Laptop graphics cards good for SWBF...?

forresal · Post by **forresal** » Tue Jan 10, 2006 1:12 pm

Greetings mates!

I hope someone here can help. I have been using a friends laptop and have been running SWBF perfectly (except for some missing movies) both solo and online. The friend needs the laptop back :evil: and I am now in the market for one myself. (Need a laptop for my job).

My concern is the graphics card. Those available for most laptops in my budget are not listed in the game's (or lucasarts.com) help files. When I research the graphic card's manufacturer site, there is no mention of T&L capability or compatability.

The cards I have seen in the laptops are:
ATI Radeon (Mobility?) Xpress 200M
ATI Radeon X600
Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 900.

Would any of these work?
Thanks!!

Leviathan · Post by **Leviathan** » Tue Jan 10, 2006 1:47 pm

The ATI Radeon X600 series' GPU could make SWBF running properly while offering decent performances... On the other hand, the two others you've mentioned are integrated Graphic Chipsets, and might not work with your SWBF copy...

forresal · Post by **forresal** » Tue Jan 10, 2006 2:51 pm

Thanks for you help Leviathan!

See, I'm not that technical...
I can try to swing for the X600...
Is the key in the "integrated" vs. "dedicated" chipset? I should avoid "integrated"?

The card I was using on my friends laptop was an nVidia GeForce 2 Go. (which was also not listed by lucasarts).

Leviathan · Post by **Leviathan** » Wed Jan 11, 2006 2:01 pm

In fact, "integrated" Chipsets cannot be replaced, since they belong to your Mother-Board... So, if you want to pick another one, you'll have to replace the whole Main-Board, which might cause troubles, such as incompatibilities with old devices, etc... On the other hand, "dedicated" Video Chipsets can be easily changed, and offer many more performances in video-games or other resources-requiring softwares... So, I think your choice will be fastly made, even though prices may vary according to the Chipset you'd like to get...

Exclamation · Post by **Exclamation** » Wed Jan 11, 2006 11:43 pm

Hmmm... I play SWBF on a laptop. I am typing this on a laptop.

It is a Toshiba Satellite something, with an ATI Mobility Radeon 9000. On some levels (Rhen Var) I get a double image-like a semi-transparent screen freeze, but I can still play, just with some visual haze. I called Lucasart Support about this, and the guy said that laptop graphics cards aren't supported.

Just my 2 cents worth, anyways it seems like Leviathan knows more about this... as in most things.

forresal · Post by **forresal** » Thu Jan 12, 2006 4:49 pm

Thanks guys for both you're inputs.

I have been playing the game on a Dell Inspirion 2650 with Intel 4 (i think) at 1.8Ghz and 256 RAM. The card is the nVidia GeForce 2 Go and it is not mentioned anywhere in the Lucasarts help materials. Like I said above the game works great (I rarely play online) except that movies are missing (only sound). I was pretty surprised it has worked so far!!

Leviathan · Post by **Leviathan** » Fri Jan 13, 2006 2:26 pm

Movies used in SWBF have been encoded into the Bink Video format, which requires many resources... In fact, I'm equally surprised that only their images have been displayed on your laptop, since its specifications must have not allowed such a thing... (Moreover, I'm ready to bet that you encounter lags when you're watching them...)

forresal · Post by **forresal** » Fri Jan 13, 2006 4:18 pm

Yeah, I don't really mind though missing the movies. I'm sure they are interesting, but I'm in for the game play. Now I mostly play user created maps anyway. The game is at a good speed...never played it faster so I really don't know what I'm missing. Although the shipped Naboo map is pretty slow and choppy in the fields. All others are pretty quick for me!!

Leviathan · Post by **Leviathan** » Sat Jan 14, 2006 10:45 am

That's rather surprising... The shipped "Naboo : Theed" map does not contain many detailed meshes or effects, contrary to "Endor : Bunker" - With its foliage and trees - or others...

forresal · Post by **forresal** » Tue Jan 17, 2006 10:25 am

That's what I thought too...a simple less detailed map. Maybe it was the sky and horizon graphics?? Dunno.

BTW Leviathan, thanks for your advice. I had made some request regarding specs I was hoping for. Ended up with a Gateway MX7118. AMD Athlon (2.2 GHz); 512 RAM; 80 GB HD with ATI Xpress 200M.
Maybe not the best, but my main purpose is for work. SWBF is in the backseat.

Tried the game out and I was stunned!! Not only can I see the movies that I had missed with the old system, but the game is much faster and the graphics are far more crisp. Very happy with the performance.

reklan · Post by **reklan** » Tue Jan 17, 2006 11:40 am

Well, I have a HP8220 which has the X600 with 64meg graphics card.... This plays SWBF1 & 2 perfectly...

They only problem is that on some custom maps the shadows aren't perfect.. but the ones shipped as standard are fine...

"The Dark Side of the Force is a pathway to many abilities some consider to be 'unnatural'."

-=Sithicalohiny=- · Post by **-=Sithicalohiny=-** » Tue Jan 17, 2006 12:18 pm

Are those signatures?

As far as I know those are strictly forbidden...

Leviathan · Post by **Leviathan** » Tue Jan 17, 2006 2:00 pm

That's the case... reklan, please remove your entire signature...

PS : Nevertheless, I hope you'll enjoy GameToast message-boards...

Laptop graphics cards good for SWBF...?

Laptop graphics cards good for SWBF...?

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