Guild Wars Extreme: Running GW on a Macbook

removed

Academy Page

Join Date: May 2007

Just managed to get GW installed on my good old standard Macbook. Problem is, the Macbook struggles enough just in cities, let alone instances. My average FPS in the world with a full party is about 10-15, and it only gets worse in cities. Everything in the game options is set to low or off.

I'm determined to get GW to run semi-smoothly. Any ideas on other hacks or tricks I can use to try and get GW running lag-free? I'm running GW via crossover.

Thanks.

pinkeyflower

Krytan Explorer

Join Date: Jan 2010

Check if your graphics card's driver is up to date; there have been many reports of old drivers causing poor framerates. Also, turn off all open programs. This makes it so that Guild Wars is given all of the CPU's usage. Sometimes modded drivers can increase FPS. However, be warned that these drivers have not been quality tested and may damage your system, use them at your risk. Defragmenting your hard drive may also help.

Those are all I can think off at the moment. Most likely though, your MacBook just can't run Guild Wars and in that case the only remedy is to buy a new laptop.

Qobra

Ascalonian Squire

Join Date: Aug 2009

Currently a Free Agent

Rt/

Use a program called crossover...I use it on my macbook pro and my gw runs flawlessly

mistokibbles

Lion's Arch Merchant

Join Date: Mar 2008

N/A

I tried this too a while ago for lulz. Don't even try, it's not worth it. Buy a new comp is the best suggestion I have. Mine will actually blue screen when I'm just walking around town.

pinkeyflower

Krytan Explorer

Join Date: Jan 2010

@Qobra: He said he was running GW via Crossover.

Jarge

Academy Page

Join Date: Dec 2006

England

Queen and Country [QC]

P/W

This is nothing. I have GW running smoothly at 54fps on Fedora Core.

removed

Academy Page

Join Date: May 2007

Quote:
Originally Posted by pinkeyflower View Post
Check if your graphics card's driver is up to date; there have been many reports of old drivers causing poor framerates. Also, turn off all open programs. This makes it so that Guild Wars is given all of the CPU's usage. Sometimes modded drivers can increase FPS. However, be warned that these drivers have not been quality tested and may damage your system, use them at your risk. Defragmenting your hard drive may also help.

Those are all I can think off at the moment. Most likely though, your MacBook just can't run Guild Wars and in that case the only remedy is to buy a new laptop.
Hmm.

No driver updates available at the moment. I also make sure crossover and GW are the only apps running. I haven't done any driver modding.

Any other suggestions I should try?

Quaker

Quaker

Hell's Protector

Join Date: Aug 2005

Canada

Brothers Disgruntled

I don't know what graphics chip you have in your MacBook. It's likely though that it's very low end - some form of integrated graphics. In which case you are probably never going to get great results. The best solution would be to run GW under WindowXP if you can use Bootcamp on your particular MacBook.

Dag Z

Guest

Join Date: Jan 2009

Florida

WTB q8 Oni Daggers ( PM inherit + price )

A/W

If you're having trouble with your FPS, you're also more than likely to have trouble or come into trouble with ping. If you have a router try port forwarding port 6112 TCP.

removed

Academy Page

Join Date: May 2007

@Quaker: I don't have access to bootcamp at the moment. Plus, I don't have a copy of XP.

@Dag Z: No problems with ping yet, the connection-related lag is quite tolerable. The graphic lag is what's killing me.

@Jarge: How are you running it smoothly on a Fedora core? Are you using a Macbook?

t00115577

t00115577

Wilds Pathfinder

Join Date: Sep 2007

Mo/



On Topic:
1. Try playing on a less populated server, ie if you are euro play on euro russian or something.
2. Make sure all graphics settings are at their lowest.
3. Make sure you have no background programs running.
4. Buy a new graphics card.
5. Buy a new computer.

Try these 5 in this order, gauranteed to solve the problem.

Rhododendron

Rhododendron

Frost Gate Guardian

Join Date: Jun 2009

Rt/

An epic fail indeed, t00115577!

removed

Academy Page

Join Date: May 2007

I know that this isn't the best system to use for GW but Jarge's comment really has me interested. If there's some way I can macguyver GW into running more smoothly, I'll try that before I put out for a new system.

moriz

moriz

??ber t??k-n??sh'??n

Join Date: Jan 2006

Canada

R/

some info on your hardware specs would make this easier.

basically, unless you are running on a current generation macbook, you'll never get it to run better. you can't tweak your way past inadequate hardware.

Elder III

Elder III

Furnace Stoker

Join Date: Jan 2007

Ohio

I Will Never Join Your Guild (NTY)

R/

Quote:
Originally Posted by moriz View Post
you can't tweak your way past inadequate hardware.
I'll add the ponderous weight of my subpar intellect to that statement.... 2x 'nuff said.