Best PC Laptop for AoE Gaming

[Sore Loser]

Hi. Im looking to get a gaming laptop. The ONLY game I really play is AoE here on Steam against my brother. I currently have a cheap lil $200 netbook and it's just not cutting it. At about 75 population count everything really starts to bog down on me.

Can you guys recommend a laptop for my needs? Reliable, and money is not an issue (just dont recommend something that is OVERKILL for what Im using it for). Remember, I only play AoE so it simly needs to be powerful enough to handle a 300+ army without bogging down my system.

Thx.

[Sore Loser]

引用自 Timberhoggvandi：

引用自 Sore Loser：

Im not sure what that would accomplish.

I downloaded AoE2 HD from Steam so would I be able to convert that version to a original?

Speaking of originals, I have the original AoE2 game, a cracked version, that Ive been playing off a thumb drive forever. Works great for LAN multiplayer games. But I cant get the internet multiplayer to work.

Would my cracked version work on Voobly? Would my Steam version (once patched to do so)?

Im currently having no "engine issues" and Im satisfied with Steam's service. I dont think Steam is the root issue for my crappy netbook's performance.

No, I'm talking about the engine of the game itself. It's a lot heavier and requires a much better PC than the original game. I have a really old notebook as well and age of empires runs just fine on that notebook, while aoe2 HD runs terribly. Installing the compatibility patch allows you to experience the game with the original engine, which is far superior to the current one.

You can read this guide if you're interested:

https://www.reddit.com/r/aoe2/comments/4ir16r/stepbystep_guide_for_setting_up_voobly/

Wait... after re-reading your post, I may have missed your point...

Are you saying that the reason the game functions so poorly on my end is NOT due to my internet connection or my weak netbook, but rather the crappy engine of AoE2 HD?

The engine is the reason the game bogs at relatively low population numbers?
The engine is the reason my villagers move slow as heck and Im struggling to advance as fast as the people Im competing against?

Am I to assume that everyone Im playing against online has this patch installed from Voobly and then they come back to Steam to play online?

If that is the case, I'll download the patch right now.

But it would not explain how my little brother, a total NOOB at this game has a massive army twice as fast as I do and I struggle to keep up despite my years of experience playing this game. Im playing with a computer that has the BARE MINIMUM requirements to run this software. Here are my current specs:

NextBook Flexx 10
• Intel® Atom Quad-Core / 1.8GHz (Z3735F)
• 2GB DDR3L; 32GB onboard storage

Even playing my original engined (cracked) AoE2 I run into bogging problems over 100 population.

[The Very Hungry Caterpillar]

引用自 Sore Loser：

引用自 Dreamϟcape：

Some more questions for you.

What size laptop are you interested in? (11 inch, 13 inch, 15 and 17 are the most common. 11 and 13 inch ones seem to be offered only occasionally for some odd reason.)

Would you value good battery life?

I looked a bit at the 15-s since it is more portable and it seems to use a different (smaller) chassis than the x series. You do not get as much of a choice with hardware but it would be smaller and lighter. If you value portibility then this is probably the model for you. The hardware is more than sufficient to play hd on max settings and it should be quite good at playing games for years to come on high settings. Moreso if you choose the 1920x1080 screen.

Keep in mind hd would still have performance issues. This game really needs optimisations.

Secondly hd does not have an in game option to change screen resolution. Getting anything higher than 1920x1080 would make everything in game very small. You would have to manually change resolution in windows to make things not microscopic. If the devs ever re-add resolution in game then this would not be an issue but currently it would be.

I can look a bit more as clevo does have many other chassis. The ones origin and the others below only use the best and do not have much chassis variety due to that. I imagine maingear/falcon northwest's quality is similar to origin due to using the same components but I can not say for certain due to not owning one of their computers. They also used to offer 11 and 13 inch laptops but those seemed to have dissapeared. =/

https://www.maingear.com/
Falcon northwest site is a pain to navigate.
https://www.falcon-nw.com/

Im partial to 13" laptops. That is what my MacBook Air is and I love it. The screen size is perfect for me and I appreciate the light weight & solid battery life.

I can see why you are recommending the 15-S. I will consider it.

The problem I have is there are not "ready-made" packages on their website. Everything, even the Ready-To-Ship kits have a considerable amount of customization. I understand what RAM does and how much hard drive space I need. But I get lost when u guys start talking GPU's. I dont know what spec's I should be picking... Does the 15-S have a dediicated GPU?

I was just looking at the 15-X and it had so many hardware options to choose from that my head was spinning.

The 15-s does have a dedicated gpu. Any laptop ordered from origin pc will have a dedicated gpu.

I can look a bit for 13 inch gaming laptops but they seem to be a rarity. Ordering a chassis from clevo would require you to assemble it which I am assuming you would not be comfortable doing.

Edit: The 15-s is immensely superior to your netbook. I will try to list comparative specs. These might be incorrect for the flex 10 as they are harder to find.

Flexx 10
HARD DRIVE---32 gb hard drive (Or 64gb for larger model. I think you have this.)
CPU----"quad core" (?)intel atom @ 1.83 ghz (I believe this is a dual core multithreaded.)
RAM---2gb of ram (ddr3 probably.)
RES---1280x800 (or 1366x768 for the larger model. Again you probably have this.)
GPU--None/intigrated graphics.

eon 15-s
SSD--256 gb ssd. (This would store the operating system and have extra for applications.)
HARD DRIVE--1 tb hard drive (For normal files.)
CPU--intel i7-6700hq quad-core @ 2.60 ghz. (This is a true quad core multithreaded to 8.)
RAM--16 gb of ddr4 @2133mhz. (Immensly faster and larger compared to your current ram.)
RES---1920x1080 (Or 3840 x 2160) IPS display.
GPU--NVIDIA GeForce GTX 970M 6GB GDDR @ 924 mhz

To be completely honest I believe an eon 15-s would be overkill for your needs. It would definitely be powerful enough for age of empires and games years to come. Its gpu is stronger than my current laptop. I mostly play at 2560x1440 on a 30 inch monitor so the 15-s would be more than capable of playing at 1920x1080. (Or even higher resolutions.)

This would be portable but they also have 13 and 14 inch gaming laptops. I will look a bit at other ones that might be good and less overkill. I think a non "gaming" laptop would work better as gaming laptops generally have top of the line hardware. Not sure you would need a super pc.

Edit: Found the 13-s on origin pc asia. No idea why it is not on the u.s. site. Not sure if you could order it though.

https://originpc.asia/sg/System/EON13-S-PRO

[The Very Hungry Caterpillar]

引用自 Sore Loser：

引用自 Timberhoggvandi：

No, I'm talking about the engine of the game itself. It's a lot heavier and requires a much better PC than the original game. I have a really old notebook as well and age of empires runs just fine on that notebook, while aoe2 HD runs terribly. Installing the compatibility patch allows you to experience the game with the original engine, which is far superior to the current one.

You can read this guide if you're interested:

https://www.reddit.com/r/aoe2/comments/4ir16r/stepbystep_guide_for_setting_up_voobly/

Are you saying that the reason the game functions so poorly on my end is NOT due to my internet connection or my weak netbook, but rather the crappy engine of AoE2 HD?

NextBook Flexx 10
• Intel® Atom Quad-Core / 1.8GHz (Z3735F)
• 2GB DDR3L; 32GB onboard storage

Your pc specs are very weak and definitely play a part in poor performance. Hd's engine also plays a part in poor performance but you would definitely benefit from getting a new pc. If the devs did improve the engine your current netbook would play it a little better but it would still run horribly.

In the mean time lowering the resolution in windows might help the game run slightly less terrible.

Edit: I do not think any computer in the world can comfortably play the game at 300+ population. The game's engine simply needs to be improved. You could spend probably $10000+ usd and still be unable to play smoothly at 500 pop. If the devs ever utilise multiple cores we could probably play 500 pop ludikris fine with a decent pc.

[Sore Loser]

引用自 Dreamϟcape：

引用自 Sore Loser：

Are you saying that the reason the game functions so poorly on my end is NOT due to my internet connection or my weak netbook, but rather the crappy engine of AoE2 HD?

NextBook Flexx 10
• Intel® Atom Quad-Core / 1.8GHz (Z3735F)
• 2GB DDR3L; 32GB onboard storage

Your pc specs are very weak and definitely play a part in poor performance. Hd's engine also plays a part in poor performance but you would definitely benefit from getting a new pc. If the devs did improve the engine your current netbook would play it a little better but it would still run horribly.

In the mean time lowering the resolution in windows might help the game run slightly less terrible.

Edit: I do not think any computer in the world can comfortably play the game at 300+ population. The game's engine simply needs to be improved. You could spend probably $10000+ usd and still be unable to play smoothly at 500 pop. If the devs ever utilise multiple cores we could probably play 500 pop ludikris fine with a decent pc.

So if the engine is that bad, how is everyone playing this game with huge populations? I literally just lost to a guy that felt like he had a army of 300+.

Does the Voobly patch work on Steam?

[Sore Loser]

引用自 Dreamϟcape：

引用自 Sore Loser：

Im partial to 13" laptops. That is what my MacBook Air is and I love it. The screen size is perfect for me and I appreciate the light weight & solid battery life.

I can see why you are recommending the 15-S. I will consider it.

The problem I have is there are not "ready-made" packages on their website. Everything, even the Ready-To-Ship kits have a considerable amount of customization. I understand what RAM does and how much hard drive space I need. But I get lost when u guys start talking GPU's. I dont know what spec's I should be picking... Does the 15-S have a dediicated GPU?

I was just looking at the 15-X and it had so many hardware options to choose from that my head was spinning.

The 15-s does have a dedicated gpu. Any laptop ordered from origin pc will have a dedicated gpu.

I can look a bit for 13 inch gaming laptops but they seem to be a rarity. Ordering a chassis from clevo would require you to assemble it which I am assuming you would not be comfortable doing.

Edit: The 15-s is immensely superior to your netbook. I will try to list comparative specs. These might be incorrect for the flex 10 as they are harder to find.

Flexx 10
HARD DRIVE---32 gb hard drive (Or 64gb for larger model. I think you have this.)
CPU----"quad core" (?)intel atom @ 1.83 ghz (I believe this is a dual core multithreaded.)
RAM---2gb of ram (ddr3 probably.)
RES---1280x800 (or 1366x768 for the larger model. Again you probably have this.)
GPU--None/intigrated graphics.

eon 15-s
SSD--256 gb ssd. (This would store the operating system and have extra for applications.)
HARD DRIVE--1 tb hard drive (For normal files.)
CPU--intel i7-6700hq quad-core @ 2.60 ghz. (This is a true quad core multithreaded to 8.)
RAM--16 gb of ddr4 @2133mhz. (Immensly faster and larger compared to your current ram.)
RES---1920x1080 (Or 3840 x 2160) IPS display.
GPU--NVIDIA GeForce GTX 970M 6GB GDDR @ 924 mhz

To be completely honest I believe an eon 15-s would be overkill for your needs. It would definitely be powerful enough for age of empires and games years to come. Its gpu is stronger than my current laptop. I mostly play at 2560x1440 on a 30 inch monitor so the 15-s would be more than capable of playing at 1920x1080. (Or even higher resolutions.)

This would be portable but they also have 13 and 14 inch gaming laptops. I will look a bit at other ones that might be good and less overkill. I think a non "gaming" laptop would work better as gaming laptops generally have top of the line hardware. Not sure you would need a super pc.

Edit: Found the 13-s on origin pc asia. No idea why it is not on the u.s. site. Not sure if you could order it though.

https://originpc.asia/sg/System/EON13-S-PRO

Yeah, the 15-S is probably overkill. But it's indeed what I asked you to find me.

If you come across a laptop that better suits my needs, Im all ears.

I'll give that Orgin 13" a look.

Thank u so much for your help.

[76561198298347852]

引用自 Sore Loser：

引用自 Timberhoggvandi：

No, I'm talking about the engine of the game itself. It's a lot heavier and requires a much better PC than the original game. I have a really old notebook as well and age of empires runs just fine on that notebook, while aoe2 HD runs terribly. Installing the compatibility patch allows you to experience the game with the original engine, which is far superior to the current one.

You can read this guide if you're interested:

https://www.reddit.com/r/aoe2/comments/4ir16r/stepbystep_guide_for_setting_up_voobly/

Ok. I understand u now.

I follow what I'd gain by patching to the old engine. But would I lose anything? Such as the ability to play on Steam? Or the Steam exclusive expansion packs?

Nope, you can still run aoe2 HD and the original game wihtout having to reinstall anything. All the compatibility patch does is add extra files that allows you to play the original game. The guide I posted above explains the benefits of playing on Voobly rather than Steam. You can play the expansions on Voobly, but they are not as popular as on aoe2 HD.

I recommend you give it a try it if aoe2 HD doesn't run smooth on your old laptop. The original game was made to run on cheap office PCs back in 1999, aoe2 HD is built on a new engine only modern mid-high end PCs run well

You cannot play on Steam with the original game, but you have to use a 3rd party client called Voobly to play it. It's very easy to set up.

I definitely wouldn't get a high end PC just to be able to run this game.

[IamJeo]

Any modern laptop (0-2 years backwards model) that has a dedicated gpu of any kind, even the weakest you can find, will run HD as well as it can in my experience. HD and aoe2 in general is imho best at 1080p.

Edit: any potato that has a dedicated gpu will work. "As well as it can" means that it reaches the limit where the crap engine and netcode themselves begin to be the bottleneck. Also as a general rule, 200+ pop games are not recommended in any case, on HD.

[NIKFS]

引用自 jeowaypoint：

Any modern laptop (0-2 years backwards model) that has a dedicated gpu of any kind, even the weakest you can find, will run HD as well as it can in my experience. HD and aoe2 in general is imho best at 1080p.

Edit: any potato that has a dedicated gpu will work. "As well as it can" means that it reaches the limit where the crap engine and netcode themselves begin to be the bottleneck. Also as a general rule, 200+ pop games are not recommended in any case, on HD.

my Desktop PC has no dedicated Card and the integrated one is only a Intel GMA x4500, and aoe runs fine, albeit at 30 and without all the optional "improvements" (dont like them anyway) so even an intel hd should be enough to play aoe2hd
i play at 900p, so 1080p could be a bit worse

[IamJeo]

I consider 1080p or SLIGHTLY larger to be optimal for aoe, in my experience and personal opinion. I dont deny that IGPU can run this fine. In fact I use my IGPU instead of dedicated one for HD on my laptop: seems to run smoother for some reason.

Point is that I consider any GPU usage such an overkill measure that it far supersedes the needed graphics needs as compared to the limits that the engine's crappiness provides.

[NIKFS]

引用自 jeowaypoint：

I consider 1080p or SLIGHTLY larger to be optimal for aoe, in my experience and personal opinion. I dont deny that IGPU can run this fine. In fact I use my IGPU instead of dedicated one for HD on my laptop: seems to run smoother for some reason.

Point is that I consider any GPU usage such an overkill measure that it far supersedes the needed graphics needs as compared to the limits that the engine's crappiness provides.

its always a matter of preference i guess, i dont like displays with a size over 21-Inch for example, to big for my taste but some will like it

[IamJeo]

I speak of resolution, not monitor size.

[NIKFS]

引用自 jeowaypoint：

I speak of resolution, not monitor size.

sure, i meant resolution is just a preference as monitor size, in some games i change down 2 720p. like in terraria so it isn't that zoomed out

[Wafflesaurus Supreme]

OP, apologies if I missed it, but did you specify a budget range?

My work laptop has 2 GPUs and runs for about $1200 USD. Lenovo W550. (Since replaced by P50s.) It's 15.6". I've had good luck with their X series (12.5") and the T460s (14") also performs very well.

[AnputVT]

My laptop: Lenovo Y50, as someone said the Y50 is older but i have the newer model with a 960 which that person advised. I7 Quad core 2,6 ghz 3,1 turbo for games. GTX 960M 4GB, 16 GB RAM. I like this laptop, it can run ARK on high with 40 fps. Only heavy demanding game i really play so i have no other examples.

[Sore Loser]

引用自 NIK_F_S：

引用自 jeowaypoint：

Any modern laptop (0-2 years backwards model) that has a dedicated gpu of any kind, even the weakest you can find, will run HD as well as it can in my experience. HD and aoe2 in general is imho best at 1080p.

Edit: any potato that has a dedicated gpu will work. "As well as it can" means that it reaches the limit where the crap engine and netcode themselves begin to be the bottleneck. Also as a general rule, 200+ pop games are not recommended in any case, on HD.

my Desktop PC has no dedicated Card and the integrated one is only a Intel GMA x4500, and aoe runs fine, albeit at 30 and without all the optional "improvements" (dont like them anyway) so even an intel hd should be enough to play aoe2hd
i play at 900p, so 1080p could be a bit worse

What are the "optional improvements"?