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[Sirus]

Alright, I have a $40 Best Buy giftcard. I'm looking to spend it on a PC game or two. The problem is that my laptop's specs are fairly poor, so new stuff like Amnesia or Skyrim are right out.

Windows 7
Intel Dual-Core 2.4Ghz processor
4GB RAM
Intel Integrated HD-3000 video card

So what does Bay12 suggest? I'm currently looking for a decent roleplaying game, but I enjoy most genres.

[Sensei]

For the record, your computer can probably handle Skyrim. I played it a lot on my desktop with 3GB of ram and a dual 2.1ghz AMD processor. If you look at the very bottom of this page on the Elder Scrolls wiki, you can see that people have used your graphics card to run the game comfortably at low settings.

[Medium / Low] These cards should run Skyrim, with the right tweaks you could probably get them to look as good as the console version. The farther you get down the list the closer you are to low end.

So it'll look ugly, but you should actually be able to run it without choppiness if you turn graphics down.

I dunno how hot that'll make your laptop, but evidently it's been done.

[Sirus]

Huh, that's interesting. I'm so used to playing even 6-8 year old games (like Half-Life 2) on the bare minimum settings that I never even considered running Skyrim. I also have a cooling platform, so that should help keep the heat down.

[ductape]

I seriously doubt your intel integrated card will handle it anywhere near well enough to play it.

Let me recommend Morrowind if you havent played it already. Mod the hell out of it.

[nenjin]

Yeah, there's a chance you're throwing away money on Skyrim with that integrated chip. I've heard of people on laptops with integrated chips, but that's not a guarantee.

[Sirus]

Well, I already have Morrowind. And Oblivion is actually installed on it, and works (somewhat).

In any case, Skyrim is a little expensive. I'm trying to stay under $40, or go just a little bit over.

[Kilroy the Grand]

STALKER, Portal, Mass effect are all good choices.

[QuakeIV]

dwarf fortress

[Flying Dice]

Just like to step in to mention that yeah, you probably won't be able to run Skyrim with that Intel intergrated card. I have the same one (and similar/identical specs), and I can run Morrowind fine, and can barely play New Vegas with FPS capped at 15 and graphics all at the lowest settings.


Honestly, I don't know what you have/could buy at Best Buy; they aren't exactly what I think of as a 'game store', and I've rarely seen much selection in them (not that I've bought games at brick&mortar stores for years). I'd say just go in, look around, and if you see absolutely anything that you don't own and think is interesting, count yourself lucky.

[Sirus]

@ Kilroy: STALKER might be interesting. Are you talking about Shadow of Cherynobl or what?
(has Portal and ME)

@ Quake: I don't think Toady accepts Best Buy gift cards 

@ Dice: I agree, I use Steam for most of my purchases, and digital downloads are easier on shelf space. But again, Best Buy gift cards are only good at Best Buy, and I've already looked into upgrading my laptop to have a better graphics card (no go). Other than games, they don't have anything else that interests me.

I've been looking at either the Neverwinter Nights series or an strategy game like Warcraft 3 or Age of Empires III. Thoughts?

[Kilroy the Grand]

@ Kilroy: STALKER might be interesting. Are you talking about Shadow of Cherynobl or what?
(has Portal and ME)

I've been looking at either the Neverwinter Nights series or an strategy game like Warcraft 3 or Age of Empires III. Thoughts?

Neverwinter night (The first one was pretty fun) I thought the second was trash though. Warcraft three was pretty fun, when I played it a few years ago.

And yes, STALKER:SoC, there are a surprising amount of mods for it, although the engine it's build on is prone to crashing.

[Orangebottle]

Baldur's Gate II.
The Binding of Isaac.
Terraria.
Uplink.
Dungeons of Dredmor.

[Sirus]

Baldur's Gate II.
The Binding of Isaac.
Terraria.
Uplink.
Dungeons of Dredmor.

$40 Best Buy giftcard

Can't get any of those.

[Kilroy the Grand]

you could always buy a visa giftcard, then use that to put money on your steam account

[Sirus]

you could always buy a visa giftcard, then use that to put money on your steam account

I actually looked into that. The only problem is that they charge almost $6 to buy a pre-paid Visa card.