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More AMD E350 game testing volume 1
You didn’t really think I’d abandon the whole testing, did you? The Viao Y-series (remember that the hp pavilion dm1 can do this stuff too if modified the way I modified my Viao) has been going through more tests and has been showing a lot more promise. Before we go into the results of more games though I’d give you some tips and tricks if you happen to be doing the same with your netbooks:
1 – Be sure to update your Catalyst drivers and profiles:
While this is a usual word of advice for every PC user regardless of hardware, it is important that you do update your graphic drivers as it will make your machine run more efficiently and some games to work better than before. It isn’t that difficult, you can pick it up from AMD’s driver site.
2 – Keep FRAPS on:
This isn’t really important but at least it will give you an idea where the netbook’s choke points are in a game. FRAPS also really helps you fine tune the game to make it run smoother when reducing and changing graphical settings. Obviously, the lower the graphics, the smoother the frame rate, but you might find ways to keep some settings higher in some places to make the games look a litte better.
That’s for advice, I’ve also tried out some hardware that might make things a little more convenient:
Mouse – Razer Mamba:
You don’t exactly need a big fancy mouse to do your bidding, I had my Razer Mamba lying around as I had it for free. Many people will swear by having a mouse around if you’re playing games on your laptop. Just as it’s wired and comfortable to use, then you are on the right track.
Controller – 360 wired controller:
While many swear by the mouse, it doesn’t hurt to have a controller in hand, especially when some games kind of play better with it on the netbook (or at least my Viao). some games tend to lag a little bit when using a mouse, that doesn’t seem to be the case with a controller in some cases, some games are even designed for controllers. They aren’t that expensive if you buy them wired too, your safest and probably best option would be the 360 controller.
Lapdesk – Logitech Coolpad N200:
At one point I was vastly skeptical about external fans, I never thought they were useful. Though some have told me that they have their uses. In any case, Lapdesks are pretty essential if you plan to have your netbook/laptop on your lap or soft surfaces such as your bed. These devices have ventilation holes in the bottom of the device that require some breathing to exhaust the heat (usually, like my Vaio, from the side). The Logitech Coolpad N200 almost seems designed for my vaio, a fan for the vents in the bottom, breathing space and leverage to have it on a comfortable level if I’m laying down in bed or on the couch.
That’s enough hardware extras now for the meat of this article, the games running on my Vaio:
A.R.E.S. – Extinction Agenda:
The game runs on a constant 30 frames per second however there is a slight input lag on both mouse and controller setups. Nothing that breaks the game though.
FarCry 2:
The test involved here is from the benchmark that comes with the game, the game fared pretty well on low settings. Native resolution (low graphical settings) averaged at 20 frames per second, highs at 30 and lows at 13. 800 x 480 resolution is at a more impressive rate averaging at 24 fps with highs at 36 and lows at 17.
Garshasp:
The Persian hack ‘n’ slash did alright in some tests, native resolution on high ranged between 10-18 but was at a more impressive 16-24 fps when graphical settings were set to low on the same native resolution.
Jamestown:
When the screen is clean of bullets, framerates can go as high as 60 but drop down to 30 fps while firing. To some certain extent, that can be at your advantage when the enemies attack hard. a controller is recommended as you can’t hold 3 keyboard buttons in one time to netbook keyboard input limitations.
Duke Nukem 3D/Redneck Rampage:
For some odd reason, both games do not go past the DOS set up screen. There must be a work around for this problem that I will try to figure out later, I’m quite sure these games would work but require a few fixes. Let us know if you have figured out a way to make them work if you have tried. (screen shots not from the actual test)
Stonekeep:
Despite Duke Nukem 3D and Redneck Rampage not working, Stonekeep works flawlessly without any noticeable slow downs (if any). (screen not from the actual test)
Empire Earth
I remember a time I was struggling to run this game on my first hulking laptop on 1024 x 768 back in 2003. Now, it’s refreshing to see Empire Earth running at the native 1366 x 768 on high on a smooth and constant 60 frames per second.
Our next post might focus more on PS2/Xbox 1 era games and GOGs since they seem to have a higher tendency to work AMD’s e350 APU.
Again, if there’s a game you would like us to test any games, leave a comment on this post below or join the Gaming Netbook group to share your experiences.
