Can I try and get into monocle PC gaming with a laptop from 2006?

[The Sceneman]

Okay Ive been thinking about getting back into PC games and I'm really keen to get into some meaty strategy games with heaps of micromanagement etc. (cos its really the only genre you cant play anywhere else).
 
My PC is a Toshiba notebook from 2006 so I can only run older stuff, but Im sure theres some great stuff in bargain bins out there that I have missed out on.

What are some older strategy games that I could check out and how would I determine the specs of my laptop? (I have no idea, Im a super n00b here)

Help your nicca out PC Bore! 

[The Sceneman]

like I said I don't have a clue! Last time I played PC games was around 1999...

How would I find out what my card is?

[demi]

I heard they have this thing on your PC called Device Manager

start > run > dxdiag > display tab

[The Sceneman]

Okay Ive got that up, where would I find a graphics card? I cant find any of those names that borys mentioned...

[The Sceneman]

Is there any guarantee that I even have a GFx card?

[The Sceneman]

  yeah like I said I'm a TOTAL n00b here, been gaming on consoles exclusively for the past 10 years.

Okay it says its a 128MB Mobile INTEL 945GM Express Chipset Family. It sounds like a piece of shit as you said.

Can I play Civ4 with this?

[ToxicAdam]

Get the latest drivers for that chipset and download the demo.

[demi]

Probably not...

[Herr Mafflard]

I don't think you should have a problem running the first Medieval: Total War. There's a demo for it here:

http://fileshack.com/file.x/35/Medieval:+Total+War+Demo 

If your system is struggling with that, then I'd recommend Shogun: Total War. Demo: http://fileshack.com/file.x/945/Shogun:+Total+War+Demo

[pilonv1]

you can probably play a bunch of old stuff. get some demos off steam

[EmCeeGrammar]

I kind of wish all pc games had super low spec modes.  I wouldnt mind playing a low poly game with piss poor detail as long as it ran at 60 fps.  The fear 2 demo almost worked well enough at low settings.  Kinda wish I didnt cheap out on my laptop so I could try and get into TF2.

[treythemovie]

I too have a shitty Toshiba notebook from 2006! And it can't run anything made in the last 6 or so years. 

Though Valve games tend to work pretty well

[muckhole]

The good news is that you should be able to play X-Com just fine, which, really, is the only strategy game anyone would ever need.

EDIT: And you can get the entire X-Com bundle on Direct2Drive for $5 on sale (though you'll only really want X-Com UFO Defense and Terror from the Deep).

[Smooth Groove]

What's the last PC game that you played?  It'd be easier to make suggestions if we knew that. 

[bork]

Hey don't feel bad, I have a year-old MacBook and it can't run shit...those 2006 notebooks probably have better integrated cards.   

[The Sceneman]

What's the last PC game that you played?  It'd be easier to make suggestions if we knew that. 

Some stuff on Scummvm I think? Its been a long time.

As I said before I just want to check out some deep strategy titles, I hear the Total War series is good (and old) so I may check that out.

Thanks for all input here

[The Sceneman]

I don't think you should have a problem running the first Medieval: Total War. There's a demo for it here:

http://fileshack.com/file.x/35/Medieval:+Total+War+Demo 

If your system is struggling with that, then I'd recommend Shogun: Total War. Demo: http://fileshack.com/file.x/945/Shogun:+Total+War+Demo

thanks for this, nabbing it now