Anyway to make my Laptop run World of Warcraft?

[bradallaround]

Alright, I am completely new here so go easy on me, and please, be friendly.

I currently have a Dell Inspirion 1501 - an old laptop, but I am trying to make WOW suffice on it for the time being until I can manage getting a new laptop and/or desktop.

The main specs I can gather are:

Processor: AMD Turion 64 X2 Mobile TL-50
GPU: ATI Radeon Xpress 1150
RAM: 2x 512MB DDR2 PC2-4300 (1GB total)
Chipset: Xpress200 (RS480)
Southbridge: SB600

(from CPU-Z)

I completely, in every single way understand that I have no chance of playing above every setting set to LOW on WOW, and I am content with that for now.
What I am wondering is if anyone has an idea of solution that might get my FPS to go above 10... I would easily live with 20fps for now.. (from my tests I am getting 5-7 FPS [with EVERY setting set to low] around any other players and/or mobs, and maybe lower in a city) but I do get about 20 FPS here and there if I am in the middle of nowhere (but I am not into questing as much as PVP)

I have attempted updating my video card drivers, and I think they are the most current, but this has really done nothing that I can see. Also, my ram is low at 1GB but process explorer shows 896 available (because the GPU is stealing the rest) and I still have ~150-200mb free when playing WOW, yet my FPS is so bad it is unplayable. Thus, I don't think it is an issue with capping my RAM but if I am missing somewhere there, please say so.

If you have any suggestions, please say them (excluding "BUY A NEW LAPTOP" troll, I know that would solve my issue... lol). Also if you happen to be able to provide a link to my GPU driver I would appreciate that as I have attempted installing two different ones (one from AMD, one from CNET) and my driver date is still 2006 when the AMD site said 2010 it was revised.

Thanks guys and sorry for the long post!

Edit:

If you do know of a good low-end budget laptop that would run WOW on low settings with maybe just the view distance up (for PVP), please recommend one. I am used to playing WOW on those settings, so that is all I am asking for as my current laptop suites my "on the go" computer needs fine excluding WOW

I have ran CCleaner, Glary Utilities, shut off AVG antivirus (obviously not a good long-term solution), and used Process Explorer to close any and all background processes that are not needed (everything basically).

Edit 2: Crap PC - would it run W.O.W as I want it to (low settings, nothing special, decent FPS)?

http://www.ecost.com/p/Dell-Notebook-Computers/product~dpno~8947298~pdp.gjhdihi?source=EWB08326
(dell link) http://www.dell.com/us/dfb/p/latitude-d630/pd

or how about:

http://slickdeals.net/permadeal/673...gb-ddr3-500gb-hdd-wifin-hdmi-6cell-win-7-prem

decent? (It is sold out, but just making a reference to a laptop)

 

[NTMBK]

First and most straightforward thing to do is do a good cleanup of your computer. Uninstall any programs that you don't need, disable anything that runs in the background you don't need, look into getting a more slimmed down antivirus (I generally find that Microsoft Security Essentials is pretty good). Run a program like CCleaner to get the crap off your hard drive that 5 years of constant use will leave behind, run a good defragmenter like Defraggler. Check that no unnecessary programs or services are running in the background.

I definitely recommend increasing RAM- from what I read online your laptop should support up to 2GB, and I'd say max that out. 1GB really isn't enough to run an operating system, games and antivirus simultaneously and comfortably. RAM is pretty cheap these days. It's also the only hardware upgrade I would recommend on a laptop other than replacing the hard drive- don't even THINK about trying to upgrade your graphics or CPU.

 

[RavenSEAL]

I seriously doubt it...

 

[bradallaround]

First and most straightforward thing to do is do a good cleanup of your computer. Uninstall any programs that you don't need, disable anything that runs in the background you don't need, look into getting a more slimmed down antivirus (I generally find that Microsoft Security Essentials is pretty good). Run a program like CCleaner to get the crap off your hard drive that 5 years of constant use will leave behind, run a good defragmenter like Defraggler. Check that no unnecessary programs or services are running in the background.

I definitely recommend increasing RAM- from what I read online your laptop should support up to 2GB, and I'd say max that out. 1GB really isn't enough to run an operating system, games and antivirus simultaneously and comfortably. RAM is pretty cheap these days. It's also the only hardware upgrade I would recommend on a laptop other than replacing the hard drive- don't even THINK about trying to upgrade your graphics or CPU.

+1 to RavenSEAL except I would appreciate advice if you have some


NTMBK:

First, I appreciate your diligent post about this. Thanks for taking time to stab at it. Unfortunately I have done CCleaner, Glary utilities, and closed all background programs (including shutting off all anti-virus to see if that made a big difference). I could still try the defrag. As far as RAM goes, my main point is that it is cheap but I would have to actually buy 2x 1GB stick (since I currently have 2 DIMM) and that would run me only about $30 but then again if I am going to upgrade, I don't want to stink anymore money into this thing haha, so in that respect, if my RAM shows about 200MB left over while running WOW, would it actually help WOW by any means?

Thanks. Also, as I am going to revise my original post, I am open to low-end budget suggests that can run wow with LOW settings and maybe view distance slightly turned up. I plan on going to the desktop route long-term, but my living situation makes this unfeasible at the moment.

 

[Barfo]

You could try to do something like this, but it would be too much work imo. You'd be better off saving for a new laptop.

 

[bradallaround]

You could try to do something like this, but it would be too much work imo. You'd be better off saving for a new laptop.

Less than funny, and again unhelpful. Thanks though.

 

[notty22]

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/Samsung...8509235220&skuId=4700082&st=4700082&cp=1&lp=1
This laptop features a AMD quad with a gpu built in to the cpu.
It's got 320sp gpu, that would run WoW on low. It's 399.99
Samsung/Toshiba has some nice low cost 15.6 laptops. I bought my mother the Pentium B940 with Intel internal gpu which can play some games on low. The AMD version Samsung will play games better, because it has a better GPU.

edit: It's 499.99 at Amazon , shows complete specs
http://www.amazon.com/Samsung-NP305E5A-A03US-15-6-Inch-Laptop-Silver/dp/B006KYY00Q

 

[SidViciousSG]

I don't think there is anything you can do to improve the gaming capabilities of that obsolescent Inspiron.

Asus A53TA-XN1 for $530 USD, the 6650M won't have issues running WoW on DX11 high settings at 1366x768.

 

[Obsoleet]

I don't think there is anything you can do to improve the gaming capabilities of that obsolescent Inspiron.

Asus A53TA-XN1 for $530 USD, the 6650M won't have issues running WoW on DX11 high settings at 1366x768.

Damn. That's a good value. That said, the casing and keyboard will be creaking in a year or two. For gaming and $500 it can't get much better than that.

 

[Panopticon]

Op not to be a downer but 20 fps with that gpu is kind of a pipe dream if anything is going on on the screen. You could consider a laptop in the $400 range used such as one of the earlier m11x. Do you have an lcd monitor or hdmi capable tv to use as a monitor? If so consider building a budget gaming rig. Some of us here would be glad to help you configure it.

 

[bradallaround]

I ran onto this deal, and I think it is decent. I'd kinda prefer it over the newegg one, but I'm looking for feedback on it. It is about the same with a catch and the fact that it is $100 more but $100 ain't what I want to skimp on when I go over the $300-400 range for a computer.


http://www.microsoftstore.com/store/msstore/en_US/pd/productID.237487700

$200 Microsoft store credit that id use to buy an Xbox and flip it ( right now you can get the 360 + mw3 for the $199.99 albeit plus tax)

Whole thing ends up at $845 with tax and I have to pawn off a Xbox, but it seems like a better overall laptop minus the GPU being ever so slightly lower model. Envy 14 has 2gb more ram though and I'd think that i5 is a better CPU but I'm dumb on those things.

Thanks guys


On a side note, I've heard bad about asus build quality?

 

[Panopticon]

Really if your going to spend that much on a laptop and care about gaming there are better choices in that price range. Does it have to be a laptop? If you want to go budget and get maximum performance you could build or even buy a pc that will SMOKE that envy. Don't forget that down the road another game may come out that you want to play besides wow and with a decent pc the world of pc gaming will open up to you.

 

[bradallaround]

Really if your going to spend that much on a laptop and care about gaming there are better choices in that price range. Does it have to be a laptop? If you want to go budget and get maximum performance you could build or even buy a pc that will SMOKE that envy. Don't forget that down the road another game may come out that you want to play besides wow and with a decent pc the world of pc gaming will open up to you.

I currently own a desktop that can play wow decently, so I'm not interested in that solution but yeah, I understand you get a lot more bang for your buck with desktops.


What exact better gaming laptops could I get for $650 (after factoring in the $200 credit)? Please post links or models because I didn't think I really could? Mind you I'd like the laptop to not weigh 8 lbs and have a battery life of 2 hours, and about future games, I will have the ability to use my desktop by that point as my living situation will change soon enough.

 

[Panopticon]

Oh ok I did not know if you were considering only a laptop. I guess the envy isn't a bad deal but I don't think you'll be happy with the 6630m its a pretty weak gpu.

Here is a comparison of all notebook gpu's available:
http://www.notebookcheck.net/Comparison-of-Laptop-Graphics-Cards.130.0.html

You will notice the 6630m is really a low powered part and is clocked at 485 mhz with only 480 shaders.

So it looks like that envy despite having a decent i5 cpu the gpu is going to be a bottleneck when gaming but would allow you to play wow on lower settings.

 

[bradallaround]

I was feeling as though just getting a dedicated gpu was going to make my experience of wow 100% better since I'm used to low settings on the graphics with just view distance to ultra. So I just am wondering if that laptop is a good deal for what it is. If not really, what would be a good price for a laptop like that and also what is a GPU you'd recommend? I was also looking into the Dell XPS 14z for the same deal as the envy but it has worse reviews for the same price plus I don't love dells bloatware.

The XPS 14z I could get on refurb for $750ish with an i7, 8gb ram, and nvidia GeForce gt 520m. Is that a good deal?

 

[Dark Shroud]

A Intel SSD will really help the performance of WOW.

 

[Panopticon]

Based off of that chart the 520m is actually substantially slower then the gpu in the envy. In all honesty finding a gaming laptop that is going to make you feel like you got your money worth is hard to do in the price range at all. I have an Alienware M15x and it was around $2300 new. It was my first "gaming" laptop and will be my last because for the money you spend it never ends up feeling like the equivalent performance for what you pay. I will be selling the M15x very soon and you are free to PM me for details but I can't discuss the sale of an item in this forum. If you really want to JUST play wow then I would say get the best laptop you can for $400-500 and call it a day. You might be able to find something a little more sleek that actually gives you better performance then what you are using currently. May I suggest that you turn the view distance down from ultra because that is really going to choke your gpu. The best way to find a comfortable setting is to turn everything down/off and work your way up starting with resolution which will make the game feel less cluttered and look more crisp. Keep in mind that with your set up everything is going to be nearly the lowest setting.

 

[IonusX]

WoW can be played on any mobile chip that surpasses an hd 4250 in preformance. how well is another matter
if your content with never raiding then you can play WoW on a turion I ultra and a mobility 4330. i know, ive done it (circa cata launch)

 

[Stuka87]

A Intel SSD will really help the performance of WOW.

Loading performance is not his issue, its the GPU that he has. Which an SSD will do nothing to change.

 

[RavenSEAL]

I was feeling as though just getting a dedicated gpu was going to make my experience of wow 100% better since I'm used to low settings on the graphics with just view distance to ultra. So I just am wondering if that laptop is a good deal for what it is. If not really, what would be a good price for a laptop like that and also what is a GPU you'd recommend? I was also looking into the Dell XPS 14z for the same deal as the envy but it has worse reviews for the same price plus I don't love dells bloatware.

The XPS 14z I could get on refurb for $750ish with an i7, 8gb ram, and nvidia GeForce gt 520m. Is that a good deal?

FYI: You can't really upgrade hardware on a Laptop, at most you might be able to swap out the CPU.

 

[Chiropteran]

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/Samsung...8509235220&skuId=4700082&st=4700082&cp=1&lp=1
This laptop features a AMD quad with a gpu built in to the cpu.
It's got 320sp gpu, that would run WoW on low. It's 399.99
Samsung/Toshiba has some nice low cost 15.6 laptops. I bought my mother the Pentium B940 with Intel internal gpu which can play some games on low. The AMD version Samsung will play games better, because it has a better GPU.

edit: It's 499.99 at Amazon , shows complete specs
http://www.amazon.com/Samsung-NP305E5A-A03US-15-6-Inch-Laptop-Silver/dp/B006KYY00Q

I second this. I think I have this exact laptop (hard to say due to lack of a model name in description, was $380 on some sale), and it ran WoW fine at lowish settings. It also runs swtor reasonable well, although fps crashes to the 15-25 range in warfronts, it's mostly playable.

One thing of note is it probably comes stock with a single RAM stick (if it is same as mine), which hurts performance. Upgrading RAM is cheap lately, and since it'll enable dual channel it increases performance noticeably. I went to 8gb and changed the HDD for a 128GB SSD, it's amazing how fast it runs for a total cost of ~$550

 

[bradallaround]

I second this. I think I have this exact laptop (hard to say due to lack of a model name in description, was $380 on some sale), and it ran WoW fine at lowish settings. It also runs swtor reasonable well, although fps crashes to the 15-25 range in warfronts, it's mostly playable.

One thing of note is it probably comes stock with a single RAM stick (if it is same as mine), which hurts performance. Upgrading RAM is cheap lately, and since it'll enable dual channel it increases performance noticeably. I went to 8gb and changed the HDD for a 128GB SSD, it's amazing how fast it runs for a total cost of ~$550

Wow, somehow I totally missed that response earlier today from notty22. My bad.


That is not a bad one at all It would seem. I don't love 5400rpm, 1.6ghz, and intergrated gpu but what can you ask for?


The model is np305e5a-a01us FYI as per his amazon link which corresponds with the number listed deeper on the best buy page.


So now the question I have is, if you do have that model, what's the build quality in your opinion, and just the overall design? Pros & cons you feel. I would consider that one and save $250+ over the hp envy 14. Albeit I feel that based on notebookcheck that the envy 14 would actually be enjoyable (med/high) settings on wow rather than low, but money is money...

 

[RavenSEAL]

Wow, somehow I totally missed that response earlier today from notty22. My bad.


That is not a bad one at all It would seem. I don't love 5400rpm, 1.6ghz, and intergrated gpu but what can you ask for?


The model is np305e5a-a01us FYI as per his amazon link which corresponds with the number listed deeper on the best buy page.


So now the question I have is, if you do have that model, what's the build quality in your opinion, and just the overall design? Pros & cons you feel. I would consider that one and save $250+ over the hp envy 14. Albeit I feel that based on notebookcheck that the envy 14 would actually be enjoyable (med/high) settings on wow rather than low, but money is money...

Is a desktop really not an option? You're looking at a 50-60% performance increase for the same budget...

 

[notty22]

Wow, somehow I totally missed that response earlier today from notty22. My bad.


That is not a bad one at all It would seem. I don't love 5400rpm, 1.6ghz, and intergrated gpu but what can you ask for?


The model is np305e5a-a01us FYI as per his amazon link which corresponds with the number listed deeper on the best buy page.


So now the question I have is, if you do have that model, what's the build quality in your opinion, and just the overall design? Pros & cons you feel. I would consider that one and save $250+ over the hp envy 14. Albeit I feel that based on notebookcheck that the envy 14 would actually be enjoyable (med/high) settings on wow rather than low, but money is money...

You might get a little more than low out of that APU. I would go to a Best Buy in person and check it out. It has turbo up to 2.4. At 400.00 it's a very good deal imo.
Google AMD Radeon HD 6520G and you can see people gaming with it on youtube.

Amazon.com Product Description

From students to social networking enthusiasts, home office to the kitchen table, the Samsung Series 3 laptop was designed to keep you connected, entertained, and looking stylish. Offering a seamless blend of style and capability, this model (NP305E5A-A03US) features a 15.6-inch high-def display, generous 500 GB hard drive, and 4 GB of installed RAM for excellent multitasking.
See see larger image.

See larger image.

It's powered by the 1.5 GHz AMD quad-core A6-3420M Accelerated Processor, which provides a turbo boost of power up to 2.4 GHz when you need it the most thanks to AMD Turbo CORE Technology. It also offers integrated AMD Radeon HD 6520G graphics with support for DirectX 11 for fast, vivid visuals.

 

[bradallaround]

Is a desktop really not an option? You're looking at a 50-60% performance increase for the same budget...

This whole situation is so I can be mobile. I fully understand I could do a desktop and get more performance, but I want a laptop, not a desktop for my current situation.



Thank you notty22, your post is very helpful. I just got done looking into that one more and I'm considering going down to my best buy to play with it and then maybe grab it there (says in stock). The reviews look really good and I think it make work just great for what I would want. With best buy I always have the 15 days to return it if I hate it too lol! Only negative I'd venture to say is the number pad (a positive for most, but I hate that thing making my touchpad off center of the main frame! Lol)


If anyone has any more suggests, throw um at me. Most of you have been very helpful! Thanks!