Running Slow

[DoctorLee]

On my desktop (bought it 3 years ago),

which is slower and has worse video card runs KotOR2 smootly, but when I play on my laptop(bought it last winter), everything is laggy.

 

Even on the menu screen, everything skips...

 

I have an ATI Mobility Radeon 9000

 

I have done everything to make it faster but it doesn't work...

 

Anyway to make it run smooth?

Edited January 11, 2006 by DoctorLee

[LadyCrimson]

http://forums.obsidianent.com/index.php?showtopic=39048

 

I know you're not getting a black screen, but it's probably still related...

Edited January 10, 2006 by LadyCrimson

[DoctorLee]

http://forums.obsidianent.com/index.php?showtopic=39048

 

I know you're not getting a black screen, but it's probably still related...

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Hmm... In fact,

I do get a black screen... but when I start my saved game.

I already updated the latest Catalyst version.

Ofcourse I tried doing it on ATI site, but there seems to be an error for laptop users.

 

I did some researches and found the site where it featured the Catalyst newest version for laptops.

 

However, the problem did not get solved...

[LadyCrimson]

Don't know if you did a search on this forum or not, but yeah, other laptop users have had some problems too.

 

http://forums.obsidianent.com/index.php?showtopic=37355&hl=

 

You could try some forum searchs on 'mobility' and 'laptops' as well as catalyst, tho some results will repeat, of course. Luck.

[DoctorLee]

I just ran KotOR2 after I have downloaded anything that I could from Toshiba,

my manufacturer.

 

I went to ATI site again to see if downloading the official Catalyst new version is possible.

 

Obviously, it gave me an error message and told me that my laptop does not support Catalyst.

 

It also told me that I could look at my laptop manufacturer so I did and downloaded basically everything...

 

Well, one thing I have noticed is,

If the screen has ANY 3D models, it will dramatically slow down.

When I go to menu, where there are no 3D models present, it becomes very smooth.

 

I tried to lower all the video options just to see if the game would run any faster.

Well, it didn't not even a little faster.

 

Got any more suggestion(s)?

[DoctorLee]

I have done some research on the web.

 

All the slow, or choppy, graphic only occurs in a laptop.

I don't think this problem have to do much about the graphic card but maybe something with laptops.

 

Is the laptop decelerating to conserve energy? Even when the AC cord is plugged in?

 

Hmm...

Help!

 

*Sorry for double posting.

[knighthawk66]

I have done some research on the web.

 

All the slow, or choppy, graphic only occurs in a laptop.

I don't think this problem have to do much about the graphic card but maybe something with laptops.

 

Is the laptop decelerating to conserve energy? Even when the AC cord is plugged in?

 

Hmm...

Help!

 

*Sorry for double posting.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

more than likely the laptop just doesnt have enough power to do the job. It probably has onboard graphics and not alot of RAM which would kill any graphic intense game like KOTOR. Sure a laptop will run a 2D game pretty easily, but you're seeing firsthand what happens when you try to load a resource snatching 3D game.

 

you options are:

a) spend a lot of time and energy trying to get it to work

b) spend a lot of money on a newer/bigger notebook and hope it works

c) play it on the PC that runs the game smoothly

 

good luck

[DoctorLee]

I have done some research on the web.

 

All the slow, or choppy, graphic only occurs in a laptop.

I don't think this problem have to do much about the graphic card but maybe something with laptops.

 

Is the laptop decelerating to conserve energy? Even when the AC cord is plugged in?

 

Hmm...

Help!

 

*Sorry for double posting.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

more than likely the laptop just doesnt have enough power to do the job. It probably has onboard graphics and not alot of RAM which would kill any graphic intense game like KOTOR. Sure a laptop will run a 2D game pretty easily, but you're seeing firsthand what happens when you try to load a resource snatching 3D game.

 

you options are:

a) spend a lot of time and energy trying to get it to work

b) spend a lot of money on a newer/bigger notebook and hope it works

c) play it on the PC that runs the game smoothly

 

good luck

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Hmm.

It runs any other 3D games smoothly.

Plus, this laptop has more RAM storage space then my other desktop, which is able to run KotOR II fairly smoothly.

For the power supply, I have it plugged to the outlet.

I don't think that will slow the game down.

[PacMantheJedi]

I just purchased a new hp laptop pavilion dv8000 with

1.8GHz processor

1GB of RAM

160GB Hard Drive

ATI Radeon Express 200M (128 Dedicated Memory)

And I can not KOTOR 2 to run. It will load up, and go through the motions, but it will not let me do anything. It seems that when I hit the "W" to move, that is goes in skitzo on me, and it wont work. I have a 6.1 update on my driver, and I still dont get it to go right.

[knighthawk66]

If you've been doing your research as you say, you'd see that a number of people are having problems with laptops running this game. If you check other types of games you'd find the same thing. The majority of laptops just don't having the computing speed to keep up with a graphics intense game like this one.

 

Part of the problem is that most laptops have integrated sound and video cards that take alot of resources from the motherboard causing the computer to slow down.When you have multiple systems sharing the same resources you're putting alot of load on the system and when that system starts to get overworked it slows down and eventually crashes. As far as slow choppy graphics go, there have been a few who have posted that their desktop that has onbaorad graphics do the exact same thing. One in particular is this post...

 

http://forums.obsidianent.com/index.php?showtopic=39448

 

Your laptop being able to run other 3d games is irrelevant (sp?) Do the other 3d games have KOTOR2's graphics engine? Does KOTOR2 have the same graphics engine as KOTOR1? Probably not, therefore you cant use them as comparison to this game. I play a Nascar racing game and when it came out the forums were flooded with posts like these saying how peoples computers were just fine with older versions or with other games. the fact of the matter was that the designers piled on the graphics stuff and basically people had to update or replace their comptuers to get the game to run the way they wanted.

 

 

The fact that the game still runs slowly with the power cord plugged in is evidence enough in itself. They dont have the power supply that a desktop has. A desktop usually has something like a minimum of 400 watts power supply which the motherboard,gpu, and sound card draw their power from. If you could find a way to hookup an external power supply it would probably only see marginal improvements IMO.

 

Last but not least, and this applies to you to PacManJedi 99% of people who are having problems with graphic related issues have ATI video cards. The most common suggestion has been to revert back to an older driver for the ATI cards or to use a 3rd party driver (Omega) people have said that has helped them out.

 

try these posts out

http://forums.obsidianent.com/index.php?showtopic=29202

http://forums.obsidianent.com/index.php?showtopic=39463

 

good luck

[TelcoKen]

I, too, am having the same problem running KOTOR II on a laptop with the ATI Radeon Xpress 200M...same as PacMan, I get erratic movement key responses that make the game unplayable.

 

I keep seeing those saying, "well, you cannot run it on a laptop because the laptop has onboard graphics that share resources..."

 

But! As the laptop users keep trying to point out: these laptops run many other 3D and high end games with no problems! (Battle for Middle Earth; Neverwinter Nights Platinum, Medal of Honor Pac. Assault, and many other games run great on this laptop).

 

Also, as others have pointed out this ATI 200M has 128MB dedicated Ram...yes, it has it's own ram and doesn't steal it from the motherboard!

 

I'm sorry...but with a large percentage of the problems being posted by ATI users, and then it seems the ones that have no work around are the Laptop users with the ATI graphics. Clearly there is some type of problem with this game...and it doesn't happen with other games.

 

I am careful to check the box for hardware requirements, and all the specs on this box were LOWER than my laptop's capabilities.

 

At minimum, Lucas Arts, Obsidian, or someone should allow a refund for the folks that bought this with the expectation that it would run according to box specs (mainly the laptop users).

 

Does anyone have an idea of who to contact for any serious consideration of this issue? I tried Lucas Arts Tech Support, and they just blew me off as an ignorant Laptop user that didn't understand how Laptops are so inferior.

 

TelcoKen