willman   10 #1 Posted February 7, 2021 My grandson is a minecraft addict (at 7) but he can't plat it on the chromebook i gave him, Ive been looking at an old Dell M170 for a couple of hundred quid.  How would this perfrom? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Share this content via...
*Wallace*   333 #2 Posted February 8, 2021 I was thinking Ghozer or someone would answer as these people know far more than me but seeing as no one has I’ll take a stab. I’m not familiar with Minecraft or any PC game but I think the key word in your post is old. As far as I know games need a good processor and lots of ram I’m not so sure an old Dell would be able to cope. Just done a quick Google and the ones I’m seeing seem to run Windows XP so I’m sticking my neck out and saying no. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Share this content via...
apelike   10 #3 Posted February 8, 2021 (edited) Have you though about getting a 10" tablet as most will play Minecraft just fine with 2gb memory and 64Ggb ROM and are are around that price mark. Make sure it has a good case and screen protector and also a decent battery. Not sure about the Amazon fire but that seems good.  When my grandson was around that age I got him one from John Lewis (a Lenovo) and he loved it and wouldn't put it down (hence having a good battery). There are plenty of other children's games available for them as well. Edited February 8, 2021 by apelike Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Share this content via...
Ghozer   112 #4 Posted February 8, 2021 For minecraft, you would be needing something at least angled towards 'gaming' I wouldn't bother with the Dell M170 for anything more than about £40 (it's 10 years old at least) the 'tablet' version of MineCraft isn't compatible with the PC Version, and is greatly different... Ideally, you want something with a resonable CPU (Dual core miniumum, but as much actual speed as possible) at LEAST 8GB Ram, and a reasonable GPU.... MineCraft is heavy on CPU and RAM (especially as you get further through the game) also depends if they are looking at modding, multiplayer, and all the various other iterations-of xD Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Share this content via...
apelike   10 #5 Posted February 8, 2021 32 minutes ago, Ghozer said: the 'tablet' version of MineCraft isn't compatible with the PC Version, and is greatly different... I must admit that I hadn't realised how demanding this game was on the PC. I have just been checking some reviews on it and most are also stating like you that for the PC version any laptop needs to be quite hi spec and recommends one with a dedicated graphics card and not one with on-board graphics. It can even support raytracing!  Now there's me thinking it was a simple kids game.... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Share this content via...
willman   10 #6 Posted February 8, 2021 He tried playing on a chromebook(that i bought him for school work at lockdown1 ) with disastrous results, he has it on the switch but again it has "glitches" as he keeps calling them. I don't want to throw lots of money at a game he might grow out of.  Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Share this content via...
Ghozer   112 #7 Posted February 8, 2021 48 minutes ago, apelike said: I must admit that I hadn't realised how demanding this game was on the PC. I have just been checking some reviews on it and most are also stating like you that for the PC version any laptop needs to be quite hi spec and recommends one with a dedicated graphics card and not one with on-board graphics. It can even support raytracing!  Now there's me thinking it was a simple kids game.... Haha, yeah it can be greatly expanded too, using mods and plugins and allsorts... it's not a 'simple kids game' for sure...  37 minutes ago, willman said: He tried playing on a chromebook(that i bought him for school work at lockdown1 ) with disastrous results, he has it on the switch but again it has "glitches" as he keeps calling them. I don't want to throw lots of money at a game he might grow out of.  Honestly, depending what he's doing on MineCraft atm, he might not loose interest.. (although that is always a risk for sure) But it does need at least a reasonable spec Laptop or PC... Usually, I would say a PC from a few years ago (or similar) may be a better option - you can often get slightly higher spec for the same or less money, and upgrade later if needed... however, with the market how it is at the moment, even that isnt something I could or would advise at the moment.... The cheapest option at the moment, is to buy a dektop from CEX, something like this as a minimum... (Could upgrade a little later) https://uk.webuy.com/product-detail/?id=sdeshppr350086b  Or  something like this, with a view to upgrade it a little later (new CPU, and GFX card when they come cheaper) https://uk.webuy.com/product-detail/?id=sdessto7r524g29069a (Although I would add another SSD or a Hard Drive, as 120GB SSD isn't very big) If you need any more help or advise, please feel free to post  Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Share this content via...
willman   10 #8 Posted February 8, 2021 thanks guys - he might retain the interest so it might be worthwhile buying somethign appropriate as a big present and not just a gift i suppose. He's been Martio fanatic for years and then he hits 7 and all of a sudden its minecraft and DanTDM etc all the time. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Share this content via...
