New to game

Everytime I start up I crash within 5 minutes. I tried going to the drivers page to get another version like it said, but the drivers page is showing up blank to me, can anyone help?

thanks

What kind of video card do you have?

An Intel somethin(I think), not positive where to look.

Now I'm lucky if it even lets me in the game keeps crashing when the avatar should be showing up. But it's an Intel Extreme Graphics is what the game is telling me when it starts up, and I got the drivers page finally but I'm just not sure which to download since none of them say Intel.

try this it tell you all your system specs
http://www.belarc.com/free_download.html
-LW

Thanks, here's what its showing if this will help any of you tell me anything.

Board: Intel Corporation D845GVSR AAC45439-302

Intel(R) 82845G/GL/GE/PE/GV Graphics Controller [Display adapter]
ING 21sd100 [Monitor] (19.7"vis, s/n G8E004184)

are you on a DSL or Cable modem? (just trying to help narrow down the problem )

From my experience with some friends with the same card, SL crashed like crazy on it. It really is made for Nvidia and ATI cards. I hope you are able to resolve it, but you may have to upgrade your video card to use SL.

Cable internet. And yea that's what everyone's telling me I'm gonna need to upgrade my card, around how much does one run that would be compatable with SL?

Well if you can afford around $100, you can get a decent mid level Geforce FX card (5600 or 5700, avoid the 5200). You first need to make sure your computer can handle an AGP video card and that it can be replaced - some computers with built in Intel cards have no AGP slot. I would avoid lower end ATI cards altogether. If you want to spend a little less, you could go with a Geforce 4 card, but you are kind of shooting yourself in the foot - you will have to upgrade it again in time.

Hi Christiano
Just like to know why to avoid the 5200, i got one, i think last year, it works well, but than, i dont have anny idea's abouth cards annyway
I would like to have a new one, so, what do you think is the best card to have?
Does it also depends on your sytem, if it can handle the card?
In SL if i have everything on in the display menu checked, ohhhh boy, cant move, nothing, mmmm that means i need a new pc and a card
Hugs
Angela

The 5200 was an early model in the FX line that was found to have some performance problems (they often performed slower or only marginally better than a Geforce 4). Later models in the FX line were built around a different version of the chip that did not suffer from those problems. It is not a horrible card, I just would not recommend buying it to someone unless absolutely it is the only thing you could afford. The 5700 is now the standard in the product line, with the more expensive 5800 and 5900 cards on a little higher end, and the 5500 (and 5200) rounding out the bottom. There is also the new 6000 series of AGP and PCI-Express cards that are screamers, but very expensive. As for why to avoid ATI btw, check the tech issues forum sometime if you need any encouragement to not buy an ATI card

Thanks Cristiano!
Going to write that on my Santa list
Hugs
Angela

The GeForce 5200 is a budget card. I wouldn't recommend it, but it's a lot better than an Intel chipset one. The price/performance ratio is probably best for the 5700 right now. Don't get the 5700LE, though -- it's definitely better than the 5200, but the price/performance ratio isn't anywhere as good as with the 5700.

Angela, what CPU do you have currently? How much RAM do you have? SL's framerate is limited by CPU speed, memory bandwidth and system RAM first, then video memory, then your GPU speed. Upgrading to a slightly better video card would definitely improve your framerate, but it might not improve it as much as adding some more RAM or getting a new CPU might.

I've always thought some kind of price/performance ratio calculator (well, estimator, really) script would come in handy for determining which equipment to buy based on benchmarks and prices retrieved from several leading online stores and hardware review sites. It's something that should be taken into account in virtually all purchasing decisions, but that almost never is. "I have $500 to spend", or "I want the best video card I can get" seem to come up far more than "what's the best DEAL?"

For example, (and these are purely hypothetical numbers, mind you) if System A is a top-end computer and costs $5000, suppose its benchmark rating is a highly improbable and conveniently unit-free 100. System B's performance rating is 75, but it costs $2000. System C has a rating of 25, but it costs $1000. Obviously, the best price/performance ratio is B, but getting into that sweet spot can be pretty tough if you only have $1000 to spend. Also keep in mind that reliability and quality of components doesn't necessarily enter into the price.

Edit: I don't think you can actually GET a 5600 anymore, heh.

Personally, I have a 5200 too, and I notice no performance issues either. And I came from using a 4Ti 4600 previously. Perhaps newer 5200s don't have the problems any more. In any case, it's well above spec for SL (Minimum GeForce is a 2MX).

<Angela, what CPU do you have currently? How much RAM do you have? SL's framerate is limited by CPU speed, memory bandwidth and system RAM first, then video memory, then your GPU speed. Upgrading to a slightly better video card would definitely improve your framerate, but it might not improve it as much as adding some more RAM or getting a new CPU might.>


Hi Catherine
And that is i think also the problem, my pc is old, well old.... i dont know if it would help to by a new card, if the pc could not handle the graphics in SL better, and i would love to see SL in full detail
So that means also a new pc, but i know now were to look for, if i am going to get a new pc, thanks to youre expanation above , i am a real dummy when it comes to computers.

I have a Dell:
Intel Pentium 4
CPU: 1.80 GHz
1.79 Ghz
1.00 GB of Ram

Hugs
Angela