Intel Atom Dual Core capable of playing Counter Strike Source?

Mad Professor

Mad Professor

Mad Professor

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Good day all.

I am looking to replace the computer in the front room with a low powered system, something like the Intel Atom Dual Core PCs.

This computer is mostly used for Internet, E-Mails, MSN, Facebook, ect.
The only real game that is ever played on it is Counter Strike Source.

Looking at the Counter Strike Source specs on steam gives me this.
Minimum: 1.7 GHz Processor, 512MB RAM, DirectX® 8.1 level Graphics Card (Requires support for SSE), Windows® 7 (32/64-bit)/Vista/XP/2000, Mouse, Keyboard, Internet Connection

Recommended: Pentium 4 processor (3.0GHz, or better), 1GB RAM, DirectX® 9 level Graphics Card, Windows® 7 (32/64-bit)/Vista/XP/2000, Mouse, Keyboard, Internet Connection
Click to expand...

I am not looking for super high frame rate game play, but as long as it is playable.

I am not clued up at all with regards to the Intel Atom systems.

What do you think?

Thanks for your time.

Best Regards.
 
I think it would struggle. I jumped on Atom when they were first released and went mini itx crazy. Until I realised that Atom was good for nothing except NAS and HTPC and the love affair quickly died.

What do I think? I personally would get a 45w Athlon II and a Sapphire mini itx board.
 
I would guess an ION board might be ok, though I'd wait for widespread availability of AMD's new Brazos platform, with the E-350 CPU. It is better than Atom in all respects, including on board graphics (so can actually handle 1080p output) and should be enough for what you're looking for. Prices for the mobo with embedded CPU are around the £100-110 mark. They are available from a couple of places - an Asus MATX version and a Gigabyte MITX version.

EDIT: In fact, just found a review of the E-350, with CSS tested:

Clicky

Definitely playable frame rates there - though at 1280x720.
 
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It also lists the same requirements for Team Fortress 2

Minimum: 1.7 GHz Processor, 512MB RAM, DirectX® 8.1 level Graphics Card (Requires support for SSE), Windows® 7 (32/64-bit)/Vista/XP, Mouse, Keyboard, Internet Connection

Recommended: Pentium 4 processor (3.0GHz, or better), 1GB RAM, DirectX® 9 level Graphics Card, Windows® 7 (32/64-bit)/Vista/XP, Mouse, Keyboard, Internet Connection
Click to expand...

But I played on an AMD Dual Core + nVidia GeForce 8400GS w/ 2GB of RAM and could only muster between 30-60 frames (mostly hovering high 30s). This was on it's LOWEST setting in a 6v6 comp.

And yes, I forced Direct x 8 mode too.

I really would NOT recommend it.
 
The current system in the front room is a Dell Optiplex GX280, 1GB Memory, 80GB Seagate SATA HDD, GeForce Somthing.

And my current gaming system is a Intel Q6600, 2GB Memory, 500GB Seagate SATA HDD, GeForce 9600GSO.

I would be looking at one of the Intel Atom Dual Cores, with ION or ION2.

Just looking at Wiki regarding the ION and it looks to be based on a GeForce 9400M G GPU.

I would not be looking at running the game in any high resolution, 1024x768 max.
 
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Mad Professor said:
The current system in the front room is a Dell Optiplex GX280, 1GB Memory, 80GB Seagate SATA HDD, GeForce Somthing.

And my current gaming system is a Intel Q6600, 2GB Memory, 500GB Seagate SATA HDD, GeForce 9600GSO.

I would be looking at one of the Intel Atom Dual Cores, with ION or ION2.

Just looking at Wiki regarding the ION and it looks to be based on a GeForce 9400M G GPU.

I would not be looking at running the game in any high resolution, 1024x768 max.
Click to expand...

As I said - an AMD E-350 will cover that nicely, and you can already find a couple of mobos in stock for £107.99 - and it's better than Atom.
 
Marvin: Just seen your edited post with the link to the AMD E-350 review.

I have not followed anything to do with AMD since 2004, as I converted to Intel.

But by the looks of it AMD are pulling out some grate little tricks.
 
They're certainly worth a read - and considering they're the same-ish price as ION, you'd ignore them to your disadvantage.
 
Well it looks like the more I read about the amd system the better it looks.
As you say it does indeed look like it would be better to go with the AMD system over the Intel one.
That MSI E350IA-E45 board has eveything I think I will need, all bar WiFi.
But I am sure that there are versions out there with built in WiFi, I just need to find them.
So I guess I better go hunting, lol.
 
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