The best Netbook for gaming.

I know they are not meant for gaming, and certainly not serious gaming, but I am looking for a 8,9-12' inch netbook/notebook that is suitable for light gaming.

thinking about free mmos, battlefield heroes, Quake live, perhaps some counter-strike and so on...


The best I have seen is the Asus N10. 10' with a dedicated 9300m GS, 2 Gig Ram and a 1.6 Atom. Very impressive 320 GB harddrive, but probably slow.


Has anyone any other suggestions? EEE, Aser Aspire One, Lenovo 10 and the others just look like they all have the same specifications.

Though I am curious about their graphics. All of them probably have integrated cards, but is there a difference between a Intel 950 and a Intel X3100? does it make a different how much shared memory they have on the card?

How exactly is the 1.6 Atom processor? I hear it's battery efficent, but how is it under gaming?

 

the best one is actually the ASUS N10.

It actually has Nvidia 9300M GS in it... which is why its the best gaming netbook.

But for technical correctness... the definition of a "netbook" is supposed to be using a ultra-low cost CPU, 10-inch and under, integrated graphics.
- so by the ASUS N10 having a dedicated GPU, it has broken away from the "netbook" definition to becoming a "notebook"

 

Here's a review that answers your questions about the N10: http://www.notebookreview.com/default.asp?newsID=4686

Other netbooks aren't interesting for gaming.

 

pretty bad. the core 2 duo's are much more battery efficient. the only plus to the atom's is that they are cheap and low power.

still, i see no reason why a 9300 gs with a 1.6ghz processor couldn't handle counter strike or battlefield heros.

 

Don't get a netbook and expect to game at all. The reason for the 9300M in the N10 is because it has an HDMI port and needs that GPU to drive the high resolution.
Since you're open minded to 12" laptops, consider upping to 13" - something like the Lenovo U330. Real Core 2 Duo and a Radeon 3450 which will game okay.

The atom is a very very weak CPU. It's equivalent to about a Pentium 3 1GHz. This will be a huge bottleneck when it comes to gaming as well when you are looking at netbooks.

 

You said it - the N10, and thats only because of the GPU - all the others are running Intel 950 intergrated graphics.

The only thing is though that on anything more demading than something like WoW or COD4 the CPU is a major bottleneck....poor little Atom's were not designed to play games after all....although overclocking them to 2.0GHz does make a world of difference!!

If you have a look at the link to my blog below you can see the screenshots of WoW being run on my EeePC 1000H (when I still had it) and pre- WotLK it was running not too bad - well for solo questing and the AH anyways!

The 1000H was running 950 Intel Intergrated graphics. You really need dedicated though, again because of that Atom CPU, at least the GPU can take some of the load away from the CPU then.

For gaming I ended up just getting rid of the netbook and bought the Vostro below - runs a lot better for games. There are plenty of 13" notebooks out there that will run games quite decently now.

 

If you don't mind going to a 13.3" notebook then the LG P310 is a great option. Its GPU is a 9600m gt, downside is it lacks a dvd drive. Buts it got a hell of a lot of gaming power for such a small notebook.

 

Sony Z 13.3". 2.53ghz 320gb 7200rpm drive and Nvidia 9300. Very portable gaming option and blu-ray drive also.

 

you said a 12" if you a great/powerful one in that size look at the Asus U6

 

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I thought pretty much all netbooks have the same specs anyway.

1.6GHz Intel Atom Processor
1GB RAM
Intel 950 graphics
Windows XP/Linux

Anyway you guys ought give this little thing more credit. It's capable of playing games like GTA3 & GTA:VC, as well as WC3, and a handful of other games.

 

yeah thats true netbooks are good for "light gaming" on the go.

 

eh not really since those games only require pentium II's and III's to play and dont require powerful graphics cards at all, so thats really not saying much.

 

yep thats 100% true im sure this thing can run game like san andreas in full too

 

Yea, but these are still good solid games that are still being played these days, and the posts earlier on make it sound like netbooks are incapable of any type of gaming.

Also, here you go: WoW on an EEE1000H with an average of 20fps.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xx99_Ae7MZM&feature=related

 

If you are interested on an Asus N10 for gaming, you can be interested on this review:
http://techreport.com/articles.x/15940

 

You need to remember that this video is pre WotLK...or patch 3.0 for that matter, there were some changes to the graphics engine that Blizzard have made where a few people have had to upgrade their old PC's or face reduced quality of play (they introduced shadows and a few other graphics tweaks that require a semi reasonable graphic card to get all the detail at decent FPS now) my 1000H struggled after that patch came out for anything other than solo questing in the older world (pre BC and WotLK)....

Anyone playing a DK or running around Northrend can confirm this for you before anyone else starts saying that WoW runs really well on Intergrated graphics...

Here is my 1000H machine running WoW pre Patch 3.0: (Click for larger) I also used a modded .w t f file (forums wont let me spell it properly!) as well as the usual in-game video tweaks





So yes a netbook can run games, if you like running a game, just, without much detail and have something more powerful to game on as well (like a desktop) but realistically they were not designed with gaming in mind, and they are VERY laggy, so yes someone who wants portability and games is far better off getting something at the very least, like an N10, but a Dual Core CPU will be a better option long term as well.

 

Hmm okay. Didn't know that.

Anyway, sorry to hijack this thread, but is there really any difference between most of the netbooks? Like say, the Asus EEE S101, Acer Aspire One, MSI Wind, HP Mini Note, Dell Mini, Lenovo S10?

It seems like the price can differ by quite a bit, but all the specs are pretty much the same! Intel Atom 1.6GHz, Intel GMA950 and 512 - 1024mb RAM.

 

N10 Running COD4: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WoF2ppr4IEA

N10 Running Crysis Warhead: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GqzhtI_xhPY



I wanted a 10' because I wanted something really really small but powerful. I need a light gaming laptop I can take with me EVERYWHERE. I need it for writing as well so keyboard is important.


I have a 15' now and OMG its so big. cant carry it around anywhere. I think 13' maybe even 12' is too big.

 

This review claims those videos are a fake:
http://techreport.com/articles.x/15940

 

lol I am hearing you, my work notebook is a 15" HP behemoth, personally I find it huge compared to using my own personal notebooks!

As for 13"..have you seen the Vaio Z series then? They are amazingly light and quite small, not to mention uber powerful for their size, gaming on one of them would be a lot better, physcially they are not that big either even when compared with an N10 (remember the Asus has a massive bezel around the screen which brings its physical dimensions in around the same as a Z).

The N10 in person is actually heavier than the Z when I had a close look at the both of them (I also wanted a very small and yet powerful ultraportable that was capable of some games...but you can't get everything )

For small and powerful I bought the Vaio TT, yet despite a dual core and DDR3 memory anything other than Age of Mythology on it struggles in a big way...lol

 

I hear you. Sony Z was my first choice. Sony just launched Vaio in my country. The thing though is that the Sony Vaio computers are so incredible expenssive.

A Vaio Z here costs the same as a new Macbook Pro. It's insane!!!!! Must be some european tax issue that makes it cost so much more. hmmm.

But they really are incredible no doubt about it.

 

. that makes me so sad...

In a way I guess I shouldn't be surprised. I thought the N10 was too good to be true...


why would anyone do that? and how did they fake it?`with streaming, or a play-back gameplay video or something? he zooms out a couple of times while playing to show its the n10. dammit



The problem with the other suggestions like the Lenovo Ideapad, which are really beautiful, is that they are not in my country. Lenovo only sells their business laptops in large parts of the world. They are really cool looking though. I hate thinkpad, but Ideapad looks so slick and awesome.

 

The Sony Z notebooks are amazing. This would definitely be my ideal notebook if I wasn't looking for a desktop replacement. The price is way out of the typical netbook range though.

 

I heard Lenovo S10 has a X4500 Integrated card.

How much better are they than the Intel 950?

 

Cnets review of N10:

"Gaming performance is best viewed through the prism of realistic expectations. No one should expect much from an Atom CPU and 1GB of RAM, but we were still able to milk some acceptable frame rates out of Unreal Tournament III. To get 29 frames per second, we had to dial the resolution down to 800x600, which is close to the display's native resolution of 1,024x600, and we kept the detail level at medium. The result was a reasonable experience that jumped a few frames occasionally, but was certainly playable."

http://reviews.cnet.com/laptops/asus-n10j-a1/4505-3121_7-33316326.html

I don't get it with all these mixed signals about the N10.

UT3 is an unreal engine 3.0 powered game. they are very demanding.

 

Or perhaps you should wait a little ..

http://gizmodo.com/5111999/nvidia-i...oks-with-5x-faster-graphics-and-full-hd-video

 

IMAGINE in 2012 a netbook with a nVidia GTX 280m GX2 GPU only 15" ' s

ah wishful thinking.

 

That was a typo on Lenovo's part when they posted preliminary specs. The X4500 is P35M chipset, X3100 is 965M, and since the Atom requires a 950 chipset... not possible.

 

so lenovo S10 = X3100?

 

No, S10 = GMA 950 just like every other netbook excluding the Asus N10.

I'd love a netbook with a dual core atom and an X4500, but sadly it's just not going to be happening [at least not for a long time - Intel has forbid manufacturers from using dual core atoms in laptops, only in desktops]

 

here the asus n10 playing bioshock

<object width='480' height='295'><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/T1R6BrYvuIk&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/T1R6BrYvuIk&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width='480' height='295'></embed></object>

and here is it playing couter strike source:

<object width='480' height='295'><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/yShYLqDbkZ8&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/yShYLqDbkZ8&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width='480' height='295'></embed></object>

 

CnC3: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MXkJsU60DQI

LOTR Online: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p29Ejno6CD0

Left 4 Dead: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O4VnhPZy1jQ

Need for speed most wanted: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OjSk7S7Jrik

Warhammer online: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KgMsnMh3lr4



I wonder if all these videos are fake?

 

I have an N10J and it can play most games perfectly fine. Part of it is to overclock the CPU. Mine runs at 2.1GHz just fine, and allows you to play pretty much every new game out there except Crysis, Far Cry 2, and GTA 4.

I can personally attest to Fallout 3, Battlefield 2, Red Alert 3, Warcraft 3, and C&C Generals Zero Hour running great on the N10.

Quite amazing little machine. With XP get a little over 4 hours with basic desktop, web surfing stuff. I can even game for about two hours on battery too. The Atom CPU is a 2.5W CPU so sips power. Granted the 9300m GS is what consumes the most juice. But even if you switch to the GMA 950 (physical switch) you only get about 30 minutes more. I guess battery life with Vista is up to an hour more than XP.

 

Have you tried Oblivion, Assassins Creed or The Witcher on it?


How can it be that that the N10 is the only machine who has dedicated graphics in its range? how is it possible?

 

its because it's asus

nuff said

 

Thanks for the vids, and would someone like to test Assassins creed, gears of war, and bioshock (with FPS included please)

 

I will test all, Oblivion, Assassin's Creed, Witcher and BioShock since I own all. I think I might still have Gears of War, or maybe gave it away (didn't like it).

Should have a little time tonight to try at least one, maybe one each night.

 

Becuase other people thought it was futile to put in a dedicated GPU in a netbook. Asus made an awesome machine though.

It is a little expensive and is marketed as a subnotebook not as a netbook though.

I have to say though, even with my CPU overclocked to 2.1GHz, the Atom is a bit anemic. For a dedicated GPU it should come with a minimum 2.1 GHz Atom with overclock to 2.5GHz, then we'll probably see the 9300m GS being tapped out fully. Keep in mind though that the 9300m GS is a PCI-E 1x only though. Considering the small resolution though (1024x600) this makes it manageable.

 

After watching the Bioshock video I have a hard time believing it's real.
..I have to look into how CPU intensive that game is, but I'm not buying. Way too smooth.

 

Ok, will install Bioshock. Not sure what the settings were for that game in the video but will give it a go.

I will probably only do intro stuff and first few minutes of play since I deleted all my saved games if that's OK?

 

you cant overclock the cpu to over 2 ghz so it will be able to run bioshock

 

Initial feedback on Bioshock:

Atom CPU @ 2.1GHz (stock = 1.6GHz)
Bioshock v. 1.1
ForceWare 180.70 (laptopvideo2go)
Windows XP SP3
FPS measured with FRAPS (visual notes)

Minimum Game Detail:
Action areas: 20-30fps
non-Action areas: 27-45 fps

High Detail:
Action areas: 7-25 fps (7 was one occurence)
non-Action areas: 17-35 fps (avg was smooth, about 20-25 fps)

Action areas = other units in area, water, with fighting
non-Action areas = walking through corridors

It is surprisingly smooth in most cases, even with lower fps, and defitely playable. I'll try to get a YouTube video up sometime soon, just will have to edit the file to keep it reasonable size (i.e. delete transitions, etc).

 

You are saying you CAN'T or you CAN? I overclock to 2.1 GHz all the time for games. Makes everything very playable. No you won't get 100 fps with newer games, but usually it's smooth enough even with medium detail. With Bioshock, it runs well, and just turn on shaders for best effects, and turn on global lighting to lighten the CPU load, and it runs fairly well.

 

How do you overclock this machine? Is it easy and safe?

 

Get SetFSB.

Set Clock Generator to ICS9LPR310BGLF.

Bump up the FSB clock as you wish. Keep in mind the CPU multiplier is 12x, so default is 133x12x = 1.6GHz. I run at 175x12 = 2.1GHz for gaming.

Plus, take a visit to the n10user.com site. In particular this thread and my post there (Pg 8 - #176, same username HTWingNut)

Check out my post #172 as well. The N10 doesn't like it when you reboot with an overclocked CPU (well, not much more than 1.75GHz in most cases). So use my method there to ensure your CPU automatically downclocks to normal before it restarts.

 

Nvidia Ion chipset to be in netbooks by June

 

That's pretty amazing - thanks for all the info htwingnut!
I honestly would never have believed it to be true, but I'll trust you!
That's awesome stuff. Makes me reconsider waiting around for a better netbook and go for the N10... with that overclock I'd be gaming better than my "gaming laptop," and aged Inspiron 9200 (Radeon 9700, Pentium M 1.6GHz)
...Though of course now I will be waiting for the Ion Jayayess posted about...

 

I loved my Eee 1000h, but its lack of ability to play games decently killed it for me. No, it's not a gaming platform, but I do like to game now and again, and I also like to tinker too. I have been using my N10 more than my notebook to be honest. It's so tiny that it can easily be ported anywhere.

Highly recommend getting a Logitech VX Nano mouse though. The USB receiver is super tiny, and the mouse is small but has five buttons and works great for games too.

 

I'd honestly just get a B/T mouse. Painful for gaming, yeah, but then I don't need a receiver at all.

 

True, B/T is a good alternative, but the VX Nano is so responsive, and the USB dongle, well, isn't a dongle at all, it's a tiny nub. Whoever said smaller isn't better?