Laptop Gaming with a business laptop.

[TheBookkeeper]

So I know initially most people on hear are initially going to say build a budget gaming pc for around $600 and upwards but please hear me out.
However I have recently acquired a new laptop for work and study (at a reduced price due to no purchase tax) and was think of doing some casual gaming on it on the go.

However it has been suggested that it should be perfectly fine playing more demanding games such as Baldur's gate 3 due to the CPU and DDR5 Ram.
Other have sugested getting an external GPU if I want to take up gaming more seriously and one family member told me just to buy a PS5 and be done with it for a fixed price.
Here is the laptop make and specification:

Lenovo Thinkbook 16
Intel I7-13700H
16 GB DDR5 Ram
512GB SSD M.2 PCIe4
Intel Iris Xe Graphics

So in conclusion what can I realistically play on this laptop?
Will it play Baldur's Gate 3 and other modern games?
and if not should a build a cheap gaming PC, buy an external GPU and case or get a PS5.

[DragonSoundxSG]

I think it's a terrible idea to use your work laptop for gaming. They will know and you could easily get fired.

[アンジェル]

Originally posted by TheBookkeeper:

Laptop Gaming with a business laptop.
So I know initially most people on hear are initially going to say build a budget gaming pc for around $600 and upwards but please hear me out.
However I have recently acquired a new laptop for work and study (at a reduced price due to no purchase tax) and was think of doing some casual gaming on it on the go.

However it has been suggested that it should be perfectly fine playing more demanding games such as Baldur's gate 3 due to the CPU and DDR5 Ram.
Other have sugested getting an external GPU if I want to take up gaming more seriously and one family member told me just to buy a PS5 and be done with it for a fixed price.
Here is the laptop make and specification:

Lenovo Thinkbook 16
Intel I7-13700H
16 GB DDR5 Ram
512GB SSD M.2 PCIe4
Intel Iris Xe Graphics

So in conclusion what can I realistically play on this laptop?
Will it play Baldur's Gate 3 and other modern games?
and if not should a build a cheap gaming PC, buy an external GPU and case or get a PS5.

You are better off with GeForce Now with that mindset...

[Razorblade]

Your graphics card, if integrated graphics can even be called a "graphics card," does not meet the minimum requirements. You'll need an actual graphics card to play most non-indie 3D games from even last decade. This decade is definitely off the table.

As for what you should do, that's depends on the quality you're looking for. The PS5 is effectively a mid-grade gaming PC sold for well under market value (they make up for this by taxing developers who sell games for their system). Of course, you are stuck buying another system in a few years to buy any new games, however.

The best mix of quality and value is building your own PC, since worst case scenario, you have to swap out your graphics card every few years if you buy a cheaper one, or every several years with a good one. Buying a pre-built and swapping out parts as-needed is a significant upcharge comparatively, although it still is probably a better lifetime value proposition than buying the PS5 - PS20.

Externals are kind of a pain in the ass. They are bigger than they look, and your laptop can have trouble switching back to its mobile drivers when unplugged. They're not "plug-and-play" like you would expect, at least from my experience, which kind of defeats the purpose of having a laptop. They're also pretty expensive for what they are. The only real plus is you get to keep the graphics card if you ever decide to build a PC.

So to conclude, if you have money to burn right now, and can be assed to actually build/upgrade one, a PC is a better investment long-term. If you don't, PS5.

[topetepeterson]

GeForce Now is the answer you're looking for.

[TheBookkeeper]

Originally posted by DragonSoundxSG:

I think it's a terrible idea to use your work laptop for gaming. They will know and you could easily get fired.

Just for conformation I own the laptop and most of the work I do is sub contract and freelance. I do work as an employee sometimes during the summer for a regular client but the laptop is my own equiment.

[TheBookkeeper]

For further context sometimes you do find yourself having time to burn at airports or waiting between project meetings in an hotel room and wanted to blow off a little steam and relax.
Who hasn't played crappy mobile phone games waiting in the dentist waiting room.
Mobile gaming is really an alternative to watching Netflix if you have an overnight stay.

I do like the idea of GeForce Now as it seam the most convenient option. However the option of a PS5 appeals as a cost effective alternative to a second computer in the household. Plus my wife can use it when I'm away for work to watch films.

[Sistalis]

I don't think you can run Baldur's gate 3 ( Maybe I'm wrong) without a dedicated graphic card of some type. If like you say your looking to kill time at the Airport, Shadowrun or Hitman 3 would run ok on that setup.

[topetepeterson]

BG3 runs great on a MacBook, and they don't have dedicated graphics cards. (That's no help to the OP, though.)

[DragonSoundxSG]

Originally posted by TheBookkeeper:

Originally posted by DragonSoundxSG:

I think it's a terrible idea to use your work laptop for gaming. They will know and you could easily get fired.

Just for conformation I own the laptop and most of the work I do is sub contract and freelance. I do work as an employee sometimes during the summer for a regular client but the laptop is my own equiment.

Ah I see..my mistake

[TheBookkeeper]

Originally posted by Sistalis:

I don't think you can run Baldur's gate 3 ( Maybe I'm wrong) without a dedicated graphic card of some type. If like you say your looking to kill time at the Airport, Shadowrun or Hitman 3 would run ok on that setup.

I guess there really is a difference between being able to load a game up and run it on the lowest possible setting for a short while until it crashes and actually being able to enjoy playing it. But I would be interested in knowing what the really world needs of the game are to play it smoothly without crash at a low graphics setting.

Thanks for the suggestions for the other games, they are really appreciated.
If anyone can think of any others please let me know as I really hate hotel cable.

[TheBookkeeper]

Originally posted by topetepeterson:

BG3 runs great on a MacBook, and they don't have dedicated graphics cards. (That's no help to the OP, though.)

Just out of curiosity what model and spec MacBook do you have it running on?

[SigmaSquadron]

Originally posted by topetepeterson:

BG3 runs great on a MacBook, and they don't have dedicated graphics cards. (That's no help to the OP, though.)

Should be noted that while the M2's GPU cores don't compare to even the most basic of AMD or NVIDIA dedicated GPUs, they are orders of magnitude more powerful than integrated GPUs. You can't really compare Apple's ARM architecture to the current x86 CPU paradigm.

OP: Have you considered an eGPU? They're external enclosures for dedicated GPUs that can connect with USB 4/Thunderbolt, and can accelerate graphics to an equivalent degree as an internal dedicated GPU.
Alternatively, since you mentioned you were open to buying new hardware (PS5), have you considered the Steam Deck?

[TheBookkeeper]

Originally posted by SigmaSquadron:

Originally posted by topetepeterson:

BG3 runs great on a MacBook, and they don't have dedicated graphics cards. (That's no help to the OP, though.)

Should be noted that while the M2's GPU cores don't compare to even the most basic of AMD or NVIDIA dedicated GPUs, they are orders of magnitude more powerful than integrated GPUs. You can't really compare Apple's ARM architecture to the current x86 CPU paradigm.

Thanks this really provides some accurate information on what is capable with a MacBook and an Intel - even if it is a modern 13th Gen Intel.

[topetepeterson]

Originally posted by TheBookkeeper:

Originally posted by topetepeterson:

BG3 runs great on a MacBook, and they don't have dedicated graphics cards. (That's no help to the OP, though.)

Just out of curiosity what model and spec MacBook do you have it running on?

MacBook Pro m1 (16GB)

[TheBookkeeper]

I take it that the universal opinion is that an external GPU is a terrible idea because of the cost and added complexity it brings.

Some quick research show it would be cheaper than building a whole dedicated gaming PC.
You only have to buy a power supply, GPU and a case.
However all of that is still more money than a games console.