I feel my computer isn't working...

[ThePlague]

to it's full potential. I know it isn't made for new age gaming or anything, but I think it can at least run Halo CE at max settings (which it can't currently). I have a Compaq Presario CQ5300F, with a built in Nvidia GeForce 6150SE nForce 430, 2 gigs of RAM, and Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit. I'm pretty sure the thing that's holding back my computer is Windows 7.

If that's true, will my computer run any better with Windows XP than it would with Windows 7? Or are there any ways to speed up my computer to get more out of it?

[EX12693]

I would think that the problem is your RAM.

What are the "symptoms" of the computer that make you think it isn't running well? Bad framerate? Long time to load something?

[ThePlague]

Yeah. only getting about 15 fps at 1024x768 resolution. And it's in wondow'd mode. Also, when editing things in Adobe Premiere CS3 it lags sometimes.

[EX12693]

That's either graphics or RAM. I'll look up how good your gpu is and make a better decision, but how fast is your processor?

My guess right now is your Graphics, as you have integrated graphics and HCE can lag newer cards even though its an old game. Bad graphics would also explain your lag in photoshop.

E: I Google'd your computer model... it doesn't exist. Typo?

[ThePlague]

Systemrequirementslab says I have 2.31 GHz

[InnerGoat]

Yeah. only getting about 15 fps at 1024x768 resolution. And it's in wondow'd mode. Also, when editing things in Adobe Premiere CS3 it lags sometimes.

That sounds about normal for that card... low end onboard gpu ughh

[EX12693]

I googled your computer model and it doesnt exist. Typo?

[ThePlague]

It's actually a CQ5300F. So yeah, typo. lol

[AAA]

it's actually your graphics card. It's working to it's full potential. You won't see any better FPS with the geforce 6150.

The only thing you can do to get some decency in your gameplay is to change resolution to 640x480. =/ other than that, everything else (RAM, CPU, and OS) is fine.

[ThePlague]

So changing my OS won't do any good?

[EX12693]

Changing your OS MIGHT free up more RAM, which MIGHT help a little. Also your Graphics wouldn't have to use a much of itself displaying all the fancy OS features, but I doubt that would make a difference... so I wouldn't recommend it.

[ThePlague]

If I can at least get 5 more FPS out of it that would be enough.

[EX12693]

Save up and buy a decent graphics card. Pretty much anything that you can buy and plug into an open slot would be better than what you have now.

[Cojafoji]

that's a hefty toll on your ram and video card, to play halo on win7. i used to play halo on a system that was wayyyyyyy worse. the only non-constant is win7, which uses a massive amount of memory.

[ThePlague]

So with XP will it be better?

[Cojafoji]

you could probably snag a better gpu and more ram for cheap if you don't want to pay for a new copy of XP, but yes, on that system, you'd be better off using xp.

[EX12693]

Well it probably would be better, but I'd upgrade the graphics before the OS. That saves the time of backing up your hard drive. Plus you said you fist wanted a few more FPS right? Between 5-10?

I think that everything suggested WOULD help, but here's the order that I would do them.

1. Buy a graphics card. Anything would be better than what you have now.

2. Upgrade your RAM. This shouldn't be too hard. This will also give more memory to applications like Photoshop. If the previous option gave you the results you wanted, this step is NOT REQUIRED, but IS RECOMMENDED. This will give you even more memory for newer or more demanding programs.

3. Switch OS to something that takes less RAM. If either or both of the previous options gave the results you wanted, this step is NOT REQUIRED, but I would NOT RECOMMEND it. If you downgrade your OS, you will not be able to use newer programs, and therefore the graphics and RAM upgrades will be limited to use on older programs. Plus, it would save you the time of backing up and transferring any data you want to keep.

[Amit]

It is definitely the GPU in this case. No matter how "powerful" your integrated graphics chips are supposed to be, they won't be able to handle games, really.

[EX12693]

So buy a card.

[neuro]

no, none whatsoever.

its something computer stores do alot.

put together a decent computer, and a terrible 3d card to make it seem lowcost.
your bottle neck is your gfx card, the rest isn't that bad.
the only thing which will fix that is getting a new gfxcard.

there are a few tricks to get more fps out of your halo, like disabling mouse acceleration (you need to make a custom file for that, and have it run via your halo shortcut) google it. theres a page somewhere with a whole bunch of tweaks.

[ThePlague]

I'd buy a new card, but right now I don't have the money. So what i'm trying to do is get what I can out of it.

My only problem now is I have nothing to back up my 35 gigs of music and 20 gigs of video.

Is there any way to create a partition out of something that is already allocated? I have about 130 gigs left of space, but it's allocated already with Windows 7 on it.

[InnerGoat]

You're not backing up anything if it's on the same physical disk, but yes you can resize partitions

Be sure to back up before messing with partitions :)

[ThePlague]

Alright.

[EX12693]

Oh god I remember when I moved stuff to a partition... and then formatted the drive thinking everything was backed up. :ugh:

[StankBacon]

going back to xp wont help.

[Rook]

Stay with 7, RAM isn't anywhere near your problem either.




That sounds about normal for that card... low end onboard gpu ughh

Just save up for a card???

[Ganon]

I would think that the problem is your RAM.
you don't know anything

just get a new gfx card, a $50-$100 card would run halo on max settings pretty well

[EX12693]

Fuck you. Low RAM could easily cause lag in Photoshop. You know how I know this? Because IT DID. To me.

[Yoko]

2 gigs of ram should be plenty to run Photoshop. Did you even read the first post?

[EX12693]

I couldn't run photoshop with just 2 gigs of RAM. Did you even read my last post?

[Yoko]

Macs we used for graphic design had 2 GB ram, PS ran perfect. What the h*ck kind of computer do you have lol

[EX12693]

Well Macs are more media friendly, but thats about it. My old computer (the one I had PS on) was a... 2001? Gateway. But anyway as soon as I put more RAM in PS ran perfectly. Before, it was a bit laggy.

[flibitijibibo]

A Gateway from 2001 with 2GB RAM? Am I just old or what...

Also, Macs are just advertised as "media friendly," it doesn't actually mean anything in terms of performance.

On topic, a cheap graphics card will quickly solve your problem with Halo CE. Newer games would benefit from an extra gig or two of RAM, though.

[EX12693]

Yes you are old. Not sure what year it is... I think 2001, but might be newer.

Lol is everyone gonna keep trolling me through rep?

[StankBacon]

the rest of your computer blew as well, moron.

[EX12693]

Who you calling moron?

[InnerGoat]

From the looks of it... you :smile:

2GB of ram is fine for general photoshop work. Your CPU was probably to blame for the poor performance (or your choice of malware you install :ugh: )

[EX12693]

Probably. Although when I added more RAM it did increase my performance.

[Ganon]

you don't know anything

quoting this

agamemnon please log off your alt

[EX12693]

^Why quote yourself?

You think I'm an alt?

[Inferno]

Probably. Although when I added more RAM it did increase my performance.

EX, This is why you have 2 red bars. You are wrong. People tell you that you are wrong. And even though you are wrong and you KNOW you are wrong you continue to claim you are right. PCI-E, PCI and AGP are not inter-compatible and 2 Gigs of ram is more than enough to run photoshop.

I play Crysis with 2 gigs of ram.

[Warsaw]

^Why quote yourself?

You think I'm an alt?

Even if you aren't, the rest of us understand what he's saying. Not our problem if you aren't in on the loop.

tl;dr: your attitude so far has sucked. You aren't using sarcasm in a remotely tasteful manner and you are post-happy. Post-happy is not good unless you have something of substance to post. Unless you are providing a sufficient quantity of content or lulz to the community, you won't make it very far as a post-happy member.

Also, Inferno is actually right for once. I have 2GB of DDR1 RAM with a single-core AMD64 CPU running at 2GHz, and I can play anything I want at maximum settings short of Crysis and SupCom.

[EX12693]

@ Inferno: I am right because it is what happened in my situation, no matter how much you don't want to accept it.

@Warsaw: Well maybe my computer just sucked. That's why I got rid of it. I'm not being sarcastic, and I'm post happy because I'm trying to clarify things that some don't seem to understand.

[Limited]

Or, its just because your being an ignorant fool?


I couldn't run photoshop with just 2 gigs of RAM. Did you even read my last post?
I used to run Photoshop on 2.4GHz Pentium 4 ,1GB of SDRAM and it ran fine and dandy, until I tried running intensive filters on large images, then it became sluggish, but it definitely ran.

DO NOT go to XP, its seriously not worth it. Your weakness is your hardware, plain and simple. Changing OS may give you like 1 FPS more, but it could decrease your FPS.

If I was you I'd just stick with what you have, know your own devil...

[Cojafoji]

the horrors of alcohol. snag a new vid card baby.

[ThePlague]

I said Premiere wasn't running, not Photoshop.

And I did change to XP, but today i'm probably changing back. I just need to figure out how to boot from this stupid partition HP gave me for the disc image.

[SnaFuBAR]

@ Inferno: I am right because it is what happened in my situation, no matter how much you don't want to accept it.

You are not right. You are winging it. adding more ram may have freed up stress on other components, but it was not strictly memory related, and that is a FACT.

[EX12693]

I said adding more RAM speesed up my system. It did. Plain and simple. Now stop this stupid argument. It isn't helping.

So um... get a gfx card.

[Rook]

speeding up system =/= getting more fps in 3d games