Will I be able to play with an integrated graphics card?

Roken

Roken

Lion's Arch Merchant

Join Date: Apr 2005

Jacksonville, Florida (US)

Corpse Ecstacy[Crps]

N/R

I am on a Dell (Yea, I know... Icky.). Well, when I buaght GW, I really just cruised through the Sys Reqs. The guy at the counter asked me what type of PC I have, and I told him a Dell. "Integrated graphics card...?" he asked. "Yep, sucks" I told him. Then he told me I may have trouble playing the game, like graphic loss. Does anyone know if I will have any trouble playing with an integrated grapichs card?

Thanks.

Kityn

Krytan Explorer

Join Date: Mar 2005

Michigan

Heroes of the Horn [HoH]

N/

Computer specs?Processor speed?Ram?Vid ram?

Roken

Roken

Lion's Arch Merchant

Join Date: Apr 2005

Jacksonville, Florida (US)

Corpse Ecstacy[Crps]

N/R

CPU Speed : 2.6 GHZ
Ram: 256 (Im hoping to buy another RAM stick)
Vid Ram: Dunno. Im using Everest, but I dont know where to find it under there.

Lansing Kai Don

Banned

Join Date: Mar 2005

Kansas

Go to your command prompt, type in dxdiag, then copy and paste it in the forum. This seems to be the quickest way.

To save the information click the save all information tab, save it as a text document and paste it on the forum. Then we can give you an accurate answer.


Lansing Kai Don

Loviatar

Underworld Spelunker

Join Date: Feb 2005

Quote:
Originally Posted by Roken
CPU Speed : 2.6 GHZ
Ram: 256 (Im hoping to buy another RAM stick)
Vid Ram: Dunno. Im using Everest, but I dont know where to find it under there.
if you have win xp get a 512mb stick if the motherboard will handle it

integrated graphics need all the help they can get

it is below minimum spec but someone else had intels cr*ptacular extreem graphics and could use it

Roken

Roken

Lion's Arch Merchant

Join Date: Apr 2005

Jacksonville, Florida (US)

Corpse Ecstacy[Crps]

N/R

------------------
System Information
------------------
Time of this report: 4/7/2005, 21:17:50
Operating System: Windows XP Home Edition (5.1, Build 2600) Language: English (Regional Setting: English)
System Manufacturer: Dell Computer Corporation
System Model: Dimension 2400
BIOS: Phoenix ROM BIOS PLUS Version 1.10 A05
Processor: Intel(R) Pentium(R) 4 CPU 2.66GHz
Memory: 254MB RAM
Page File: 380MB used, 241MB available
Windows Dir: C:\WINDOWS
DirectX Version: DirectX 9.0b (4.09.0000.0902)
DX Setup Parameters: Not found
DxDiag Version: 5.03.0001.0902 32bit Unicode

------------
DxDiag Notes
------------
DirectX Files Tab: No problems found.
Display Tab 1: No problems found.
Sound Tab 1: No problems found.
Music Tab: No problems found.
Input Tab: No problems found.
Network Tab: No problems found.

--------------------
DirectX Debug Levels
--------------------
Direct3D: 0/4 (n/a)
DirectDraw: 0/4 (retail)
DirectInput: 0/5 (n/a)
DirectMusic: 0/5 (n/a)
DirectPlay: 0/9 (retail)
DirectSound: 0/5 (retail)
DirectShow: 0/6 (retail)

---------------
Display Devices
---------------
Card name: Intel(R) 82845G/GL/GE/PE/GV Graphics Controller
Manufacturer: Intel Corporation
Chip type: Intel(R) 82845G Graphics Controller
DAC type: Internal
Display Memory: 64.0 MB
Current Mode: 1280 x 1024 (32 bit) (60Hz)
Monitor: Plug and Play Monitor
Monitor Max Res: 1600,1200
Driver Name: ialmrnt5.dll
DDI Version: 8
Driver Attributes: Final Retail
Driver Date/Size: 4/15/2003 11:40:56, 33792 bytes
WHQL Logo'd: Yes
WHQL Date Stamp: n/a
VDD: n/a

Kityn

Krytan Explorer

Join Date: Mar 2005

Michigan

Heroes of the Horn [HoH]

N/

It should play ok.I wouldn't have GW graphic settings on max though.Next BWE just fiddle around with the settings till you get what you are comfortable with.More ram would help ya out as well.
My computer is a bit below your specs but I can still play at lowest settings.Only time I get graphic lag is in town and during some missions.Have not done pvp yet so I'm not sure how your computer wil handle pvp

Armaio

Frost Gate Guardian

Join Date: Apr 2005

Canada

You will need either a video card upgrade or RAM upgrade..RAM is cheaper for the most case, and you probably only need another 256MB for it to work Sub-Par .

William of Orange

William of Orange

Krytan Explorer

Join Date: Feb 2005

La Crosse, Wisconsin

Thousand Tigers Apund Ur Head, The Consulate

Quote:
Originally Posted by Loviatar
it is below minimum spec but someone else had intels cr*ptacular extreem graphics and could use it
That would have been me Loviatar

Your computer should be able to handle it, except you'll have some difficulties with screen lag (as in not server lag) while playing the game. However, since you have half as much memory as I did, I'm not sure how well your computer will be able to handle anything else while the game is running. My specs look almost exactly like yours besides that, and after adding only 256 MB RAM and an ATI Radeon 9250 PCI Card with 256 MB of VRAM, the game runs beautifully and I have not experienced any problems with my computer since the upgrade.

So yeah, it may be possible to run the game at a somewhat decent fps and not have a significant problems, I'd suggest either getting more RAM, a new video card, or (preferably) both. But it's up to you and depends on your budget, so let us know whether or not you're thinking about upgrading or not.

Edit: Looks like a bunch of people beat me to the punch yet again, but oh well

Lansing Kai Don

Banned

Join Date: Mar 2005

Kansas

Ok, I'll be honest, I'm confused. It shows 254 MB of memory which usually means the display is sharing 2 MB, but his display memory shows 64 MB of memory. To increase your chances, I'd make sure your display shared memory is set all the way up to 64 MB shared (kill all unneeded processes before the game, I have a batch file if you need it and you can alter it according to your system and another one that starts the system up again) and run the game after this. If it loads the client screen your halfway there. I can't guarantee it will work (is that chipset a 3d accelerator?), if it is you have a better chance.

Lansing Kai Don

P.S. The following website shows many of the new games and their compatibility. From this list I'm 95% confident that yours will work, but you will need to go on low settings (i.e. 640x480 resolution and graphics on low) in order to not experience crawling fps rates... you can experiment with this at the time. If you can afford it, I highly suggest another stick of 256MB of RAM as Loviatar also mentioned. This will definitely put you in a better position

http://support.intel.com/support/gra...phics+845main&

Aria

Aria

Sig Fairy

Join Date: Feb 2005

Once upon a time..

Thread moved to technician's corner. Please make all inquiries about technology, computers and GW related issues there.

SSE4

SSE4

Frost Gate Guardian

Join Date: Apr 2005

You have Windows XP, so it's hard to believe the system would work well with just that, since XP nearly uses 256 just to start up. (Not technically of course, but it's almost seen as a rule to at least have 512MB on an XP-based system) With that said, your video card should be able to run Guild Wars, but not very well of course. It's an integrated VGA, and I'm not going to sugarcoat my answer, it just plain sucks. As you might expect of course. So the settings wont be as high as you may want, but it will run. The VGA will be the bottleneck of your system, along with the RAM if 256MB is all your system has. It will still run however, I just cannot be sure on the settings which you will be able to play it at.

Darkmane

Darkmane

Lion's Arch Merchant

Join Date: Feb 2005

Quote:
Originally Posted by SSE4
You have Windows XP, so it's hard to believe the system would work well with just that, since XP nearly uses 256 just to start up. (Not technically of course, but it's almost seen as a rule to at least have 512MB on an XP-based system) With that said, your video card should be able to run Guild Wars, but not very well of course. It's an integrated VGA, and I'm not going to sugarcoat my answer, it just plain sucks. As you might expect of course. So the settings wont be as high as you may want, but it will run. The VGA will be the bottleneck of your system, along with the RAM if 256MB is all your system has. It will still run however, I just cannot be sure on the settings which you will be able to play it at.
Well, I have to agree, I think the only reason it 'works' on my machine is because when I ordered the dell and knew I was getting onboard graphics I requested extra memory instead of a floppy and an extra cdrom drive. I run the 512 meg ram on this machine and it is the same computer you use. What royaly bites big bananas is that unbeknownst to me when I ordered, there is NO agp and NO PCIx slots. We are stuck with getting yesteryears video cards that are PCI. Which is not all bad considering. I tried suggesting some video cards in a different thread and kinda got bashed, so I'll let others suggest you a card, but if you do suggest a card for this person, make sure its PCI. He has no AGP or PCIx slots in that dell of his. (of course I could be wrong if he got an updated version) but I doubt it. You may want to check and make sure what slots you have available on your motherboard for a video card. I also suggest you up your memory to at least 512.

SSE4

SSE4

Frost Gate Guardian

Join Date: Apr 2005

Quote:
Originally Posted by Darkmane
Well, I have to agree, I think the only reason it 'works' on my machine is because when I ordered the dell and knew I was getting onboard graphics I requested extra memory instead of a floppy and an extra cdrom drive. I run the 512 meg ram on this machine and it is the same computer you use. What royaly bites big bananas is that unbeknownst to me when I ordered, there is NO agp and NO PCIx slots. We are stuck with getting yesteryears video cards that are PCI. Which is not all bad considering. I tried suggesting some video cards in a different thread and kinda got bashed, so I'll let others suggest you a card, but if you do suggest a card for this person, make sure its PCI. He has no AGP or PCIx slots in that dell of his. (of course I could be wrong if he got an updated version) but I doubt it. You may want to check and make sure what slots you have available on your motherboard for a video card. I also suggest you up your memory to at least 512.
That's the problem with companies like Dell and other 'shelf-model' purchases. Dell and other companies can be very restricting (And cheap) with their motherboards and systems in general, but they say you get what you pay for. PCI cards aren't always very good, in fact they are typically relics of the past (And I would imagine a lot of them wont even perform as well as the integrated graphics) so it would be very difficult to assess what kind he would need.

PS: For future reference, PCI-E / PCIe is typically the name of PCI Express cards. PCIx could be mistaken for another technology known as PCI-X, which is not as good as PCI-E but rather much closer to AGP8x in performance capabilities. Not like I really mind, since I know what you mean.

Darkmane

Darkmane

Lion's Arch Merchant

Join Date: Feb 2005

Quote:
Originally Posted by SSE4
That's the problem with companies like Dell and other 'shelf-model' purchases. Dell and other companies can be very restricting (And cheap) with their motherboards and systems in general, but they say you get what you pay for. PCI cards aren't always very good, in fact they are typically relics of the past (And I would imagine a lot of them wont even perform as well as the integrated graphics) so it would be very difficult to assess what kind he would need.

PS: For future reference, PCI-E / PCIe is typically the name of PCI Express cards. PCIx could be mistaken for another technology known as PCI-X, which is not as good as PCI-E but rather much closer to AGP8x in performance capabilities. Not like I really mind, since I know what you mean.
You are very right, I apologize for mis-labeling PCI Express

fawgre

fawgre

Frost Gate Guardian

Join Date: Mar 2005

Chicago

Storm Haven

N/

I was just finishing building the machine I'm running now on the second day of the Feb BWE, and I "attempted" to use my parent's computer for the first day. It's the same computer you have, give or take (same integrated graphics, and that's what's important).

Hey, it can run D2, I don't see any reason why it can't run GW, is what I said...

The build-in video, at least in my case, was absolutely horrible. I would get insane lag, it couldn't even make whole people and it was grinding the whole time for what it produced. When you first spawn, you know, and you sometimes land in other people? I happened to land in 20 people, but my graphics card couldn't make out all of them so it just looked like I had multiple limbs and heads. I tried running around but I would move and then stop, repeat repeat repeat, and I would see people start running, very slowly, and then sprint across the screen, very often right through me. So I put it on the lowest settings, the absolute worst, and I could get whole people that actually looked like whole people, but I was confused about the armor. Everyone was wearing these shiny, silver jumpsuits. Judging by the fantasy setting and the screenshots I'd seen, I figured I was doing something wrong.

So, in short, no, please, please upgrade your graphics card if at all possible. I think you might even get away with it with a cheap $50 card, if you just want to get the bare requirements in. My Radeon 9550 (wonderful for GW, everything is very nice and I can run on the highest settings no problem) was only 80 dollars from Newegg.

Lansing Kai Don

Banned

Join Date: Mar 2005

Kansas

Quote:
Originally Posted by fawgre
I was just finishing building the machine I'm running now on the second day of the Feb BWE, and I "attempted" to use my parent's computer for the first day. It's the same computer you have, give or take (same integrated graphics, and that's what's important).

Hey, it can run D2, I don't see any reason why it can't run GW, is what I said...

The build-in video, at least in my case, was absolutely horrible. I would get insane lag, it couldn't even make whole people and it was grinding the whole time for what it produced. When you first spawn, you know, and you sometimes land in other people? I happened to land in 20 people, but my graphics card couldn't make out all of them so it just looked like I had multiple limbs and heads. I tried running around but I would move and then stop, repeat repeat repeat, and I would see people start running, very slowly, and then sprint across the screen, very often right through me. So I put it on the lowest settings, the absolute worst, and I could get whole people that actually looked like whole people, but I was confused about the armor. Everyone was wearing these shiny, silver jumpsuits. Judging by the fantasy setting and the screenshots I'd seen, I figured I was doing something wrong.

So, in short, no, please, please upgrade your graphics card if at all possible. I think you might even get away with it with a cheap $50 card, if you just want to get the bare requirements in. My Radeon 9550 (wonderful for GW, everything is very nice and I can run on the highest settings no problem) was only 80 dollars from Newegg.
Fawgre, basically three questions... size of RAM, size of Virtual Memory, and the onboard graphics type/size. These three will be the determining factor for our friend here. If yours are exactly the same, then he can definitely know where he stands.

Lansing Kai Don

Skizzle the Curado

Ascalonian Squire

Join Date: Mar 2005

integrated graphics? ew....

fawgre

fawgre

Frost Gate Guardian

Join Date: Mar 2005

Chicago

Storm Haven

N/

Quote:
Originally Posted by Lansing Kai Don
Fawgre, basically three questions... size of RAM, size of Virtual Memory, and the onboard graphics type/size. These three will be the determining factor for our friend here. If yours are exactly the same, then he can definitely know where he stands.
I'm terribly sorry. I should have clarified "it's the same computer...". It is, basically, the same computer (Dimension 2400). I put in a stick of 256 Corsair XMS to replace the factory one after dismantling my old computer, and we're using a Gateway monitor because I stole the nice Dell one, otherwise, it's exactly the same.

Roken

Roken

Lion's Arch Merchant

Join Date: Apr 2005

Jacksonville, Florida (US)

Corpse Ecstacy[Crps]

N/R

I know if I cant get this PC, or this video card, I am assuming I have a PCI slot, for someone metioned that was the only type my motherboard will take. If I can't get either of the two, I will get a 512 RAM stick.

Thanks for all who helped

P.S. Sorry for posting under the wrong section.

Bgnome

Bgnome

Elite Guru

Join Date: Feb 2005

Quote:
Originally Posted by fawgre
I'm terribly sorry. I should have clarified "it's the same computer...". It is, basically, the same computer (Dimension 2400). I put in a stick of 256 Corsair XMS to replace the factory one after dismantling my old computer, and we're using a Gateway monitor because I stole the nice Dell one, otherwise, it's exactly the same.
i have a dell dim 2400 in my office that i play on. it is running a celery 2.4ghz with 512mb ram and a gf4 mx 420 pci. it is not the best rig by far to play on, but the game is very playable on medium to low settings.

masonchris1

Pre-Searing Cadet

Join Date: Apr 2005

I have Intergrated graphics as well with lastest drivers, 82845G, With 768 MB Ram and Celeron 2.2 Ghz processor. I can play WoW fine, not on highest settings but decently. Would i be able to Run GW>???

Lunarbunny

Lunarbunny

Lion's Arch Merchant

Join Date: Apr 2005

Seattle, WA, USA [PST | GMT -8]

Ready and Willing [RAWR]

Remember: IGP will always be slower. It should run, although not great. Check the CMOS settings and look for the section containing the settings for your IGP. Make sure that it's set at using 64MB if that's adjustable.
It appears your FSB speed is max 166MHz [333 DDR], so check that the stick in there is PC2700 [they may have just stuck a 2100 in there]. If it is 2700, then get another 2700. If you put a 2700 in with a 2100, it's only going to run at the speed of the slowest stick [2100 is only 266MHz] so you may want to either just stick a 512 in there, buy 1 512 and 1 256, or even buy 2 512's if they did only stick a 2100 in.

Isn't PCI-X PCI-Extended? Just wondering if I have that right. That gives it more contacts than normal PCI, correct?