[Techies!] Tech Help for NWN

[turtle]

Specifically graphics cards

I have a quick question about graphics cards. I know the currently known requirements are thus:
TNT2 or VooDoo3 graphics

I am considering two seperate laptops. My question is this: the processors and everything are basically equal. I want to know if they both will work with NWN and if they will what you think is a better deal. I live in Hong Kong so they don't sell TNT2 or VooDoo3 cards.

1. Compaq Intel P3 1.13 gh
256 sdram
40 gigs HD
VIDEO CARD: 8 MB ATI Mobility 3d Display Card
Price: $1750

2. Fujitsu Lifebook C-6632
Intel SpeedStep Pentium 1 GHz CPU
14.1 SXGA (1400 X 1050) TFT LCD
30 gigs HD
256 SD RAM
Plus wireless internet connection
Price: $2250
I'd appreciate any suggestions

 

[LcKedovan]

The listed Vid card in the Compaq might not weigh up to the requirements.. these days at least a 16Meg card in a laptop is needed for graphic intensive games... I didn't see a card listed on the second one, just the screen.

-W.

 

[Zenon]

The advice I can give you is:

Don't buy a laptop to play games on! In my experience, it is harder to get a PC game to run on them vs. a tower or desktop. One of the major problems is the built-in hardware. For example: You get the laptop and the video runs great but you have an issue with your sound. You can't just swap out your sound card like in a tower to try another type. Also, for the money, a tower is cheaper. The above is assuming you have the free choice to get either, if you can only get a laptop, you just have to hope everything will work (since the game's not even out yet, you can't reference a list of known issues with hardware).

If you must get a laptop, I would avoid Compaq. I used to work with a lot of Compaq laptops, and was never that impressed by them. Their desktops and towers aren't much better either.

Never worked with a Fujitsu, so I can't offer any information/advice there.

Good luck!

 

[Agamon]

The Compaq looks okay, but the video chipset is sooo ancient. That's an office PC. I'm pretty sure it won't run NWN. Compaqs are notorious for not liking personal expansions; putting another vid card in there without physically disabiling the onboard video might be a big problem.

I wouldn't buy a notebook to play games on. If you're getting one for some other reason, you could try seeing how games run on it, but don't expect NWN to defintiely work. And you need to list the video in the notebook to get a more definitive answer.

My opinion: get something with 256 MB RAM, a 32 MB video card and as fast as you can afford otherwise.

 

[kkoie]

If you are looking to buy a computer to play games, go with the above advice and avoid laptops. Also, Compaq is over priced. Here is where you should go to look at buying computers and parts.

www.pricewatch.com

Probably the cheapest website on the internet.

K Koie

 

[chatdemon]

You're planning your whole computer purchase on one game that may or may not actually come out?

odd...

 

[Jack Haggerty]

All this assumes, of course, that NWN will be released in the near future...

 

[UD]

NWN has a publisher, its Interplay. I rekon it will be out Autum time.

 

[Zappo]

NWN will be out, sooner or later. The question is: will the requirements be anywhere close to what they were almost a year ago? I own a voodoo3 and it's rather old. I would be very surprised if NWN ran good on it - I'm going to buy a new one as soon as I can afford it.

Anyway... don't buy a laptop to play games if you can avoid it. AFAIK, there are no really good 3d cards for laptops, so many games will be slow even on good CPUs.

Assuming that you really need to buy a laptop... the Compaq seems the best, but we need to know what graphic card the other has. Still, I doubt it will be enough to run NWN decently.

 

[machine]

You're planning your whole computer purchase on one game that may or may not actually come out?

odd...

That's not so odd. I just bought a new comp to, basically, game on. NWN is one of the games I'm looking forward to. Of course, then there is Dungeon Siege. [drool]