This laptop really hurts for gaming…
I thought it would be fun to see what my dual-core Lenovo T470 is still capable of in 2024. I got a surprise for you in the form of an EGPU (External GPU), the RX5600XT, which is hooked up to the laptop. So, let’s find out what I can even do with gaming on this laptop in 2024!
Laptop:
- Model: Lenovo T470
- CPU: i5 7200u (2 Cores, 4 Threads) @2.5ghz base
- Ram: 16GB SODIMM DDR4-2133
- Graphics: Intel HD 620
- External GPU: Razer Core X with a RX 5600XT
- Games Stored on External Hard Drives
Settings:
- All games are tested at 1080p or 1200p on the EGPU, unless I let you know in the video.
- FSR is Off, so upscaling.
- Games tested on Fullscreen or Borderless.
- All game settings will be on the lowest preset.
Here is the video of Gaming on the Lenovo T470:
Timestamps:
0:00 – 0:57 Intro
0:58 – 1:32 Game Settings
1:33 – 2:21 Ratchet and Clank Rift Apart
2:22 – 5:23 Assassin’s Creed Origins
5:24 – 8:04 Shadow of the Tomb Raider 2018
8:05 – 11:06 Among Us
11:07 – 15:38 Counter Strike 2 (CS2)
15:39 – 16:12 Hitman 3
16:13 – 19:59 Killing Floor
20:00 – 20:54 EGPU, 5600XT
20:55 – 25:05 EGPU – Shadow of the Tomb Raider 2018
25:06 – 28:05 EGPU – Hitman 3
28:06 – 29:46 EGPU – Cyberpunk2077
29:47 – 30:09 EGPU – Ratchet and Clank Rift Apart
30:10 – 33:40 EGPU – Assassin’s Creed Origins
33:41 – 36:03 EGPU – League of Legends
36:04 Final Thoughts
Intel HD Graphics:
Ratchet and Clank Rift Apart
It didn’t run 🙁
Assassins Creed Origins, 3 Run Average – Integrated Graphics
Average Framerate: 9.87fps
Average 1% Lows: 6.57fps
Notes: Assassin’s Creed Origins had a lot of stutter and did not play well whatsoever. The frame times were all over the place. While it was achieving nearly 10fps, it would be very difficult to play the actual game for an extended amount of time. It was hurting my eyes.
Shadow of the Tomb Raider, 3 Run Average – Integrated Graphics
Average Framerate: 16.07fps
Average 1% Lows: 10.90fps
Notes: Shadow of the Tomb Raider felt ok to play. Frame times were ok but occasional lag spikes occurred. Could be possible to play on the integrated graphics but still under 20fps which is cause for concern. In any case happy that the slightly older title run alright.
Among Us, 1 Run Average – Integrated Graphics
Average Framerate: 59.4fps
Average 1% Lows: 50.6fps
Notes: Among Us played really well and was very smooth. I encountered no problems during the game. It is still fun and shows that light gaming is possible on this dual core with integrated graphics.
Counter Strike 2 – Integrated Graphics
Average Framerate:
Average 1% Lows:
Notes: I couldn’t get Rivatuner to show FPS so I did not record any fps values. As you saw, the FPS didn’t really go above 20fps on average. The game felt quite laggy and would be difficult to enjoy.
Hitman 3
It didn’t run 🙁
Killing Floor, 1 Run Average – Integrated Graphics
Average Framerate: 63.3fps
Average 1% Lows: 20.3fps
Notes: Killing Floor was really fun to play and shows that some older titles will be fine on these older laptops. Although you will be limited in terms of game catalogue. There are awesome series like Mass Effect or the older Call of Duty games that would be fun to play through on this dual-core laptop.
External Graphics Card(EGPU) with the RX 5600XT:
Shadow of the Tomb Raider, 3 Run Average – EGPU 5600XT
Average Framerate: 26.33fps
Average 1% Lows: 10.70fps
Notes: Shadow of the Tomb Raider felt relatively playable with achieving nearly 30fps. There was stutter and it was clear that the dual core was holding the 5600XT back. The 1% lows were a bit painful at times, but I wouldn’t mind playing the game like this.
Hitman 3, 3 Run Average – EGPU 5600XT
Average Framerate: 58.87fps
Average 1% Lows: 25.20fps
Notes: Hitman 3 on the EGPU 5600XT was more than playable, achieving nearly 60fps on average. There were some slight lag spikes occasionally, but nothing really made the game unplayable. I am more than happy with the performance in Hitman 3, and the frame times were not even that bad. CPU usage was at 100% as you saw from the run before.
Cyberpunk 2077, 3 Run Average – EGPU 5600XT
Average Framerate: 45.53fps
Average 1% Lows: 14.73 fps
Notes: Cyberpunk 2077 had a slightly better run when I performed the other benchmarks. The average FPS was decent, but as you can see, the 1% lows still are not that great, with the game feeling a bit choppy, especially when it pans over to the outside shot of the benchmark.
Assassins Creed Origins, 3 Run Average – EGPU 5600XT
Average Framerate: 10.20fps
Average 1% Lows: 5.50fps
Notes: AC origins on the EGPU were still not very playable, and the frame times were still pretty bad. I found it a little disappointing, but I didn’t expect the Dual Core to hold up well, even with the RX 5600XT for this title.
League of Legends, 1 Run Average – EGPU 5600XT
Average Framerate:
Average 1% Lows:
Unfortunately, I had run the benchmark, but it didn’t record on the file. I can say from playing the game it felt that it didn’t dip below 100fps too much when playing ARAM, and in larger fights went down to around 80fps on average. 1% lows were alright, and the game was very playable on ARAM, in my opinion.
Final Thoughts:
It was a pretty interesting run of games, and as you saw on the laptop itself with the integrated graphics, it really did struggle to run many games. Some of them didn’t even launch. What I really enjoyed was the light gaming on this laptop like with the older titles such as Killing Floor or something more casual like Among Us. Even on the EGPU with the 5600xt with some major wins like with Hitman 3 running with almost 60fps at low settings at 1080p. What was most apparent with the Egpu is that games that weren’t reliant as reliant on the CPU played decently, whereas the CPU-bound games like Assassins Creed Origins really struggled.
That’s not to downplay the T470, it literally wasn’t designed to play games even when it released. It’s a business laptop through and through. I still like using T470 when I’m doing assignments, using Steam remote play, or just browsing the internet. The battery life is decent and the build quality is amazing. The later models like the T480 or T14 Gen 2 should do a bit better with the Egpu since most of them are quad core and above.
I hope this provided a bit of perspective on what the purpose of your computer is. Do you need a blazing fast laptop and an average desktop gaming pc or do you want a blazing fast desktop pc and a reliable workhorse laptop. While I can feel the dual core starting to struggle in recent times, I still don’t regret getting the cheaper laptop while having a relatively faster desktop pc.
YSTech: https://ystech.org
YSTech Article: https://ystech.org/gaming-on-my-dual-core-laptop
-YS