Playing with less than minimum requirements

[fulloflight]

Please no flaming! I have 2009 rev. Macbook Pro that meets all of the requirements to run (using Bootcamp) except it would be running a 9600M GT videocard with only 256MB of Video RAM.

 

15" monitor

Core 2 Duo 2.5 Ghz

4 GB RAM

9600M GT 256

 

I can't afford a new computer in the near future, and think I love mods too much to pick up an XBOX 360. I understand that minimum requirements are 512 MB video RAM. On a 15" monitor (1400x900 native resolution), if I stick to low everything, what are my chances? Do you think I might be able to get off the ground?

 

Thanks for your kind reply!

[Rennn]

I think the newer system requirements might actually be 1GB VRAM, but I'm not sure. It'd be awesome for me if it was still less than 768Mb...

 

I couldn't even find a 256Mb VRAM version of that card. Are you sure it's not 256-bit?

[Fonger]

min specs

 

Win XP/7/Vista (32 or 64 bit)

dual core

2GB RAM

DX9c video card w/ 512MB RAM

Internet Access for Steam activation

 

9600M GT videocard

the M translates as "this is a notebook"

 

all in all it might run the game

but it is defined as below minimum

so you are taking your chances

[xaliqen]

It's not a good idea. Your hardware is ancient by gaming standards, and the requirements they set are already pretty low. It won't break your machine if you buy Skyrim and try to run it, but it probably just won't run at all.

 

Why not play it safe, and see how it works for others trying to run it on similar machines before you buy it yourself?

Edited October 27, 2011 by xaliqen

[fulloflight]

Thanks for the advice everyone! Not completely disheartening. I'll be sure to post my success or lack thereof if I succumb and pick it up on opening weekend. If I can get it running, I guess I can always try to toggle grass, and see if that helps. It seems to help with other Bethesda games. It would be a shame to toggle the hand-placed trees, but I wouldn't put it past me if it means being able to play.

[Zachcuden]

If it does run toggle tlb in console command and it will give you higher fps by quite a bit. It might look early but that's the best advice I can give you. In fact I played oblivion on medium settings with my laptop with lots of mods. It had a INTEL HD INTEGRATED GRAPHICS. And it still was around 30 fps. Didn't look beautiful but hey, it's better than nothing. I had played oblivion for a long time before that on xbox and was just playing on laptop to get used to modding anyway. Built a max capable pc very recently for skyrim though :)

[true highlander]

The 9600M GT I have in one of my laptops has the standard 512MB of dedicated VRAM and virtually identical specs as yours except it's a 18.4" 1680x944 rig. Run/search dxdiag to verify yours, medium/low is the prediction: link. For reference, I play a my mega modded Oblivion load on it with everything maxed etc. I also have a 4 year old Toshiba with very meager specs that I also didn't play on low settings.

 

...I saved my money for a very long time and just picked up my new G74SX (woohoo!) for a killer deal and I'll be loading the game on both rigs for comparison sakes, should be kinda interesting. I'll be running max settings regardless of fps on the G74, might turn down the resolution (1920x1080 on 17" is total overkill) outdoors, toggle shadows etc. The Sony I have with the 9600M GT will run the game just fine with just more attenuated settings outdoors, I'm going to try max indoors though, but I digress...

 

Hopefully you don't have some weird, relatively unheard of version of the quite capable 9600M GT. :smile:

[fulloflight]

For the record: the game is running fine without any mods on medium settings (the suggested default), with no stuttering and 4xAA.

 

Thanks again for your feedback.