Graphics error wont install 2nd life

ok now that I have your attention what is the difference between Intel 965 and 945 chipset? I have tried to play a video game called second Life, but it says my graphics are either out of date or unable to install game I looked at req for the game it needs at least 945 chipset to run. ive played several games on this computer including world of warcraft but why it wont run 2nd life I have no idea, so 2 questions What's the difference between the two chipset, and one not referring to Intel how do I get 2nd life to download? this is a HP Pavilion Entertainment PC with Intel 965 Express Chipset Family, Approx. 358MB Thanks for your help maybe we will figure this out.


Zwn

You might be able to accomplish your goal by upgrading your video drivers.

You might be able to use the ones from Intel, or you might need to get drivers from HP.

The 965, depending on which 965 you're talking about, would be either one or two generations newer than the 945. There are numerous technical differences between the generations, and between the various models within each generation. So the question "what's the difference" is a bit hard to answer succinctly.

If you want to research the subject further for an exact answer, all the specs are avaialable on Intel's website, and Wikipedia provides a pretty good overview.



Both the 945 and 965 are integrated graphics processors (IGP's) from Intel. IGP's are built directly into the motherboard of a computer, as opposed to discrete graphics cards, which are individualized components.

So you know IGP's are beyond horrible at running graphically intensive programs like the Second Life viewer. They're designed only to make sure you're able to see SOMETHING on your screen, in the absence of a real video card. If you just want to write Word documents, browse the Web, play around on Facebook, etc., an IGP will do the job for you just fine. But anything more advanced than that, SL included, demands a real video card.

IGP's are absolutely not designed for gaming or other high end graphics.




I've never heard of a video game called Second Life. There is a virtual world with that title, which we discuss on this site. But a game? Nope, doesn't exist.

I realize this might seem like a simple matter of semantics, but really, if you were expecting SL to be a game, you're likely in for a surprise if and when you're finally able to log into it. SL doesn't have any specific goal to it. There's no princess to rescue, no points to score, no boss monster to kill, no way to win or lose. In SL, you simply exist, just like you do in real life.

SL is quite literally a second life. It is no more a game than your first life is.

There are, of course, games within Second Life, just as there are games within real life. But neither life, in and of itself, is a game (unless you're one of those creepy, morally questionable types, who think EVERYTHING is a game).




The website does state that Intel 945 is supported. However, there are two major caveats to that. First, that page unfortunately has not been updated in quite some time. Second, "supported" can be a funny word. It just means that the program will run, not that it will run well. Trying to power SL with an IGP is like trying to drive a Ferrari with a mule. Yeah, it might get going, but mules can be stubborn, so there are no guarantees, and if does move at all, it'll be PAINFULLY slow.

Further, you mentioned later in your post that you're talking not actually about a 965, but rather a 965 Express. There's a big difference there. The Express suffix means it's the mobile version. So, take that mule, cut off three of its four legs, surgically remove one of its lungs, and then forget to feed it for two weeks. See how well it can pull that car after that, and you'll get a pretty good sense for how well a mobile IGP can run SL.

Updating the drivers for your 965 might help a little. But again, even if you do get it to work, it's not going to work very well. Your frame rates will likely be in the single digits, and most of the graphics options that make the world look pretty won't be available to you. IGP's just aren't designed to do this sort of thing.


SL demands a powerful video card, just as a Ferrari demands a powerful engine. I know this isn't what you want to hear, but you're probably not going to be able to make this work. I hope I'm wrong about that, and you are able to pull it off. But the reality is not only do you have a specimen from the absolute worst of the worst of all graphics hardware families currently on the market today, you've also got the laptop version, which makes it even worse.

I don't mean to sound like I'm trying to insult your computer, so please don't take it that way. I just want you to understand the reality of the situation. Round peg, square hole, one not designed for the other, that's all.






You're comparing apples and oranges. (Don't worry, it's a common mistake.) Saying "I should be able to run SL because I can run XYZ video game," is like saying "I should be able to win the Indy 500 because I know how to drive a bus." One has nothing to do with the other.

First, World of Warcraft isn't exactly a graphics powerhouse of a program. It's designed to playable by the widest possible audience, so its requirements (and its capabilities) are very low. Ever wonder why its artistic style is so illustrative, almost cartoonized? It may seem like merely an aesthetic choice, but it was at least as much a technical decistion as an artistic one. Things that illustrative like that tend to be significantly easier to render than things that are more realistic.

Also, understand that no video game in the world has to do most of the things SL has to do, just to run. Games aren't made from user-created content. Games don't stream audio onto parcels of land, or video onto geometric surfaces. Games store assets locally on your hard drive, rather than streaming every last item over the internet. The content in games isn't made by amateurs who have no idea how to optimize it so that it doesn't bog down people's computers. Etc., etc., etc.

To use yet another analogy, the differences between SL and a video game could be compared to the differences between a drawing and a painting. Yes, at the end of the day, you can hang both on a wall, and they might even look sort of alike. But if you examine them a little more closely, you find that they've actually got quite little in common. The tools and processes that go into making them work have at least as many differences as similarities.




I'm not sure what you mean by "one not referring to Intel". Both items you mentioned are Intel products.




You get it to download by going to secondlife.com/download, and clicking the Download button.

Getting it to install and run is another matter. As I said, first update the drivers for your graphics processor. If it still won't work after that, get better hardware.




Those Pavillion Entertainment PC series machines are designed for music, low to mid fidelity video, Web surfing, not much more than that. They're really not meant for gaming or for anything nearly as resource intensive as SL.




You're welcome for the help. I'm sure you probably didn't like some of the answers, and I'm sorry for that. But the truth is you're trying to run a high end program on low end hardware. There's not really a happy way to say it's probably not going to work.

well i will admit Chosen Few you have a talent of answering questions.
i have come to the conclusion that i might need to save more money in my 1st life to be able to enter 2nd life on a differnt computer. So thank you for the detailed Information that you have given me and have a wonderful first and second life =D. Hopefully i will see you again.

-Zwn

I have run SL on an Intel 915 chipset, and it is possible, but not pretty. If you want to try it, download Boy Lane's Rainbow Viewer, which is designed to run with limited effects on low-end hardware. It will get you logged in and able to look around, but it will not really show you the kind of visual effects SL is capable of.

http://my.opera.com/boylane/blog/

It seems to me that you'd be facing a higher chance of gpu failure by using a laptop that comes with only an Intel onboard video processor for SL because it wouldn't likely be designed to handle the heat generated by SL's intense use of 3d.

The gpu being on the motherboard, gpu failure would mean either motherboard replacement or laptop replacement.

Is that right?

I believe that is right, Suzanne. Generally speaking, if an embedded component in a motherboard burns out, it's time to replace the motherboard. If you've got an advanced degree in electronics, maybe you could just swap out just the damaged circuitry and call it a day, but most people wouldn't be able to do that.