PC Will Skyrim work for my laptop's specs?.....

[stormbringer]

I have it for PS3 but want to get it for my laptop. It's not a gaming computer but I was hoping it would pass. My main concern is my CPU and Graphics Card/driver.
Here are the basic specs:

TOSHIBA Satellite L775D PSK40U-005002

Windows 7 Home Premium (x64)

750GB Hardrive

1.40 gigahertz AMD A6-3400M APU with Radeon HD Graphics

• No memory cache
• 64-bit ready
• Multi-core (4 total)
• Not hyper-threaded

5612 Megabytes Usable Installed Memory

AMD Radeon(TM) HD 6520G [Display adapter]
Generic PnP Monitor (17.1"vis)

 

[Dagmar]

The CPU is fine since that AMD automatically overclocks up to 2.3 GHz (until it reaches a certain temperature). The video card is problematic if it's a standalone. That particular integrated GPU is sometimes coupled with a dedicated GPU so double check your laptop to determine if it's coupled or standalone. If it's coupled you may be able to get ok performance at low to medium settings with the right tweaks to the .ini files. If the only GPU is the HD 6520G then the laptop may not be able to run or may only be able to run Skyrim with lots of lag and instability. Even if you can run it with just the lone integrated GPU you'll probably have to do some heavy tweaks to the .ini files and lower the resolution considerably. I wouldn't spend the coin to play it on that laptop but it's up to you if you want to risk it.

 

[stormbringer]

The CPU is fine since that AMD automatically overclocks up to 2.3 GHz (until it reaches a certain temperature). The video card is problematic if it's a standalone. That particular integrated GPU is sometimes coupled with a dedicated GPU so double check your laptop to determine if it's coupled or standalone. If it's coupled you may be able to get ok performance at low to medium settings with the right tweaks to the .ini files. If the only GPU is the HD 6520G then the laptop may not be able to run or may only be able to run Skyrim with lots of lag and instability. Even if you can run it with just the lone integrated GPU you'll probably have to do some heavy tweaks to the .ini files and lower the resolution considerably. I wouldn't spend the coin to play it on that laptop but it's up to you if you want to risk it.

According to NewEgg it's integrated. I really don't want to risk $55 on the PC version if it might work. The reason I want a laptop version is because I play on a PS3 at home but my work causes me to be away from home Friday - Tuesday so I can only play Tuesday night Wednesday and Thursday and then I pack-up and leave again Friday. I want to be able to play it while away and there are some texture packs and a couple of non-cheating mods I am interested in. It's a desktop replacement laptop so the screen is big.

I got the specs using Belarc Advisor. If you know of another tool to help determine what you need to know let me know and I will run it.

PS - I tried to give you a reputation but apparently I already did and it was too soon to do it again.

There are the specs from the above NewEgg link....although that is a refurbished version I believe the specs remain the same as mine as it was purchased new. I just had a birthday and haven't purchased a gift for myself. I don't want to drop a grand on an Alienware laptop but would consider getting a reasonably priced laptop geared more towards gaming if I have too but if this will work, I will get a PC version. I hate to waste a Skyrim licence on a laggy nightmare.


Graphics

GPU/VPU​

AMD Radeon HD 6520G

Video Memory​

Shared system memory

Graphic Type​

Integrated Card

 

[Dagmar]

If you want to use high resolution texture mods I would say forget it. The HD 6520G wasn't specifically tested by notebookcheck.com for Skyrim but it is listed there based on how video cards with similar benchmarks tested and its listed red across the board which means even on the lowest settings it will average below 25 FPS which is the minimum FPS needed for fluidity and stable gameplay. Even keeping in mind that this is without taking performance tweaks including lowering the resolution into account, there's only so much you can do to improve performance, which is why I wouldn't recommend getting the PC version if that's the computer you intend to use to play it.

You can get a new laptop but if you're not willing to drop at least a grand you still probably wont be able to use HD texture mods but you may be able to play the game at low to med settings with some tweaking and use the other mods you had in mind.

 

[stormbringer]

can get a new laptop but if you're not willing to drop at least a grand you still probably wont be able to use HD texture mods but you may be able to play the game at low to med settings with some tweaking and use the other mods you had in mind.

Wow, really? Maybe I could have one built for me. I guess the GPU is key here. Those texture packs can really slow things down.....even some texture packs for Minecraft can cause lag on my PC.

I'll run this info by some people at work who game on PC and/or have experience with building computers.
If you were having a gaming laptop built, what GPU would you tell them to put in?

PS - All sites related to gaming are blocked at my work but I'll check back tonight.

 

[Dagmar]

Unlike desktops, building a laptop is generally not a cheaper alternative and is likely to be more expensive than simply purchasing one from a gaming laptop manufacturer like Asus or MSI. Parts are harder to come by and cost significantly more for the individual consumer than they do for these laptop manufacturers who negotiate bulk discounts for custom orders. The GPU, which is one of the most expensive components for a gaming laptop, is likey to cost you twice as much as it does for a manufacturer like Asus. It's also significantly harder to custom fit components into the laptop casing because you are dealing with a much tighter space. This can become challenging when trying to select the right GPU and CPU and motherboard with the right heatsinks so labor charges may also be more expensive. Then of course you may not have a general warranty for the finished product, just the component warranties.

If you look at my intro article on this website about gaming laptops you'll see a listing of GPUs and also get a general idea of just how expensive a decent laptop for gaming can cost. It's not cheap and it's not for everybody. You can get less expensive laptops for less performance. It's just not ideal for a relatively care free PC gaming experience with nice graphics.

 

[Skullrattla]

Skyrim uses the CPU extensively, and it is possibly more important than the graphics card, but integrated graphics cards=no show.

 

[stormbringer]

Unlike desktops, building a laptop is generally not a cheaper alternative and is likely to be more expensive than simply purchasing one from a gaming laptop manufacturer like Asus or MSI. Parts are harder to come by and cost significantly more for the individual consumer than they do for these laptop manufacturers who negotiate bulk discounts for custom orders. The GPU, which is one of the most expensive components for a gaming laptop, is likey to cost you twice as much as it does for a manufacturer like Asus. It's also significantly harder to custom fit components into the laptop casing because you are dealing with a much tighter space. This can become challenging when trying to select the right GPU and CPU and motherboard with the right heatsinks so labor charges may also be more expensive. Then of course you may not have a general warranty for the finished product, just the component warranties.

If you look at my intro article on this website about gaming laptops you'll see a listing of GPUs and also get a general idea of just how expensive a decent laptop for gaming can cost. It's not cheap and it's not for everybody. You can get less expensive laptops for less performance. It's just not ideal for a relatively care free PC gaming experience with nice graphics.

Amazing amount of info here and that article is awesome! I appreciate it. Someone at work had mentioned reading reviews to check overheating issues like you mentioned in the article. I will be using it to shop for one.

Thanks again. I'll be giving you another recommendation as soon as I am eligible.

 

[yahmad84]

If you want to use high resolution texture mods I would say forget it. The HD 6520G wasn't specifically tested by notebookcheck.com for Skyrim but it is listed there based on how video cards with similar benchmarks tested and its listed red across the board which means even on the lowest settings it will average below 25 FPS which is the minimum FPS needed for fluidity and stable gameplay. Even keeping in mind that this is without taking performance tweaks including lowering the resolution into account, there's only so much you can do to improve performance, which is why I wouldn't recommend getting the PC version if that's the computer you intend to use to play it.

You can get a new laptop but if you're not willing to drop at least a grand you still probably wont be able to use HD texture mods but you may be able to play the game at low to med settings with some tweaking and use the other mods you had in mind.

Actually that's false...i have an hp pavilion with the same specs and the 6520g and i play skyrim at high settings and it runs at about 45 to 50 fps and i installed the high res texture mod and it looks great and runs great there is maybe a 2 to 3 frame drop but still runs quick without any lag whatsoever

 

[yahmad84]

The CPU is fine since that AMD automatically overclocks up to 2.3 GHz (until it reaches a certain temperature). The video card is problematic if it's a standalone. That particular integrated GPU is sometimes coupled with a dedicated GPU so double check your laptop to determine if it's coupled or standalone. If it's coupled you may be able to get ok performance at low to medium settings with the right tweaks to the .ini files. If the only GPU is the HD 6520G then the laptop may not be able to run or may only be able to run Skyrim with lots of lag and instability. Even if you can run it with just the lone integrated GPU you'll probably have to do some heavy tweaks to the .ini files and lower the resolution considerably. I wouldn't spend the coin to play it on that laptop but it's up to you if you want to risk it.

False again..my single radeon 6520g chip can play skyrim smoothly without any lag whatsoever and i didn't have to touch any .ini files or tweak anything at all..its very stable and i play at 1600x900...its not 1920x1080 but still loooks very sharp..im even using the high res texture mod..however let it also be noted that i've overclocked my cpu portion of the apu to 3.07 ghz

 

[Dagmar]

...i play at 1600x900...its not 1920x1080 but still loooks very sharp..im even using the high res texture mod..

If you're going to start off with a compromised screen resolution then of course you're going to get much better performance. If you used that hardware to run 1920x1080 resolution you would see a very large drop in performance level. 1920x1080 resolution provides substantial improvement in graphics quality with the ability to render much more detailed textures, better lighting and better color quality. The reason why you're not getting a performance hit with the high resolution graphics mod you're using is because you're really not getting the benefit of higher resolution graphics so saying that you're running a high resolution graphics mod is kind of meaningless in that context.

..however let it also be noted that i've overclocked my cpu portion of the apu to 3.07 ghz...

Overclocking beyond the factory specs voids the warranty and an overclock of over 3 Ghz is likely to be unstable and will shorten the lifepan of the hardware. The latter is especially true when it comes to overclocking laptop hardware because you have very limited cooling options. Anyone who decides to try this is taking their chances and, if done improperly, they can easily destroy their laptop in a relatively short span of time.

If the OP wants a laptop that can actually benefit from the use of high resolution texture mods he needs to look elsewhere.

 

[yahmad84]

Ok well the processor and graphics chip that were being discussed..either come in 1320x768 or 1600x900 and not 1920x1080 so anyone that owns one would know that if u were able to run in full 1080p that they would get bad performance but the question was how skyrim would perform with the radeon 6520g and the amd apu and given the settings that are allowed to be set with those two factors..it runs it without lag and at the full native res that are set for the particular processor and graphics chip that is in question..so therfore you are still incorrect in saying it will not run without heavy .ini file tweaks or with a ton of lag or instablity...and as for the overclocking comment yes it does void the warranty but i made sure i have proper cooling and i know what i'm doing and anyone who asks about overclocking , i tell them the risks and also advise that they make sure they have such cooling as i have before they even attempt to push past factory clocks

 

[yahmad84]

also as fr the high res mod being senseless , at 1600x900 it still gives the textures a noticeable sharpness..now if someone were running at 1280x720 than no i'd tell them not to even bother but it looks noticeably much clearer at full native res...just like crysis 2 looks noticeably sharper...but at the same time yes i definitely can't deny that the high res mod reaches its full clarity at 1920x1080 and as soon as i get a laptop like that i'll be utilizing it fully

 

[Dagmar]

..it runs it without lag and at the full native res that are set for the particular processor and graphics chip that is in question..so therfore you are still incorrect in saying it will not run without heavy .ini file tweaks or with a ton of lag or instablity...

Run Skyrim without the overclock and then post your performance stats. It's not valid to claim that it doesn't require tweaking when you're doing some far more serious tweaking to the hardware bios (especially because of the risk involved) and not using the laptop as it was originally configured by the manufacturer. Most people don't have a clue how to properly overclock a CPU and people like the OP are better off understanding how performance will be with the intended factory specs.

 

[yahmad84]

I have run skyrim without the overclock and it still runs just fine...hp's have insyde h20 bios which don't allow overclocking through the bios unless you mod the bios or dive into the hidden menu..I use a light weight software program to overclock and i have it set to go back to original factory clocks after the game closes and amd purposely left plenty of overclocking room because the new amd apu's were developed with mid range gamers in mind...that came directly from an AMD chip manufacturer that is a good friend of mine. The only reason i overclocked was to make sure that i get every drop of performance i can out of it but without going over the factory speed it still runs fluidly

 

[Dagmar]

What are your AA and AF settings for Skyrim?

 

[yahmad84]

I actually haven't checked i just let the game automatically set my settings to high quality but just guessing its both are probably 4x but i'll give u the specific actual settings the next time i boot skyrim up which will be tomorrow...LOVE this game