Aces High Bulletin Board
Help and Support Forums => Technical Support => Topic started by: madness on September 16, 2004, 06:35:46 PM
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Just installed latest Service packs, have latest vid card drivers and sound card drivers. MY PC completley locks up when I start AH II at a white screen. NO CTD it locks up completley and I have to shut it down. I can run the ah film viewer fine.
Specs: Win XP Pro, Geforce 3 64mb, Athlon 900 mhz cpu, 512 mb ram, dx 9.0c.
Any help will be greatly appreciated!
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Ok just rolled by drivers to stock ones for my vid card. Now it doesn't freeze but it CTD's back to desktop. Anyone know how to fix this??? :confused:
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System Information
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Time of this report: 9/16/2004, 19:42:06
Machine name: HOME
Operating System: Windows XP Professional (5.1, Build 2600) (2600.xpclnt_qfe.021108-2107)
Language: English (Regional Setting: English)
System Manufacturer: VIA Technologies, Inc.
System Model: VT8363
BIOS: Award Modular BIOS v6.00PGN
Processor: AMD Duron(tm) Processor, ~1.0GHz
Memory: 512MB RAM
Page File: 144MB used, 1105MB available
Windows Dir: C:\WINDOWS
DirectX Version: DirectX 9.0c (4.09.0000.0904)
DX Setup Parameters: /Silent
DxDiag Version: 5.03.0001.0904 32bit Unicode
------------
DxDiag Notes
------------
DirectX Files Tab: No problems found.
Display Tab 1: No problems found.
Sound Tab 1: No problems found.
Sound Tab 2: No problems found.
Music Tab: No problems found.
Input Tab: No problems found.
Network Tab: No problems found.
--------------------
DirectX Debug Levels
--------------------
Direct3D: 0/4 (n/a)
DirectDraw: 0/4 (retail)
DirectInput: 0/5 (n/a)
DirectMusic: 0/5 (n/a)
DirectPlay: 0/9 (retail)
DirectSound: 0/5 (retail)
DirectShow: 0/6 (retail)
---------------
Display Devices
---------------
Card name: NVIDIA GeForce3
Manufacturer: NVIDIA
Chip type: GeForce3
DAC type: Integrated RAMDAC
Device Key: Enum\PCI\VEN_10DE&DEV_0200&SUBSYS_001B1545&REV_A3
Display Memory: 64.0 MB
Current Mode: 1024 x 768 (32 bit) (75Hz)
Monitor: NEC MultiSync M500
Monitor Max Res: 1280,1024
Driver Name: nv4_disp.dll
Driver Version: 6.14.0010.5672 (English)
DDI Version: 9 (or higher)
Driver Attributes: Final Retail
Driver Date/Size: 3/24/2004 10:04:00, 4274560 bytes
WHQL Logo'd: Yes
WHQL Date Stamp: n/a
VDD: n/a
Mini VDD: nv4_mini.sys
Mini VDD Date: 3/24/2004 10:04:00, 1895648 bytes
Device Identifier: {D7B71E3E-4140-11CF-DD60-112002C2CB35}
Vendor ID: 0x10DE
Device ID: 0x0200
SubSys ID: 0x001B1545
Revision ID: 0x00A3
Revision ID: 0x00A3
Video Accel: ModeMPEG2_A ModeMPEG2_B ModeMPEG2_C ModeMPEG2_D
Deinterlace Caps: {212DC722-3235-44A4-BD29-E1652BBCC71C}: Format(In/Out)=(YUY2,YUY2) Frames(Prev/Fwd/Back)=(0,0,2) Caps=VideoProcess_YUV2RGB VideoProcess_StretchX VideoProcess_StretchY DeinterlaceTech_PixelAdaptive
{212DC723-3235-44A4-BD29-E1652BBCC71C}: Format(In/Out)=(YUY2,YUY2) Frames(Prev/Fwd/Back)=(0,0,1) Caps=VideoProcess_YUV2RGB VideoProcess_StretchX VideoProcess_StretchY DeinterlaceTech_MedianFilteri ng
{335AA36E-7884-43A4-9C91-7F87FAF3E37E}: Format(In/Out)=(YUY2,YUY2) Frames(Prev/Fwd/Back)=(0,0,0) Caps=VideoProcess_YUV2RGB VideoProcess_StretchX VideoProcess_StretchY DeinterlaceTech_BOBVerticalSt retch
{212DC722-3235-44A4-BD29-E1652BBCC71C}: Format(In/Out)=(UYVY,UYVY) Frames(Prev/Fwd/Back)=(0,0,2) Caps=VideoProcess_YUV2RGB VideoProcess_StretchX VideoProcess_StretchY DeinterlaceTech_PixelAdaptive
{212DC723-3235-44A4-BD29-E1652BBCC71C}: Format(In/Out)=(UYVY,UYVY) Frames(Prev/Fwd/Back)=(0,0,1) Caps=VideoProcess_YUV2RGB VideoProcess_StretchX VideoProcess_StretchY DeinterlaceTech_MedianFilteri ng
{335AA36E-7884-43A4-9C91-7F87FAF3E37E}: Format(In/Out)=(UYVY,UYVY) Frames(Prev/Fwd/Back)=(0,0,0) Caps=VideoProcess_YUV2RGB VideoProcess_StretchX VideoProcess_StretchY DeinterlaceTech_BOBVerticalSt retch
{212DC722-3235-44A4-BD29-E1652BBCC71C}: Format(In/Out)=(YV12,0x32315659) Frames(Prev/Fwd/Back)=(0,0,2) Caps=VideoProcess_YUV2RGB VideoProcess_StretchX VideoProcess_StretchY DeinterlaceTech_PixelAdaptive
{212DC723-3235-44A4-BD29-E1652BBCC71C}: Format(In/Out)=(YV12,0x32315659) Frames(Prev/Fwd/Back)=(0,0,1) Caps=VideoProcess_YUV2RGB VideoProcess_StretchX VideoProcess_StretchY DeinterlaceTech_MedianFilteri ng
{335AA36E-7884-43A4-9C91-7F87FAF3E37E}: Format(In/Out)=(YV12,0x32315659) Frames(Prev/Fwd/Back)=(0,0,0) Caps=VideoProcess_YUV2RGB VideoProcess_StretchX VideoProcess_StretchY DeinterlaceTech_BOBVerticalSt retch
{212DC722-3235-44A4-BD29-E1652BBCC71C}: Format(In/Out)=(NV12,0x3231564e) Frames(Prev/Fwd/Back)=(0,0,2) Caps=VideoProcess_YUV2RGB VideoProcess_StretchX VideoProcess_StretchY DeinterlaceTech_PixelAdaptive
{212DC723-3235-44A4-BD29-E1652BBCC71C}: Format(In/Out)=(NV12,0x3231564e) Frames(Prev/Fwd/Back)=(0,0,1) Caps=VideoProcess_YUV2RGB VideoProcess_StretchX VideoProcess_StretchY DeinterlaceTech_MedianFilteri ng
{335AA36E-7884-43A4-9C91-7F87FAF3E37E}: Format(In/Out)=(NV12,0x3231564e) Frames(Prev/Fwd/Back)=(0,0,0) Caps=VideoProcess_YUV2RGB VideoProcess_StretchX VideoProcess_StretchY DeinterlaceTech_BOBVerticalSt retch
Registry: OK
DDraw Status: Enabled
D3D Status: Enabled
AGP Status: Enabled
DDraw Test Result: Not run
D3D7 Test Result: Not run
D3D8 Test Result: Not run
D3D9 Test Result: Not run
-------------
Sound Devices
-------------
Description: ESS Allegro (emulated)
Default Sound Playback: Yes
Default Voice Playback: Yes
Hardware ID: PCI\VEN_125D&DEV_1988&SUBSYS_1988125D&REV_10
Manufacturer ID: 1
Product ID: 100
Type: Emulated
Driver Name:
Driver Version:
Driver Attributes:
WHQL Logo'd:
Date and Size:
Other Files:
Driver Provider: ESS Technology, Inc.
HW Accel Level: Emulation Only
Cap Flags: 0x2F
Min/Max Sample Rate: 100, 100000
Static/Strm HW Mix Bufs: 0, 0
Static/Strm HW 3D Bufs: 0, 0
HW Memory: 0
Voice Management: No
EAX(tm) 2.0 Listen/Src: No, No
I3DL2(tm) Listen/Src: No, No
Sensaura(tm) ZoomFX(tm): No
Registry: OK
Sound Test Result: Not run
Description: VIA Audio (WAVE) (emulated)
Default Sound Playback: No
Default Voice Playback: No
Hardware ID: PCI\VEN_1106&DEV_3058&SUBSYS_30581106&REV_20
Manufacturer ID: 1
Product ID: 100
Type: Emulated
Driver Name:
Driver Version:
Driver Attributes:
WHQL Logo'd:
Date and Size:
Other Files:
Driver Provider: Microsoft
HW Accel Level: Emulation Only
Cap Flags: 0x2F
Min/Max Sample Rate: 100, 100000
Static/Strm HW Mix Bufs: 0, 0
Static/Strm HW 3D Bufs: 0, 0
HW Memory: 0
Voice Management: No
EAX(tm) 2.0 Listen/Src: No, No
I3DL2(tm) Listen/Src: No, No
Sensaura(tm) ZoomFX(tm): No
Registry: OK
Sound Test Result: Not run
---------------------
Sound Capture Devices
---------------------
Description: ESS Allegro
Default Sound Capture: Yes
Default Voice Capture: Yes
Driver Name: es198x.sys
Driver Version: 5.12.0001.1171 (English)
Driver Attributes: Final Retail
Date and Size: 5/8/2002 11:08:56, 189568 bytes
Cap Flags: 0x1
Format Flags: 0xFFF
Description: VIA Audio (WAVE)
Default Sound Capture: No
Default Voice Capture: No
Driver Name: ac97via.sys
Driver Version: 5.10.0000.3521 (English)
Driver Attributes: Final Retail
Date and Size: 8/17/2001 05:20:16, 35200 bytes
Cap Flags: 0x1
Format Flags: 0xFFF
-----------
DirectMusic
-----------
DLS Path: C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\drivers\GM.DLS
DLS Version: 1.00.0016.0002
Acceleration: n/a
Ports: Microsoft Synthesizer, Software (Not Kernel Mode), Output, DLS, Internal, Default Port
VIA Audio (WAVE), Software (Kernel Mode), Output, DLS, Internal
ESS Allegro, Software (Kernel Mode), Output, DLS, Internal
Microsoft MIDI Mapper [Emulated], Hardware (Not Kernel Mode), Output, No DLS, Internal
Microsoft GS Wavetable SW Synth [Emulated], Hardware (Not Kernel Mode), Output, No DLS, Internal
Registry: OK
Test Result: Not run
-------------------
DirectInput Devices
-------------------
Device Name: Mouse
Attached: 1
Controller ID: n/a
Vendor/Product ID: n/a
FF Driver: n/a
Device Name: Keyboard
Attached: 1
Controller ID: n/a
Vendor/Product ID: n/a
FF Driver: n/a
Poll w/ Interrupt: No
Registry: OK
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For the love of god! Someone fix my sheeeet...ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh hhhh :mad:
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try running in 16bit instead of 32bit ..
When i have problems with a game ect i always set the monitor to 600x800 16bit for troubleshooting ...
your video drivers look correct .
im not shure about 9.0c but then i havent heard any complaints about it yet either.
start the game and go to video setup and set the textures at 256 . and dont save any textures in video ram or system ram .
also match the display settings with what windows is set at AE 800x600 16bit .
now load it up for offline play and see if it works .
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Nope didn't work :(
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I use Win98se not XP but from what I've heard; some good but mostly bad, I wouldn't install XPsp2 yet. You don't specifically say whether you did or didn't.
What kind of sound card do you have? I see ESS listed in some sound card catagories. Not sure if thats a good indication.
Set sound hardware acceleratioin to 3/4 max. You can also try lowering video hardware acceleration a notch at a time to see if it makes any difference.
I assume you have had AH2 running in this rig before, correct?
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hmmm somethings off then
id try turning down the sound excelleration in windows ... also are you running a firewall or AV program ??
you could be losing resources to a bug or something running
ive got ah2 running on a 800mhz amd /384 ram/gf 2 mx 64mb/win98se combo (the frame rates are low and the detail is down) but its playable
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I don't have SP2 because I heard its bad. I have tryed lowering acceleration on sound card(no luck). My sound card is an ESS Allegro sound card that works fine in other games. The stock sound card thats integrated is a VIA Audio(WAVE) card. I have the ESS allegro set to primary sound card though. I really appreciate the replys guys. I'll keep trying to figure this out. BTW I could run AH 1 just fine on this same setup.
Edit*- no firewall and AV is turned off.
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You can think of AH1 and AH2 as two completely different games, really. The system requirements are higher for AH2 than AH1.
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OK I think it might be something with direct X. Because just yesterday I dl DX 9.0c and I fail the Fullscreen test modes for the display tab. During the directdraw test, I can pass all the first 3 tests(none are fullscreen) but then the 4th one is full screen and bam, white screen and PC completley locks up. Same for the Direct3d test. I could do these tests and pass all of them with no problem before I upgraded from dx 8.1 to 9.0c. Is there anyway to go back to a later version of DirectX??
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Ok, just reinstalled DX 9.0c but still locks up at the fullscreen tests in directdraw. Starting to wish I never upgraded to 9.0c in the first place :mad:
Ok something strange i just noticed. I opened film viewer and all the textures are all white, everything, except the sky is blue. And when i try and open a film it crashes.
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LOL, ok so I installed directx 8.1b to see if that would work now when I try and start AH it says my video card(Geforce 3 64mb)does not support hardware T&L???
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you need to use direct x 9.0b ah2 doesnt work with 8.0 or 8.1
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Right I still have 9.0c installed. But this is definatley a direct X problem. Tryed to play another DX game and it freezes at startup also. Only games I can play are opengl.
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Ok so how do I downgrade to DX 9.0b? It's my only option.
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Well, I've givin up. Just completley uninstalled direct x and fresh install of dx 9.0b and it still will freeze both at the DX tests and AH II. I can't think of anything else I haven't tried already. The strange thing is, I've never had this problem before installing DX 9.0c but I uninstalled it and tryed DX 9.0b and still will not work. If anyone can think of anything let me know please.
thanks for helping
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Did you try removing your video drivers, rebooting, then reinstalling them?
--)-FLS----
Musketeers
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yep and just tryed version 9.0 and it doesn't work either. Im totally confused as to what it could be. I've done practically everything.
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you need direct x version 9.0b ... thats the only one that works correctly on all my pc's (I have 5 of them) i just tried 9.0c on my newest pc and it crashed the game ... white screen then ctd .
luckly i have my old trusty gamer still (ive had 3 decent offers for it too .. )
anouther question how did you unistall direct x ??? Ive never ever ever ... been able to uninstall direct x and go back to a previous version without reformating .
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Good news! It seems my geforce 3 card doesn't likehe new set of nvidia drivers. So i tryed an old detonator and I can run the direct x tests smooth and perfect. But now AH II CTDS at the white screen instead of completley locking up.
I uninstalled direct x with a program called "DirectX Happy uninstall V1.2" real easy to use.
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Well can anyone help me solve my white screen CTD problem now that my directX is fixed?
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Check for IRQ conflicts.
By the way, I"m using DX 9.0c.
I haven't had any problems with it thus far.
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Hmm nothing wrong with IRQ. I don't understand where the problem lies here, all other games now run great.
And also can anyone help me fix the film viewer? When ever I open it up I get the a white screen that looks like its about to load up the textures but then it gives me an illegal operation.
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I was having similar problems. I didnt have IRQ conflicts, but had several that were shared multiple times over. Since I had gone over everything else, after reading the sticky on IRQs I upgraded my MOBO to one that gave me some control over assigned IRQs, and upgraded my OS to WinXP from my good old 98se (in a dual boot setup). I tried it first with just the MOBO upgrade still using 98, and still couldnt get rid of the stacked IRQs on my hardware completely. Tried it with the XP setup, and all problems went away.
HTC found the one thing that could make me upgrade to WinXP lol. Take away my flying time for a couple months and I get crazy.
NVIDIA nForce MOBO
Athalon XP1800+ @ ~1.54 ghz
NVIDIA 5900 128MB 8x AGP
512MB 2700 RAM
WinXP w/SP1 and Win98se dual boot
DX9.0c
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Use System Retore in Windows XP to a time prior to installing the new DX and it will (in effect) uninstall the new DX version.
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No irq being shared irq is fine. Still doesn't work bout to cancel account and quit.
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I understand how you feel man, game was unplayable for me from the time AHII came out until just the other day. I cussed and pulled out plenty of hair. Finally I had to face facts that no matter how many guys are lucky enough to get by with old systems and video cards, I aint one of em. A new MOBO, new power supply, new video card and a new OS later, I can play with good frame rates and no problems. The new processor thats on the way should help even more. Main reason it took me so long to get the game playable was I didnt have the money for all these things and had to stretch out the purchases; and still, I've done without other stuff to get my upgrades. But it was worth it to me. Maybe you can find a way to get by with what you have. My guess is though, you are hitting the end of the road where software and hardware are going to be compatible and your games still be playable. I found alot of good advice in different posts on this BB, and found more on other BBs until I had a good picture of what I needed to do. I suggest you do the same and start drawing a picture of what you are going to have to replace. You can get frustrated and quit, like I swore I would do a hundred times. But at the end you are still going to have the same computer and same hardware you have now, which is only going to get more dated with time and be less compatible with new software.
I wish there had been a cheap and easy fix for my problems that would have kept me flying, even if I had to give up alot in the graphics and frame rates for a few months until I could afford the upgrades better. There wasnt. Best of luck to you in your efforts.
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Zero problems with SP2 and DX 9c, but let us know if you find a video driver that works for you. I still need to get AH2 set up on my Guam machine that has a Gforce 4 4400.
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Originally posted by madness
LOL, ok so I installed directx 8.1b to see if that would work now when I try and start AH it says my video card(Geforce 3 64mb)does not support hardware T&L???
i get the same thing this sucks... i played AH1 for a long time now this...
i have ati radeon 7000 64mb... and i know this should work becaus ei play all games with this card... please help
system spec....
1000mhz celeron
WIN XP PRO
512mb Ram
direct x 9.0c
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no help here????
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Check the system requirements at the Aces High homepage (http://www.flyaceshigh.com)
Your vid card needs to support hardware T&L or it ain't gonna work.
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but i know it dose....
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The only reference I can find to a Radeon 7000 is the Radeon 7000 VE. The VE ........ and this is the term they actually used in the benchmark test..... "used a castrated 3d engine to save money". Looks like a small business (read the word "cheap" here) multi-monitor card, not a gamer. Also states it does not support hardware T&L. If this is your card, it wont work. If they made another Radeon 7000 besides the VE, its at best a GeForce2 contemporary. Also has 64 bit memory vs even the GF2's 128 bit setup. Maybe that will work, maybe it wont. Is it even compatible with DX9?
Now that the new series cards are out, the 9000 series ATI cards are pretty cheap. Even if by some miracle that old 7000 IS compatible and you make it work, your frame rates and video quality will be low. Probably should consider upgrading, if only for the fact that soon nothing will support your card anyway.
Welcome to the club!
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i only can have pci cards not the newer ones.. that's why i payed $89 for 64mb radeon 7000 evil wizard...
i dont have that agp port or whatever....
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Originally posted by 2point6
i only can have pci cards not the newer ones.. that's why i payed $89 for 64mb radeon 7000 evil wizard...
i dont have that agp port or whatever....
AGP isnt a requirement for anything. PCI cards work just fine, just maybe a tad bit slower because of the speed of the PCI bus, but nothing wrong with 'em. And most of the newer cards have PCI versions available. CompUSA has PCI versions of almost every 9xxx series ATI card on the shelf, and they are usually cheaper than the AGP version. If you cant find it at your local store, you can certainly find it online.
There are a few AH2 players that have 64MB cards that work. Not many, but a few have managed to make their old cards work. Even so, I'd bet they are newer model cards than yours. As I said before, maybe there is a way to make yours work. I dont know what that would be, so my best suggestion for you if you are set against upgrading is to send a copy of your DXDiagnostic file and any other information you feel is relevant to the support email and have skuzzy look it over for you. Good luck!
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You must use the latest video driver from NVidia for older cards in order for the card to get proper support of hardware T&L. Older drivers do not expose this feature to DirectX 9.
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it's ati radeon 7000 evil wizard.... and it is new i bought it at staples a month ago...
i cant find new drivers for it anywhere....
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Originally posted by 2point6
i cant find new drivers for it anywhere....
I guess that means you didn't look on the ATI site.
http://ati.com/support/driver.html
OR... many prefer the Omegas
http://www.omegadrivers.net/
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installed driver, and thanx for that omega driver link....
still says t&L... BUT I PLAY OTHER GAMES THAT HAVE T&L STUFF.... IS THERE A PATCH FOR THE GAME THAT CAN FIX THIS???
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Brand new in the physical sense doesnt mean its new in how old that processor line is. To be blunt, your card is a decent all around video card for just about anything EXCEPT gaming. Just because it plays other games doesnt mean it plays them all, and doesnt mean it plays them well compared to more modern stuff. Heck, I can go to the computer store and buy a "brand new" Rage 128. Here's a review for you if you just cant believe me.
http://forums.pimprig.com/showthread.php?p=219231#post219231
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mine is the same but it's not 32mb is 64.. but exactly the same box and everything...
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what do you guys recomend i do.... spend $109 on the 128mb radeon pci.... or get a new computer that i cant get untill in like 6 months or more....
1ghz celeron,512mb ram,win xp pro,15"tft lcd monitor...
and i can only have pci cards cuz my computer company ripped me off.... no agp...
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So did you actually read that review ?
The Testing
As stated before, nobody in their right mind would buy this card and use it for gaming.
Whichever graphics card you purchase i suspect the 1g celeron is really gonna struggle.
A modern chipset radeon PCI card that supports dx9 and T&L would be your best stop gap option, but taking the long term view a new computer would be your best option.
If you do decide to get a new one try coming back here when your ready and asking for some suggestions as to what to and what not to buy.
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Cav is quite right. A 1Ghz Celeron is equivalent to a 600-700Mhz P4, in terms of performance in games.
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Originally posted by 2point6
mine is the same but it's not 32mb is 64.. but exactly the same box and everything...
Yeah, I noticed the review was for a 32MB card but honestly considering how much RAM I've seen this game use at times, 32 or 64MB is really a moot point. Dont feel bad about being burned, on the computer OR the video card. I did the same thing with my card. Heck, I bought THREE of them before I found one that gave me what I wanted (and I'd still upgrade to the new GF 6800 if I had 300 bucks lyin around). I was lucky enough that CompUSA, for all their faults, was willing to take the cards back and trade for something else (the fact that I spent more money each time helped lol).
Here are a few suggestions to help you out.
1) RESEARCH!!!! Dont get burned again. Now you know. Fooled once, shame on them. Fooled twice, shame on you. There are literally hundreds, maybe even thousands of techie BBS's and websites out there that have great tips and reviews of various products, and a great place to start is Toms Hardware. The latest video cards, MOBOs, processors.......you name it you'll find a review and specs for it there. Keep doing searches, just type what you want into your search engine and wade through the results. You'll get alot of garbage, but you can find some gems too that really help you narrow down what you want.
2) Dont sell your computer short. Obviously it was a compromise system built to save money not perform. But that doesnt mean you have to leave it that way. Find out if you can upgrade your processor, it might be cheaper than you think. Ask how fast a processor will work on your motherboard, find out if BIOS updates are available to get you even better ones. You might be able to get by with a small boost in processing power and a video card. Dont be dissapointed that you dont have AGP either, the newest technology coming out is called PCI Xpress. AGP wasnt all it was cracked up to be, and changing MOBOs now might leave you outdated again in another year or two. You can get by with a reasonable upgrade to say a 9600 or even a 9800 which has really come down with the x800 coming out. Guys here on this BBS can steer you in the right direction. Again you just have to watch what you buy. There are several variations of each "series" of cards. There are ........ I think 3 versions just from ATI of each of the 9xxx series cards. A cheaper money saving version, a "standard" version, and the screamer version. Again, research is invaluable. Forewarned is forearmed.
3) Shop around!! You said you bought your last video card at Staples. An office supply store? Why? Was it the cheapest one you found? Was it the first one you saw in your budget? Are you lacking in places to shop in your area? If its a drive to get to places to shop for your computer hardware, call around first. Find out who is likely to have what you want in stock and get prices if you can ahead of time. Use websites for the chain stores and compare those to the store prices when you walk in. Sometimes chain stores give big discounts if you buy online, because they have "online only" products they dont sell enough of to ship to stores and stock on shelves, but have enough demand for that they will keep them in a central warehouse and ship them for online orders. Cheaper for them, cheaper for you. Best Buy, CompUSA, Circuit City, Computer Warehouse, and thousands of smaller stores all have websites and take online orders. You can also buy stuff from NewEgg.com, CNET.com, and even check Amazon.com and Ebay. Tiger Direct has great deals on hardware, but they dont always have a huge selection of certain items.
I've got like 4 computers laying in my office at home in various states of disrepair (mostly because I've scavenged important stuff out of them at one point or another and dont want to spend money on them for one reason or another). I shop for parts alot. I dont buy alot, but I shop alot. ;) If I had money I'd be scary. To my bank. Retailers would love me. ("You'd like which plasma screen TV sir? Certainly we deliver....for a fee....") Point is, I have to watch what I spend and I usually have to spread out my expenditures. I was out of AH for 3 months because I couldnt play AHII with the computer and video card I had. I know how you feel. You just have to decide what you HAVE to upgrade to get back in, and make up a budget to afford it. Then you can work towards a new system later on with better everything like I'm doing. Luck!
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well this is what i did.... i went and bought the 128mb radeon 9200se... i spent $129
i knew this was the only way to do this... i will buy an new computer sooner or later but im just gonna use this one untill then right now im gettin 40fps on ahII and it's ok for me.... i guess i will try to upgrade the proccesor also... thanx for the feed back...
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now for the processor...
how much is like 1.7ghz 2ghz... for celeron
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Under a hundred bucks.
http://www.tigerdirect.com/
or
http://www.beckit.com/
or even
http://www.newegg.com/
You should find what you need at all those places, but if not then at least one will have it.