man i need a laptop but sadly broke and 12 so dont get much money

Well, I can suggest a good 'netbook' for about less than $400...
I can recommend you with 'Acer Aspire One D250'
Why?
Well, for one reason, it's pretty light and very little. I use this netbook when I'm away from home.
It can fit in my small bag. And, for a netbook, it packs quite a punch.
I can play games such as those command and conquer generals, not lagging.
And as for memory, it has C: = 119GB, D: = 101GB
My netbook has been with me for about two years. Just take care of it and it'll last very long.
And the battery life, it depends on what battery pack is in the netbook.
If you get the 6-cell battery, it'll last you about 4-5 hours.
If you get the 4-cell battery, it'll last about 2-3 hours

And as for your question of minimum recommended specs for gaming,
1.6 Ghz Intel Atom processor
Graphics Media Accelerator [No clue about the types]
1GB RAM, although you can buy 2GB and replace it, it'll give the netbook a boost.
That's what I'd recommend for light gaming for games like, c&c generals, plants vs. zombies and stuff.
But if you'd focus on the gaming part, I suggest buy Alienware... Although, the price will give you some ouchies...

thx alot