T61 or X61 - Play Starcraft 2?

I know its early and the release date for Starcraft 2 hasn't even been set, just curious what your thoughts are regarding if it will be playable on the T61 or the X61? I'm not an avid gamer, but I do still play the one and only Starcraft and am eagerly awaiting Starcraft II (never got into Wacraft III or World of Warcraft).

Curious if I buy an X61 or T61, if I'll have to buy a new computer just to play Starcraft II (assuming its released sometime in 2008).

Also, I'm trying to decide between the X and the T series for school this fall. Not that your answer regarding Starcraft II will have any bearing in my decision....haha

 

Well, the X61 doesn't have a DVD drive right? Even just installing SC2 would be a hassle. Plus you don't really want to play a RTS on a tiny screen anyway.

Although the T61's NVS140M and the T61P's FX 570M aren't designed for gaming, I'm sure that, considering the overall trend of how scalable Blizzard's games are, you should be able to play SC2 just fine.

 

Well both WC and WoW can be played on intel integrated graphics chips, so I have a feeling blizzard would follow the same trend. Even if there is no optical drive, by the time the game comes out you may be able to download the game directly, since more and more games are becoming available for download online.

 

Well, regarding the X61 - I would plan on buying the dock (with DVD drive) and hook up an external 22" monitor, so I would be able to play the game on a desktop setup (monitor and external keyboard/mouse).

I was more curious about the performance - if integrated GMA or the NVIDIA would be able to play the game at a decent level.

 

The potential of the integrated X3100 has yet to be realized. There were some alpha drivers released that enable hardware t&l, and reports so far have been positive. I'm confident that running SC2 will not be a problem.

 

i am sure the t61 would be able to play star craft 2 but not sure how well. this is the main reason i am holding back on getting a t61.

 

Heh - i'm thinking along the same lines.

I need to buy a laptop and basically have boiled it down to either the T or the X series - and would like to get the best one that fits my needs, one of the considerations is IF it will play SC2!!!

So...X3100 looks like it might...how about GMA 950 (X series..)????

 

t61 is what you want.

 

I downloaded the 650MB SC2 demo and the graphics are heavily animated, all the units are 3D, and there is a lot of detail going on. If you play FFAs or Team games then there will be hundreds of sprites on the screen. All this considered, if you must have a ThinkPad for gaming, you could probably run SC2 on a bottom of the line T61 with the slowest CPU and integrated graphics, but I bet you won't be running at max settings optimally. I'd definitely go with the T61 with the nVIDIA Quadro NVS 140M GPU. You would want zero lag, be able to play at highest resolution, and have all details set at high. Keep in mind that SC2 probably won't be released until late 2008.

P.S.: Unless you are super duper near sighted, I don't think you'll enjoy playing on the tiny X61 either.

 

Eh, I love SC not due to the graphics, but rather the strategy. No need for full rez or high details...

 

If you're looking for a computer for school you might consider the X61 Tablet. You could do all your notetaking in OneNote 2007 instead of on paper.

 

No kidding, because SC is ancient and will fly on a 486. SC2 is like a decade newer and will require a wee bit more modern of a machine to run smoothly me thinks. Besides, you would want to play with zero lag so that you can have the best play advantage. Remember, winning is 1/4 the speed of your PC, 1/4 your ISP, 1/4 luck, and the rest is skill.

 

hey there if you are going to school i do not recommend getting a x61 or x60, simply because the resolution of the screen is too low to view pdf and documents comfortably. Right now i am using a 12inch powerbook G4 with the same resolution as the x60 and it sucks =( i have to scroll all the time and my finger hurts so much when looking at notes. Nowadays you don't really have to copy everything off the prof's board, the profs expect you to print off the notes online and bring them to class. I suppose for tablets you can just download the notes and writes directly on the computer screen; but then you can't really game on a tablet computer.

 

so true, Snap are you sure that the t61 can run SC2 at max detail and native resolution with no problems? No pt playing SC when you are getting a 5 fps during huge battles

 

The X61 Tablet has an SXGA+ (1400x1050) option which would solve the scrolling problems. There's nothing preventing gaming on this tablet either because it's a convertible, which means you can use it just like a regular laptop by swiveling the screen. The X61 Tablet comes with the X3100 graphics chip so it should be able to handle less demanding games. Granted, the screen is kind of small for gaming, but you could easily hook up an external screen & mouse if desired.

 

i didn't know that it has such high resolution hehe ; but then if you are really into RTS and SC you wouldn't want to game on a x3100. I heard it even has problems running HL2. Is it even possible to have 1400x1050 on a 12inch screen ???? The text would so so small that they would be unreadable!

 

I take my gaming pretty seriously and I'm currently ranked #2 in Blizzard's WC3 for FFA (1/4 chance to win Free For ALL ladder system, aka is Neo-Geo). In WoW my aka was Snap, but had to quit that game after a year, too much of time suck. However, I don't game on a laptop, ever. Always use desktop for optimal setup, so your needs are different.

Still, I'd be skeptical about playing SC2 w/ Intel GMA X3100, but would be confident that it would fly on T61 w/ nVIDIA Quadro NVS 140M. You see, Blizzard tends to develop software for mass compatibility & perfect stability, which leads to blockbuster sales. The requirements will probably be < WoW, but no one knows the final requirements and recommended gear yet since it's still under development.

Can't wait to build a mothership for the time bomb, earth cracker, and black hole abilities. The Zealot charge will rock for rushes. Protoss rule. SC2 is gonna be incredible.

 

haha nice ffa rec
my acctname is Jokkon on west and it really sucks =D
i have never liked protoss, they are kinda like orc to me which i have always hated. I already know that i am going to use hu or terran or wahtever

 

Your profile doesn't suck. You have the cool Spell Breaker icon, a ton of games played, and better win % than me. I'm an elf player and consider the Protoss to be like the Night Elf in that shield batteries = moon wells.

 

So..what ya'll decide on? Thoughts on the T61p?

I placed an order for the X61s...but its taking along time to ship...might order a T61 and keep whichever comes faster...

 

i can pretty much guarantee you that the intel gma will give you a sub par experience. (i.e low settings, low framerates)

the t61 or t61p is a much, much safer bet.

while blizzard never designs for the high end of the range, you still need to get a dedicated graphics card to be competitive.

next gen intel graphics might be able to handle it better, but that's next gen, and you are buying now.

 

According to this http://forum.thinkpads.com/viewtopi...start=90&sid=9d72cf82122e5813d38a605d885c7690 the T61P should absolutely no problem handling SC2, as it scored higher in the benchtest than the 8600GT.

 

anyone running WoW on a X61? with X3100 graphics? Thinking of getting one and WoW is the only game i play now?

 

It's not quite the same since its desktop, but I played WoW on system with intel integrated gma 910, which is like 2 steps back from the current x3100, and the game runs fine. Sure you have to turn down details, but the game ran smoothly without problems and there were no issues with lag.

I would think, a x3100 should handle WoW with ease.