Laptop question

G

gambroe

New member
I'm looking for a new laptop to run my trainz programs!:D I was looking at a Compaq Presario CQ60-417DX laptop with 3gb DDR2 memory and an Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 4500 component. Would this be enough to run TRS 04 without any problems. If so how about TRS 09? Any input would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks!
gambroe
 
If it is any help, I run all Trainz including TC3 Skipton-Carlisle route very well (though not as well as on my custom built desktop!) on an Acer 5920G laptop. This has a GeForce 8600M card and I have added another 2gb of Ram to bring it up to 4gb. John.
 
john_goddard said:
If it is any help, I run all Trainz including TC3 Skipton-Carlisle route very well (though not as well as on my custom built desktop!) on an Acer 5920G laptop. This has a GeForce 8600M card and I have added another 2gb of Ram to bring it up to 4gb. John.
Click to expand...

And your OS is?
 
Thanks John, I always like to hear what laptops run Trainz well, because I'm always just within a hair's breadth of buying one myself!
 
Greetings from my new laptop!

I'm typing this on my brand-spankin' new HP dv6-1260se Artist's Edition laptop that was literally delivered just about 4 hours ago. I have yet to load Trainz on it, but my Vista rating is 5.0. All the scores: Processor - 5.0, RAM - 5.9, Aero graphics - 5.9, Gaming graphics - 5.6, Hard Drive - 5.5. Despite a slower 5400 RPM hard drive, it should play Trainz 2006 at the maximum 1366 x 768 resolution just fine or maybe a little on the slow side. Here is a link to my computer. At $949.99, it is a little steep if your price range is for a basic laptop, though. BTW:It has a AMD Turion X2 Ultra ZM-85 at 2.3 GHz, and the graphics card is a 1 GB ATI Mobility Radeon HD 4650 with GDDR3.

Good luck!
Kyle
 
Last edited:
I have an Asus A7J laptop about 3years old now.
2Gg memory, Duo T24 1.83 Gg Chip
Ati M56-p (raedon 1500 I think) video card.
Wireless broadband.
XP with SP3
Runs TRS04 reliably bit short on memory sometimes.
I can run round 30 consists at one time on the RBR Cassic Route with no probs.

Could use a bit more memory when finances allow.
I ran 2006 when I tried it out but was tight with that much ram.

I can take my Trainz wherever I want, like when I have been in hospital , it whiles away the hours.

Cheers,
Mike
 
Thanks for all your inputs! :) Another question I have is: would any of the graphic cards or graphic enhancers found in most laptops today other than the ones recomended by the people at auron greatly affect trs04 performance if you have around 3gb of ram memory? ie. Intel® Graphics Media Accelerator 4500MHD
Supports up to 384MB shared video memory. High-definition 2.0 audio

I am mainly concerned with having trs04 running smoothly without having to sell my kids to do it!!!!!

Again thanks!
gambroe
 
I have a Dell D-630, 2 gig Core Duo, a 135 Nvidia Quadro video card with 128 meg(XP sees 256 meg) and 3 gig of memory. It runs 2006, TC3 and 2009 pretty well.

You can get them used on ebay, but stay away from the Intel graphics.
 
gambroe said:
Thanks for all your inputs! :) Another question I have is: would any of the graphic cards or graphic enhancers found in most laptops today other than the ones recomended by the people at auron greatly affect trs04 performance if you have around 3gb of ram memory? ie. Intel® Graphics Media Accelerator 4500MHD
Supports up to 384MB shared video memory. High-definition 2.0 audio

I am mainly concerned with having trs04 running smoothly without having to sell my kids to do it!!!!!

Again thanks!
gambroe
Click to expand...

i would try to find a laptop with a dedicated video card. the intel built ins will rob your ram and since they use the same bus for that they will rob the bus and the cpu. you are really stepping on yourself trying to run any high powered graphics with it. trs may or may not work, its hard to say.
 
Intel will run it at 640x480 minimum detail, very slowly. RAM will not help; the issue is the graphics processor, not the amount of RAM it can use. If the data can't reach the allocated RAM, then what's the point?!?!

I have an X3100 and have tried; the hardware is there, the drivers are not.

Buy dedicated video, period, Radeon HD 4650 is a good chipset.
 
robbiehanson said:
Intel will run it at 640x480 minimum detail, very slowly. RAM will not help; the issue is the graphics processor, not the amount of RAM it can use. If the data can't reach the allocated RAM, then what's the point?!?!

I have an X3100 and have tried; the hardware is there, the drivers are not.

Buy dedicated video, period, Radeon HD 4650 is a good chipset.
Click to expand...

Not necessarily, the processor makes a big difference and so does the chipset.
X4500s would probably be reasonable, but I have got TC3 working on worse hardware, a GMA950, with an Intel Atom 1.6ghz processor, 2GB ram and Vista. It ran TC3 well at native resolution (1024x600), as long as you were connected to the juice.If you went on battery, you ended up with a slideshow. :)
You need to play with it really, if it works, it works, if it doesn't, well, new laptop time, or desktop time.
 
Would be interesting to know if that latop for a similar price could be got here in GB for around that price. That it has a 1g graphics card is a boon.
 
Gaming Laptops

If you want to play graphics intensive games on a laptop I strongly advise buying a laptop built for games. I have made the mistake in the past of buying laptops that might work for games only to find they would barely run the games or not run them at all. I would invest in the best gaming laptop that you can afford if you want to play games on it.

I bit the bullet and bought the highest end laptop that Alienware made. I do however use it as my desktop computer also as it will run anything on high settings. Using it as a desktop and laptop helps to justify the high cost.

I am not stating that you should buy an Alienware, but just buy the best gaming laptop that you can afford.

In Vista 32 the WEI is 5.5
Windows 7 Beta is 7.8
 
Hi sno250,

Think you are right there. I did get a new desktop pc a while back especially for Trainz. Have a laptop with 512 dedicated graphics card but didn't finf it very suitable for trainz. Had thought it would have been nice to take trainz away with me when on breaks but gave up on that one and went back to just the pc!
 
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