Need some info on graphics upgrading

[Siteri Kidachi]

So, my current laptop doesn't have good enough graphics to play PlaneShift. I'm looking for some information about what to get so it will work, but the website of Nvidia is really confusing so I can't tell what product would be good. Any advice on how to find something? Preferably as cheap and easy to install as possible. I'm just trying to play PlaneShift with this, not anything more graphics-intensive.

[Seneche]

Try here: http://www.nvidia.com/page/quadrofx_go.html. Shows you some of Nvidias options. Always been a fan of theirs, recommend that you use theirs, but thats just personal preference.

[bilbous]

I believe you are looking at a 7000 series or better if you are thinking of nVidia as that isthe oldest series supported by the current linux driver version. Older than that and you need to use their middle(legacy) driver (geforce 4-6) and anything that would use their oldest legacy driver should not be a possible choice. I had problems with the geforce 4 (onboard) and their middle driver, I do not know if the agp card has it too. the problem I had is that I had to use an archived version of this driver (8776, I think) and now than some distributions or their third party repositories are providing precomplies kernel modules for the proprietary nvidia driver,-- which you need for 3d -- they mostly do not support that particular version. The ones they do provide always gave me the black screen problem which made the game unplayable.

[Siteri Kidachi]

Huh, that's weird. I was looking around for some information on the computer I have... and I found a review of it that states that someone, using the exact computer I have, without any upgrades at all, was able to play professionally-made 3D games. I don't know how he did it, because my computer doesn't let me adjust the hardware acceleration, and I'm pretty sure I have the latest drivers. Any idea what I can do about this? It has an ATI Mobility Radeon X1600... It says it has 1019 MB of total available graphics memory, 256 MB of dedicated video memory, 0MB of system video memory (which I'm assuming is my problem since all the other values are well above 64, which is what the website says is the minimum needed for PS), and 763 MB of shared system memory.

[Xordan]

X1600 should be fine with PS... and don't worry about the 0mb of system video memory. 256mb dedicated is fine.

Are you using windows or linux?

[Siteri Kidachi]

It's Windows. When I try playing it has a yellow bar at the top that says "No hardware acceleration!" and all the textures are gone.

[Siteri Kidachi]

I'VE FOUND THE PROBLEM! There don't seem to be any OpenGL drivers for what I have! (I'm running Vista...) Any suggestions?

[Xordan]

Sounds like you need this: http://www.driverheaven.net/modtool/

Follow the instructions on that page.

[ThomPhoenix]

I use that tool too on my new laptop with Ati X1250. Works fine

[Siteri Kidachi]

I found that on my own. Thanks for posting it though, I'm sure other people might have this problem!

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