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MSi FX600
Operating System Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit
CPU Type Intel Core i5 450M(2.4GHz)
Screen 15.6"
Memory Size 4GB DDR3
Hard Disk 500GB
Optical Drive DVD Super Multi
Graphics Card NVIDIA GeForce GT 325M
Video Memory 1GB DDR3
Communication Gigabit LAN and WLAN
Card slot 1 x Express Card
Dimensions 15.09" x 9.83" x 1.27" - 1.48"
Weight 5.28 lbs.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834152200
What do you guys think of this computer? I really only need the computer for Starcraft 2 and schoolwork, so I think this should be ok to run the game at medium settings, unfortunately I'm terrible with the hardware side of computers so a second opinion from some intelligent people would be nice (my family and friends also have a very limited knowledge of computers), thanks!
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Hello All,
Posted a few weeks back on what kind of laptop to get. Ended up scoring an Asus g72GX from bestbuy clearance for $750. Here are the specs:
◦Intel® Core™2 Duo mobile processor P8700
Features 2 processing cores, 1066MHz system bus, 3MB L2 cache and 2.53GHz processor speed per core.
◦6GB DDR2 memory
◦17.3" LED-backlit LCD high-definition plus widescreen display
With 1600 x 900 resolution showcases movies and games in stunning clarity.
◦500GB Serial ATA hard drive (5400 rpm)
◦NVIDIA GeForce GTX 260M graphics
1GB GDDR3
Anyways, I have been running multiplayer games on Ultra no problem but I will be playing the campaign for a while and then all of the sudden my FPS will plummet and I lag like crazy. I checked the temps and it's running at a cool 75° C so I'm pretty sure it's not a heat issue. BTW I'm rather green when it comes to diagnosing computer problems. Is this laptop just not able to hang or do I have some kind of problem? Maybe garbage RAM? The laptop was an open box deal so I'm wondering if this is why it was returned in the first place. Apart from this though, the lappy runs great.
Also if something is f-ed up, is Asus as good as they say with their 1 year warranty?
HELP
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I have a mid 2010 13 inch macbook pro (2.4ghz processor, 320m graphics) and it runs very very very smoothly medium/low on 1280x 800 resolution. ive tried playing on 1980x1080 resolution on an external monitor and it runs medium/low at around 50-60 fps.
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umm, does any1 know which setting the minimum specs requirements are meant for? I originally thought the minimum specs are for the lowest settings. Im looking to buy a laptop to run sc2 on medium preferably
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On August 07 2010 09:08 Lightswarm wrote:
umm, does any1 know which setting the minimum specs requirements are meant for? I originally thought the minimum specs are for the lowest settings. Im looking to buy a laptop to run sc2 on medium preferably
If they're minimum specs they're probably for the lowest settings.
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carpet: The graphics card is the limiting factor, but it should be enough for medium. The price is reasonable for the specs, but it's not a great steal. I'd be more concerned with finding out if the build quality, keyboard, screen, etc., are to your liking, but that's not something you can easily determine online.
ben440ny: Is 75 degrees the CPU or GPU temperature? Also, is this what you read after gaming (or alt-tabbing) or something that was automatically recorded during gaming? Temperatures can drop quite quickly--make sure to record the peak temperature and not something else. Sudden FPS drops sounds like the CPU or GPU throttling itself down to prevent from overheating. You can try turning all power/performance settings to "maximum performance" and try disabling SpeedStep, but be sure not to cook your computer while trying that!
Lightswarm: Minimum specs are for lowest settings at semi-playable frame rates usually.
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Intel core 2 duo P7350
2 gb RAM
mobility radeon HD3470
1280 x 800 all medium no problem, but i stick with low to get that extra fps and smoothness.
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in order to see more of you folks in sc2, here are some "rules of thumb".
1)
- sc2 really likes to use high amounts of CPU cache especially for spell effects.
this goes quite well with modern CPUs, where cache is usually a bit higher.
besides that, you should be able to get really good results with a dual core CPU around 2,4 -2,8 ghz. well.. depends on all other components.
2)
a very important thing is the graphics card ("GPU"). starcraft likes to run this basterd so high it sometimes even gets broken because of too many heat. (current problem even in battle net menus, where the GPU isnt slowing down and killing some pcs with high amounts of GPU heat)
here is your rule of thumb: if its no real stand alone graphic card (i mean something like shared memory with the CPU) and maybe not even nvidia (geforce) or ATI (radeon), you can forget to get any usable results in the very most cases.
those cards are often used in laptops, because they use much less power.
then there are performance issues, if you use any card, that ships with the "m" or "mobility" sign in its name. they have usually the same features and new stuff like those desktop cards, but are very much weaker, so you cant compare any radeon HD3570 mobile with a radeon HD3570 (dont know, if there even exists a mobile version here)
"what should i look for?" - look for rather high end "mobility" cards, like radeon HD5xxx and not HD3xxx, or look for laptops, where the "m" or "mobility" is missing in the name of their graphics card.
3)
how much RAM???
pretty easy. depends mostly on your OS.
if you use vista or windows 7 i recommend you 3-4 GB
if you are using XP, try 2GB.
-> besides: there is - i would call it a bug - in sc2. it seems, the longer you run it, the more RAM it will grab. starts with 600-900 mb and after 6-8 hours maybe already uses 3,3 gb (if you have that much). but this issue is about blizzard, not about your laptop choices.
4)
display and resolution:
well.. it depends.. as everything nowdays.
if you want to go for sc2 on ultra and pay a very cheap price for your laptop, you should go for those 1366 x 768 resolutions on 15-15.6 " displays. should be pretty easy to get strong results in sc2. if you want to get the most of the best of the highest with some awesomeness, than you prob. should look for very costy 1920er resolutions on 17" and bigger displays.
understanding performance here is simple.
as tests from tomshardware.com &Co have shown, starcrafts hardware needs scale pretty even with the resolution.
if you have 1366 x 768 its about 1mio pixels.
and if you want to go for 1920x1080 there is way more detail, but also 2mio pixel to handle, what would take nearly the double performance/ressources from your laptop specs.
decide: width of 1366? 1600? 1920?
here imo lies the most difference in laptop prices for starcraft 2.
you can get a good 1366er display laptop and run everything on ultra for around 820$ or 650 €
or you want the best of the best and go for 1920? then you will need > 1000 $, and really have to pray, to play the game higher then on medium settings.
5)
other things?
- dont use vista. cause it sucks hard. win7 feels pretty much the same, but uses way less ressources.
i really hope, that brings some understanding to you.
some may disagree with specific details so i can say once again "it depends" - on your subjective preferences and goals.
ps: always take a look at the heat, if starcraft runs larger battles or you were afk on the battle net menus. backup your files ;D
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51582 Posts
On June 28 2010 04:06 sysrpl wrote:
I've been slowly upgrading my laptop piece by piece to make SC2 run better on it. My current specs, which have it pretty much maxed out are:
Intel Core 2 Duo T9500 at 2.6Ghz (upgrade)
Nvidia GeForce 8600M GT 256MB
4GB RAM at 800Mhz (upgrade)
120GB OCZ Agility 2 SSD (upgrade)
Windows 7 64-bit with my own custom vlite image
The T9500 CPU was part of the Intel Santa Rosa Refresh to extend the Santa Rosa platform. It's the fastest Core 2 Duo CPU made and I bought it on eBay new for about $250 two months ago. I had to totally disassemble my laptop to install it.
The GeForce 8600M GT video card was in the notebook when I bought. It was the high end option from the original manufacturer when I bought the system, and I splurged at the time. It works well enough with most options set to medium, and a few options set to high.
The OCZ Agility 2 SSD is a new upgrade. I caught a newegg shell shocker and bought it for $230 with no tax and free shipping. That's still $120 less than the current price at newegg. I don't know how it will effect SC2 loading times, but Iam hoping it will make loading really fast. Also, the Agility 2 and Vertex 2 use the new Sandforce SSD controller which rivals the Intel drives, though my Agility model doesn't handle reads from many small files as efficiently as the Vertex 2.
Finally, I created my own Windows 7 vlite image and remove a lot of the junk that slows down Windows and eats up disk space. English only, no media center, no media player. I also removed the winsxs backups and tweaked performance for SSDs.
How do you determine what the best CPU you can get for your laptop is? I currently have a P8700 installed in mine and I'm thinking of upgrading to a P9700, although if the option of upgrading to a T9900 or even a Q9100 is possible then I'll go there.
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Lenovo Y450
CPU: Intel Core 2 Duo P8700 @2.53GHz
GPU: Nvidea GeForce GT 240M LE
RAM: 4GB
1366x768 on high/ultra but I play at high cause my fps can get low in big battles
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Hi everyone!
I recently bought a 14" Asus U45JC laptop, I wasn't really expecting to game on it but I thought it would be able to run SC2 on at least low at a high fps.
The specifications are:
CPU:Intel Core i3-370M Processor (2.4 GHz)
GPU:Nvidia G310M 1GB DDR3 Dedicated VRAM
RAM: 4GB
OS: Windows 7
Resolution: 1366x768
My fps on low is around 25, and it isnt smooth at all. Thanks for the help, appreciate it!!
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M11x r1
Specs:
Intel Pentium SU4100@1.73 Ghz (dual core)
Nvidia Geforce GT 335m
4GB Ram
1366x768
Runs on medium for the best compromise between smooth gameplay and eye candy. It can run on high but will sometimes drop down to 20ish fps during big battles.
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On August 24 2010 20:51 GTR wrote:
How do you determine what the best CPU you can get for your laptop is? I currently have a P8700 installed in mine and I'm thinking of upgrading to a P9700, although if the option of upgrading to a T9900 or even a Q9100 is possible then I'll go there.
Generally, you look at what socket size your MOBO supports. However, that information for laptops is rarely given out. To be honest, upgrading a CPU on a laptop is REALLY hard and not advised, unless you know what you're doing. In most cases, the CPU(and GPU for that matter) are soldered onto the board. You should definitely not mess with it then.
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I've got an XPS M1730.
Intel Core 2 Extreme, normally 2.8 GHz but I've overclocked to 3.0GHz
4 GB DDR2 RAM
2x GeForce 8700m GT
1920x1200
Windows 7
It can usually handle straight high, but larger armies cause lag so I bumped my shaders down to medium. I also had to download some third party software to prevent CPU throttling, I don't why. Runs very cool though, that's a plus. For a 4 year old laptop I'm pretty happy.
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Pentium D 1.73 GHz (single core)
1.25 GB RAM
Radeon X300
runs it at playable framerates at 1280x800 all low settings, but chokes up during some larger battles
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I had a back and forth email with blizzard support dude and i was checking out the laptop of a DELL if this was enough to handle SC2.
This is the mail.
Have you guys picked a good laptop yet and which one is good? Toshiba Satellite or Dell?
Re: Re: Re: Re: sc2 question of regions
Saturday, August 21, 2010 9:32 PM
From:
"xxxxx@yahoo.com" <xxxxx@yahoo.com>
View contact details
To:
mxxxxt@blizzard.com
Message contains attachments
1 File (182KB)
* dell 001_.JPGdell 001_.JPG
Dear Mxxxx,
I went to the electronic shop in town today and seen a Dell laptop that might be able to play Starcraft 2.
http://www.mycom.nl/Product/Notebook/DELL-Inspiron-15R--i5450M/290394
DELL Notebook Inspiron 15R - i5-450MNL15.6"/4G/500G/HD5470/W7PrIntern geheugen: 4096 MB
Processor-kloksnelheid: 2400 MHz
Beeldschermdiagonaal: 15.6 "
Totale opslagcapaciteit: 500 GB
==
DELL Inspiron 15R. Processor: 2400 MHz, Intel Core i5, 450M, Intel HM57, 2.5 GT/s, 3 MB. Schijf: 500 GB, Serial ATA, 5400 RPM. Beeldscherm: 15.6 ", 1366 x 768 Pixels, HD LED. Geheugen: 4096 MB, 2 x SODIMM, DDR3, 2 x 2048 MB, 8 GB, 1333 MHz. Video: HD 5470, -, ATI Radeon, 1024 MB. Optische drive: DVD-RW. Audio: SRS Premium Sound, 2 W. Camera: 1.3 MP. Netwerk: 2.1+EDR, Fast Ethernet, 802.11b/g/n, 10Base-T, 100Base-TX. Besturingssysteem/software: Windows 7 Home Premium. Energie: AC, Lithium-Ion, 6 stuks. Beveiliging: Kensington. Gewicht en omvang: 2648 g, 262 mm, 376 mm, 31.8 mm, 34 mm
Can you review it for me before I make my purchase, check if these specs are Starcraft 2 proof?
It has a i5-450M processor, 4 Gb of ram, an ATI HD5470 which is according to the specifications up here 1024 MB.
Video: HD 5470, -, ATI Radeon, 1024 MB.
Let me know.
Thanks for the help.
Sincerely,
txxxx
--- On Fri, 8/20/10, mxxxxt@blizzard.com <mxxxxt@blizzard.com> wrote:
> From: mxxxxt@blizzard.com <mxxxxt@blizzard.com>
> Subject: Re: Re: Re: Re: sc2 question of regions
> To: xxxxx@yahoo.com
> Date: Friday, August 20, 2010, 6:33 AM
> Hello txxxx,
>
> That info was in a prior email I sent you with the minimum
> requirements.
>
> "2.6 GHz Pentium® IV or equivalent AMD Athlon®
> processor"
>
> Any i7 or i5 pretty much ought to be fine though some of
> the ones in laptops nowadays aren't the same as their
> desktop counterparts. You aren't going to find a low
> cost pc anywhere that will play the game great at the
> highest settings. In my opinion, to get the best
> performance requires a fast processor, a fast video card
> with 1 gig or more memory, and at least 4 gig of system
> ram. Notebooks meeting these values tend to
> run at least $1000. Like I said earlier, we really
> don't give out recommendations for one brand over
> another. You would be much better off asking in our
> forums what other users have experienced with the machines
> they have.
>
> Regards,
>
> Mxxxx
> Customer Services
> Blizzard Entertainment
> www.blizzard.com/support
>
> If you reply to this email, please include all previous
> messages and files related to this issue.
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: xxxxx@yahoo.com
>
> To: mxxxxt@blizzard.com
> Sent: 8/19/2010 2:49:49 PM
> Subject: Re: Re: Re: sc2 question of regions
>
> ok then that one I will skip buying. I am asking you which
> is the minimal cpu type to have?
>
> There are i3 i5 i6 i7 out there which cpu speed and type
> would be ideal?
>
> --- On Thu, 8/19/10, mxxxxt@blizzard.com
> <mxxxxt@blizzard.com>
> wrote:
>
> > From: mxxxxt@blizzard.com
> <mxxxxt@blizzard.com>
> > Subject: Re: Re: Re: sc2 question of regions
> > To: xxxxx@yahoo.com
> > Date: Thursday, August 19, 2010, 6:56 AM
> > Hello txxxx,
> >
> > This model uses an Intel GMA X4500, which as far as
> > integrated graphics go, it's the best they have to
> > offer. Our testing indicate it will offer
> sluggish
> > performance though. Integrated video cards just
> aren't
> > really designed for today's modern games. So,
> while it
> > may work, you’ll need to keep the in-game settings
> low or
> > you probably won't be very happy with the performance.
>
> >
> >
> > If you can find a laptop using an Nvidia 2xx series or
> an
> > ATI 5xxx series, they'll work a lot better.
> >
> > Regards,
> >
> > Mxxxx
> > Customer Services
> > Blizzard Entertainment
> > www.blizzard.com/support
> >
> > If you reply to this email, please include all
> previous
> > messages and files related to this issue.
> >
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: xxxxx@yahoo.com
> >
> > To: mxxxxt@blizzard.com
> > Sent: 8/17/2010 4:29:51 PM
> > Subject: Re: Re: sc2 question of regions
> >
> > Mxxxx,
> >
> > I have in the attachment a sheet with the specs of
> the
> > laptop.
> >
> > It seems the cpu is ok but the videochip is shared
> between
> > the memory with 4 Gb total.
> >
> >
> > Let me know.
> >
> >
> > txxxx
> >
> > --- On Tue, 8/17/10, xxxxx@yahoo.com
> > <xxxxx@yahoo.com>
> > wrote:
> >
> > > From: xxxxx@yahoo.com
> > <xxxxx@yahoo.com>
> > > Subject: Re: Re: sc2 question of regions
> > > To: mxxxxt@blizzard.com
> > > Date: Tuesday, August 17, 2010, 8:41 PM
> > > http://www.toshibadirect.com/td/b2c/laptop-model.jsp?family=Satellite&model=L650&lid=CFAMSatellite_SeriesLinkL650
> > >
> > > Dear Mxxxx,
> > >
> > > Can you please check the laptop if it is
> able to
> > run
> > > starcraft 2 game?
> > >
> > > txxxx
> > >
> > > --- On Thu, 8/12/10, mxxxxt@blizzard.com
> > > <mxxxxt@blizzard.com>
> > > wrote:
> > >
> > > > From: mxxxxt@blizzard.com
> > > <mxxxxt@blizzard.com>
> > > > Subject: Re: Re: sc2 question of regions
> > > > To: xxxxx@yahoo.com
> > > > Date: Thursday, August 12, 2010, 8:44 AM
> > > > Hello txxxx,
> > > >
> > > > The way it's supposed to be working now is
> you
> > can buy
> > > any
> > > > regional release you want and no matter
> where you
> > are,
> > > you
> > > > can play on the region only. If for
> > example, you
> > > buy
> > > > the European release and install it.
> When
> > you go to
> > > > the Caribbean, you'll be connecting back to
> the
> > > European
> > > > region to play with users there.
> > > >
> > > > Regards,
> > > >
> > > > Mxxxx
> > > > Customer Services
> > > > Blizzard Entertainment
> > > > www.blizzard.com/support
> > > >
> > > > If you reply to this email, please include
> all
> > > previous
> > > > messages and files related to this issue.
> > > >
> > > > -----Original Message-----
> > > > From: xxxxx@yahoo.com
> > > >
> > > > To: mxxxxt@blizzard.com
> > > > Sent: 8/6/2010 5:15:01 PM
> > > > Subject: Re: sc2 question of regions
> > > >
> > > > How do I figure out which region I need to
> buy.
> > If I
> > > am
> > > > going to use it in the Carribbean?
> > > >
> > > > txxxx
> > > >
> > > > --- On Sat, 8/7/10, mxxxxt@blizzard.com
> > > > <mxxxxt@blizzard.com>
> > > > wrote:
> > > >
> > > > > From: mxxxxt@blizzard.com
> > > > <mxxxxt@blizzard.com>
> > > > > Subject: Re: sc2 question of regions
> > > > > To: xxxxx@yahoo.com
> > > > > Date: Saturday, August 7, 2010, 1:46
> AM
> > > > > Hello txxxx,
> > > > >
> > > > > Thank you for contacting Blizzard
> > > Entertainment.
> > > > My
> > > > > name is Mxxxx and I'll be trying to
> help
> > you
> > > > today. I
> > > > > see you're contacting us regarding
> regional
> > > > restrictions for
> > > > > StarCraft II.
> > > > >
> > > > > Quality and customer service are the
> > highest
> > > > priorities for
> > > > > Blizzard Entertainment. Because we
> cannot
> > > guarantee a
> > > > > positive gaming experience for users
> > connecting
> > > to
> > > > servers
> > > > > outside the supported region, we do
> not
> > support
> > > use
> > > > outside
> > > > > of the designated region. I recommend
> that,
> > if
> > > > possible, you
> > > > > acquire a localized version of the game
> for
> > a
> > > more
> > > > positive
> > > > > gaming experience.
> > > > >
> > > > > In other words, players in one region
> of
> > the
> > > world
> > > > will not
> > > > > be able to play on alternate regions
> at
> > this
> > > time.
> > > > This is
> > > > > something that we will continue to
> > investigate as
> > > a
> > > > > possibility for the future, however, if
> you
> > have
> > > > purchased a
> > > > > version of StarCraft II from outside
> of
> > your
> > > home
> > > > region we
> > > > > recommend that you return it and
> purchase
> > the
> > > > localized
> > > > > version instead.
> > > > >
> > > > > Please also keep in mind that you will
> not
> > be
> > > able to
> > > > > access your account if you are using a
> > different
> > > > regional
> > > > > game version (other than your home
> regions
> > > version).
> > > > For
> > > > > example, you will be unable to connect
> to
> > the
> > > North
> > > > American
> > > > > realms if using a Chinese, Korean,
> European,
> > or
> > > > Taiwanese
> > > > > version of the game.
> > > > >
> > > > > We recommend that you continue to visit
> http://us.battle.net/sc2/en/ for the latest
> > > > > announcements and updates on this and
> other
> > World
> > > of
> > > > > Warcraft features.
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > > Regards,
> > > > >
> > > > > Mxxxx
> > > > > Customer Services
> > > > > Blizzard Entertainment
> > > > > www.blizzard.com/support
> > > > >
> > > > > If you reply to this email, please
> include
> > all
> > > > previous
> > > > > messages and files related to this
> issue.
> > > > >
> > > > > -----Original Message-----
> > > > > From: xxxxx@yahoo.com
> > > > >
> > > > > To: mXXXXX@blizzard.com
> > > > > Cc: support@blizzard.com
> > > > > Sent: 8/5/2010 8:44:33 AM
> > > > > Subject: sc2 question of regions
> > > > >
> > > > > Dear Mxxxx,
> > > > >
> > > > > I am in a dilemma here.
> > > > >
> > > > > The question is does North American
> Region
> > SC2
> > > work in
> > > > The
> > > > > Netherlands?
> > > > >
> > > > > Because I just bought one from ebay. I
> won
> > the
> > > bid
> > > > but, the
> > > > > seller still need to ship it to me.
> > > > >
> > > > > I do plan to go live in the Carribean
> soon,
> > and I
> > > was
> > > > > wondering I for that reason I should
> still
> > buy
> > > the
> > > > North
> > > > > American Region SC2 game.
> > > > >
> > > > > Let me know asap as the seller need the
> item
> > to
> > > be
> > > > sold or
> > > > > shipped.
> > > > >
> > > > > Sincerely,
> > > > >
> > > > > XXX
> > > > >
> > > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> >
>
![[image loading]](http://img831.imageshack.us/img831/1241/dell001.jpg)
Uploaded with ImageShack.us
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Studio 15 Laptop
Intel Core i3-330M 2.13GHz (3M cache)
4GB Shared Dual Channel DDR3 at 1066MHz
15.6 inch High Definition (720p) LED Display with TrueLife and Camera
ATI Mobility Radeon HD 4570 512MB
320GB 7200 RPM SATA Hard Disk Drive
is what i got back in march earlier this year, and i've been able to run the beta and regular sc2 game on low settings fairly easily (sometimes it gets too be too much if there is a TON of units). It's probably only because the gfx card is only 512mb instead of 1gb (well it could obviously be better too), and because i only have an i3.
Either way, I only paid $760 then (and prices have already gone down -.-'') but I got everything I wanted and it was a little more since I added a backlit keyboard (which is surprising hard to find a computer that can handle games and has backlit keyboard under $1000). My next choice was probably going to be an ASUS g70s series or a MacBook Pro (but i decided the ASUS g series were too heavy being twice the size, and that I dislike steve jobs  ).
|
If it is any help, this is the reply I got back from Blizzard.
So the laptop mentioned in my previous post does meet the requirements.
And should be fine to use with SC2.
Flag this message
Re: Fw: Re: Re: Re: Re: sc2 question of regions
Friday, August 27, 2010 7:46 AM
From:
"mxxx@blizzard.com" <mxxxx@blizzard.com>
Add sender to Contacts
To:
txxxxx@yahoo.com
Hello Txxx,
The HD 5470 they use meets the minimum requirements. If it's a model using (GDDR5) memory, it slightly exceeds them.
Regards,
Mxxxx
Customer Services
Blizzard Entertainment
www.blizzard.com/support
If you reply to this email, please include all previous messages and files related to this issue.
-----Original Message-----
From: mxxxxx@yahoo.com
To: support@blizzard.com
Sent: 8/24/2010 11:07:38 AM
Subject: Fw: Re: Re: Re: Re: sc2 question of regions
|
most modern laptops have the ram and CPU to handle SC2...
I think the most important is to get a laptop with a good video card.
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The HD 5470 they use meets the minimum requirements.
Is this ati hd 5470 good enough a videocard for a laptop?
And what models use GDDR5? Like the support dude says in the post? That is for the videocard i assume.
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EPT![[image loading]](http://img831.imageshack.us/i/dell001.jpg/)
