I have a kinda stupid question, but maybe someone here can help me:

Hardware stuff was never my strong point, I only know the basics to get around.

I usually refer to www.systemrequirementslab.com to see if I can play a game, since I have a decent 2-year old laptop that can manage most things that are not the latest AAA games, but you never know. I get most of the things I see, however two points need deciphering (the example is for Nier:Automata which I'm pretty sure is too much for my laptop, but for the example's sake):

Minimum: Intel Core i3 2100 or AMD A8-6500
You Have: Intel(R) Core(TM) i5-5200U CPU @ 2.20GHz.

Isn't an i5 better than an i3 in any case? What do I get wrong?

Minimum: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 770 VRAM 2GB or AMD Radeon R9 270X VRAM 2GB
You Have: Intel(R) HD Graphics 5500

I'm lost. I've seen around that having an Intel Graphics Video Card is problematic on its own, but I don't have a clue.

I tried Google but couldn't find a starting point.

Any help is appreciated, and remember there was once a time you didn't know either. :-)

UPDATE: I ended up updating my BIOS. ¯_(ツ)_/¯

6 years ago*

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The integrated graphics on your Intel CPU is too weak for that game. Those 2 dedicated graphics cards are way ahead of your igpu. You won't have a good experience.

6 years ago
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Yes, I get that, but why? I mean, I would be grateful if someone taught me how to fish. :-)

Also, that site shows that I can't run AC Revelation because of my Video Card
(Minimum: 256 MB DirectX® 9.0c-compliant video card with Shader Model 3.0 or higher (ATI Radeon HD 2000 / HD 3000 / HD 4000 / HD 5000 / HD 6000 series or NVIDIA GeForce 8 / 9 / GT 200 / GT 400 / GT 500 series)
You Have: Intel(R) HD Graphics 5500)

but I know for a fact this is wrong because I played the game with no problems (not on the highest settings, but still, according to that site I shouldn't be able to even run it).

6 years ago
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Yeah, sometimes developers exagerate on system specs but this is not the case. Your CPU is pretty good but If your laptop doesnt have a dedicated GPU you're gonna have a bad time with Nier. Check what Yumos says. Only If It's a gaming laptop you could run that.

6 years ago
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To measure performance difference we can use benchmark passmark
in min requrments you have ati radeon seriess 4000 example 4670 in passmark test have 547 points
your iGPU HD 5500 have 578 points
https://www.videocardbenchmark.net/gpu.php?gpu=Intel+HD+5500
https://www.videocardbenchmark.net/gpu.php?gpu=Radeon+HD+4670

now min in Nier:Automata
R9 270X VRAM 2GB have in this same test 4661 points
https://www.videocardbenchmark.net/gpu.php?gpu=Radeon+R9+270

6 years ago
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you'll be fine with a 5500 for that if the 2000 is the minimum - presuming you have enough ram. also, dont trust things like the site you listed, as theyre usually wrong about many things (especially inbuilt gpus).

best thing i can suggest as to Nier:Automata is to go into the games discussions and simply search "intel hd" the results should tell you whether or not you can run it (i'd imagine there would be issues due to it being rather recent).

I have a 5500 myself and have had plenty of success with it.

this channel on youtube is a bit of an eye opener as well:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQkd05iAYed2-LOmhjzDG6g/videos

6 years ago
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Nier was an example, I'm pretty sure I can't run it. It's true that the site has said in the past I can't run things that I actually can, though.

I'll check out the YT channel!

6 years ago
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you can also use this thread to ask about specific games now you know i have a 5500

6 years ago
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I'm not really buying games at this stage, I just like window- shopping. :-) And I'm too curious for my own good, I mean, when I see something I don't know I have to ask and try to understand it.

But I'll take you up on your offer the first chance I get!

6 years ago
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you should have a second graphics card installed in your laptop. if you right click on dektop do you see nvidia system control? if so, click on it and choose nvidia graphics card as prefered gpu. laptops are always bad at playing new titles. i dont think your laptop could handle nier automata.

6 years ago
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I chose that game because I'm pretty sure I can't run it, just as an example. Also, I can't buy it right now. :-) (not a graphics card, either, for that matter. :-) )

Last time I tried to search around my graphics card (it says it needs updating, but for the life of me I can't find anything on Intel or HP sites), I think I couldn't see nVidia either. There's only the Intel HD Graphics Control Panel.

6 years ago
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Post the model of the laptop (there should be a sticker when you flip it), I've seen cases where they used it for months without actually installing the VGA drivers :)

6 years ago
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I'm very proud because I know the model :-) HP 250 G4.

6 years ago
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You have GPU R5 m330 on board :)

  • A bit better than your intel iGPU
6 years ago
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I have what? Is it deadly? Do I need to see a doctor?

6 years ago
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Her having HP 250 G4 doesn't mean she has that graphic card. There are various models named 250 G4 with various components.

6 years ago
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6 years ago
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You are a life-saver. :-) I will right away.

6 years ago
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He probably already have it but he need to switch to high performance profile to use it;)

6 years ago
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I'm a she. :-) I don't mind or anything, just saying.

6 years ago
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Run CPU-Z https://www.cpuid.com/softwares/cpu-z.html
Click Validate
Click Submit
this will open page in your bowser copy and paste link here to allow check me what pc specs you have in detail.

6 years ago
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6 years ago
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Your laptop have only iGPU
HP confusing me with this model HP 250 G4 some information showing two slots for ram other single
But if your laptop have two slots buying 4GB DDR3 and installing will improve your iGPU performance and games you will have+ 35% FPS * if games earlier turn on but not been playable or game-play was not smooth now this improve ;)

In CPU-Z check memory tab if you have second slot free

6 years ago
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I see an empty slot #1 and slot #2 saying DDR in the SPD tab.

It sounds easy enough. I open my laptop form time to time to clean dust (fun story: my previous ACER still has 3 out of the 4 screws holding the fan in there somewhere, if you shake the laptop you can hear them rolling), is it a steep slope to install this?

6 years ago
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if you are experience to open laptop is ok to do yourself
probably any laptop memory will be ok but I recommend to buy this same model M471B5173QH0-YK0
example
edit

www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Samsung-M471B5173QH0-YK0-4GB-1Rx8-SODIMM-PC3L-12800S-11-13-B4-DDR3-Laptop-Memory/172922626432

6 years ago
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6 years ago
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This definitely seems like something I can do, thanks!

6 years ago
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anyway before you buy ram stick be sure you have second slot on motherboard because HP 250 G4 on this video have one slot missing ;)

https://youtu.be/_AZw0148BJA?t=75

6 years ago
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If I decide to go down that road, I'm ready for many sidequests. :-)

6 years ago
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Bonus content
My first laptop
https://valid.x86.fr/urrw87

6 years ago
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6 years ago
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I downloaded and installed, but I have no idea what happened. No "installation complete" or something like that, but how wrong can a person install a driver, right? Is there a way to see if anything changed?

6 years ago
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Hm, I found an nVidia folder, installed right about the time I installed my first AC game (ACII, about June). I didn't pay attention then, I'm used to games doing their thing and installing stuff.

But I can't find a way to access a control panel or anything like that.

6 years ago
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  • i5 is better than i3. U means ultra-low power consumption, so kind of lightweight version, but should still be OK for games while connected to a power grid and not using battery.
  • Intel HD is a GPU core integrated into your CPU, not a separate (dedicated) GPU on a graphics card with dedicated VRAM. While these advanced a lot since the late 90s and early 2000s, and are great for low power / low heat / decent video decoding... they are not the best choice for gaming.
  • Your IntelHD is DX12 but will enable you to only play older and less demanding titles in 1280x720 resolution, such as TeamFortress2, Rocket League, Farming Simulator 17, FIFA16, DOTA2, Dirt Rally, Starcraft 2, CSGO, Dishonored 1, Diablo III, ... mostly on LOW settings.
  • Most 2D indie games should work fine though.
6 years ago
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I see (I think).

So, if it says I need i3, I'm mostly ok with my i5 if I stay charging.
Any easy way to compare video cards? Because I have no idea what I should be looking for, other than the fact that I got the SUV version and not the real off-road.

I can verify it runs Dishonored with no problems. It even kinda run Rise of the Tomb Raider, but the effort was obvious. I don't mind playing older games, so it's not really a problem for me if I can't play Origins right now (that's a lie, I'm close to tears), but even for 5-6 year-old games, I can't be sure.

6 years ago*
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I use Tom's Hardware GPU Hierarchy Chart for quick comparisons between what a video card "should" run. As another user said, sometimes devs put higher requirements to ensure it runs better. You'd be surprised what overclocking can do, but as with everything, your mileage may vary.

6 years ago
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I can work with a chart. :-) At least I'll know how things compare.

6 years ago
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I don't specifically see the R5 m330, but you could guesstimate it's within a few tiers of the R5 230. So possibly requirements around an nvidia 8800 / amd HD 7XXX. There are extra factors*

There is also a chart for CPUs here.

If you wanna get more into understanding it all, JohnDoe mentioned Linus Tech Tips. He has quite a few helpful youtube vids that vary.

6 years ago
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Now that I know what I'm looking for, I'm ready to google stuff and watch videos (cue to spending the whole night getting excited about learning new things). I just needed a nudge in the right direction. :-)

6 years ago
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Have fun! Don't get overwhelmed and before you know it, you can build your own PC for cheap!

6 years ago
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I decided to take up Programming in Khan Academy a few days ago (yes, the kindergarten level). I guess this is my "upgrade you tech knowledge" week. :-)

6 years ago
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https://www.notebookcheck.net/ there should be test for every laptop/notebook/netbook with charts for different mobile gpu's and what games they can run and how well and so on. Don't have time to find the exact page for you, but look through the website, it should help you a lot.

6 years ago
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I appreciate the time you took to send the link, I'll put the time to look through. :-)

6 years ago
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I usually use Game-debate to check if a game can run with my specs. Doesn't always get it right though

6 years ago
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I'll check that, too, I have info to work with now.

6 years ago
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It's so hard to type on phones so sorry for the lack of explanation, NB264 and ZlyOrg gave you great feedback. Just keep in mind that some specific titles rely a lot on graphics card "power", other ones are more balanced. For example I'm pretty sure you can run Killing Floor 2 at least at 720p with minimal settings because that game is very optimized (If only we had a demo).

I recommend you a Linus Tech Tips video about "bottlenecking". In this case we could say the bottleneck is the HD Graphics 5500.
Updating your integrated graphics driver will give you some performance but don't expect miracles.

6 years ago
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It's ok, the "dedicated" in your comment kinda clued me in from the start :-).

6 years ago
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I see they´re saying you have a R5 m330 on board. I found this on google with the "versus" word:
http://www.tomsguide.com/answers/id-3047236/intel-graphics-5500-amd-radeon-m330-2gb.html
http://www.game-debate.com/gpu/index.php?gid=2975&gid2=2575&compare=radeon-r5-m330-4gb-vs-intel-hd-graphics-5500-mobile

I´m no laptop expert, I hope there´s an easier procedure to swap from the Intel HD 5500 to the AMD R5 330m. The common procedure would be something like this:

1.- Uninstall Intel HD drivers from control panel.
2.- Restart and enter the BIOS so you could swap from the Intel HD 5500 to the AMD R5 M330, and there you could probably set how much Video RAM can handle (max would be the indicated)
3.- Save changes and exit with F10
4.-Laptop should start with the new video device and look for drivers installed. You would probably had to delete the older ones and Install the latest version.

Check some tutorials for your laptop model before messing with It. Good luck ^^

6 years ago
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Although I'm itching to do this, I really can't afford to mess up my laptop right now, so I won't try dangerous things. I think. I'll try not to.

6 years ago
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So, the last dedicated graphics card I remember buying had its own fan and the largest amount of VRAM I could afford. It also required me to upgrade my power supply, because the one that came with my computer didn't have enough juice to keep a card that powerful running.

With integrated graphics, you're relying on a little thing that lives on your CPU for all your graphical needs. It doesn't have its own fan, so it really can't afford to do power-intensive things that would make it run hot, and in any case, it's tied to the laptop's existing power supply, and (as far as I can tell) it draws on the same supply of RAM as the CPU. That last bit means that instead of one set of RAM handling the graphics and one handling the way non-graphical processes run, you've got one pool of RAM trying to handle everything at once and trying not to get overwhelmed). Basically, integrated graphics are always running at a disadvantage.

I've seen some variance between system requirements and what you can run on your system despite the so-called requirements, but it's always a gamble.

PS: For what it's worth, I had a video called the Integrated Graphics Survival Guide pop up when I was trying to fact-check my compare/contrast. I didn't watch it, but you may want to Google it and see if they mention any tweaks that might be useful for you (at least until you find yourself a laptop with dedicated graphics).

6 years ago
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I've never been able to resist googling anything. :-)

I have a cooling pad, but that's about it....

6 years ago
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Seems like a good attitude towards life. At least as long as you have the right search terms. :)

A cooling pad helps when you're pushing your laptop's limits (like when I'm running Football Manager on mine and it ends up turning into a game of See How Hot This Thing Can Get Before It Scorches Your Legs), but internal cooling controls what you can have inside your PC (because manufacturers can't assume that people will have a cooling pad, so they have to install hardware that is reasonably likely not to overheat under normal conditions).

6 years ago
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My tombstone will say "She just HAD to google it". I pity the security agent that'll have to go through my search history. ;-)

I'm usually always on the cooling pad years now, a. because otherwise the screen is too low, b. because Greek summer (and sometimes spring and autumn). I even got my previous company to get cooling pads, they were unheard of at the time.

6 years ago
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Desktop i5 has 4 cores, mobile i5 usually has 2+2 virtual -same as desktop i3; So yeah, you have slower cpu than that i3 from requirements.
Second, that vga is basic one, it usually meets requirements where non specific vga is mentioned, only like "512 MB vga" (you can run Dota, but.. don't get hopes up to much)
Also worth mentioning, in majority low/mid end laptops is really slow hdd (5400 rpm) and that impacts gaming experience despite it's not mentioned in requirements.
Links for basic speed comparison of parts you mentined:
https://www.cpubenchmark.net/
https://www.videocardbenchmark.net/

6 years ago
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HDD speed. I hadn't even thought about that. I'll dive into it and see where it gets me.

(I'd only ever play Dota if I can play single player, I've heard horror stories.)

6 years ago
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Naming schemes are very confusing, particularly when it applies to laptop parts, so don't feel bad about being confused.

Minimum: Intel Core i3 2100 - 2 cores, 4 threads, 3.10 GHz
You Have: Intel(R) Core(TM) i5-5200U - 2 cores, 4 threads, 2.2GHz base, 2.7GHz max.
An i5 is normally better than an i3, but that's when comparing like for like, desktop part to desktop part. When comparing a laptop i5 to a desktop i3, that's not necessarily the case. In this case, your laptop i5 only runs at 70-87% of the speed of the desktop i3.

Minimum: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 770 VRAM 2GB or AMD Radeon R9 270X VRAM 2GB
You Have: Intel(R) HD Graphics 5500 / AMD R5 M330
The R5 M330 is really slow, barely faster than the built in iGPU. I don't know why they even bothered including it, except to fool people into thinking the laptop's video card is better than it is.

It's about the same speed as a Geforce GT 630 desktop card. If you search on the GPU Hierarchy chart, the GT 630 is 13 brackets below the GTX 770, 11 spots below the Radeon R9 270X. Suffice it to say, your video card(s) is not anywhere near the minimum required.

So your processor is a little too slow, and your video card is way too slow. :(

6 years ago
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I see. Charts will be my friends from now on. If all games had demos, our lives would be easier, but that'll never happen.

6 years ago
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The minumum requirements don't always match with what you really would need to run a game properly.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AGRf3WHhoto

Like the guy says in the vid you should try to search youtube for any gameplay/benchmark vids with your computers specs (especially with laptops). So in your case I'd go with "i5-5200u hd 5500" or "i5-5200u r5 m330". Some hardware combinations tend to be quite common in laptops so there's a chance that someone has made a vid on the game you're looking at.

If you're desperate you could try to search with worse components. If someone can run a game with, say, an older i3 and slower iGPU then you should be cushty.

Sometimes you can play with below the min specs but you might have to go full potato quality. This guy could be of help: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQkd05iAYed2-LOmhjzDG6g

-J

6 years ago
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I'll look into all these, I hadn't even thought to check that way.

Generally, I prefer to wait and play a game a few years later when it's old enough and can run on my always not-gaming laptop (whatever I have bought each time) than use nice, polite, civilized words all the time while playing.

6 years ago
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Yeah, I miss PC demos too.

Anyway, now that you know roughly where your GPU falls, it should help make the rest easier. You can plug in whatever GPU is listed on the requirements page into that Hierarchy chart, and compare against the GT 630 brackets.

6 years ago
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Rule of thumb is if the laptop details state Intel HD Graphics then you have a non-gaming, consumer laptop. Also, price wise, expect at least 850 USD or more for any laptop to be considered video game dedicated.

However, you can still run games from Steam or flash games on websites.

A few Steam games I can think of are Game Dev Tycoon, This War of Mine, and Stardew Valley.

6 years ago
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I know what I paid for, I mean I'm not expecting miracles, I just wanted to find out what the numbers mean and possibly learn something in the process. :-)

6 years ago
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