Hi everyone, just thought I’d post this here and ask for some advice. I’m looking to buy a new laptop because my other one died on me recently. I have searched and found 2 that are similar. These laptops will be for general work for my job, and for playing SWTOR. I won’t be playing any other games on it just SWTOR.

They are both ASUS (brand I like), both 8GB RAM (DDR4), both Full HD. One of them is 256GB SSD and the other is 512GB SSD. Both laptops are Intel core i5 Quad Core. Both are Integrated Intel UHD graphics.

Would these be enough to run SWTOR? And for work?

What would be the better option? It would be great to have some advice.

Thanks.

They are both ASUS (brand I like), both 8GB RAM (DDR4), both Full HD. One of them is 256GB SSD and the other is 512GB SSD. Both laptops are Intel core i5 Quad Core. Both are Integrated Intel UHD graphics.

Would these be enough to run SWTOR? And for work?

The UHD graphics will be a problem for SWTOR, because UHD graphics aren't as strong in performance as even a fairly old GPU (NVIdia 700 or 900 series, for example), and also because they are likely to be shared-memory systems which will slow the machine further.

As for work, it's really hard to say, because you don't say what your job is. Neither will be a good option for high-end video editing, for example.

What would be the better option? It would be great to have some advice.

If it really has to be one of those, I'd go for the one with the bigger SSD because once you've installed the OS and SWTOR, that's a big bite taken out of your disk.

Steve's right about the integrated graphics. As far as the storage system goes, 256GB is tight.

My laptop has an SSD and a hard drive (I upgraded them myself) so Windows is on the SSD and apps are on the hard drive.

Best scenario would be 2 SSDs, the operating system on one and all apps installed on the other, for two reasons:

1. the fewer read/writes on an SSD, the longer it'll last, so splitting them up across devices helps

2. Any read/write to the O/S storage won't be delaying read/writes from the app storage... unless the disk controller is so underpowered it can only serve one device at a time.

At the very last, if you can swing for a bigger SSD, go for it.

Just me, I've never been happy with a machine powered by less than an I-7, but maybe times have changed.

The UHD graphics will be a problem for SWTOR, because UHD graphics aren't as strong in performance as even a fairly old GPU (NVidia 700 or 900 series, for example), and also because they are likely to be shared-memory systems which will slow the machine further.

 

As for work, it's really hard to say, because you don't say what your job is. Neither will be a good option for high-end video editing, for example.

 

If it really has to be one of those, I'd go for the one with the bigger SSD because once you've installed the OS and SWTOR, that's a big bite taken out of your disk.

the best thing you can do if you have to have a laptop. its going to be more cost effective to do a PC, you said you use it for work as well? so meaning do you take it to work with you aka use it in different places? cause if you work from home, you can use PC part picker to find a 600 dollar pc that will play ANYTHING at 60fps 2k if you get a 1060 GTX graphics card 3gb or 6gb card, i bought the 2060 ASUS 6gb card overclock edition right when it came out for 400, but that thing is very hard to find cause of the price of the silicon they use in pretty much every pc / console or electric device that is good, hardrives, all that stuff, the price is up. laptops are very wonky when it comes to pricing, it is nice if you get a great one, but one with a SSD installed per say will be 100s of dollars more then one without a SSD that you could just put in aftermarket but... that is laptop aftermarket so you'll probably have a warranty, honestly, get a chrome book for work. and then build a pc for gaming, that's the best thing you can do.

below is the parts i used on a build. that's most of the pc minus the gpu i think, and i still use it today, and run anything

i use to be a hardware consultant for various companies, doing major overhauls via software/ aka installing windows, / hardware building computers for companies like SARA LEE the bread company, and i do private work for people, not as much anymore but, pc part picker is amazing, i think it helps with laptops if you have to go down that route, here is my list of what i used, u can start a new list o the site

https://pcpartpicker.com/list/WzYHvW hope it helps a bit. but one thing, if you have a choice at the end of the day of a gpu, RTX isn't a must, its nice, but a 2000 series or 3000 series nvidia are the best nvidia cards atm the 2060 and 3060 cards are the affordable entry level gaming cards, if you can find a 1060, USE IT. the most important thing to worry about when building or buying any kind of pc if your going to do the "PRE BUILT" which are bad ideas" or a laptop,

get at least a 1060 GPU "graphics Processing unit" aka video card, a great entry level non rtx card, you'll see a 1050 for way cheaper but, the 50 to 60 isn't a small difference some people , from experience see a 1060, to a 1080, which are great cards still, and see a 1050 for like 100 bucks or 120 bucks, it is about half as good. it runs games but just ask people that aren't at the place your buying it before you go, there are several discords for gaming computer help, lots of options. the swtor forums not the first place i would of checked cause swtor will play on lots of machines , but the game has had horrible frame rate and loading issues since launch, but i hear the new dlc is fixing it, so even a good gaming computer will run swtor just as a not so good one heh.

GOOD LUCK

I've a 1050 GTX Ti and the frame rate grinds down to 13 to 20 FPS if I'm on ultra, especially when my guild decides to do something fun like an all-lightning sorcerer operation and the screen is nothing but lightning the entire time.

If you can swing a 1660TI Super, which isn't that much more than a 1050TI, even better.

I've a 1050 GTX Ti and the frame rate grinds down to 13 to 20 FPS if I'm on ultra, especially when my guild decides to do something fun like an all-lightning sorcerer operation and the screen is nothing but lightning the entire time.

 

If you can swing a 1660TI Super, which isn't that much more than a 1050TI, even better.

yea a 1050 is older, and this game, runs not very well on any machine, there is a third party mod for your pc, that helps the games frame rate, a tad, i used it on my older machine, but i haven't really felt like i needed to use it on my newer pc, but maybe try that, i wont post the link to it, cause i don't think bioware aka EA likes it cause they can't make money off it, but it is harmless and takes 4 min to install if you are using a older computer, shoot we used that mod when the game first came out. but i had a 1050 ti 4gb card for a year, and i wouldn't put the graphics up to ultra , i tried, but the shadows, and particle density just kills it. turn off vertical sync , bloom, and have most of the drop down options like texture quality all at medium, to low. and your game will run better,

now a 1060 is 100% times better, if you can get one of those even a 3gb one. i stupidly sold my MSI 1060 GTX 6gb for 200 bucks, and they are going for 400 now. i got the 2060 replacement, a while back, and it works great, if you can afford 360 to 400 buy a 2k or 3k series, go for it, get a 2060 if u want the cheapest one that is good

this game, runs not very well on any machine,

People keep saying this, and they are wrong.

In Warzones, my current machine(1) gets 55-60 FPS. In Ultra. At 3840x2160 UHD 4K.

OK, yes, it gets nearly three times that outside of warzones, so there's clearly *something* not quite right, but the frequent assertions that it's impossible to get even as much as 30 FPS in warzones are just *wrong*.

That said, this machine is way far above "typîcal SWTOR player machine", both in performance and price, so nobody (not even me) should use it as a yardstick for the game's performance. I mention it just to debunk "not very well on any machine", because nobody should *have* to throw painful amounts of money at the problem just to get good performance. (I *can* do that, and I don't mind doing so, but I shouldn't *have* to do it.)

(1) I'm well-paid, enough that I can afford to drop five hundred euros on just a *motherboard*. No, not every year, but the previous one (bought at the very end of 2017) *died*, so I had to replace it. Asus ROG X299 thingy, selected because it could take an 18-core i9 10980 XE (did I mention that I'm well-paid?), coupled with an RTX 2080 Ti bought about six months before the 30XX cards were released. It does the business.

Intel UHD Integrated will work OK with this game, I play ESO with my 7-8 years old Intel HD Integrated in mid to low settings and it work fine.

Try to ignore doomsayers and always do your own research and if you have spare computer somewhere, do these research there yourself, you just can't rely on comments Internet made by random people always.

Run games and play with their settings, do your own ideas and mistakes, mistakes will give you info about what your doing.

Do not expect crazy 60fps games and lower your wishes just a bit,

Limit your fps to 20-30 to reduce heat on hardware.

Always lower Shadow Quality and post processing crap like Bloom

Set it to Medium or Low Texture Quality

Set your PC to Balanced, Power saving or even create your own power plans.

Laptops from years old to this day will play any game if you know what your doing within game settings and tweaks. Just make sure you have 8GB physical memory RAM and at least 4 core CPU.

The problem with this game is its stuck in 32bit land and tends to cause unnecessary strain in weird places.

Your better off avoiding integrated graphics on CPU's - not for the sake of this game but for anything else your going to do.

I seriously doubt you're buying your laptop for just THIS game.

It may work - but you may find it won't work in the near future with Windows 11 pressure weighing down on industry.

Laptops also have a risk in heat in terms of "automated overclocking" - so make sure you accommodate for cooling - or it won't last as long as you would like it too. Microsoft has been taking liberties where they shouldn't lately.

In conclusion - get a laptop with an GPU that is not integrated for better results - and make sure its configured for optimum cooling - a very good warranty is strongly advised.

Windows 10 Pro is strongly advised - you get finer control over your environment where 10 home forces things on you that may not be what you want.

Avoid Overclocking all across the board on laptops - you want it to last - not burn itself down/wear and tear - even if it works - it won't last long enough to be of value to you down the road with the shortages.

A PC is a far better option - but Laptops have become the new solution due to COVID/Shortages etc.

Will your choice work? It might - but you want it to last and be enjoyable - and likely will play other games.