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Windows 8.1 Tablet PC Gaming Results Thread

I know that several of us now own Windows tablets like the Dell Venue 8 Pro or the Asus T100, so I thought it would be nice to have a catchall thread where we can post Steam/GOG/ETC PC games that we've tried, and the results.

I guess list what tablet you're using, the game title, the settings, links to any mods you downloaded for performance boosts, and the average fps you're getting. If you've discovered performance differences in where they are installed (external flash/HDD, SD card, internal storage), list that as well. I'll make a separate post with instructions for each game I tried that required extensive tweaking (so I can just directly link the post for anyone asking), and collective posts for games that run fine without adjustments.

I use Razer Gamebooster on occasion, will note where it made any sort of difference (it usually doesn't, and sometimes makes it worse, but every once in a while it'll give a slight performance boost).

Tools:
Razer Gamebooster - http://www.razerzone.com/gamebooster
Fraps - http://www.fraps.com/

Tablet: Asus T100 (Atom Z3740 processor, 2GB RAM)

Games

1. Fallout & Fallout 2 (GOG versions): these both run without issues. Installed on internal memory. Framerate on both is in the 120s, lol

2. Age of Empires II HD: Turned off Vsync, antialias shadows, and render 3D water. Game runs at around 50 fps full screen. I assume at the full 1366x768 resolution, as there are no resolution options. Installed on internal memory.

3. Shadowrun Returns: Full screen, Full 1366x768 resolution, HD textures on. Runs at 30fps, dips into the 20s on occasion. With HD textures off stays at a fairly steady 30 fps. TBH, I didn't notice much difference so I left it off. Installed on external USB 3.0 HDD.

4. Aliens vs Predator Classic 2000: Full screen, Full 1366x768 resolution, all video effects maxed. Runs at a locked 60 fps. Installed on microSD card.

5. Duke Nukem 3D: Megaton Edition: Full screen, Full 1366x768 resolution, all effects on, Vsync on. Runs at upwards of 200+ fps lol (you can set max fps lower). Installed on microSD card.

6. Shadow Warrior Classic Redux: Full screen, Full 1366x768 resolution, all effects on, Vsync on. Runs at upwards of 150+ fps lol (you can set max fps lower). Installed on microSD card.

7. Flatout: Full screen, Full 1366x768 resolution, all effects on, antialising off. Runs at 45-60 fps. Installed on external USB 3.0 HDD.

8. Flatout 2: Full screen, Full 1366x768 resolution, all effects on, antialising off. Runs at 38-50 fps. Installed on external USB 3.0 HDD.

9. Baldur's Gate: Enhanced Edition: Not many options here, so I left it as-is. Runs at 29/30 fps. Installed on internal memory.

10. Call of Juarez: Played on 1280x720 resolution in DX9 mode. Used "Best Performance" settings. Framerate was 35-40, dipped into the 20s on occasion for a couple of seconds. Installed on USB 3.0 external HDD. Initial loading time took foreeeeever (like, 3 minutes).
 
Tablet: Asus T100 (Atom Z3740 processor, 2GB RAM)

Games:

1. Call of Juarez: Bound in Blood installed on external USB 3.0 HDD

Results: No matter what I did here, I couldn't get the fps above the 15-20 range. I even went into the .scr file and turned it down to 800x600, turned off a lot of effects, and it had no discernible impact. You can technically play it, but it moves like molasses.

Verdict: unplayable.

2. Civ IV installed on internal memory

Results: 1368x768 native res, high-resolution landscape textures on. 30 fps zoomed in, 60 zoomed out. This is at the very beginning of the game, so I don't know how it will handle a late-game scenario. If someone wants to upload and link a late game save I will test it out. Evidently there is some baked-in Vsync, but there is no setting for turning it off, so I don't know what the fps would be if it were.

Verdict: Plays Great

3. Call of Duty 2 installed on external USB 3.0 HDD

Results (used optimal settings preset, then turned Dynamic Lights off and set Textures to Medium, turned Sound Quality to Medium):

1368x768 resolution: 25-45 fps, dips around 20 when there is a ton of stuff going on, mostly hovers between 25-30
1280x720 resolution: 30-50 fps, dips into the 20s when there is a ton of stuff going on, mostly hovers around 30-35
1024x768 resolution: 35-60 fps, dipped into the 20s once or twice, mostly hovers around 35-40
800x600 resolution: 45-75 fps, dips around 30 when there is a ton of stuff going on, mostly hovers between 45-50

You can go lower with settings and res but it's not necessary imo, even when it dips it still plays pretty smoothly

Verdict: Plays Great

4. Eschalon Book one installed on internal memory

Results: 800x600 resolution (high as it goes), full screen, all settings high. On Direct X this gave weird results in the teens, I turned it to OpenGL and it gave a solid 60 fps.

Verdict: Plays Great

5. Eschalon Book Two installed on internal memory

Results: 1024x768 resolution (high as it goes), full screen, all settings high. This was the reverse. On OpenGL it stuttered around in the 30s, while on DirectX it gave a solid 60 fps.

Verdict: Plays Great

6. Half-Life installed on internal memory

Results: 1368x768 native resolution full screen, all settings high. FPS was all over the place, from the 30s to the 100s. I turned off Vsync and the performance smoothed out somewhat. Turn on lower video settings and it smooths out further. It really didn't matter what resolution settings I used, the fps jumped around no matter what. Weird.

Verdict: Plays...Okay

7. Half-Life 2 installed on USB 3.0 HDD

Results: This was the first game that I can truly say impressed me with the performance. I set it to 1368x768 native res, and used the settings in the screenshot below:

hl2settings_zps1b986614.jpg


With these settings, I'm getting 30-90 fps, mostly hanging around the 50 fps range on average (and in some areas a steady 60+). When I first stepped out into City 17, it dipped into the 20s for about 10 seconds, but after that jumped back up to the 40s. I played up until the point Gordon gets his suit, so I don't know how it'll handle some of the crazier moments later on, but still. Crazy.

Verdict: Plays Great

8. Spelunky installed on internal memory

Results: 1368x768 native resolution full screen, all settings high. FPS 30-60, mostly around 60. Tried it on 1280x720 with lowered settings and got worse results :lol But it plays pretty smoothly at full settings, there isn't any real stuttering.

Verdict: Plays Great

9. Freedom Force installed on internal memory

Results: 1368x768 resolution, full screen, all settings high. 40-60 fps, mostly 60.

Verdict: Plays Great

10. Freedom Force vs. The Third Reich installed on internal memory

Results: 1368x768 resolution, full screen, all settings high. 30-60 fps, mostly in the 40s.

Verdict: Plays Great
 

Barmaley

Neo Member
Thanks for sharing, having just acquired a similar tablet, I'm awaiting for my otg usb cable to get delivered so I can try some indies myself.
A list of touch enabled steam games would be great too, the only one I'm aware of is civ5.
 
Tablet: Asus T100 (Atom Z3740 processor, 2GB RAM)

Game: Fallout 3 GOTY (Steam version) installed on internal memory

Okay, I had to do some work here, and so should you if you want a better experience. You'd think Bethesda might want to update one of their flagship games so people don't have to jump through hoops to get it to work, but nope. Anyway, first thing you're gonna want to do (or not want to do, but you should) is download and install the latest version of GFWL here (you don't have to actually use it once it's installed):

http://www.xbox.com/en-US/live/pc/downloadclient

Then, you're going to want to download the Fallout Script Extender (FOSE) here:

http://fose.silverlock.org/

Follow the directions in the read me.

Then, get the Intel HD graphics Bypass package:

http://www.nexusmods.com/fallout3/mods/17209/?

Then, get Fallout Stutter Remover off the Nexus mods site:

http://www.nexusmods.com/fallout3/mods/8886/?

Install using the directions in the read me.

Then, go ahead and download the Nexus Mod Manager and make an account here, because it really simplifies things:

http://www.nexusmods.com/games/?

Install, and then download the following mods for better performance:

1. Low Res Textures: http://www.nexusmods.com/fallout3/mods/5123/?

(On a 10 inch screen, you won't notice this too much)

2. Better Game Performance: http://www.nexusmods.com/fallout3/mods/13520/?

3. Clean Deluxe GOTY: http://www.nexusmods.com/fallout3/mods/17115/?

(This mod gets rid of a lot of cans, loose rocks, etc. You won't miss them)

4. Reduced Dust Particles - http://www.nexusmods.com/fallout3/mods/12310/?

5. Fog Remover - http://www.nexusmods.com/fallout3/mods/18457/?

Install using the NMM.

Here are my results using all of the above, on Low settings:

1366x768 resolution: 22-30 fps, mostly around 25 fps.
1280x720 resolution: 25-35 fps, mostly hovers in the 30 range.
1024x768 resolution: 30-40 fps, mostly hovering around 33-35 fps.
800x600 resolution: 35-50 fps, mostly hovering around 40-45 fps.

This is out exploring the area right around DC, in the open world of the game. Framerates will go higher in smaller spaces. Now, at certain points, it will dip into the teens at any resolution. This will happen during "kill" cinematics, and weird places in the world (like certain spots inside Craterside Supply building). But it's very playable at any resolution, as long as you stick to Low settings.

Verdict: Runs Great (after some work)
 

Mikaju

Member
I have done some gaming on my Dell venue pro 8, nothing too scientific though.

some playable Steam games, all installed to Samsung 64gb sdhc class 10.

Ikaruga works and looks great at 60fps 800x1280
Omerta Slowish with lowest settings but playable
Outrun 2006 plays great at highest settings
Torchlight 2 works and looks great
Volgarr played fine
Skyrim Lowest settings seemed fine
Star Wars Starfighter
Banner Saga
Devil may cry 3
Onimusha 3
Bejeweled 3

From Gog I have tested:

Carmageddon 2
MOH: Allied assault
Planescape Torment
UT Tournament 2004
XIII

and everything works great. Very pleased with this little tablet.
 
Tablet: Asus T100 (Atom Z3740 processor, 2GB RAM)

Game: Fallout New Vegas (Steam version) installed on external USB 3.0 HDD

I didn't have to do nearly as much work to get this one running well.

First, download the New Vegas Script Extender (NVSE) here:

http://nvse.silverlock.org/

Follow the directions in the read me.

Then, get New Vegas Stutter Remover off the Nexus mods site:

http://www.nexusmods.com/newvegas/mods/34832/?

Install using the directions in the read me.

If you haven't already, download the Nexus Mod Manager and make an account there, because it really simplifies things:

http://www.nexusmods.com/games/?

Install the NMM, then download and install the following mod for better performance:

Performance of the Gods:

http://www.nexusmods.com/newvegas/mods/45475/?

That's all I did. There are other performance-enhancing mods out there you can use, but I was satisfied just using the above. Results below, using Low settings.

1366x768 resolution: 20-30 fps, mostly around the 20-25 range.
1280x720 resolution: 25-35 fps, mostly hovers in the 28-30 range. In Primm I got 35-40 fps at times.
1024x768 resolution: 30-45 fps, mostly hovering between 30-35 fps.
800x600 resolution: 30-60 fps, mostly hovering between 35-40 fps.

This is out exploring the Goodsprings area and around Primm, in the open world part of the game. Framerates will go higher in smaller spaces. At certain points it will dip into the teens at any resolution, just like Fallout 3. This will happen during "kill" cinematics, and weird places in the world (certain isolated spots in caves, buildings, etc). But it plays smoother than FO3 at any resolution. I think the stutter remover is doing a much better job here.

Verdict: Runs Great
 

pfkas

Member
I have the dell venue pro 8, and have found it pretty useful.

Papers, please runs really well on the touch screen, along with off the top of my head Little Inferno.

As for games which require a pad - I haven't tried many as it is a bit of a faff to set up a 360 pad to play with, and I wonder whether there is a way to connect up a pad in a similar vein to the Moga Pro for mobile devices.

It's also worth keeping an eye on Steam streaming as that works ok in some cases and it will improve.
 
Tablet: Asus T100 (Atom Z3740 processor, 2GB RAM)

Game: Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion (Steam version) installed on internal memory

I haven't messed around with this too much, but here's what little I did.

First, download the Oblivion Script Extender (OBSE) here:

http://obse.silverlock.org/

Follow the directions in the read me.

Then, get Oblivion Stutter Remover off the Nexus mods site:

http://www.nexusmods.com/oblivion/mods/23208

Install using the directions in the read me.

If you haven't already, download the Nexus Mod Manager and make an account there, because it really simplifies things:

http://www.nexusmods.com/games/?

Install the NMM, then download and install the following mod for better performance:

Streamline:

http://www.nexusmods.com/oblivion/mods/10400/?

That's all I did. There are other performance-enhancing mods out there you can use, but I was satisfied just using the above. Results below, using Low settings with distant buildings/trees/landscape turned on.

1366x768 resolution: All over the place from 20 to 60 fps (in isolated spots), mostly around the 20-30 range outdoors and the 25-30 range indoors. You can set the max framerate in the Stutter Remover to 30 for smoother play.
1280x720 resolution: same as above, mostly hovers in the 25-30 range outdoors and the 40 range indoors.
1024x768 resolution: 30-60 fps, mostly hovering around 30 fps outdoors and 40 fps indoors.
800x600 resolution: 30-60 fps, mostly hovering between 30-40 fps outdoors and 45-60 indoors.
640x480: 30-60 fps, mostly hovering between 35-40 fps outdoors and 50-60 indoors.

It dips around 20 in certain spots (cities) no matter the resolution, but never into the teens as far as I've seen.

Verdict: Runs Great
 

Ludovico

Member
Currently in the market for a tablet. I was pretty set on getting something just for schoolwork, but the possibility of playing ES or Civ during downtime is quite tempting...

The Asus looks like it'd get the job done, but I've also been looking at Lenovo's offerings.
Either way, excellent timing for the thread, and thanks for all the configuration work!
 

Special C

Member
I haven't tried much but here is what I have. I'm not very computer savvy so I'm just going to list generically.

Surface Pro 2 (4GB RAM Version)

Civ 5- Runs like a champ, touch controls are finicky though.
TF2- Runs great, good Framerate. small screens are challenging with shooters though.
Rust- Unplayable even on low.
Hearthstone- Obviously easily Played, touch controls work excellent.
Path of Exile- Seems to run well.
Planetside 2- Not even close to running it on lowest settings
 

Hoo-doo

Banned
So, running 4/5+ year old games at 640x480 on the absolutely lowest settings possible (even downloading mods that further decrease the visuals) and still it can't manage a decent framerate.

I don't know, but "Runs Great" means different things to different people.
Entertaining for the novelty factor, maybe.
 
Asus T100:

Guacamelee:
Runs at 60FPS all the time at native res

Lost Planet (Steam version):
Runs at 20 to 40fps at 800x600 with everything low and shadows activated.

Devil May Cry 4 (Steam version):
Runs at 60FPS at 800*600 with everything low and shadows activated.

Recettear:
Runs fullspeed at native res.

PCSX2:
Persona 4: Runs at 70 to 100% speed at 640*480 (native PS2 game res)
God Hand: Runs at 50 to 80% speed at 640*480 (native PS2 game res)

PPSSPP:
So far, I tested DanganRonpa and Dissidia. Both ran at fullspeed at 2 or 3 times the native res.


I just wished someone made a controller for tablets...





So, running 4/5+ year old games at 640x480 on the absolutely lowest settings possible (even downloading mods that further decrease the visuals) and still it can't manage a decent framerate.

I don't know, but "Runs Great" means different things to different people.
Entertaining for the novelty factor, maybe.



You're just going hyperbole here.:p
 
Considering just last year you couldn't even boot up half the games in this thread on an Atom tablet, I think the performance is impressive, particularly for devices you can stick in a jacket pocket.
 

Calmine

Member
Great thread for all those interested in one of these tablets. Been eyeing the asus t100 for sometime. Just awaiting the 500GB model to come out in UK.
 

dallow_bg

nods at old men
I bought a cheap 64gb Dell Venue 8 Pro myself to play around with.

Asus T100:

Recettear:
Runs fullspeed at native res.

PPSSPP:
So far, I tested DanganRonpa and Dissidia. Both ran at fullspeed at 2 or 3 times the native res.


I just wished someone made a controller for tablets...

I'll need to try these two.
And can't you just use any Win controller?
 

rrs

Member
Wouldn't a PS3 controller work well with a tablet? Wireless and bluetooth your way to gaming fun.

Considering just last year you couldn't even boot up half the games in this thread on an Atom tablet, I think the performance is impressive, particularly for devices you can stick in a jacket pocket.

They got not shit fast to compete with ARM.
 
With compatible games, I use a 360 wireless controller with adapter on the t100. When I had a Dell V8P, it worked through the micro USB port with an OTG adapter, as well.
 

rrs

Member
I'd get some performance numbers from mine, but I have something way more powerful than the atom based stuff that most of this thread consists of (and with way less battery life.)
 

Fezan

Member
Have Lenovo miix 2. Same processor as T100. Dota2 and tf2 both run in teens some time hitting 20's on lowest setting 1024*768 res
 
Updated my posts with the Atom model used in the Asus t100, so if you're looking at similar tablets with the same processor you can expect similar performance results.

NOTE: When I had a Dell Venue 8 Pro, even though it has practically the same internals as the Asus, I was getting worse performance in some of these same games I've been testing. I think it might be because the DV8P uses single-channel memory, and I also believe a lot of it has to do with CPU throttling. Since the Dell is a solid, compact tablet, there isn't any room for the heat to go, so the Atom chip throttles it back when it hits a certain temp (the front glass would get hot when I was pushing it). On the Asus, you can thump the back and it feels a little hollow. There's more room for the heat to disperse, and they probably have a better spreader plate inside. So on smaller, thinner tablets, you might run into some heat-related performance issues the longer you play.
 

StudioTan

Hold on, friend! I'd love to share with you some swell news about the Windows 8 Metro UI! Wait, where are you going?
I love playing Hearthstone on my DV8P. The only thing that doesn't work are emotes since you can't right-click with touch in the game. Viewing cards is slightly more cumbersome, you have to click them since you can't hover the cursor over the cards to see them. Other than that it works great with touch.
 
Make sure your power management is set to high performance. We found on some machines (not tablets just regular desktop) that our default power plan throttled the cpu at 80%. High Performance (aka battery life drain) put it up to 100%. Insane on a desktop machine - I think it picked up a group policy that assumed it was a laptop, but worth double checking on the tablets.
 

Raxious

Member
Bought a Surface Pro 1 last week and been really enjoying it so far. Got some simple games like Shadowrun Returns and Civ 5 installed, work perfectly fine.
 

kubus

Member
Also have a Surface Pro 1 but only tried Rust, Crayon Physics Deluxe and Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon on it.

Rust: LOL NOPE. Terrible even on lowest settings

Crayon Physics Deluxe: Ran perfectly fine, works great with the Wacom pen that's included with the Surface Pro

Far Cry 3 Blood Dragon: Ran terrible, tried lowest settings, still pretty horrible. FPS was 20-ish I think.
 
But can it run Crysis?

Just kidding, I'm aware of the limitations of these devices.

I guess I'm just disappointed that my 5+ year old Core 2 Duo laptop with an ATI dedicated card, considered the absolute bottom of the barrel for PC gaming nowadays can still run circles around these Tablet PCs both in the benchmarks and gaming performance.

I would've thought that Intel would've juiced up those Atoms to at least surpass Core 2 performance which wasn't even that great many years ago. And I'm comparing the quad core Atom Z3740 to my dual core Core 2 Duo t9550 here.
 

Ludovico

Member
But can it run Crysis?

Just kidding, I'm aware of the limitations of these devices.

I guess I'm just disappointed that my 5+ year old Core 2 Duo laptop with an ATI dedicated card, considered the absolute bottom of the barrel for PC gaming nowadays can still run circles around these Tablet PCs both in the benchmarks and gaming performance.

I would've thought that Intel would've juiced up those Atoms to at least surpass Core 2 performance which wasn't even that great many years ago. And I'm comparing the quad core Atom Z3740 to my dual core Core 2 Duo t9550 here.

My Dell Inspiron is ready to be put down. It was never really a powerhouse as far as games, but that's what the desktop is for. Seeing that I can grade papers on the go AND play some decent 3D games has me seriously contemplating how much I want to spend on a replacement machine.
Weight's the biggest issue though, no more lugging around 6 pounds of hardware please.
 

M3d10n

Member
But can it run Crysis?

Just kidding, I'm aware of the limitations of these devices.

I guess I'm just disappointed that my 5+ year old Core 2 Duo laptop with an ATI dedicated card, considered the absolute bottom of the barrel for PC gaming nowadays can still run circles around these Tablet PCs both in the benchmarks and gaming performance.

I would've thought that Intel would've juiced up those Atoms to at least surpass Core 2 performance which wasn't even that great many years ago. And I'm comparing the quad core Atom Z3740 to my dual core Core 2 Duo t9550 here.

These are this generation's netbooks, but now they are fanless and even smaller. It's a feat they manage to perform as they do, specially considering their price.
 

dLMN8R

Member
Hearthstone not only runs great, but it's also one of the few desktop games that works perfectly with touch. Even Skulls of the Shogun doesn't, which is really confusing given the ipad and Windows 8 tablet versions.

I wish I could get Diablo 3 working well on it, but that's not happening. Even turning everything down, it's still very choppy.
 

Wiktor

Member
So, running 4/5+ year old games at 640x480 on the absolutely lowest settings possible (even downloading mods that further decrease the visuals) and still it can't manage a decent framerate.

I don't know, but "Runs Great" means different things to different people.
Entertaining for the novelty factor, maybe.

Nice trolling dude, but was it really necessary?
 
And here's Crysis 3, just because!

http://youtu.be/TWPBYRDcjgo

There are TONS of videos online of people testing multiple games, so you can see the performance for yourself.

Well now, that's something it can do that my DX10 laptop can't thanks to C3 being a DX11 hardware only game. Performance ain't that terrible either for it's specs and all the crap that's happening onscreen.

Thumbs up to the T100 for being fully functional and compliant in the DX11 spec. Previous Intel IGPs weren't so good in keeping up with the latest.
 

Lyte Edge

All I got for the Vernal Equinox was this stupid tag
ASUS T100:

South Park: The Stick Of Truth runs perfectly at 1366x768. The only time I ran into performance issues was when hooking my T100 up to a TV and running it at 1920x1080.

Skullgirls also runs perfectly at 1366x768 with 3D backgrounds turned off.

And Super Street Fighter IV Arcade Edition will run at 60 FPS or higher, with background detail on high and model detail on medium, at the lowest resolution setting (640x400, IIRC). The game still looks pretty good on the T100 screen this way.

10889392034_b61c398f34_b.jpg
 

li bur

Member
Anyone tried PC Version of Football Manager 2014 on Win 8.1 Tablet? Its not graphic heavy but the amount of load times is worrying in slow PC.
 

dLMN8R

Member
how is steam in-house streaming on those tablets?

It works really well on my Bay Trail-based Intel NUC, which is just a slightly higher-clocked version of the processor in the Venue 8 Pro.

It might be the exact same hardware as the ASUS T100.
 
Tablet: Asus T100 (Atom Z3740 processor, 2GB RAM)

Games:

1. Call of Duty & United Offensive installed on external USB 3.0 Flash Drive

Results (using optimal settings preset):

1024x768 resolution: 35-60 fps, occasionally dips into the 20s when there is a ton of stuff going on, mostly hovers around 50-60fps

Verdict: Plays Great


2. Half Life 2: Episodes 1 & 2 installed on external USB 3.0 Flash Drive

(using "recommended for your system" settings:

Episode One (using "recommended for your system" settings):

1368x768 resolution: 30-50 fps, dips into 20s at times, mostly hangs around the 35 range
1280x720 resolution: 35-60 fps, dips into the 20s when there is a ton of stuff going on, mostly hovers around 40-45

Episode Two (turned off HDR and Windows Aero effects):

1368x768 resolution: 25-6o fps (dips into teens during "cutscenes," mostly hangs around the 25-30 range outside and 40s inside)
1280x720 resolution: 35-60 fps (dips into 20s during "cutscenes," mostly hangs around the 30-35 range outside and 50s inside)

Verdict: Plays Great


3. Left 4 Dead installed on external USB 3.0 Flash Drive

Results (used recommended settings):

1368x768 resolution: 25-50 fps, mid-20s during crescendo events and at the finales when there is a ton of stuff going on, mostly hovers around 30-35 fps
1280x720 resolution: 35-60 fps, mid-20s during crescendo events and at the finales when there is a ton of stuff going on, mostly hovers around 40 fps

Verdict: Plays Great
 
I bought a Miix 2 8" tablet recently and was fairly impressed with the performance in games, until I noticed the very disconcerting CPU throttling that really kills the gaming experience when the cpu starts to heat up.

Under stress the CPU speed tends to vacillate between 1.33ghz and 1.86ghz, which naturally causes to framerates to rise and then suddenly plummet. Throttlestop doesn't seem to alleviate these symptoms in its current iteration, either.

As is now, I wouldn't recommend the Miix 2 to any one looking to do some performance demanding gaming on the go -- Skyrim, Sleeping Dogs, Crysis, and their ilk, which actually run fairly well until the invariable throttling kicks in.

Can anyone with a T100 confirm any throttling under sustained load?
 

Barmaley

Neo Member
Has anyone had the chance to test Towerfall on a baytrail tablet? It's minimum system requirements are a intel 4400 hd, but seeing what monstrous graphics these tablets can handle I'd be surprised if towerfall didn't run
 
I bought a Miix 2 8" tablet recently and was fairly impressed with the performance in games, until I noticed the very disconcerting CPU throttling that really kills the gaming experience when the cpu starts to heat up.

Under stress the CPU speed tends to vacillate between 1.33ghz and 1.86ghz, which naturally causes to framerates to rise and then suddenly plummet. Throttlestop doesn't seem to alleviate these symptoms in its current iteration, either.

As is now, I wouldn't recommend the Miix 2 to any one looking to do some performance demanding gaming on the go -- Skyrim, Sleeping Dogs, Crysis, and their ilk, which actually run fairly well until the invariable throttling kicks in.

Can anyone with a T100 confirm any throttling under sustained load?

I haven't noticed any. The tablet gets warm, but it doesn't get nearly as hot as the Dell Venue 8 Pro I used to own.
 
Has anyone tried using steam in-home streaming? Can gestures and touch commands be carried across? Combining Civ5's steam cloud saves with streaming could mean that I could start one game on PC, stream it to my tablet and then continue it out of the house (running native on the tablet)
 
I haven't noticed any. The tablet gets warm, but it doesn't get nearly as hot as the Dell Venue 8 Pro I used to own.

Thanks to the ingenuity of some brilliant folks over at notebookreview forums, I installed a 6x3", 24 gauge copper plate inside my Miix 2 8 and I can happily say that the throttling and overheating issues are over.

There's a whole thread about gaming on the Venue 8, and reducing temperatures with copper, and I can say that the same cooling method works for the Miix 2, which actually performs slightly better than the Venue 8 in certain games due to its dual channel RAM.

I think what's holding this thing back from becoming a real road warrior portable gaming machine, aside from the heating issues out of the box, is the poor battery life when playing very demanding games, a little north of an hour for Skyrim, and the lack of a Razer Edge style controller case -- though my dual shock 4 controller works well with an xbox 360 controller emulator.

Nvidia with their Shield and tablet makers can boast of very power efficient chips that are aimed to outperform last generation consoles in number crunching, but there's something to be said about Intel's less efficient although still impressive atom chips; they can actually play some of those past generation games today.

And yes, Atom z3740 tablets can play Crysis, and it's surprising enjoyable at 20-25fps.

Just be sure to get a copper plate for these 8" devices, else they're useless for anything more complex than Angry Birds.
 
Thanks to the ingenuity of some brilliant folks over at notebookreview forums, I installed a 6x3", 24 gauge copper plate inside my Miix 2 8 and I can happily say that the throttling and overheating issues are over.

That's bloody amazing, mate. How difficult was the assembly process for the tablet during the procedure?
 
That's bloody amazing, mate. How difficult was the assembly process for the tablet during the procedure?

Dis-assembly was easy once you find a thin piece of plastic to pry the back of the Miix 2 off. I used a guitar pick. After the back came off I removed the useless copper tape attached to it and the thermal tape Lenovo affixed to the heatsink; neither is needed in this mod.

Next, through some trial and error I aligned the copper plate with the back piece where it can make the most contact with the heatsink and taped it on with electrical tape. To make sure the plate has constant contact with the heatsink -- there is a little bit of extra room inside the case, which you can figure out without even opening the case through the creaking noise it makes when flexed -- I added a few layers of tape behind the copper to prop it up against heatsink.

Lastly, I applied some thermal paste on two sections of the copper plate and closed the two halves of the computer together.

The end result was a drop of about 7-8c when gaming, just enough to stop it from throttling in most games.
 
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