26 réponses à ce sujet

[Fiserfully]

I can't get DA:O to work on my Vostro 3300. The video card is a Nvidia 310m (N11M-GE1) OEM on a Vostro 3300 & processor is an Intel i5.
The 40-50 fps on low settings but will close when I open a dialog cut-scene or approach combat:


I bought it with Gamespy's digital distribution Direct2Drive. Unlike Steam, it's not all that different from retail as far as I can see.

dxdiag: https://gist.github.com/863281

What I have tried:

Installing latest nvidia drivers: These drivers do not want to install on my computer and when forced, they will not run 3d at all. Slightly better was a hacked Optimus driver from laptopvideo2go, which preformed poorly and displayed an ugly overlay I couldn't get rid of. My 310m is a switchable hybrid card, the OEM's driver must be used.

I meet or exceed hardware minimum requirements; The weakest component in my system is the GPU which runs Dragon Age well based on google search results. The PC is playing demanding games like Rift and Dragon Age 2 just fine. While running DAO does not come close to using all of my RAM by the time it crashes.

-Diabling system services: these have been restored to default.
-Updating to 1.0.4 with patch
-Running in admin mode
-Running after clean boot
-Clear temporary files (%temp%)
-Disabling sound and/or sound devices
-Updating Intel chipset drivers
-Updating bios: I found out my Vostro shipped with the latest for my model, A10

I will probably add more as I remember them.

I've spent hours totaling into days trying to get this to run, please help.
My next ideas are: running OEM default OS in a virtual machine (it came with 32 bit OS & a restore CD) and updating the bios to access the switchable graphics settings. I would prefer not to do either-- my solid state drive is too small to easily accommodate a virtual machine & I avoid messing with the bios if at all possible.

Modifié par Fiserfully, 10 mars 2011 - 07:55 .

[Gorath Alpha]

No, you don't exceed the graphics minimum at all, and are in fact so far below it that you must try running on the lowest settings and lowest resolution, if it can run at all.

(Note: IMO, the practical choices for the two video cards named as minimums should be the Radeon X800 Pro, and the Geforce 6800 GS, at least, for small textures - it will take a Radeon X1650 XT (or X1800 GTO, same thing, almost) for medium or better textures)

The 310 is just a refresh of the 210, with no measureable improvement in the poor gaming performance:

www.gpureview.com/show_cards.php

Modifié par Gorath Alpha, 10 mars 2011 - 01:03 .

[Fiserfully]

I don't want an opinion on the suitability of my gpu for gaming. I would like to fix the actual bug that is causing the problem I described.

I'm running DAII at 25fps. Not great, surely this means that DA:O is also capable of running. I got DA:O running without crashing all the time on an Atom/Ion. DA:O runs at FORTY or SIXTY frames per second before it closes on my Vostro. Google consistantly lists similar results. (http://pcgamingcorne...#mozTocId526598 is a page on an infirior card, mine has dedicated memory)

Modifié par Fiserfully, 10 mars 2011 - 01:27 .

[RaenImrahl]

You're playing a very hardware intensive, CPU-piggish game on a laptop. I suspect you can probably fry an egg on it after a while. Suggest you monitor your machines heating.

[Fiserfully]

The computer is fine. Newer, more intesnse games run well, as I have repeated.

Modifié par Fiserfully, 10 mars 2011 - 02:27 .

[bricky10]

i cant get the game to save how do i do this

[Moondoggie]

Fiserfully wrote...

The computer is fine. Newer, more intesnse games run well, as I have repeated.

"But *insert game here* runs fine" is not a usefull comment. All games are different many run in different engines and are more intensive than others. I'd love to know what is your opinion of a more  hardware intensive game than DAO i really would.

If you think you know better than the people on here then why are you even asking for help? If you want to be rude and ask for help then when you get it you just say "YOU ARE WRONG" then it's very pointless.

If you are expecting to find some fixable bug i'm afraid you are really flogging a dead horse.

[RaenImrahl]

Fiserfully wrote...

The computer is fine. Newer, more intesnse games run well, as I have repeated.

Obviously not, since you can't play the game without it crashing.  Perhaps heat is not an issue... but the fact that other "intesnse games" (sic) run on it has little to do with DAO -- the Dragon Age series uses its own engine, and DA2 (of which I assume you're refering to the demo) has has its code optimized.  It's nowhere near as CPU-clunky as the original.  Games like Rift and even ME2 use different engines.

If it's not heat, then the only thing you can do is lower your graphics and resolution (including desktop res) to the absolute minimum and play a trouble-area again.  Yes, it will look horrible.  See if it crashed.  If it does not, then you can start increasing graphic settings step by step until you find something that works. Ultimately, you need to realize that you're trying to play a pretty clunky 3D came on a business laptop (no matter what Dell says it's for)... so adjust your graphcis (and expectations) accordingly.

Best,

RI

Modifié par RaenImrahl, 10 mars 2011 - 04:08 .

[Fiserfully]

If you think you know better than the people on here then why are you even asking for help? If you want to be rude and ask for help then when you get it you just say "YOU ARE WRONG" then it's very pointless.

Its point is responding to a useless suggestion in hopes I may find useful ones.

I don't understand how responders to this thread can't follow my logic, nor do I understand how my attempts to explain the situation so I may get a useful answer are rude. I have provided proof that my card is more than adequate. I have cited a source that similar but lesser cards with integrated memory are capable of running this game. You are wrong. I'm sorry this is true. Telling someone they are wrong is not considered rude in most practical and reasonable social situations, especially when troubleshooting a tech issue.

I will try to explain again:

Obviously, a GPU inadequacy cannot be held responsible for this problem. Here's what a feeble GPU looks like: the game runs at a handful of frames per second. This is how I played DA:O on my netbook computer. Is anyone suggesting that a game capable of running feebly on a netbook below minimum required specifications should naturally crash to desktop on a better computer?

DA:O runs at least FORTY FRAMES PER SECOND on my notebook before crashing to the desktop. I want to stop the game from crashing to the desktop. Is anyone seriously suggesting that a game can run at forty frames per second and crash at very specific but not especially demanding situations due to a feeble GPU?

Then I would say that I do know better than that person. Fortunately there are many potential responders on a message board, and I do not think that I know better than all of them.

Modifié par Fiserfully, 10 mars 2011 - 04:50 .

[Fiserfully]

Double post deleted.

Modifié par Fiserfully, 10 mars 2011 - 04:31 .

[RaenImrahl]

Fiserfully wrote...

*snip*

I will try to explain again:

Obviously, a GPU inadequacy cannot be held responsible for this problem. Here's what a feeble GPU looks like: the game runs at a handful of frames per second. This is how I played DA:O on my netbook computer. Is anyone suggesting that a game capable of running feebly on a netbook below minimum required specifications should naturally crash to desktop on a better computer?

DA:O runs at least FORTY FRAMES PER SECOND on my notebook before crashing to the desktop. I want to stop the game from crashing to the desktop. Is anyone seriously suggesting that a game can run at forty frames per second and crash at very specific but not especially demanding situations due to a feeble GPU?

Then I would say that I do know better than that person. Fortunately there are many potential responders on a message board, and I do not think that I know better than all of them.

I have not mentioned your GPU in any of my posts.  That's not the point.  DAO uses the *CPU* in very intense and poorly-coded ways-- ways very much related to graphics processing.  Hence my previous suggestion to lower all your settings and do a test. 

[Angband21]

Then you solve the problem. If you don't want advice, don't waste time asking for it. BTW, I run it on a 5 year old desktop that barely meets Bioware's "recommended" specs and I have no problem going 4 or 5 hours with any problem other than increasing lag in the last hour or so. BTW, your dedicated memory is only 64MB ...insignificant dedicated memory. You want at least 256 according to Bioware, and 500MB works a lot better.

[Fiserfully]

RaenImrahl: My original post states that I was running all settings on their lowest and my CPU is an Intel Core i5-460M:

• Therefore, the Core i5-460M is a high end dual core cpu which should
  handle all daily work and gaming tasks. Only the quad core i7 CPUs can
  be noticeably faster at tasks that require four or more threads (e.g.
  rendering). Notebookcheck

Business laptop refers to the branding. It's not a crappy computer just because it's sold to business clients.

Angband: My dedicated memory is 512MB. Quote my order from Dell: Nvidia Geforce 310M, 512MB Hybrid Graphics Vostro. Hybrid graphics refers to the technology that uses two GPUs and switches its use from the nVidia card to a lesser Intel GPU to save power when the notebook is running on battery.

Some responders have been much more rude to me than I have been to anyone. I am citing sources and being responded to with flames. I don't know why this is gaining so much hostility; This whole expirience has been very frustrating.

Modifié par Fiserfully, 10 mars 2011 - 05:27 .

[Gorath Alpha]

Angband21 wrote...

Then you solve the problem. If you don't want advice, don't waste time asking for it. BTW, I run it on a 5 year old desktop that barely meets Bioware's "recommended" specs and I have no problem going 4 or 5 hours with any problem other than increasing lag in the last hour or so. BTW, your dedicated memory is only 64MB ...insignificant dedicated memory. You want at least 256 according to Bioware, and 500MB works a lot better.

Angband, the OP author's graphics card has only 64 bit memory, and therefore a very narrow memory bandwidth that along with its very slow speed, is limited to 128 MBs of VRAM on a normal basis, with only extremely rarely being able to access twice that (256 MBs, so everything included on the card beyond that is merely a marketing SCAM intended to fool the people buying the cards. 

GPU Review typically ignores laptop video, but since the core silicon is so similar, the desktop card's numbers are what's available as a set of specifications that can be set up in parallel to the kind of specs that the minimum card should meet.

www.gpureview.com/show_cards.php

http://www.notebookc...0M.22439.0.html

The 210m and 310m are essentially the same thing.

Modifié par Gorath Alpha, 10 mars 2011 - 05:46 .

[Fiserfully]

Gorath: I linked to the 210 because the 210m is not my graphics card, it is worse than my graphics card yet proven to run Dragon Age: Origins in the post that I linked.

I can not comprehend how you can come to the conclusion that I have a 210m which is incapable of running Dragon Age when I said the exact opposite: I do not have a 210m, but the 210m is capable of running Dragon Age.

I have a 310m, a better graphics card than the 210m (which is probably why they named the 310m with higher number). The 310m has 512mb of dedicated memory.

In summary:
If the 210m is infirior to the 310m,
if the 210m can run Dragon Age without crashing to desktop,
therefore: 310m can run Dragon Age without crashing to desktop.

Edit:
I wanted to make clear that a nVidia GeForce 210 is not the same as a nVidia GeForce 210m. The 210, without an M, is a GPU for a desktop computer. Neither have much to do with what I have. The 210m is used as an example of an inferior card that can do exactly what I am trying to do with my better card.

Edit 2:
Gorath: The GPU you link to is a Geforce 210 for desktops, which has nothing to do with mobile geforces that are named by numbers followed by the letter m.
My nvidia 310m is a refresh of nvidia 210m. As you can see, the benchmarks on the linked page describe a 210m, that runs most games on low to medium graphics settings. The comparison I made was to a 210m without dedicated memory. Some 210ms have dedicated memory, some do not. My 310m does have 512mb of dedicated memory. My summary above applies.
I made a mistake, the 210m in the article is described: Nvidia G210M Graphics with 512MB DDR3
This is the article where the 210m runs DA:O at 30fps on medium graphics settings.

Edit 3:

• With all medium settings and the frame buffer disabled, our G210m produced and average close to the target mark of 30 FPS. While it’s clear it may be susceptible to hiccups in more intense battles, the settings can always  be lowered further.210m review.

I would be indescribably grateful for advice pertaining to the problem I am actually struggling with instead of advice for a problem that does not exist.

Modifié par Fiserfully, 10 mars 2011 - 06:11 .

[RaenImrahl]

Fiserfully wrote...]

*snip*

Business laptop refers to the branding. It's not a crappy computer just because it's sold to business clients.

*snip*

Some responders have been much more rude to me than I have been to anyone. I am citing sources and being responded to with flames. I don't know why this is gaining so much hostility; This whole expirience has been very frustrating.

Ah... so here we come to it.  I have not referred to your computer as "crappy".  Feeling a little unsure of our investment in this machine, are we?  Do I detect just a whiff, the faintest perfume of insecurity?  If so, it's no big deal-- we all get defensive about our choices.  That's why I merely suggested that you govern your expectations.  

Let's be honest here... you have very narrow parameters for what you consider to be a valid solution.  You've suggested two reasonable solutions yourself... using the original OS and updating the bios... and taken them off the table. 

No one here has any magic bullets.  I would suggest you contact EA directly at support.ea.com... while I suspect they're swamped right now with the launch of DA2, I'm sure they'll be able to respond to you over time.

For what it's worth, I wish you all the best. 

RI 

Modifié par RaenImrahl, 10 mars 2011 - 06:10 .

[Moondoggie]

Ah jeez it's been a while since we had one of these. First of all the fact you are arguing the toss about graphics cards with Gorath is pretty laughable he has more experience on the subject in his pinky than you have in your whole existance trust me. Even the more experienced people on this forum would be smart enough to take his advice on the subject.


And second. Look the people who do tech support on here are all voulentary. Nobody has to help anyone at all but many of us take time out of our jobs and whatever else to do it and for little gratitude much of the time. those people deserve some respect. If you're not willing to listen and just get all argumentative then people will just get sick of you and not do a thing for you now or in future. And what happens when you get a major computer problem your vast knowledge cannot fix what then? Going to come on here asking for help? I gurentee you won't find it. Nobody likes a rude disrespectful person.

[Fiserfully]

They are swamped and I have not received a solution. The whiff you are detecting is frustration that none of my facts or sources are being directly addressed and, in your case, are being judged by the laptop brand alone instead. Why are you resorting to ad-hominem, scrutinizing my use of the word "crappy," eager to make conclusions about my insecurities or poor investments when you have yet to refute anything I have said with any facts nor made any concessions to my own? What did I do to deserve to be treated this way? If it is because I said you were wrong then prove me wrong. Calling me insecure is not acceptable.

The bios is now at its latest. I have not taken using the original OS off of the table-- again, on what basis do you make your responses? because they are not based on what I have said.

Modifié par Fiserfully, 10 mars 2011 - 06:20 .

[Fiserfully]

Moondoggie, please don't flame. I am not being disrespectful, you are. All of my posts are about the issue. All of your posts are criticizing me. The other posters in this thread do not need your verbal support and I do not need your criticism.

[Angband21]

Fiserfully wrote...

RaenImrahl: My original post states that I was running all settings on their lowest and my CPU is an Intel Core i5-460M:

• Therefore, the Core i5-460M is a high end dual core cpu which should
  handle all daily work and gaming tasks. Only the quad core i7 CPUs can
  be noticeably faster at tasks that require four or more threads (e.g.
  rendering). Notebookcheck

Business laptop refers to the branding. It's not a crappy computer just because it's sold to business clients.

Angband: My dedicated memory is 512MB. Quote my order from Dell: Nvidia Geforce 310M, 512MB Hybrid Graphics Vostro. Hybrid graphics refers to the technology that uses two GPUs and switches its use from the nVidia card to a lesser Intel GPU to save power when the notebook is running on battery.

Some responders have been much more rude to me than I have been to anyone. I am citing sources and being responded to with flames. I don't know why this is gaining so much hostility; This whole expirience has been very frustrating.

Here is the DXDIAG that you posted:

    Card name: Intel® HD Graphics       Manufacturer: NVIDIA          Chip type: Intel® HD Graphics (Core i5)           DAC type: Internal         Device Key: Enum\\PCI\\VEN_8086&DEV_0046&SUBSYS_044C1028&REV_18     Display Memory: 1696 MB   Dedicated Memory: 64 MB      Shared Memory: 1632 MB       Current Mode: 1366 x 768 (32 bit) (40Hz)       Monitor Name: Generic PnP Monitor
Looks like 64 MB to me.

[Fiserfully]

This describes my other GPU: Intel HD, as labeled. This is how hybrid cards work. It's possible that this reflects a misconfiguration, in which case, I would like to hear how to fix it.

Modifié par Fiserfully, 10 mars 2011 - 06:42 .

[Angband21]

Gorath Alpha wrote...

Angband21 wrote...

Then you solve the problem. If you don't want advice, don't waste time asking for it. BTW, I run it on a 5 year old desktop that barely meets Bioware's "recommended" specs and I have no problem going 4 or 5 hours with any problem other than increasing lag in the last hour or so. BTW, your dedicated memory is only 64MB ...insignificant dedicated memory. You want at least 256 according to Bioware, and 500MB works a lot better.

Angband, the OP author's graphics card has only 64 bit memory, and therefore a very narrow memory bandwidth that along with its very slow speed, is limited to 128 MBs of VRAM on a normal basis, with only extremely rarely being able to access twice that (256 MBs, so everything included on the card beyond that is merely a marketing SCAM intended to fool the people buying the cards. 

GPU Review typically ignores laptop video, but since the core silicon is so similar, the desktop card's numbers are what's available as a set of specifications that can be set up in parallel to the kind of specs that the minimum card should meet.

www.gpureview.com/show_cards.php

http://www.notebookc...0M.22439.0.html

The 210m and 310m are essentially the same thing.

I know it, you know and his posted DXDIAG knows it. I don't know why anyone tries to run DA:O on a notebook anyways, when it is Bioware does not support them. Hell, my old desktop runs it without crashing, and it is nowhere near an optimum machine for gaming.

Here is his machine' DXDIAG:

      Machine name: NIOMI-DRAPER   Operating System: Windows 7 Ultimate 64-bit (6.1, Build 7601) Service Pack 1 (7601.win7sp1_rtm.101119-1850)           Language: English (Regional Setting: English)System Manufacturer: Dell Inc.       System Model: Vostro 3300               BIOS: BIOS Date: 01/09/10 15:17:22 Ver: 08.00.10          Processor: Intel® Core™ i5 CPU M 460 @ 2.53GHz (4 CPUs), ~2.5GHz             Memory: 4096MB RAMAvailable OS Memory: 3894MB RAM          Page File: 1604MB used, 6183MB available        Windows Dir: C:\\Windows    DirectX Version: DirectX 11DX Setup Parameters: Not found   User DPI Setting: Using System DPI System DPI Setting: 96 DPI (100 percent)    DWM DPI Scaling: Disabled     DxDiag Version: 6.01.7601.17514 64bit Unicode
------------DxDiag Notes------------      Display Tab 1: No problems found.        Sound Tab 1: No problems found.        Sound Tab 2: No problems found.          Input Tab: No problems found.
--------------------DirectX Debug Levels--------------------Direct3D: 0/4 (retail)DirectDraw: 0/4 (retail)DirectInput: 0/5 (retail)DirectMusic: 0/5 (retail)DirectPlay: 0/9 (retail)DirectSound: 0/5 (retail)DirectShow: 0/6 (retail)
---------------Display Devices---------------          Card name: Intel® HD Graphics       Manufacturer: NVIDIA          Chip type: Intel® HD Graphics (Core i5)           DAC type: Internal         Device Key: Enum\\PCI\\VEN_8086&DEV_0046&SUBSYS_044C1028&REV_18     Display Memory: 1696 MB   Dedicated Memory: 64 MB      Shared Memory: 1632 MB       Current Mode: 1366 x 768 (32 bit) (40Hz)       Monitor Name: Generic PnP Monitor      Monitor Model: unknown         Monitor Id: AUO112C        Native Mode: 1366 x 768(p) (60.020Hz)        Output Type: Internal        Driver Name: igdumd64.dll,igd10umd64.dll,igdumdx32,igd10umd32Driver File Version: 8.15.0010.2202 (English)     Driver Version: 8.16.11.8999        DDI Version: 10       Driver Model: WDDM 1.1  Driver Attributes: Final Retail   Driver Date/Size: 8/26/2010 01:06:00, 6547968 byte

And here is a 5 year old machine that barely meets minimal specs for the game:

   Operating System: Windows 7 Home Premium 32-bit (6.1, Build 7600) (7600.win7_gdr.101026-1503)
           Language: English (Regional Setting: English)
System Manufacturer: Hewlett-Packard
       System Model: HP Compaq dc5750 Small Form Factor
               BIOS: Default System BIOS
          Processor: AMD Athlon™ 64 X2 Dual Core Processor 3800+ (2 CPUs), ~2.0GHz
             Memory: 4096MB RAM
Available OS Memory: 3070MB RAM
          Page File: 830MB used, 8378MB available
        Windows Dir: C:\\Windows
    DirectX Version: DirectX 11
DX Setup Parameters: Not found
   User DPI Setting: Using System DPI
 System DPI Setting: 96 DPI (100 percent)
    DWM DPI Scaling: Disabled
     DxDiag Version: 6.01.7600.16385 32bit Unicode

------------
DxDiag Notes
------------
      Display Tab 1: No problems found.
        Sound Tab 1: No problems found.
          Input Tab: No problems found.

--------------------
DirectX Debug Levels
--------------------
Direct3D:    0/4 (retail)
DirectDraw:  0/4 (retail)
DirectInput: 0/5 (retail)
DirectMusic: 0/5 (retail)
DirectPlay:  0/9 (retail)
DirectSound: 0/5 (retail)
DirectShow:  0/6 (retail)

---------------
Display Devices
---------------
          Card name: ATI Radeon HD 4300/4500 Series       
       Manufacturer: ATI Technologies Inc.
          Chip type: ATI display adapter (0x954F)
           DAC type: Internal DAC(400MHz)
         Device Key: Enum\\PCI\\VEN_1002&DEV_954F&SUBSYS_16181462&REV_00
     Display Memory: 1785 MB
   Dedicated Memory: 505 MB
      Shared Memory: 1279 MB
       Current Mode: 1024 x 768 (32 bit) (85Hz)
       Monitor Name: Generic PnP Monitor
      Monitor Model: COMPAQ 7550
         Monitor Id: CPQ1446
        Native Mode: 1024 x 768(p) (84.997Hz)
        Output Type: HD15
        Driver Name: aticfx32.dll,aticfx32.dll,atiumdag.dll,atidxx32.dll,atiumdva.cap
Driver File Version: 8.17.0010.1065 (English)
     Driver Version: 8.821.0.0
        DDI Version: 10.1
       Driver Model: WDDM 1.1
  Driver Attributes: Final Retail
   Driver Date/Size: 1/26/2011 18:00:30, 596480 bytes

So why can't his run without crashing? Who knows, but he doesn't want to take any advice.

[Fiserfully]

Edit:
Re-ran dxdiag after I looked at this and I got a different result-- it's probable that when I ran the last one, I was accidentially in power saving mode. DA:O fails in high performance mode, also.

Card name: NVIDIA GeForce 310M
Manufacturer: NVIDIA
Chip type: GeForce 310M
(snip)
Memory: 474 MB

[Fiserfully]

See
https://gist.github....12_mb dedicated

https://gist.github....512MB DEDICATED

Modifié par Fiserfully, 10 mars 2011 - 06:46 .

[Angband21]

Your pagefile keeps growing. You might want to check that.