Prediction for HP Envy Laptop

[brickbuilder711]

Hello,

I am looking to acquire a new laptop that will serve for academic research processes and also Trainz on the go

I have a question regarding the possible performance of Trainz (particularly 2012, I do not plan to have TANE at the momentbut would also like to see on that anyway) on the following laptop:

It is an HP Envy, I am eyeing a 17" version with the following specs:

• 16 GB RAM (2 DIMM) - I reckon more than 2GB is practically useless for the game itself, but I have it out there just incase
• Nvidia GeForce 940M
• Intel Core i7 - 6500U Processor (2GB - dual core)
• 1 TB Hard drive, with 5400rpm - Just wanted to put out the rpm just incase

I read that the 940M is okay, as it is on the bottom of the spectrum for Nvidia's graphics for laptops. I just want to know how okay it is for Trainz (12 / TANE) namely in the configuration above.

Now the plot thickens. HP's website offers an upgrade to the following processor and graphics combination:

Intel core i7 - 6700 HQ Processor (4GB - quad core)
Nvidia GeForce 950M


I also want to know how significant of a difference this configuration can present to the gaming experience for both versions.

Thanks! Much appreciated.

 

[wilts747]

The 940M is a very respectable graphic chip but not the best, a bit like comparing a Porsche 928 with Hamilton's F1 Merc. and the 950M is even more respectable. Either will run 2012 very well and make quite a nice job of running T:ANE as well.

The higher spec will probably provide the better gaming experience but the motherboard and its chip set, the RAM even the make of the hard drive and the efficiency of the cooling can all influence the overall package and I'm not sure HP are exactly know for gaming style laptops. It might be prudent to spend some time Googling that particular laptop for reviews and comparisons. Peter

 

[blueodessey]

I have HP Envy 14, (see my specs on Signature below) and and I can tell you, I just upgraded my Mem from 12 to 16, and put in an SSD over the 5400 RPM HD, (big job, as it isn't as easy as my old HP 17,,,,as my HD could not keep up in Disk Writes, huge difference with SSD, and Laptop is much cooler, But SSD's very expensive for 1TB, but worth it......Get the very best Video Card you can, as you can't change it out in a laptop....It's builtin, which I hate, but that's what they called progress.......I don't think TANE will run well on a Laptop, but however others may disagree.........

http://www.laptopmag.com/gaming-laptops (link discusses top laptops for 2016)

I think Alienware might fit the bill, but it will cost you 1500$ or more........Hope that helps......

 

[brickbuilder711]

Thanks for the input. Will look into things further.

I have found comparable computers available with Intel Graphics 520 and AMD Radeon R6. Are those any good for the intents and purposes of Trainz? I have the impression they're mediocre.

 

[PC_Ace]

Yup - in general (for T:ANE purposes) - it is recommended that you avoid any integrated graphics processors on CPUs and AMD cards below the R9 series.
The minimum guideline is to go for a card that is DirectX 11 compatible and with at least 1Gb of VRAM.
T:ANE is very GPU-centric - the better the video card you can throw at it, the better T:ANE will perform.
You can get away with a relatively modest CPU if you have a decent GPU (but not as easily the other way round.)