Best way to test if a laptop can run FFXIV

[KaivaC]

Dunno how helpful it will be, but I play on a laptop with an i7 6700 @ 2.60 GHz (not overclocked) and an NVIDIA GeForce GTX 970M with 6GB VRAM. 16 GB RAM, and my FFXIV install is on an SSD. I get 60 FPS 95% of the time in borderless window mode while running ReShade on custom settings (some things I have off but mostly everything is set to high); only when things are graphically intense does it dip to 45-50 FPS (phase transitions can do this sometimes). But I play on an Asus ROG Strix, and unless you find one on sale (like I did), that may be outside of your budget.

I’ve used this for about 2 years though, and it holds up pretty nicely.

I’d recommend a 1060 for a card, personally. And try to get something with an i7 in it. I’ve heard i5 is okay, but I’ve also heard it can be not so okay. I prefer an i7, personally. My CPU sits at sub 30% usually with FFXIV running and other stuff up in the background.

Yeah, my current laptop uses an i5, and it was okay-ish. I could decently play, but I was also on Famfrit in the low levels at the time I first started, so there wasn't much in the way of issues. I'll see if I can track down one with NVIDIA. My local store is coming up on having a sale soon, so we'll see. Thanks.

Aim higher.

If you intend to game on it:
- Geforce GTX 1050 Ti, minimum (this can do 1920x1080 at 60fps, usually, but with a fair bit of cooling fan noise)
- 16GB RAM if possible

The iGPU's (which are most 2-in-1 tablet systems) are super-weak compared to any dedicated GPU, so while it may offer sufficient video and web browser performance, it will fall over with most games. FFXIV will run on iGPU parts, but you're looking at 15-30 fps in any sub-$1000 machine, and a lot of noise.

If in doubt, bring the FFXIV benchmark on a USB stick to the store and just run it on every machine until you get one that has acceptable performance, but trust me when I say that you're better off investing a little more and hanging onto it for a few years, because buying too weak of a model will result in you having to just throw it away after 2 years.

Skip the 13" laptops though. They may be light, but they're all phenomenally weak due to compromises made to make them quiet.

I have last years version of this: https://www.lenovo.com/ca/en/laptops.../p/88GMY501020 , it's slightly overkill in the storage department, but it's not a 2-in-1. It is however designed as a gaming laptop that looks like a business laptop (even business laptops backlit keyboards now.)

If you prefer Dell, this is the absolute minimum I would consider: https://www.dell.com/en-us/shop/dell...top/dncwgf423s , but again, it's not a 2-in-1

Here's a Sager model https://www.sagernotebook.com/Notebook-NP6853.html that is equal to that Dell but without the NVMe SSD. To bring it up to the Dell's or Lenovo's specs you'd need to add a 256GB NVMe SSD. I'd also again recommend 16GB ram. Also not a 2-in-1

From experience, all the 2-in-1 laptops are just bad for gaming (they will get more hot in tablet mode), and you're paying an additional 800$ for the privilege, eg https://www.dell.com/en-us/work/shop...smx15w10p1c412

Most people don't actually use the touch-screen on 2-in-1's, so unless you have an application for it in mind, I'd skip it. If you want to use it for art, you are better off buying the MS Surface tablet (which has a passable digitizer), but that is absolutely not a gaming machine.

While I could go higher, I would prefer not to unless it's on some discounted sale. I don't really have a preference so much as I just need it to be budget, but decent. SSDs have been recommended a lot, so that is probably the direction I'll be headed in since I really have no reason to have a 2-in-1 other than the cool factor. But this is something else I can look into as well. Thank you.