What PC gaming software should I buy? (1 Viewer)

[LarryDavenport]

I am buying a Gateway Solo 5350 LS Notebook computer (Pentium III, 256MB Ram, 20GB HD, DVD/CD-RW drive, 4X AGP 8MB Shared Video Memory, Windows XP Home Edition).

The games I was looking at (primarily) are Allied Assault and Combat Flight Simulator II. I am unclear if they will run on my new notebook.

Basically I am looking for a good first person shooter and a WWII-era flying game.

 

[Kelley_B]

I doubt AA will run very well, maybe if you splurged and got a better video set in there? I believe AA requires 16MB of videoram minimum.

 

[Eric Samonte]

8 MB of vidram would not work. My wife's Vaio with the same ram wouldn't run HL properly, not even on software mode. Double that would be good like Kelley says.

 

[Kelley_B]

Larry have you already bought it???? Might you be willing to consider an alternative notebook from either Dell or maybe Compaq?

 

[LarryDavenport]

I only had $1700 to spend and the Gateway was the best I could afford. How difficult is it to upgrade the videocard or soundcard in a Notebook?

 

[Rob Lutter]

Larry... I may be wrong () but I don't think you can upgrade a notebook's graphics card. It may be integrated.

 

[MikeAlletto]

You can get a barebones dell inspiron 8100 for 1499-100 rebate w/ free shipping with a 1Ghz P3, 14" superxga+ screen, 256MB Memory, 16MB 4X Agp Geforce2 go, 30GB HD, win xp home, 10/100 56k card, free 8x dvd drive, free 2nd battery, free carrying case.

With a little tweeking, like putting memory to minimum and buying more memory elsewhere you can get it cheaper. Or you could look at a lower end model. Dell's specials change weekly so i always check back each week.

 

[Shayne Lebrun]

With a notebook, basically you can add RAM. If you're brave, you can add/swap the hard drive.

 

[LarryDavenport]

So for gaming I should get a desktop instead of a laptop. That's fine. As long as it'll do Word Processing and burn CDs, that's really what I care about. I wanted the portability of a Notebook because when I am writing (short stories, screenplays, journal writing) I'm not always at my best if I am chained to one spot.

I guess I'll stick to Solitaire.

 

[BrianShort]

If you already bought that notebook, there are still plenty of games out there that will work. You'll just have to stay away from the ones that have 3D graphics, which is most action games. There are a lot of strategy and roleplaying games that would run though. Civ 3, the Baldurs Gate series, Icewind Dale, Fallouts 1 and 2 (available together for about $5-$10), Starcraft, the first 2 Warcraft games, Diablo, Age of Empires, Age of Kings... lots of others
You dont have to stick to just solitaire.
If you havent bought it... Mike's post above is correct. You can get a 1 ghz Dell Inspirion 8100 for your 1700 limit (maybe a touch more) with everything you need (256 megs of ram and a 32 meg GeForce 2 Go video card for games, and a DVD/CD-RW combo for burning and movies) for right around $1700. You can play with options there too until you get it to the price you want. I just wouldnt go below 256 megs of ram.
Brian

 

[Josh Dial]

I have seen PCMCIA add-on video cards, ala the old 3d accelerators from back in the day. Larry, you could always look for one of these, perhaps even email a major video-card company such as nvidia or guillemot and see what they have.

cheers!

Josh

 

[MikeAlletto]

I've never seen a PC card video solution that would override the built in video for the LCD screen. There are (or used to be) pc cards that would drive an external monitor faster than the built in video though, but that kinda defeats the purpose of a notebook
As far as memory from dell, they charge SO much for memory. Drop it to the lowest possible so you save the most money and then go to www.crucial.com and buy whatever you want from there. You'll save a bundle. I wish I could order a machine from dell without memory. Also if you already own a copy of office and w2k or xp don't pay for dell's version. You won't be able to order it without an OS, but you can select the cheapest one.

 

[LarryDavenport]

I went with Gateway for two reasons.

1) I have had luck with them in the past (though the last computer I bought was 10 years ago).

and

2) They pre-approved me for $1700. For that I could get the notebook I described above. Looking at the box for Combat Flight Simulator 2.0, it looks like I could play that (it doesn't mention a 3D card).

In some ways it might be for the best if I can't play intense graphic games on the Notebook since I justified buying it so I could finish my novel/screenplay and burn CDs. Besides I have a Gamecube and I might by an X-Box.