The performance gains are impressive, even if the graphics aren't. YouTube channel LowSpecGamer regularly tackles hidden settings in popular games, in an effort to run them on as many PCs as possible. If your game looks like a slideshow even with the lowest video settings, you might be able to improve performance with a dive into the game's config file. Perhaps it's more than a couple years old, and was cheap even in its heyday. Let's say you have a truly low-end laptop, though. Hack the Config Files for Even Better Performance If you aren't sure whether a game will run, Reddit's /r/lowendgaming subreddit can be a good resource to learn from other gamers' experience. I was shocked at how well some of my test games ran on a $500 laptop with integrated graphics, with nothing but a few settings tweaks. If running a game at 720p (or less) is what it takes to reach a playable framerate, that's what you'll have to do. Not only should you lower fancy graphical effects like anti-aliasing, shadow detail, and texture quality, but you'll want to crank down the resolution, too. When I say 'turn everything down,' I mean everything.

When you start up a modern game on a low-specced machine, it may not always use the most optimal graphics settings by default, so before you try anything else, head into your game's Video Options menu and turn down everything as low as possible. Let's start with the obvious: you'd be surprised how many games will run below the minimum requirements, as long as you're willing to give up some graphical fidelity. Here are a few strategies that can help you start gaming, without needing to invest in a super expensive rig. Though we have previously found a way to build a gaming PC for less than $1,000, not everyone is going to take the time to piece that together.īut just because you have an ancient, crappy laptop doesn't mean you can't play games-it just means you'll have to make a sacrifice here or there. While many PC enthusiasts look to high-end units or trick out their own custom rigs with the latest hardware, some of us are cursed with integrated graphics and two gigs of RAM.

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