If I get on the game design course at Doncaster College, I might need a new PC!

[Mr Allen]

Topic.

To run game design software such as Unity and the Unreal Engine as well as programming in C++.

I have a budget for a Windows 10 Laptop of around £150-200 from a shop such as PC World.

Without just telling me to Google, can anyone recommend a good machine for my budget?

 

[Bolletje]

I don’t think you’re going to find hardware suitable for game design in that price range.

 

[Starfire]

PC World only has 7 laptops available for under £200. Why don’t you narrow that down further by looking at the reviews, then cross reference the best reviewed computer with the minimum specs you need to run the software you want to use. For that price range you may struggle to get anything with enough processing power to do a decent job. You might be better off buying a refurb or second hand with more muscle.

 

[55853]

You're not going to find a new laptop in that price range that meets the system requirements of those programmes. You will struggle to find something used, and it won't be from a shop like PC world. Is it possible to upgrade your current PC?

 

[Mr Allen]

You're not going to find a new laptop in that price range that meets the system requirements of those programmes. You will struggle to find something used, and it won't be from a shop like PC world. Is it possible to upgrade your current PC?

No, it's a Chromebook, in theory I could install Windows 10 on it, but it would be messy and I don't have the skills.

Just found this on Curry's PC World website, would it do the job? It's only £110.

 

[55853]

No, it's a Chromebook, in theory I could install Windows 10 on it, but it would be messy and I don't have the skills.

That's fair enough.

Just found this on Curry's PC World website, would it do the job? It's only £110.

No. If you look at the recommended hardware for unreal engine, you can see it doesn't come close. The processor is not fast enough (1.44GHz vs the the recommended 2.5GHz), it does not have dedicated graphics, and has 2GB of RAM vs the recommended 8GB.

 

[WildCat]

You're going to need something with a lot of horsepower for Unreal Engine, and by horsepower I mean a dedicated video card and plenty of RAM. Going the desktop route is cheaper and you can probably find a secondhand machine somewhere, but if you think it's going to run on a low-end laptop smoothly I say have fun with that.

That's likely out of your proposed budget right now, so you should consider saving up a little more cash. Double your savings at the very least and then go from there.

 

[OlLiE]

maybe you could enquire if you can get a discount through the university
they may have an agreement with a supplier to ensure that students can get an adequate computer
or they may bulk buy and sell or lend them out to students for a deposit

 

[Mr Allen]

maybe you could enquire if you can get a discount through the university
they may have an agreement with a supplier to ensure that students can get an adequate computer
or they may bulk buy and sell or lend them out to students for a deposit

Yeah that might be an option, if I get on the course I'll speak to the College about that.

 

[Judge]

maybe you could enquire if you can get a discount through the university
they may have an agreement with a supplier to ensure that students can get an adequate computer
or they may bulk buy and sell or lend them out to students for a deposit

Good point. When I went to tech school, my school ID allowed me to purchase some very expensive items at quite a discounted price. I suspect this dynamic is as common in Britain as it is in the US.

 

[the_tortoise]

Dell has a lot of really good deals on refurbished and "scratch and dent" computers. I just looked at their UK store "outlet" page and they have a laptop that might meet your requirements for for £240. (Sorry for originally saying they had 2 others -- forget to select processor filters, was wrong about those..... I hope to buy a refurbished mobile workstation from them for my next computer - for $500-700 I can get a machine that would cost me $2000+ if I bought it brand new.)

HP or other big names might also have an online store in the UK with a similar refusbished/outlet section.

 

[Suzanne]

The laptop I currently use was the cheapest on the market, at I believe: 400 euros. 345.748 in sterling and that was when windows 10 had just come out; so perhaps 3 years?!

Anyway, despite it being pretty basic, I can play high grapic games on here and have quite a few; although saying that, I did get a message pop up from gardenscape, to say that my computer was running too slow for the game. So, with all said and done, I would sadly have to concede that you are looking to having to save quite a bit of money, to buy a good computer.

 

[Judge]

For any game development I'd want a robust desktop system with a powerful CPU, optimal RAM and a powerful GPU not integrated within the CPU. Game development ported to PCs generally defaults to requirements indicative of the high end of hardware- not the low or middle spectrum of what most users have.

Just another reason why I withdrew from gaming on my PC so many years ago. Got tired of trying to update my hardware just to keep up with the developers. Much like hackers, they always seemed to be a few steps ahead. Small wonder in contemplating how software entertainment developers might collude with hardware manufacturers.

 

[Mr Allen]

For any game development I'd want a robust desktop system with a powerful CPU, optimal RAM and a powerful GPU not integrated within the CPU. Game development ported to PCs generally defaults to requirements indicative of the high end of hardware- not the low or middle spectrum of what most users have.

Just another reason why I withdrew from gaming on my PC so many years ago. Got tired of trying to update my hardware just to keep up with the developers. Much like hackers, they always seemed to be a few steps ahead. Small wonder in contemplating how software entertainment developers might collude with hardware manufacturers.

I already have a Desktop Chromebook as well as Laptop at my Parents, I can't afford and don't have space in my place for another one.

 

[Judge]

I already have a Desktop Chromebook as well as Laptop at my Parents, I can't afford and don't have space in my place for another one.

That may depend entirely on the curriculum in question. You may have no choice if assignments involve multiple operating systems and hardware platforms. Or be willing to spend countless hours after class provided the school provides a "lab" to complete your assignments on their hardware platforms rather than your own. Another thing consider with formal vocational training.

Something worth asking many questions about of the program and college in question. I wouldn't assume they will automatically accommodate you. Don't be afraid to be inquisitive with them over such considerations.

As far as space goes, my desktop system is about 16 inches high, 7 inches wide and about 19.5 inches deep. A very powerful system in a relatively modest case. Power doesn't have to be proportional to size, despite what some vendors try to imply.