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New PC almost especially for BVE

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nutter

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I'm thinking of buying a Laptop with the below specs for BVE. Anyone have any idea how it will run?

15.4" X-Brite Screen
Intel Celeron M 420 1.6GHz Processor
512MB DDR2 533MHz Memory
80GB SATA Hard Drive
ATI Radeon Xpress 200 Graphics
7.1 Azalia High Definition Audio
DVDR Multi Burner
56K Internal Modem
10/100/1000 & 54G Wireless LAN



Also, has I have never came across the ATI Radeon Xpress 200 Graphics cards, does anyone know the specs (is it shared memory etc)

Many thanks (I'll LOVE you for ever)
Nutts
 
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Guinness

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If it's a shared memory Graphics Card rather than stand alone memory then it wouldn't preform well.
 
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Tom

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Chaz has got a moderated post above...
If it's a shared memory Graphics Card rather than stand alone memory then it wouldn't preform well.
I disagree partially - depends on RAM. My laptop runs a Intel Accelerator thing and it runs BVE better than my PC with a dedicated gfx card.

The graphics chipset you mentioned is built in.
 

Dennis

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Bought my Compaq Presario R4000 laptop for ~£600 a year ago; this has Radeon Xpress 200 graphics, which with a 1GB of RAM and a 2.2GHz AMD Athlon 64 processor, runs BVE surprisingly well. 31FPS on full screen highest res mode for all routes (still only ~15FPS into BNS on X-city though).

Steered well clear of anything with a Celeron processor - might be duff info, but I thought these were pretty much second rate processors.
 
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Tom

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Celeron are meant to be "best technology combined from all other products"....
 

nutter

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Looks like I'll be playing BVE by the end of the month then, and simsig, and I'll give trainsim a go too. It's double the spec (3x in case of RAM) my old desktop. I've got something to live for again. I LOVE you all (told you ;)).

It's been brought from www.novateck.co.uk/novatech . It's the cheapest Laptop but with XP installed. Does XP come with internet explorer by any chance?
 

compsci

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Celerons are mostly an excuse to continue to use last year's FAB (processor fabrication plant). So in a sense they're technology from a year or two back. This doesn't necessarily mean that they're a bad thing, but they'll struggle with anything particularly intensive from this year.

The system looks pretty similar to my three year old Pentium M laptop (which was £1500 at the time), apart from the graphics card, which looks significantly better than mine. As I've never had CPU issues with recent games, only graphics card ones you schould be fine. Just don't try doing anything really CPU intensive such as video encoding or it will melt.
 

nutter

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I'll only really be using it for BVE, Simsig and i'll give MSTS a go too.

Soon after I want to get the eclipse i6300, which will be able to handle things better, It's just to keep me occupied when I'm down here
 

nutter

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If you can find me a better laptop with XP installed for under £420 feel free. I'm not getting ar*ey, as I'd like to get the best deal pssible, it's just I've been looking at Desktops for such a long time it's like re-educating myself all over again, especially as far as Video cards and processors are concerned
 

devon_metro

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Ah, not bad for a laptop.

I'd personally get a desktop.

My P4 2Ghz was only £300 on ebay.

Needs more RAM and a new graphics card but othr than that is fin.e
 

nutter

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I could save and not get a laptop and get the eclipse i6300 at the end of feb, OR, get the laptop 27th january, and then get the i6300 at the end of march, when I'll be spending two weeks at home

Specs for the i6300

Intel Core 2 Duo E6300 1.86GHz LGA775 Processor
1024Mb (2x512Mb) Dual Channel DDR2 667Mhz Memory
512Mb Geforce 7950GT PCI-Express16 Dvi Vga Card
Creative Labs Sound Blaster X-FI Music - oem
NEC AD5170A-0B 18X+/-DVD-R Dual Layer Dvd Writer- Black
X-Blade Black ATX Case with 450W PSU, Side Window



MicroSoft Windows XP Home Edition -OEM-
Norton Internet Security 2007 - oem
Norton AntiVirus 2007 - Oem -
And a 320gb hard drive in there somewhere

All for £801.49 including VAT and delivery

If that can't handle BVE well, I don't know what will. BTW, I know it has no monitor, speakers, mouse and keyboard, It's as I already have a CRT monitior at home
 

compsci

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In almost all cases the graphics chips are soldered to the motherboard and there is no way whatsoever to upgrade them. There are a few supposedly with removable cards, but these will be top end. About the only things you can realisticly upgrade on a laptop are the RAM and the HDD, the former probably involving replacement rather than addition (there are usually only two slots and DDR has to be in pairs for best results) and the latter definitely so.
 

class 313

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The core thing BVE needs to run well is a good processor, that is the MOST important thing you need. As BVE doesnt really use the graphics gard that much it as it uses the processor to render everything.
 

nutter

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Never mind, just thought it would be cool havin a laptop with a GT7950 in it, that would be the ultimate gaming laptop.

It'll keep me going with Simsig, bve and MSTS though (checked some add-ns min specs, it just meets them)

Am I right in thinking that the min specs are not the absolute minimum specs, just the min specs for it to be half decent?
 

devon_metro

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Never mind, just thought it would be cool havin a laptop with a GT7950 in it, that would be the ultimate gaming laptop.

It'll keep me going with Simsig, bve and MSTS though (checked some add-ns min specs, it just meets them)

Am I right in thinking that the min specs are not the absolute minimum specs, just the min specs for it to be half decent?

Simsig doesnt need much.

BVE is quite demanding, same applies on MSTS if a large route. Expect crashes!
 

compsci

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The minimum specs are just that - the absolute lower limit for the game to work, usually defined as not dropping below 25 frames/second. However the testing will typically be done on clean systems without the vast pile of rubbish which most systems accumulate slowing things down. Also bear in mind that the add on you really really want which comes out next month (or KRS for another matter) probably won't run without being an assault to your eyes.
 

nutter

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Good job I'm used to 6-7fps on MSTS and 11 fps on BVE, means it looks like I'm going be easily impressed. Take it Dorset coast with max settings is out the window until I can get the eclipse than

(Finial disicion, unless you can find a better deal, is the PCworld laptop)

For those who (or those who know) have a motorola telewest broadband box thingy with lights flashing on the front. What do I need to connect My new laptop to it, would the cable going in the back of the old desktop work?
 

devon_metro

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The core thing BVE needs to run well is a good processor, that is the MOST important thing you need. As BVE doesnt really use the graphics gard that much it as it uses the processor to render everything.

It does use graphics. I have a crap card and it shows in the framerates.
 

nutter

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Will any DDR2 memory stick go into laptops as long as it's the interface. Also, is memory (on desktops too) just plug in and go, or do they need software installed to use the new RAM
 

twright

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I've just bought a new laptop and it runs BVE very well!

1.83Ghz Intel Centrino Duo (Core 2 Duo)
2.00Gb Ram
100Gb Hard Drive
DVD-R-RW/CD-R-RW/LiteScribe drive
NVidia Geforce Go 7200 Graphics Card
Windows XP Media Center 2005 / Windows Vista Premium Capable

Personally I prefer Centrino's or P4s to Celerons, but a couple of mates have celerons and they're not bad, but a little slow on gaming.
 

compsci

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Laptop memory comes on smaller (physically) sticks than desktop, so they aren't compatible with each other. There are many distinct types of memory, even within those already called DDR. Although you might get away with something different, it's safest to add more of what is already installed. If you've got a PC from a reasonably well known brand it's easiest to go to somewhere like [url-http://www.crucial.com/uk/]Crucial[/url], who can advise on the right type of memory. They used to guarantee that what they recommend would work, and probably still do. Their prices are also pretty good. Once your new RAM is installed, assuming that it has worked, you will at most have to push a key to confirm that the new size displayed is correct, and that's it.

However if you're getting a PC from somewhere that builds to order such as Dell or Evesham (this is almost always better than going to PC World) then it's far easier just to ask them to build it with more for you.
 

nutter

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Well, I've looked around, and with a budget of £400 it dosen't go very far, and thats the best I've found. Evesham's lowest PC (more expensive than the PCworld one) is of lower spec too. And I'm getting the desktop in a few months from eclipse computers in coventry, with all the stuff i want
 

Chris

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For those who (or those who know) have a motorola telewest broadband box thingy with lights flashing on the front. What do I need to connect My new laptop to it, would the cable going in the back of the old desktop work?

You can either use a USB connection from the modem or if the comp. has a network card you can use that. Either or? What do you have your desktop connected with?

Chris
 
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