Can I use a laptop as a screen for a desktop?

[Shazza36]

Basically my son wants to install a game on his laptop but his laptop won't support it due to not having a graphics card it being a laptop. We have a spare PC but no spare moniter and we were wondering if you can connect the pc with the game installed on it, to the laptop and if so do we need a special cable etc? TIA

[ACtheTROLL]

It's not just having a card ... you need the correct type
(or age) of card - generally it depends on how much video memory is available (which also generally speaking tells you which GPU the card has).

some of the latest hardcore games require video cards bought within the cast couple of years, ginormous discs ... and powerful processors

you could try one of the recycling websites for an unwanted monitor

what's the game?

[Shazza36]

Think its the latest Total War but I'm not at home so can't check, the laptop is only a year old, its on Windows Vista and its a Toshiba don't have any other details on me. He doesn't really have room for a monitor.

[ChuckFickens]

To answer your question of Can I use a laptop as a screen for a desktop

No you can't

the required specs for total war seem to be

OS - XP or Vista 32
Processor - Intel 2.4ghz or equivalent
RAM - 2GB (Vista) 1GB (XP)
GPU - 256MB Card, DirectX 9.0
HDD Space - 15GB


So it will need a 256mb graphics card, I would be surprised if a spare PC you have kicking about will have that sort of level card in it to be honest.

You need to know what your system specs are and check on the side of the games box if it meets the requirements for any games you buy before shelling out on them!

[tamborine]

Look on Freecycle.....often monitors looking for homes.

[Shazza36]

Thanks-I'm glad he paid for it and not me think it will probably end up on Ebay, told him he should check first , think he assumed because his laptop was newish and on Vista it would be fine- it takes up too much space to put on our pc but the spare one we have is not that old and as it belonged to my mum its not full of rubbish might have a go with it and connect it to our monitor and he will just have to play on it when we're not using it.