8MB Video Card User - SOL for CMBB?

[James Bailey]

have all the other nuts and bolts - DirectX 8.1, 800x600, etc - but 8MBs on video card short of minimum. Game hangs up during the 'loading 3-D graphics...' stage, preventing any game play.

Possible to jerry rig those 8MBs and get CMBB going?

thanks

[WWB]

Hey James, long time no chat eh.

Try forcing it to run in software mode. Kind of ugly but it should work. To do so, delete your prefs then load the game and skip every mode until you see 800x600 software.

Alot more adviseable in the long run would be to invest in a newer graphics card. GeForce 2MXs with 32mb VRAM can be had for $25 these days online.

WWB

[Schrullenhaft]

Actually 'software rendering' only works at 640x480 on PC's, even in CMBB, which doesn't support the resolution. 640x480 will show up (in the beta - it no longer does now with the demo and the full version), but the 2D buttons get crammed on the screen and the 2D interface to the game (bottom of the screen) gets cut so you can't click on the 'Go' button with your mouse (among other possible problems).

Which video card do you have James and what version of Windows are you using ?

I've run into this issue with the SiS 620 chipset (an 'integrated video' chip) and I've had some problems with the ATI Rage IIc under Windows 2000 (it worked under Windows 98SE).

If you're lucky a driver update or some other configuration change may get you going, otherwise you may need to purchase another video card. Which if you're somewhat tight on cash, can be bought for less than US$50.

[ September 02, 2002, 07:47 PM: Message edited by: Schrullenhaft ]

[thewood]

Unfortunately, some of us have laptops that are more than a year old. I find myself in this situation constantly. I find a game I like and it runs on my laptop. Then the developer comes out with a sequel and feels obligated to add bells and whistles to draw more people in with the eye candy and, once again, I am a bottom feeder. I really hope BTS isn't becoming one of those companies that forgets some its hardcore roots. I know they need to grow, but technologically alienating the grass roots support for CM worries me. I understand the need to move on, but it was only a year ago that the typical laptop had 8M or less VRAM.

[James Bailey]

Hey Wyatt, hope you are well. Looking forward to seeing some of your Russia maps !

Schullenhaft, I have Windows 98, with an unknown video card -- whatever Compaq put in their middle of the road PCs two years ago.

Regarding getting a new card, I'm not tight on cash, just on computer knowledge: I don't know if I could put in a new card... Is it difficult?

I guess that 'software rendering' solution suggested is not feasible?

[WWB]

8mb is not alot to ask for video, except for laptops.

James, putting in a video card is not too hard. Alot easier than finding random topo maps of the nameless steppe. The big question is what kind of slot do you have avaliable. If you have an AGP slot, then you can have to get one kind of card, otherwise you are limited to PCI cards, which are slower in some ways.

Easiest way to tell is to open the case. You should see a number of white slots. If you see one, usually closest to the CPU (thing with a heatsink on it) that is set back from the others then you have an AGP slot. Most likely it will have a card in it with your monitor plugged into the outside of that card.

After you establish that, it is really just a matter of uninstalling the old card and plugging the new one in. Feel free to drop me an email if you need more elaboration.

WWB

[Schrullenhaft]

James, let us know which Compaq (I assume it is a Presario) model you have (the exact model number) and we can look it up online for you.

As Wyatt said, there are two types of video cards, PCI & AGP. That aside, you can tell what video card you have (or what chip it is based on) by going to Start Menu > Settings > Control Panels > System control panel > Device Manager tab > double-click on the Display Adapter listing and it should open up. In here will be the name associated with your video card. It could be the chip name or a manufacturer model name (depending on the driver used).

Software rendering doesn't appear that it's going to work with CMBB. Right now software-rendering only comes up at 640x480, which after selecting it the Demo will tell you that you need 800x600. I'm not sure if there is an 800x600 software rendering mode on the Mac. So it basically boils down to being capable of running 3D in hardware at 800x600 minimum.

[James Bailey]

Schrullenhaft and Wyatt,

thanks for the help - I think I will buy a new video card rather than jerry-rig that old 8MB'er.

If I wanted to get one for $30 to $50, what name/type would you recommend?

...and if I have any problems installing it, I will pester Wyatt.

Again, thanks for advice.

Bravo Zulu!

[ September 03, 2002, 10:32 PM: Message edited by: James Bailey ]

[bfamily33]

Hey guys. I'm in a similiar situation. While I'm not using a laptop, it appears my 8M Video Card won't do the job. The interface shows up but it hangs on the "Loading 3D Graphics". I've tried 800 x 600 and also resized all the significant bitmaps by 50%. Still no luck.

1) Can you confirm it's my vid card.

2) If so, I assume it's AGP in that it says "AGP Texture Acceleration Enabled". If so, is it a simple matter of pulling the video card out of the machine and inserting a new one and the computer will auto detect it? Or should I defer to Best Buy / CompUsa tech support?

System specs:

Video Card Info:

Name: SiS 530

Manf.: SiS

Chip Type: 530 Rev A3

DAC TYpe Internal

Approx. Total Memory: 7.5 MB

Current Display 1024 x 768 (32 bit) (60Hz)

Main Driver: sis530.drv

Version: 4.11.01.1070 (English)

Certified: No

Mini VDD: sis530v.vxd

VDD: *vdd

Direct Draw: Enabled

Direct 3D: Enabled

AGP Texture Acceleration: Enabled

System:

E Machine OEM

Op. Sys.: MS 98 (4.10)

Processor: AMD-K6 3D processor, MMX 3D Now 475 MHz

Memory: 120MB RM

Page file: 107MB used, 997MB available

DirectX: 8.0 (4.08.00.0400)

Thanks in advance.

[chrisl]

Originally posted by Schrullenhaft:

I'm not sure if there is an 800x600 software rendering mode on the Mac. So it basically boils down to being capable of running 3D in hardware at 800x600 minimum.

I've forced my mac into higher resolution (with SwitchRes) and had CMBO software-render up to 1024x768. I sometimes use it for maps, but you lose things like transparency for fog and building walls.

I can sort of force the CMBB demo into software rendering, but it doesn't do the textures properly and gives me all stripy rainbow colors and is basically unplayable. The ability to force software rendering is probably the most reasonable thing that BFC could do to support OSX. I can play CMBO with OSX (where it's software rendered) but I can't play the CMBB demo with X.

[Schrullenhaft]

bfamily33 - Yep, it's your video card. I tried CMBB on an SiS620 (the sister chip to the 530) and ran into this exact problem. An OS upgrade won't help either, though it sorta ran in Win2K, but it got so easily corrupted and completely unplayable that I deemed it 'incompatible'.

Unfortunately your motherboard likely won't have an AGP slot (the SiS530 is considered AGP, but no slot is provided on the motherboard), so you'll need to get a PCI video card. When this card is inserted it should disable the built in video when you tell it that the VGA is on the PCI bus in the CMOS/BIOS setup. You'll still get a device listing in Device Manager for it (and you'll probably want to uninstall your SiS530 video drivers before installing the new video card).

James and bfamily33 - I've been recommending either the TNT2 M64 32Mb or a GeForce2 MX400 32 or 64Mb PCI (though the PCI cards are getting quite hard to find - and they're significantly more expensive than the same AGP version !). The TNT2 M64 PCI can be found (and you'll probably have to look hard for the PCI vesrsion) for a little less than US$50 (the AGP version even less). James depending on which Compaq you have, you may be able to install an AGP version rather than a PCI version (which should fit into your desired spending range a little better). Let us know which exact Compaq model you have and we should be able to tell you which version you can get/need.

[James Bailey]

Schrullenhaft,

thanks very much for sharing your knowledge with us tech idiots !

I have a Compaq Presario 5461 (bought it two or three years ago). I know it has Windows 98. I just looked at my spec sheet and it says I only have 56 MB of RAM and a 475 MHz Processor... so my video card many not be the only issue?

Again, a big thanks to you from all the folks you are helping out here -- if you are ever in Washington DC, I'll buy you a beer!

[Schrullenhaft]

James - from what I can tell of Compaq documentation it looks like you only have PCI & ISA slots, but no AGP slot. So the TNT2 M64 32Mb PCI should be a good bet for you. It sounds like your CPU is an AMD K-6/2 475, which should match pretty well with it.

Just for the sake of completeness, your Compaq has the SiS530 chipset. An 'integrated video' that borrows up to 8Mb of RAM from your system memory. I've used the above-mentioned SiS620 (the 'sister' chip to the 530 for Socket 370 CPUs) and it didn't want to load the 3D graphics either.

A bonus of getting a separate video card is that your computer will be a tad bit faster since the integrated video is no longer eating up some of the memory bandwidth (and the TNT2 M64 is just plain faster itself).

[bfamily33]

Thanks too. I'm debating whether to buy new PC or go te route of a new vid card. After all I'm running at 475 Mhz. I'm wondering if the larger scenarios be playable?

If I buy a new card, you mentioned uninstall my existing SiS driver before installing the new. If I install the video drivers, won't the display go dark? Could you give me a step-by-step approach?

Is it:

1.) Insert new card?

2.) power up?

3.) Unistall existing drivers for SiS?

4.) Install new drivers?

5.) Fire up CMBB!

Hey Bailey, looks like were both in the DC area. Let me know if you find a decent deal on a PCI card. I'll probably check Best Buy today.

[Schrullenhaft]

First you:

1) I suggest downloading the latest drivers for whatever video card you decide to purchase. If they're zipped you'll want to unextract them to a directory you can easily find later. If it is an executable that automatically runs the installation then just make sure that you know where to find it later and don't run it as of yet.

2) Check which version of DirectX you have installed. Many of the latest drivers require that DirectX 8.1 be installed and this needs to be done before you install the new drivers. You can do this before you remove the old drivers and the DirectX installation should still be valid. You can get the latest DirectX 8.1 from this Microsoft download site. Be sure that you download the appropriate copy; Windows 98/ME is on top, while Windows 2000 is on the bottom of the two selections to the left.

3) Uninstall the drivers for your SiS video. Hopefully they're listed in the Add/Remove Software control panel.

4) Before rebooting (or if there is no listing of software to remove in the above mentioned control panel) go to the Device Manager and check the video card that is listed (it may be gone if your ran the uninstall). Here is where it can get a bit tricky, you'll want to highlight the display adapter (not the 'Display Adapter' listing itself, but the specific listing of the SiS530). It's possible that you may lock up here (this happens often with Win9x/ME). Hopefully this will work without locking up - your screen shouldn't go black.

5) Shut down and power off the computer. Before opening the case unplug the power cord. You'll need to remove a back-plane cover for a PCI slot. You may want to select the middle PCI slot.

6) Before you remove the video card from the static bag and before you touch anything inside of the computer case make sure that you've 'grounded' yourself by touching something metallic and minimizing your movement (especially shoes on certain carpet types). You want to minimize the possibility of static discharge which can damage your motherboard, the video card or other computer components.

7) Insert the card into the slot that corresponds with the back-plane opening. Secure the card with whatever screw was originally holding the back-plane cover (a number of Compaqs often have Torx-head screws, so this can be a nuisance if you don't have the right tool). You should be able to close up the computer case now if you want to. Plug the power back in and boot up.

8) Depending on which version of Windows you have it may detect and either attempt to install drivers for your video card or it may ask you for the drivers. If the files you downloaded didn't have a setup program or their own installer then you can eventually point Windows to that directory to install the files. If the program did have its own installer (like the latest drivers that come directly from NVidia), then cancel the detection installation process that Windows is running.

9) If your drivers have their own installation program you should run that now. I suggest disabling any anti-virus programs you're running and any other utilities and background apps.

10) After rebooting you should be set. You will want to make any adjustments to the monitor type that Windows recognizes (since this can change when installing a new video card), selecting the resolution and color depth you want to run at and then setting the refresh rate to whatever you prefer (and sometimes 'optimal' isn't the best one).