbooks don't have optical drives so you'll have to install off another device, most should be able to run an IE game.

 

The thing about netbooks is that they are in my opinion, still overpriced considering how much less they do than a laptop. They are made to cater to a specific demographic (people that ONLY go online and don't care about tiny screens or tiny keyboards and no CD drives or people that write their award winning screenplay at Starbucks and want to let everyone else know that they are writing it - sorry couldn't resist Family Guy reference ).

[theacefes]

If your laptop is old, why not get a new one (assuming you can find one that fits your budget, if you have one)? Most modern laptops are relatively slim compared to anything that was out 3 or 4 years ago.

 

If I sound like I'm anti-netbook, it's because I am. Not because they are bad machines, but because I've seen way too many people buy them for the price and then regret it because "it can't do crap." or "it's not like my OLD computer".

[conan26]

I already have a good laptop that I use for work, I HATE dragging it back and forth from home to work though. Buying another decent laptop is not an option atm. This new computer is also primarily for my fiance and not for myself and she would prefer a netbook (because its cute and easy to lug around the house with her, I made fun of her too) Any netbook would be perfect for her usage, but if im buying it, I wanted to be able to play my older games on it. I will NOT go buy one and then complain about it for sure, I will either exhaust all info I can get for playing my games and buy the appropriate netbook, or just buy some cheap thing she can browse the internet with and look at pics and stuff.

 

I came across a thread that the Asus Eee pc netbooks (no other specifics given) will run all the games I listed. I may start there. I prefer to stay with windows xp for game compatibility, about a gig of ram, as far as I know those older netbooks use the integrated graphics chip... the new nvidia chipsets would be nice but I haven't found any build it yourself type of sites (if that's even available with netbooks)

 

here is the link, it is not informative, but its hopeful and somewhere to start for what I am looking for

http://mediakey.dk/~cc/games-working-on-as...-atom-and-100x/

 

Thanks for the input theacefes! the fact that you are anti-netbook still helps me with my decision.

 

 

If your laptop is old, why not get a new one (assuming you can find one that fits your budget, if you have one)? Most modern laptops are relatively slim compared to anything that was out 3 or 4 years ago.

 

If I sound like I'm anti-netbook, it's because I am. Not because they are bad machines, but because I've seen way too many people buy them for the price and then regret it because "it can't do crap." or "it's not like my OLD computer".

[theacefes]

Nice list on that link! Yeah, the fact that you're willing to do the research instead of thinking with "what you have in your wallet RIGHT NOW" will totally make a difference later on. Personally, I've found that getting the system that does what I want and will last me longer than 2 years has been a better option than grabbing whatever the cheapest thing on the market is,

 

I haven't seen any netbooks with decent integrated video yet but if they're out there maybe they're not completely a lost cause.

[Dakk]

I came across a thread that the Asus Eee pc netbooks (no other specifics given) will run all the games I listed [...] here is the link

http://mediakey.dk/~cc/games-working-on-as...-atom-and-100x/

Baldur’s Gate II: Shadows of Amin

I would seem the last King of Scotland is looming over Baldurs Gate...

[theacefes]

I came across a thread that the Asus Eee pc netbooks (no other specifics given) will run all the games I listed [...] here is the link

http://mediakey.dk/~cc/games-working-on-as...-atom-and-100x/

Baldur’s Gate II: Shadows of Amin

I would seem the last King of Scotland is looming over Baldurs Gate...

 

 

I nearly spit out my coffee. Haha.

[conan26]

I spoke to another individual on SHS forums and they use an Asus similar to the ones im looking at to play BG2.

It uses Windows 7 with 2 gig ram and has integrated 950 graphics AND the Nvidia chipset. In order to switch which graphic drivers you use you have to reboot it (get more battery life using integrated over Nvidia) but he said both run BG2 very well! Food for thought, and inches closer toward a final decision.

 

As far as Windows 7 is concerned, on my laptop I have no problems with Infinity Engine games since I installed Directx SDK March 2008. and also disable Directdraw. Silly question but does directx work the same for netbooks? is anything different at all with the software? I would guess that buying a more modern netbook with windows 7 and being able to install that older version of directx might help like it did on my laptop..

 

I always buy my computers a few years ahead of the standard out there, especially my desktop which is used for the resource heavy games.

 

again thanks guys and dont mind my spelling and lack of punctuation, im trying to post quickly between bosses walking around me

 

 

 

Nice list on that link! Yeah, the fact that you're willing to do the research instead of thinking with "what you have in your wallet RIGHT NOW" will totally make a difference later on. Personally, I've found that getting the system that does what I want and will last me longer than 2 years has been a better option than grabbing whatever the cheapest thing on the market is,

 

I haven't seen any netbooks with decent integrated video yet but if they're out there maybe they're not completely a lost cause.