laptops

[drewsof]

So I have unfortunately not been able to play HoMM 5 at all yet... my desktop has a crappy video card and my parents are reluctant to update it. However, I just ordered my laptop for college and I'm planning on getting an after-market upgrade on the video card. I ordered a Dell Latitude through Boston College's site, so I could really do anything to it via them. I was wondering if anyone had any suggestions as to a) where I should go (i live outside of Philly - will a best buy work or should i go somewhere specialized?) and b) what card should I go for? i don't want to break the bank on a card, but I want to get something that will let me play HoMM5, probably DMoMM in the future, and keep me going strong for at least a few years.

thanks in advance to anyone who give suggestions!!

[thecheese]

My laptop owns entire planets, so I won't bother listing its specs. As far as the card is concerned, you can get decent graphics using a Radeon 9600 series, or its nvidia equivilant, though you really won't be able to run it on high, but those cards aren't too expensive. I'm currently using the GeForce Go 7900 GTX (512 mb card), which runs the game on highest settings like its nothing, but that might qualify as "breaking the bank". However, if you're looking for longevity, it might be wise to spend the extra money.

[MrSteamTank]

go to www.tigerdirect.com that site has video cards directly from the supplier. I'd definitely recommend a 512 mb card if you want longetivity although a 256 mb will run game just fine.

[thecheese]

I second tigerdirect.com. Bought a vid card, a gig of ram, and my old desktop from there, great prices, especially for parts.

[jeff]

A question are you talking about a video card for your laptop or your desktop? I thought replacing a laptops video card was a lot more difficult.

[cornellian]

A question are you talking about a video card for your laptop or your desktop? I thought replacing a laptops video card was a lot more difficult.

Believe me it is...

Drewsof, not every graphics card you buy will be compatible with your power supply's voltage ratings, not to mention your motherboard. If you aren't sure if your mobo supports PCI-e graphics cards then stop right now before buying something you'll have a hard time of returning to...

As you are in U.S, I suggest www.newegg.com as it is simply the best electronics/computer hardware store of Internet. I recently built a new computer from scratch with every single part from newegg, and never had the slightest problem..

I recommend you call Dell (actually I recommend that you don't but a Dell in the first place) and get the specifications of the motherboard and ask the reps to name couple compatible video cards.. For the card itself, a 7600 gt equivalent would be a good solution for you; it is relatively cheap, at least compared to 7900gt, and most you'll lose will be %25 performance in shooters and nothing in a game like HoMM V -it will nicely work at the highest details without a problem. As a matter of fact yesterday I finished F.E.A.R. in my own computer that has an eVGA 7600 OCed; throughout the game it didn't skip a frame in the highest settings and FEAR is a beast..

[Alamar]

However, I just ordered my laptop for college and I'm planning on getting an after-market upgrade on the video card.

I don't think that you can upgrade your video card on most laptops .. you are pretty much stuck with what you order from Dell. That may not always be the case but it is often ... buyer beware!!

BTW If you ordered a Dell then I'd call Dell tech support to double check before you make further plans.

[Omega_Destroyer]

Upgrade the ram. I have a Sony Vaio and I upped the ram to 2 gigs. Runs beautifully now.

[jeff]

Ram is about the only somewhat easy upgrade I know of for a laptop.

[erased. over. out]

I own a Toshiba Satellite- I bought mine mid 2004, and it has a crappy 64MB Intel chipset something or the other. I feel like I've gotten away with murder as the game runs smoothly on it on normal settings. The only drawback is that I have to use the edited .exe file- the Sylvan and the Academy towns appear "black". Other than that, the game hardly lags

[fiur]

Here is my laptop:
Asus A7J
Core Duo T2300 1.66 GHz 17" TFT
1 GB RAM (533MHz)
HD: 100 GB - Serial ATA-150
ATI Mobility Radeon X1600 - 256 MB

Heroes V works very well on this one (everything set to "max" )

[theGryphon]

I have a Dell M70. Works like charm to me and I love it. The game plays perfect with everything maxed, except that frame rate drops when I view close to the ground, especially on large maps with lots of trees. Specs are:

Pentium M 2.0 GHz
2 GB RAM
256 MB Nvidia Quadro FX Go1400 (it's a more stabilized 6800 chip)
15.4" @ 1920x1200
80GB 7200RPM HDD

[jeff]

I own a Toshiba Satellite- I bought mine mid 2004, and it has a crappy 64MB Intel chipset something or the other. I feel like I've gotten away with murder as the game runs smoothly on it on normal settings. The only drawback is that I have to use the edited .exe file- the Sylvan and the Academy towns appear "black". Other than that, the game hardly lags

Your specs sound similar to mine, what is the edited .exe file? Also is there any problem loading Heroes on 2 computers as long as you are only using one at a time (ie not using a copy of the disk)?