rFactor running requirments

jrdn7 · Jan 3, 2012

Hi all. I know this question has been asked many, many times, but I'd like to know what I need to run rFactor on my laptop.

Currently I'm running:

Pentium Dual-Core CPU (2GHz)
3GB RAM (soon to be 8GB)
250GB Hard Drive
Windows 7 Professional

I'm getting a G25 from a mate (who's getting a G27 instead

), I've that sorted. I'm also going to hook my laptop up to my 22in LCD screen, for better viewing.
And finally, as I'm a photographer I've hooked my laptop up to a TV before to edit my photos closely and show my photos at a "digital exhibition". I've never played a game or watched a DVD off of it like this, so are there any things I should watch out for when playing rFactor like this?

April Dillon · Jan 4, 2012

What graphics card does your laptop have? As that's pretty critical to running games of any description. And just to clarify, the CPU is a Pentium D, right?

Your specs seem pretty solid so far, and should handle rFactor just fine. The only thing you have to be careful about is when hooking it up to a monitor, it may automatically configure that monitor as a secondary display. Whereas games will generally speaking only run on your primary display. If the primary display is your laptop's monitor, then that's where you'll find rFactor. I recall it was very easy to swap them in Windows XP, and could simply be done from the desktop properties within Windows. However I can't comment on how it is in Windows 7.

If on the other hand you'll be showing exactly the same picture on both your laptop and monitor, then you don't have to worry about that.

Good luck, and I'm looking forward to meeting you on track some time.

jrdn7 · Jan 4, 2012

The graphics card is a Mobile Intel 4 Series Express, with 1.3GB of usable memory. You are correct about the CPU, yes.

With the above specs, do you think I will encounter any lag in the game?

Ho3n3r · Jan 4, 2012

jrdn7 said:
The graphics card is a Mobile Intel 4 Series Express, with 1.3GB of usable memory. You are correct about the CPU, yes.

With the above specs, do you think I will encounter any lag in the game?

Probably, I'd say some lag, even on low settings, but you'd be able to play it.

jrdn7 · Jan 4, 2012

I'm going to update my graphics card to something like this: http://www.amazon.co.uk/VTX3D-Radeo...YBYI/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1325717020&sr=8-5

It's all I can afford but it seems like a good bet.

Ho3n3r · Jan 4, 2012

jrdn7 said:
I'm going to update my graphics card to something like this: http://www.amazon.co.uk/VTX3D-Radeo...YBYI/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1325717020&sr=8-5

It's all I can afford but it seems like a good bet.

But you can't do tat if you have a laptop...

jrdn7 · Jan 4, 2012

Dewald Nel said:
But you can't do tat if you have a laptop...

How do ya mean? Can't change the graphics card in a laptop?

I was told by my cousin, who owns a computer business, that I can uprate the graphics card in a laptop.

Ho3n3r · Jan 4, 2012

No, you can't, unfortunately... Sorry mate.

Ho3n3r · Jan 4, 2012

In fact, can you post your exact laptop model here(e.g. Acer Aspire 4220, etc.)?

Because I suspect you'd only be able toupgrade to 4GB Ram - which would still be fine for rFactor, mostly.

jrdn7 · Jan 4, 2012

Ain't entirely sure what my laptop is exactly, a Toshiba with a VERY long name!

Ho3n3r · Jan 4, 2012

Oh lol.

Can you afford anything newer at all?

jrdn7 · Jan 5, 2012

Alas no! I spent a lot of money on a new DSLR recently (2 actually!) so a lot of money went down that route. The laptop does exactly what I want it to do for me, and it's fast enough. I just need something to do whilst the winter motorsport break is on!

April Dillon · Jan 5, 2012

Do you have any other games you play on your laptop? Or have played? Even just game demos will do.

And yeah, laptop upgrades tend to be quite limited. I don't know anything about it, so can't really offer any advise.

Edit:

I found a video of GTR2 running on a GMA X3100. Although they're extremely low settings, it does look playable. Which leads me to believe that rFactor will be aswell, as GTR2 is based on the same code base.

He's got the rest of his specs in the video description. Although I'm not sure how this compares to what you've got.

Ho3n3r · Jan 5, 2012

Marcus Dillon said:
Do you have any other games you play on your laptop? Or have played? Even just game demos will do.

And yeah, laptop upgrades tend to be quite limited. I don't know anything about it, so can't really offer any advise.

I found a video of GTR2 running on a GMA X3100. Although they're extremely low settings, it does look playable. Which leads me to believe that rFactor will be aswell, as GTR2 is based on the same code base.

He's got the rest of his specs in the video description. Although I'm not sure how this compares to what you've got.

Regarding laptops, you can only update memory for a reasonable price - and of course hard drive, if you don't mind losing your OEM software.

Adam Eggbeer · Jan 5, 2012

You can always try the demo to see how it works.

jrdn7 · Jan 5, 2012

Marcus Dillon said:
Do you have any other games you play on your laptop? Or have played? Even just game demos will do.

And yeah, laptop upgrades tend to be quite limited. I don't know anything about it, so can't really offer any advise.

Edit:

I found a video of GTR2 running on a GMA X3100. Although they're extremely low settings, it does look playable. Which leads me to believe that rFactor will be aswell, as GTR2 is based on the same code base.

He's got the rest of his specs in the video description. Although I'm not sure how this compares to what you've got.

From what I can see, I've a better CPU, bigger hard drive and the same graphics card & RAM. From watching that it should be ok, assuming the rFactor and GTR2 are on the same code base as you say.

EDIT: Sorry, didn't see the top part. I've played Driver 3 and Richard Burns Rally on it, and only had a small bit of lag in RBR, but at that time I was running a couple of other programmes whilst playing.