Surprisingly, the game runs on this...

Laptop Specs:
OS Name Microsoft Windows 7 Professional
Version 6.1.7601 Service Pack 1 Build 7601
OS Manufacturer Microsoft Corporation
System Manufacturer ASUSTeK Computer Inc.
System Model U80A
System Type x64-based PC
Processor Intel(R) Core(TM)2 Duo CPU T6500 @ 2.10GHz, 2100 Mhz, 2 Core(s), 2 Logical Processor(s)
Video Card: Mobile Intel(R) 4 Series Express Chipset Family
Mobile Intel(R) GMA 4500MHD
64 MB Video Memory


FF14 actually runs!

Yes, I was very surprised too. I doesn't come close to passing the benchmark (mostly because of the video card), but on the lowest settings (and low resolution), it actually runs, albeit very, very laggy.

I really want to play this game, but buying a new laptop/desktop to play a video game is out of the question unfortunately. And, since my video card is integrated, it makes upgrading it difficult. However, I'm sure that if that were the solution, I could find someone who was willing to change it out.

As it stands, I am very computer illiterate, and was hoping that someone could offer some insight. I could get the video card upgraded some how if that's what would make the game run smoothly, but I don't want to waste money on upgrading it just to find that it still runs terribly. If there is any other information about my laptop that would help answer this question, I will gladly provide it- as I said, I'm not even sure what you all would need to know.

tl;dr: Decent laptop but bad video card. If I upgrade it would that be the solution to making the game run smoothly? If not, what should I try?

Thanks a ton! Been messing with every setting in game and on my laptop for the past three days now!

M suggestion: Wait for 2.0 Yoshi-P has stated that the game will actually have lower requirements (Despite apparantly looking better) in the 2.0 engine.

So I'd hold on making the same mistake a few people have done allready and tricked out their hardware to be plagued by inconsistant preformance regardless. If your really jonesing to play XIV on the laptop right now, I'd suggest cranking your setting down and see how it effects the gameplay. If you run about the same on Low settings as you do on higher settings a better card probably wont help.

Laptops in general aren't recomended for games due to the restrictions and hurdles one has to surmount to make a decent gaming laptop as the parts aren't as "plug and play" friendly as it's big brother the PC.

Thanks a lot! I actually had no idea the requirements were planned on being lowered, but I'm so happy to hear that. Do you happen to have the link for that post?

I think part of the reason other games (FF11, Borderlands, WoW, & even the new star wars game) ran better than this was because the zones were separated. While having this open world is awesome, I think having zones would make this game a lot more accessible to people. After having played FF11 for years on this laptop, I hadn't even thought that FF14 wouldn't be able to run, but that was silly of me.

Don't worry about the lag - even high end comps get it too.

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Originally Posted by Xoo

Don't worry about the lag - even high end comps get it too.

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Really? Besides getting into semantics about lag and slowdown, I don't see any slowdown on my system.

To the OP: Don't wanna sound mean, but that laptop is rather very low-end in comparison of computer specs. I'm surprised you have it running, albeit very poorly. Further yet, despite requirements being lowered, I'd be surprised if you got "playable" speeds on that laptop. Could definitely use it to craft/gather/socialize though!

Yeah, I've read a lot about people getting lag. But since my laptop "technically" can't handle this game, when it does, it's nearly unplayable. But, with the new 2.0 requirements being lowered, I may just cancel my account until then... FF11 lost interest with me, but I honestly can't justify spending a ton of money to play one game (FF14) on a laptop that runs other games fine.

Edit: Yeah, I know it's not a gaming laptop and it's far from being good at running this game. I was very surprised that it ran it as well haha.

Also, does anyone know why the game is set as "Low Priority" automatically? And is there any way to keep it changed? I can change it to High once the game is running, but then I cannot fullscreen it since alt tab will crash it. I also tried that program "Prio" to have a priority save and it still doesn't stay at High.

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Originally Posted by Koryu

Really? Besides getting into semantics about lag and slowdown, I don't see any slowdown on my system.

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Yeah, sorry, I don't own anything spectacular myself. I'm just going off what I've heard from others about the better systems grinding and churning still.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Xoo

Don't worry about the lag - even high end comps get it too.

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Which is unjustifiable. SE should know better.

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Originally Posted by Jynx

M suggestion: Wait for 2.0 Yoshi-P has stated that the game will actually have lower requirements (Despite apparantly looking better) in the 2.0 engine.

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That was not an in game screen from the 2.0 engine ya know, at that point the game engine wasn't complete it's just a PR image/target render.

There is nothing wrong with upgrading your PC now IMO, it will mean you will be able to use the top settings (or better ones) than you could otherwise when 2.0 is released.

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Originally Posted by Jinko

There is nothing wrong with upgrading your PC now IMO, it will mean you will be able to use the top settings (or better ones) than you could otherwise when 2.0 is released.

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This is very true. But, like I said I'm very computer illiterate. Would upgrading the video card do the trick? Or...?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Traegus

This is very true. But, like I said I'm very computer illiterate. Would upgrading the video card do the trick? Or...?

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You would be better off buying/saving for a desktop PC, laptops aren't really that good for gaming.

After I got my SSD my lag disappeared forever. :)

SSD?

I know laptops aren't good for gaming (especially not mine) but it's all I have for now. & I could get the video card changed out for $100-200, but like I said, buying a new desktop/laptop is out of the question. This laptop works for everything I need except this game lol & I simply can't afford/am not willing to spend more than that for a video game.

Sorry to say your laptop is a budget laptop mainly because it has a core 2 duo, a decent laptop has atleast an i3 these days (or AMD equivelant) mine has an I5 @ 2.53Ghz 2 cores 4 threads, an ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5470 with 512MB dedicated graphics memory and 8GB RAM (mainly cos I needed that for my virtual machines for uni) and runs the game on standard settings with the resource hog aero switched off.

You have budget laptop so dont expect modern games to run that well on it, FFXI is 9 years old and WoW I think 7 or 8 so they will run on anything that still works.

the easiest thing to do would be to put the best cpu it will handle and maybe upgrade the memory. FFxiv is pretty cpu heavy.

Ah, so it isn't simply the video card...

wait 8-9 more months for 2.0, cus thatll go by sooooooo fast....

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Originally Posted by Traegus

Ah, so it isn't simply the video card...

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Your gpu might end up being a bottle neck but the game uses teh hard drive and the cpu a lot. A ssd HD helps and a better cpu. the game is constantly pulling files off you hard drive and that can cause some lag.

before i bought my quad , i ran this game on low settings on a single core sempron 2000mhz processor with an ATI hd 3850 agp card

now i run the game on a quad core with the same AGP videocard on medium high settings and only 2 gb memory
Only reason i run in on medium/high is to keep my videocard from getting above 60 C
I could run it on higher easely

Note: the videocard isn't the problem especialy because its maxed overclocked . and my quad processor doesnt come above 50% usage , bottleneck seems to be the harddisk too slow.
I know less processors will be a problem.. you realy need at least a fast dual or preferably quad

I think the minimum play settings are General Drawing 2, everything else off as needed to obtain a 15 to 20 framerate without crashing.

I'm super unfamiliar with Intel gpus. An ati radeon I think it's a 4400m, but can play the game ok.
NVidia GeForce 3000m (omg stop) can't even run the updater