Dual Boxing a NO GO...For now

Discussion in 'The Newbie Zone' started by Kani Icewolf, Oct 2, 2013.

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  1. Kani Icewolf Journeyman

    Alright, so I heard/read a lot about boxing. I did some research and decided to try it. I created a new account and what not. I logged on made a character...did a little bit of the tutorial, and then sent her home. I logged on to my Druid and the lag was horrible. I've seen people say that they're on very old computers, some say they are on laptops. I'm running on a small laptop with an external hard drive (absolutely nothing special and probably really funny to some people). I can run EQ with no problem that way, the only zone that lags a lot is PoK.

    I didn't think it would work very well, but I thought why not try.

    Officially, I've come to the conclusion that boxing is not a good idea right now. At some point I'll have to get the right set up for it...the question is, what is the right set up? Say if you want to run on a laptop what would you need to buy at least to help with the lag, without getting too crazy? I've also heard about WinEQ2, but would that be enough to fix the issues I'm having? I don't mind switching between windows or anything like that...I just don't want it to take forever to switch or for both instances to load. I think it took damn near 30 minutes (if not longer) last night to have them both on at the same time and all I got done was buffing the character and then I had to go.

    I have already changed the FPS settings and turned the sound off and stuff like that. Not sure if I should just give up and only try to run both to buff up or help with small stuff or if I should see if I can fix it to where it's workable...preferably without killing my laptop.

    Any help would be great, and I understand if this is crazy or hilarious...I am quite ballsy and I figure if everyone else can I should be able to, too...at least try anyway.
    Thank you in advance!

    Also, sorry for the rambling.
  2. moogs Augur

    Well you get points for trying. Without knowing too much about your budget and your other computing needs...

    You'll have the best gaming experience on a desktop, but many modern laptops are up to the task. Some specs you'll want to look for:

    A multi-core processor (quad-core if you can), such as an Intel i5 or i7
    minimum 4 GB RAM
    a fast storage device, either a 7200+ RPM hard disk or a solid state drive (SSD)
    a dedicated video adapter instead of an integrated one
    Windows 7 x64 (no need for WinEQ2 or [Unmentioned 3rd Party Software])
    Kani Icewolf likes this.
  3. Kani Icewolf Journeyman


    Okay, thanks for points lol.

    I like the laptop so when I play I don't feel like I'm shutting myself off to my family, my husband especially.
    I would like to price out some laptops and see. Thank you very much for the specs that are needed, that's super helpful. I love playing EQ, but I have no knowledge of the components that go into making it all possible, lol. It's similar to my vehicle knowledge...I can drive it...but I don't know what all makes it work...besides oil and fuel and water/cooler.

    Thank you very much!! :) Have an awesome day!
  4. moogs Augur

    If you get a chance, window shop at Best Buy or a local computer repair shop to look at some models. Keyboard and trackpad preferences are very personal. (Prices will be somewhat better online.) My company uses Lenovo laptops, in part because there's a red nipple-thing in the middle of the keyboard that is easier for some people to use to control the mouse cursor than the actual trackpad. We use a mix of the Lenovo T430, X230, and X1 Carbon. We spend between $900-1500 per machine without corporate discounts.

    A few extra tips:

    - Don't get suckered into buying a Mac - EQ will run, but it's going to take more work (and cash)
    - Avoid Windows 8 if you can - EQ will run, but it's going to take more work
    - Since you can wait a few weeks, circle Cyber Monday (December 2) on your calendar for the very best online shopping deals
    - Measure your current laptop's screen (diagonally) to get an idea of what you're looking for
    - If your budget is tight but you're otherwise a responsible adult, there are very nice financing offers available from PayPal's Bill Me Later (no payments, no interest for 6 months on purchases over $99) which is accepted at Newegg.com, and the Amazon.com store card (no payments, no interest for 6 months on purchases over $149, 12 months for purchases over $599).
    - Ask about the new Intel processor series, Haswell. Its main selling point is that it uses up to 20x less power than the previous chips.

    Good luck and happy shopping!
    Kani Icewolf and Borek-VS like this.
  5. Borek-VS Augur

    :) I run EQ on a Mac. Standard config, comes with SSD, multi-core, etc. I did spend more to get it to run - I spent a few dollars on CrossOver (some special offer, around $10).

    Anyway - the biggest issue with laptops is usually the graphics adaptor; laptop ones are feeble. I can't play with a trackpad, for me a mouse is essential, but the little things like you had on IBM laptops (Lenovo) a decade ago would probably be ok; otherwise I'd buy a mouse as well.
    Kani Icewolf and moogs like this.
  6. Felicite Augur

    There are number of things you can do to improve performance. If you've done all this and more, then I apologize. But consider this a check list: "Getting rid of that Awful, Debilitating Lag on your 10 year old computer" - http://www.daguild.org/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=8823

    Doing these I went from locking up more often than not when I toggled between two sessions to smoothly running three sessions of EQ on my old system.
    mystic37, Borek-VS and Kani Icewolf like this.
  7. moogs Augur

    Fair point. I was thinking more along the lines of a Windows license + VMWare. (The real added cost is simply that it's got an Apple logo engraved on it.)

    I agree - the graphics adapter is something you will want to pay special attention to. I've been able to run EQ on my 3 year-old work laptop (eh, whatever) with the integrated Intel HD 4000. I was even able to raid with my druid in Beasts' Domain. Lag was nil. Boxing would probably cause some real stress on the display adapter, so just to be on the safe side...

    And absofrigginlutely - Mouse all the way!
    Kani Icewolf likes this.
  8. Dre. Altoholic

    Sounds like you need more system RAM (memory)

    Also, what OS? I wouldn't recommend boxing on 32-bit Vista.
    Kani Icewolf likes this.
  9. Kani Icewolf Journeyman

    I love google...it's windows 7.
  10. Kani Icewolf Journeyman

    I'm really not a Mac fan. I like the iphone, but other than that...
    I forgot about cyber monday. I'll have to take full advantage of that.
    I think I need a bigger screen than what I have right now for sure.
    So many options, I'm getting excited! :) Thanks so much for all your help!
  11. Kani Icewolf Journeyman

    I don't use the track pad now. I hooked up an extra mouse I had. It works much better.

    I have a lot of research to do on laptops now. :)
  12. Kani Icewolf Journeyman


    I checked out that link. I'll try that tonight...thank you. We'll see if I can get this baby running right, lol. If not...I'll be online shopping for laptops.

    Thank you :)
  13. Kani Icewolf Journeyman


    What is the graphics adapter? Is that something I hook up to the laptop?
  14. moogs Augur

    Display adapter, video adapter, video card, call it what you like. It's a dedicated piece of hardware whose job it is to draw things on your screen as fast as possible. It takes a load off of the CPU, which would otherwise be stuck trying - and failing - to do so. All modern laptops have a chip built in for this purpose. Most of them are garbage. Newer laptop models will usually offer a video card that is an upgrade to a "standard" configuration. The built-in chips are fine for e-mail and Excel. For gaming, it's pretty important to have as nice of a GPU (graphics processing unit, one more term for the same thing) as you can afford. They come preinstalled inside.
    Borek-VS likes this.
  15. Kani Icewolf Journeyman

    Alrighty! :) I know I'm not computer smart, but I've learned a lot today! Thank you again for all of your advice. Now off I go!
  16. Dre. Altoholic

    32-bit Windows 7 will typically only support 3-4GB of RAM, but I think it's likely you have less than this. Trying to run multiple EQ clients with 1-2 GB total memory (or less) will almost certainly cause issues you describe, unless you are running some pretty intense optimizations.

    If you're on the market, I recommend the following:

    64-bit Windows
    8GB of RAM (or more)
    RADEON or GEFORCE graphics chipset

    Researching specific models of video cards can get very complicated, very quickly. See here:
    http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/342023-33-guide-choose-graphic-card

    You might want to consider finding someone tech-savvy to assist you with this purchase. Don't abuse them :) I don't know what your budget is, but a "cheap gaming laptop" is somewhat of a misnomer. Fortunately EQ isn't quite as demanding as some other games.
    Kani Icewolf likes this.
  17. Piestro Augur

    FYI we do not support the use of or allow VMWare.

    Thanks,
    Kani Icewolf likes this.
  18. Kani Icewolf Journeyman

    That's good to know. Thanks Piestro! It's okay to use WinEQ though right? Or is it just better to alt-tab if you're going to box? Just out of curiosity.
  19. Kani Icewolf Journeyman

    Does it matter if you have an external hard drive with a lot of GB? Or is that entirely irrelevant?

    I know they're probably dumb questions, but oh well.
  20. Kurayami Augur


    Pretty sure WinEQ and [Unmentioned 3rd Party Software] are okay. However, if they ever get in the mood to make even less money off EQ, they can prohibit these as well. I won't continue if they are going to hamper my ability to set my controls up the way I want.
    Kani Icewolf likes this.
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