Ok so my netbook of 2 years is finally giving up on me after I've abused it so much.

I figure it's about time I buy a new computer. Problem is I need a laptop. I'll be traveling pretty often and need it to bring with me everywhere I go.

Can anyone help me find a cheap one (cheap as possible plz lolol) that can play sc2? Budget rly is about 600... I don't care about graphics. I'd rather run it on all low and ultra shaders.

Chairman Ray

United States11903 Posts

January 12 2011 06:02 GMT

Just to make your choice easy, I'll just recommend you one:
http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834157048CVF

Check the specs to see if it has everything you need

lyk503

United States261 Posts

January 12 2011 06:04 GMT

Try not to get anything with integrated graphics. It steals virtual memory from the motherboard and makes any game run like shit regardless of the other parts.

Raeleigh

Canada902 Posts

January 12 2011 06:10 GMT

Good luck finding a notebook that will play SC2. x___x!!
Edit: ...that's around the price you're looking for. D:

RezChi

Canada2368 Posts

January 12 2011 06:30 GMT

With $600, it'd be smarter to buy a PC. Laptops can't really be able to run SC2 well with that type of budget tbh. Sorry bud.

Myrmidon

United States9452 Posts

January 12 2011 07:07 GMT

For $600 you can't really get a laptop with a legit graphics card.

This HP Pavilion is $530 - $50 MIR.

It has a reasonably fast dual core (Phenom II N660), 4 GB RAM, Windows 7, etc. All the specs are decent, except it only has integrated ATI HD 4250 graphics. That can handle SC2 at low on low resolutions though. It's at least better than Intel integrated graphics in 2010 and before. A lot of laptops with slower tri-core or quad-core CPUs would be worse in many situations in SC2, even if they had a discrete graphics card.

If you can hold out a little longer, maybe you can find a better deal. Or you could wait until laptops with Intel's new Sandy Bridge processors (Core ix-2xxxM, like Core i5-2520M) are available. A few models are already coming out I think. A lower-end dual-core model should be around $600, as a guess. Those would be faster than the above CPU (even at significantly lower clock speeds) and would have integrated graphics that are around the HD 5450 level, so that's also better than the above as well.

Kimaker

United States2131 Posts

January 12 2011 08:54 GMT

If you're worried about playing SC2...I wouldn't be. My friend has a mass produced standard Dell laptop and SC2 runs A okay on it. Just has to turn all the graphic settings down. Never lags or anything.

Not sure why people are saying a $600 laptop can't run SC...though lyke503 is right about the integrated graphics card.

djcube

United States985 Posts

January 12 2011 09:07 GMT

On January 12 2011 17:54 Kimaker wrote:
If you're worried about playing SC2...I wouldn't be. My friend has a mass produced standard Dell laptop and SC2 runs A okay on it. Just has to turn all the graphic settings down. Never lags or anything.

Not sure why people are saying a $600 laptop can't run SC...though lyke503 is right about the integrated graphics card.

Hah, to be fair, some people have different perceptions of lag. I went to a sc2 lan at my school and borrowed my friend's notebook that he assured me didn't lag, but what was lag free for him felt like a choppy mess for me.

For the op, this notebook seems pretty decent for $619, which is slightly above your price limit. Others should probably comment on it, though.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834146852

Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit
AMD Turion II Dual-Core P540(2.4GHz)
4GB DDR3
500GB
ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5470 512MB
15.6" 1366 x 768

Kimaker

United States2131 Posts

January 12 2011 09:10 GMT

On January 12 2011 18:07 djcube wrote:

Show nested quote +

Fair. Though I play on a 1.2k dollar gaming laptop and his lagged about as much as mine. Not. Whenever we do get lag it's either because of internet issues, or we're playing some custom map where there's 1.684 bagillion units on screen xD

xarthaz

1704 Posts

January 12 2011 12:18 GMT

#10

On January 12 2011 15:04 lyk503 wrote:
Try not to get anything with integrated graphics. It steals virtual memory from the motherboard and makes any game run like shit regardless of the other parts.

The latest generation integrated intel graphics is as powerful as ~50$ dedicated from ati/nvidia. Not to mention it takes much less battery power, is cheaper