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X230 and playing Fortnite?

X230-X280, X390 Series
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baertracks
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X230 and playing Fortnite?

#1 Post by baertracks » Wed Dec 05, 2018 1:00 am

My grandson, who is 9 years old, is asking his parents for a laptop for Christmas so that he can play the game Fortnite. His parents want him to have something that can also be used for school work and that will be portable to carry to/from school. My question is whether a Lenovo X230 (or similar sized Lenovo laptop) might be a sufficient compromise as a gaming and schoolwork laptop. I'm thinking in terms of something that would cost less than $500 and that might be in used/mint condition. I'm not necessarily locked into a x230, but am thinking along those lines with regards to portability (rather than a larger/heavier 15.6" Lenovo Legion laptop, for example).

Below are the recommendations for running Fortnite. Is there a specific x230 (or other x model) that would be a good fit for the recommended requirements? Or, am I heading in the wrong direction? I'm open to other options, but am not sure where to look. Thanks for any advice that you can provide! -FRANK

Here are the Fortnite System Requirements (Minimum)
CPU: Core i3 2.4 Ghz
CPU SPEED: Info
RAM: 4 GB
OS: Windows 7/8/10 64-bit
VIDEO CARD: Intel HD 4000
PIXEL SHADER: 3.0
VERTEX SHADER: 3.0

Fortnite Recommended Requirements
CPU: Core i5 2.8 Ghz
CPU SPEED: Info
RAM: 8 GB
OS: Windows 7/8/10 64-bit
VIDEO CARD: Nvidia GTX 660 or AMD Radeon HD 7870 equivalent DX11 GPU
PIXEL SHADER: 5.0
VERTEX SHADER: 5.0
DEDICATED VIDEO RAM: 2048 MB

TPFanatic
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Re: X230 and playing Fortnite?

#2 Post by TPFanatic » Wed Dec 05, 2018 1:39 am

The X230 meets the minimum requirements. This video shows a T430s with the same Intel HD4000 GPU running Fortnite at low settings: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=upjkFy9BWzA

The game is fluid at 360p. Above that it'll become a slideshow.

baertracks
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Re: X230 and playing Fortnite?

#3 Post by baertracks » Wed Dec 05, 2018 2:36 am

Thanks for the quick response.
How about a x250 with these specs?

Intel Core i7-5600U CPU @ 2.6 GHz
Intel HD5500 Graphics integrated into CPU
256 Gb SSD
16.0 Gb RAM
12.5" TOUCHSCREEN Display 1920 x 1080
Windows 10 Professional Preinstalled
Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 7265
Intel Wireless Bluetooth

Would the higher resolution screen and touchscreen features speed up or slow down gaming?

Thinkpad4by3
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Re: X230 and playing Fortnite?

#4 Post by Thinkpad4by3 » Wed Dec 05, 2018 8:07 am

No. The higher res screen will make things look better but game resolution is completely independent of screen Resolution.

And there is really no way a touchscreen is slowing down a game.
Thinkpad4by3's Law of the Universe.

The efficiency of two screens equally sized with equal numbers if pixels are equal. The time spent by a 4:3 user complaining about 16:9 is proportional to the inefficiency working with a 16:9 display, therefore the amount of useful work extracted is equal.

CrazyTPFan
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Re: X230 and playing Fortnite?

#5 Post by CrazyTPFan » Tue Jan 22, 2019 10:16 am

If you want to game on the X230, Use the expresscard port and get a eGPU enclosure and put a GPU in it.

baertracks
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Re: X230 and playing Fortnite?

#6 Post by baertracks » Tue Jan 22, 2019 10:36 am

Good point. Thanks for the information.

CrazyTPFan
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Re: X230 and playing Fortnite?

#7 Post by CrazyTPFan » Tue Jan 22, 2019 10:47 am

If you get the X250 you won't be able to have an eGPU. The X250 has no expresscard port.

baertracks
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Re: X230 and playing Fortnite?

#8 Post by baertracks » Tue Jan 22, 2019 10:58 am

Aha! Another good point?
The x250 is now in the hands of my grandson, so I hadn't yet verified those specs.
So it goes.
FRANK

samveen
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Re: X230 and playing Fortnite?

#9 Post by samveen » Sat Apr 27, 2019 1:21 am

Despite everything being done and over with, I'd like to add the point that with an x230 set up to use an eGPU, game-time would be restricted to home, which is great for kids, who have poor impulse control (if any).

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