How can I know if a game can run on my computer?

I want to buy a few games off steam. But I am not too sure if my computer can run them. Is there a way to check? I already tried doing "Can you RUN it" ( Can You RUN It | Can I run that game | Game system requirements) it gets confused with my weak graphics card Intel HD graphics 4000. So once again I ask is there any way to know if my computer can run a game?

 

Best way of finding out is A: Checking what the minimum specs are for the game and B: asking on a gaming forum like we have here.

Offhand, the HD4000 will run older games at least on low/medium settings decently, but newer games on very low/low, and depends on resolution.

Also there's a difference between "Running" and "Playing". I technically could "Run" any game on my 9600m GT, but as far as "Playing" a game, it depends on the settings I use to get a certain framerate. Usually anything over 30FPS is considered "playable". Some games won't or refuse to "run" on anything detected as Intel though.

 

OK, so how do I compare between my current gaming card which is AMD Radeon 7730M with the minimum requirements? Second I just wanted let you know the 4000 is my power-saving card (I have 2 cards in one computer) used for weak task like web browsing. Also is this site reliable? Computer Games on Laptop Graphic Cards - NotebookCheck.net Tech
But it's kinda weird because some graphic cards that are lower on the list actually can play games better than ones higher on the list so it made me question it's reliability. Thanks!

Additionally I completely agree with you with the running and playing part. I want to know if this card, the Radeon one of course, can run the game and play the game it can be on low settings I don't care as long as it can play ~30 FPS or more like you said.

 

NotebookCheck is a good/reliable source for general info and specs regarding GPUs. Keep in mind that the benchmarking results can vary due to different variables and hardware variations. Most game manufacturers list desktop GPUs in the game requirements. Maybe you could find the desktop equivalent of your 7730M and then you would have a better idea of which game's requirements you'd meet.

From the looks of it your GPU should "run" most modern games, but not necessarily on high settings. You may have to lower the graphics settings in each game or in your AMD control panel. Turning of anti aliasing and anisotropic filtering can help FPS, but also reduce graphic quality. You have to find a balance between performance and image quality by changing the settings and maybe even boosting performance (over volting, or over clocking).

 

Thank you so much for this info! So if I can find the desktop equivalent I can use system requirements & benchmarks to tell if it can play it right? Only problem is HOW do I found out the desktop equivilant of a 7730M?

 

Well you could compare 3D Mark XX Benchmark scores to get an idea of which desktop GPU is closest to yours. I have the GTX 660M and it isn't even close to the GTX 660 desktop, it runs at a fraction of the wattage. So comparing 3D Mark 6 scores (mine hits 15-16,000 OCed) it would compare to maybe the GTX 650 or a stretch the GTX 550Ti ( here is a relative GPU performance graph). So benchmark yours and compare your score to desktop GPUs. Yours scored a 9,600 on 3D Mark 6 (according to notebookcheck) so it might compare to the Nvidia GT 240 or the Radeon HD 5670. But this is really just theoretical and based on a scoring system that has many variables. Go to notebookcheck's benchmark page and in the restrictions select "show desktop and mobile GPUs" and then you will see more or less where it stands.

 

Awesome! Also I found a very great site! If you click on the link it'll lead you to a site called "Game-Debate" and I chose it to show me the system requirements for the game Hitman Absolution. But the really cool part is if you scroll down until it says "can I run Hitman Absolution" then you can just plug in the CPU, GPU, RAM, and Resolution your PC has and it tells you if it can run it or not sorta like "can you run it" from system requirements lab except you can completely control it. Also there is a option to say if it's a laptop and desktop. I recommend you try it and see if it's accurate. If it is then my way of knowing if a laptop can play a game has improve 100%!!

When I plugged in my specs which are:

CPU: Intel Core i7 QM 2.2 GHz Quad Core
GPU: Radeon HD 7730M
RAM: 8 GB
Resolution: 1920x1080

It said Medium or High Settings - This system should have little trouble with Hitman Absolution
Do you think this is correct or close to correct?

 

Game Debate is good. I like the fact that they test and then throw in their own adjustments to the system requirement recommendations.

From what I see, you should have no problems playing the game. Typically, you want to exceed even the recommended requirements for optimal performance.

 

as the link doesnt show any scores for your 7730 (94th on the list) look at this page on notebookcheck Mobile Graphics Cards - Benchmark List - NotebookCheck.net Tech

if you download 3dmark06 / vantage / 3dmark11 / 3dmark from my signature below you can run these benchmark programs and compare them to the thousands of owners of the same card around the world.

 

Thank you so much for the clarification! I'm so glad I can trust this site I really like it!

That is so cool! But I need some more explaining how to compare. What do these "marks" represent? Which mark do you want to look at?

 

You're welcome!

The 3D Mark numerical values represent a rating; basically, the higher the number, the more capable/powerful the graphics unit is. The other nomenclature is in regards to features that the graphics unit touts. As you may notice, the graphics chips that are listed in MrDJ's link are sectioned off by color as well, and starting from top to bottom, are listed according to how high they rank in 3D mark scoring.

It's a very thorough list - almost tediously so - but it's a great in-depth look at how different GPUs rate.

 

That site looks legit and those settings look about right. If you lower the resolution you will experience even better results or higher FPS. I recommend you find (through your own unique benchmarking) your GPU counterpart (desktop or laptop) to compare to. People are always posting their FPS benchmarks of new games and if you figure out which cards yours compares to, you'll get a better idea of what to expect when you purchase a new game. I only suggest this because there is limited info on your card. If you find the Nvidia or desktop counterpart then you may have more info available to you in terms of gaming performance.

 

That is very cool! But I can't find this list can you send me a link where to download or find it?

So what you are saying is benchmark my laptop using FutureMark's 3Dmark thing and compare it? I'll try it!

 

The benchmarks failed since it thought it was for the Intel HD graphics 4000 again.

 

Huh, go into your AMD control panel and set 3D Mark to use dedicated graphics instead of integrated graphics. I am not familiar with AMD enduro (optimus function) as I have an Nvidia so Im not 100% sure it works the same way. With the Nvidia card you sometimes have to set each program and which card you want to use to run it. Your laptop might be set on default or adaptive so it isn't switching to the 7730M. What make and model is your notebook? Some laptops have a physical button or a software switch that changes between GPUs. This is your best bet, despite the claim that these systems can automatically detect GPU load and switch.

Although I have optimus I still have to manually set which GPU to use with all of my programs. It does try to "guess" when the new game or program is installed, but it is sometimes wrong. I also have a VGA button which only disables the 660M and forces the Intel 4000 graphics. It is more of a power saving feature than an actual button to change between the two. My laptop also has two indicator lights which tell me which GPU currently is being used, these are very handy. So find out how to switch to your AMD GPU and you should be able to use the "Can you RUN it" type programs or benchmark your GPU to find out which games you can play...

 

Oh man if I could fix it! I use AMD switchable graphics. But the thing is I've switched everything to High Performance rather than power-saving or is there another option?
Sorry it's low quality I got it from the internet I was on my desktop at the moment so I was too lazy lol
I believe I've seen the AMD control panel before there are a TON of options maybe I could find some 3D mark option but I never seen it.

Also the computer is a inspiron 15r Special Edition or just Inspiron 7520 both the same thing just different name.

 

at work now so cant check out the pic as blocked

also sadly i know nothing about amd drivers and its control panel so i cant advise on that either

 

Just click on "browse" and find the exe for 3D mark and set it to high performance. And set the other things back to power saving (i.e. notepad, etc) otherwise you'll be draining battery unnecessarily.

 

Switchable graphics are cheeky.

Most users set everything to high performance, but then you'll really need to stay plugged into your AC adapter on account of battery drain, as HTWingNut mentioned.

 

I found another Inspiron 15r user that had the same issue and here is the cut and paste of the response from Dell Support;

If the program you are looking for isn't listed hit the browse button under "other applications" and find 3D Mark's exe file. Also any games you install you are going to want to add them to the list, especially steam, which will control all steam games. Make sure steam, 3D Mark, and possibly your browser (to be able to use those "Can I RUN it" type programs) are set to run with AMD graphics. Be careful selecting your browser to be used with AMD graphics all he time because it will drain your battery quickly. Maybe do it temporarily when you want to run those game requirement detection programs, then disable it (switch back to Intel graphics) afterwards. Also, do you have any indicator lights (or switch) to tell you which GPU is being used? That will make it so your not guessing if it's actually Intel graphics or dedicated graphics.

Don't play around with the 3D graphic settings (anti aliasing, anisotropic filtering, etc) unless you have a solid understanding of what you are influencing. Try to find the options that govern which GPU is used for which program, and under what conditions. To me it sounds like your dGPU (AMD) isn't kicking in when it should, and that could cause all types of gaming issues and overall performance.

Edit: Also, check out the Dell Inspiron 15R Owners Thread for other owner's FPS/performance in modern games, and advise about the switchable GPU. The page I linked above has a post about a possible BIOS update that is supposed to correct BSOD (black screen of death) caused by the AMD GPU. You should look into installing that update from Dell if you are having issues with the notebook not switching properly. Sometimes the drivers need to be updated to get better and more stable performance, so that is another option as well. Some owners have talked about disabling the Intel 4000 GPU to ensure that they are using AMD, but I would only recommend that as a last resort or a temp solution to play some games. According to that thread the 7730M is rated slightly lower than the GT 640M, so that should give you an idea of what to expect (or something to compare to) from modern games.

 

I tried both 3D mark and Can you run it with high performance on both. Both failed I'll show you some pictures.

 

It seems that either it's not switching, or it is but it's failing (AMD GPU). Did you go into the "Power" tab and then "Switchable Graphics Method" and check "select the GPU manually"? The only way to check if your GPU is working properly is to install a game (or steam) and give it a try at this point. Also are you doing these steps while running on battery or while plugged in? I only ask because power options can restrict your overall processing power and even cause the GPU to not switch maybe. Reading through that thread I saw that other owners are running modern games on that rig, so you shouldn't have any problems as long as it switches properly.

As far as telling if you can run a game or not I would just compare your GPU to the GT 640M, which has many more game benchmarks than your GPU on NotebookCheck. In the link scroll down to Hitman Absolution, and you'll get the FPS that you'll likely experience. I would also check your drivers and maybe update your BIOS to ensure that your hardware is up to date.

 

Your drivers are current, right?

 

You only have 2 options in switchable graphics power-saving or high performance and I already put high performance on both chrome and 3dmark neither work. Looks like I'll just use Game-Debate and 640m benchmarks.Also I really hope switchable graphics isn't broken. But I've been able to play every game so far flawlessly which the 4000 couldn't do, so I doubt it's broken.
I have a good feeling I'll be able to play it both Game-Debate and the benchmarks say so. And you said the thread said so. And you say so and so did a few other people. So i'm 100% sure it should be fine

What do you mean? How can I check?

 

gamers regularly update their graphics drivers when new ones are released.

as i said before ive never used ati/amd so dont know anything about the drivers or control panel.

i run my computer on high performance all the time. only put it on lower settings if on battery. easiest way is hover mouse on battery in bottom right task bar and make sure high performance is ticked.

the can you run it page is total pants as when i first got my 680gtx (fastest you can get at mo) it actually failed on one of the call of duty games. loaded game and ran on maxed out and runs perfectly.

dont bother with 3dmark11 or 3dmark as im not sure your card has dx11. older software but still worth benchmarking.
hopefully someone will soon come up with a solution so you can run the newer benchmark tools.

download 3dmark06 and vantage and try to run them.

 

Video drivers. A driver is a piece of software that allows the hardware to communicate with the rest of the system.

Since I don't put much faith in update managers, the most current amd driver for your card can be found here. There are also BETA drivers available.

For your Intel video driver, look here.

It's also a good idea to have your chipset driver current as well.

 

You should be good to game. Like you acknowledged, use the 640M for comparison and that should be pretty close. Your card might be slightly slower. I dont like to use the "detect your hardware" programs because they usually require java, and I refuse to install it on any of my devices. In my experience the java updater (or something posing as the java updater) is susceptible to all types of malware and possible viruses. Since I have stopped using it I have had no issues. Anyways keep your drivers current by checking for the latest versions. And let us know how it all works out...

 

Oh I checked it's defintely DX11 at least for the radeon card. I'm not sure about the intel one but it doesn't really matter

Thank you for letting me know about this. Looks like my Radeon is already up to date but my intel card had a pretty big update
I also checked the chipset. No update there.

You were right I played the game perfectly on medium quality just like what the 640m says. Thanks again!

 

No worries, I am glad I could help. I can definitely relate to being unsure about game performance, especially with my last laptop. I can see a benefit to sticking with popular or mainstream GPUs because then you have so much more info or input from other owners to work with. Happy gaming bro!