Acer x1600 problems

robyhr · Oct 5, 2007, 11:25 PM

Hello!

I have Acer Aspire 5110 laptop. I have WinXPproSP2. I have problems when playing games. It seems as game works fine for about a minute, and then start freezing (running at few FPS) for minute, and then again works fine for minute and so on...

I wanted to install new drivers, but I can't. My laptop came with drivers for x1600mobility, and i installed them. Now i want to install newer drivers for x1600mobility, but utility that checks hardware says i dont have supported hardware... I dont understand whats the problem... Acer's site doesn't have new version of drivers, and I can't install official ATI's drivers...

Do you know any solution to this problem? Why can't I install ATI's drivers? Do you know anything about the strange game speed problems that I have? Any help would be apriciated...

Thanks!

Pr0xiMUS · Oct 13, 2007, 02:32 AM

Man, I have the same problem.
I'll now try to install latest drivers with modtool from this site and report back... Really anoyibg problem. New HL2 Episode 2 works fine for few minutes and then slowdown for minute and then again evething is fine for few mins and ... again slowndown....

swimtech · Oct 13, 2007, 05:22 AM

Hey folks - welcome to DriverHeaven...

The sticky post in this forum has a link direct to the latest mobility catalyst driverset (presently 7.10), but I'll reproduce it for you here:

Mobile Catalyst Download

The periodic slowdowns might be caused by hard drive/ram memory swapping due to the large textures and memory demands of the latest games. Try reducing the resolution within the game down to 800x600 and work your way back up - noting if the periodic slowdowns disappear or become less numerous.

Pr0xiMUS · Oct 14, 2007, 04:25 PM

I've just installed the latest drivers from the link you provided and it didn't help. I'm not playing at high prefs and its not the latest game. Its Warcraft III which worked in the past but I have this problem for a week or so. I can't remember anything that I've done that could so dramatically lower my frame rate.

I have set lower resolution but it just doesn't help. :-/

swimtech · Oct 14, 2007, 06:44 PM

Hmmm, ok - and this started happening while you were using your original older video driver?

No new Antivirus, antispyware stuff installed lately at all? My next suspicion would be some program running in the backround that is stealing cycles during your gameplay. Programs that use the network connection or scan/use the computer's memory/hard drive are prime suspects - you could disable those software items temporarily before you start a game session to see...

Think basically though, as it's easy to get off in left field on issues like this. If your game was working well with your old driver then all of a sudden started stuttering one day - something changed. Changed items like a software or hardware setting or addition, Windows update running (famous for sucking resources dry - and can run for several minutes after startup), a driver change/update, hard drive indexing behavior, or some other change occurred - you just have to think carefully about what it might be and reverse or disable the suspected changed item to check.

robyhr · Oct 14, 2007, 07:26 PM

i can't be sure which software caused the problems, i formated hard drive a month ago, and didn't install any games till now, and now im seeing this problems... cant really tell which software I installed, that I didn't have before formating...

Pr0xiMUS · Oct 15, 2007, 02:35 AM

Found the problem!
The problem is laptop heating: if the temperature goes too high then processor clock speed is being reduces to less then 800MHz per core which is not enough for games, of course. And the graphic drivers has nothing to do with this problem.

Solution is to improve laptop cooling by putting him on something that will improve air flow below him. Will report if I find some good cooling solution

hint: laptop cooling - Laptop Accessories - BizRate - Compare prices, reviews & buy - Price - Review

EDIT: You can downclock GPU with Ati Tray Tools to decrease heating.

robyhr · Oct 16, 2007, 01:06 AM

this could be the problems, coz im using my computer on my bed, where air flow is awful... i will try to place it on desk, and see it problems still occurs...

swimtech · Oct 17, 2007, 02:24 PM

Nice find - I overlooked that - proof the simple things can nab you.

I've an older Dell Latitude C610 still in use that throttles when it gets warm.

Oct 5, 2007, 11:25 PM	#1
robyhr DriverHeaven Newbie Join Date: Oct 2007 Posts: 3 Rep Power: 0	Acer x1600 problems Hello! I have Acer Aspire 5110 laptop. I have WinXPproSP2. I have problems when playing games. It seems as game works fine for about a minute, and then start freezing (running at few FPS) for minute, and then again works fine for minute and so on... I wanted to install new drivers, but I can't. My laptop came with drivers for x1600mobility, and i installed them. Now i want to install newer drivers for x1600mobility, but utility that checks hardware says i dont have supported hardware... I dont understand whats the problem... Acer's site doesn't have new version of drivers, and I can't install official ATI's drivers... Do you know any solution to this problem? Why can't I install ATI's drivers? Do you know anything about the strange game speed problems that I have? Any help would be apriciated... Thanks!

Oct 13, 2007, 05:22 AM	#3
swimtech HardwareHeaven Extreme Member Join Date: May 2002 Location: North Carolina Posts: 4,040 Rep Power: 124 System Specs	Hey folks - welcome to DriverHeaven... The sticky post in this forum has a link direct to the latest mobility catalyst driverset (presently 7.10), but I'll reproduce it for you here: Mobile Catalyst Download The periodic slowdowns might be caused by hard drive/ram memory swapping due to the large textures and memory demands of the latest games. Try reducing the resolution within the game down to 800x600 and work your way back up - noting if the periodic slowdowns disappear or become less numerous. __________________ It's not so much getting your way that matters or not - what matters is how you go about getting it.

Oct 14, 2007, 06:44 PM	#5
swimtech HardwareHeaven Extreme Member Join Date: May 2002 Location: North Carolina Posts: 4,040 Rep Power: 124 System Specs	Hmmm, ok - and this started happening while you were using your original older video driver? No new Antivirus, antispyware stuff installed lately at all? My next suspicion would be some program running in the backround that is stealing cycles during your gameplay. Programs that use the network connection or scan/use the computer's memory/hard drive are prime suspects - you could disable those software items temporarily before you start a game session to see... Think basically though, as it's easy to get off in left field on issues like this. If your game was working well with your old driver then all of a sudden started stuttering one day - something changed. Changed items like a software or hardware setting or addition, Windows update running (famous for sucking resources dry - and can run for several minutes after startup), a driver change/update, hard drive indexing behavior, or some other change occurred - you just have to think carefully about what it might be and reverse or disable the suspected changed item to check. __________________ It's not so much getting your way that matters or not - what matters is how you go about getting it.

Oct 15, 2007, 02:35 AM	#7
Pr0xiMUS DriverHeaven Newbie Join Date: Oct 2007 Posts: 7 Rep Power: 0	Found the problem! The problem is laptop heating: if the temperature goes too high then processor clock speed is being reduces to less then 800MHz per core which is not enough for games, of course. And the graphic drivers has nothing to do with this problem. Solution is to improve laptop cooling by putting him on something that will improve air flow below him. Will report if I find some good cooling solution hint: laptop cooling - Laptop Accessories - BizRate - Compare prices, reviews & buy - Price - Review EDIT: You can downclock GPU with Ati Tray Tools to decrease heating. Last edited by Pr0xiMUS; Oct 15, 2007 at 07:21 PM.

Oct 17, 2007, 02:24 PM	#9
swimtech HardwareHeaven Extreme Member Join Date: May 2002 Location: North Carolina Posts: 4,040 Rep Power: 124 System Specs	Nice find - I overlooked that - proof the simple things can nab you. I've an older Dell Latitude C610 still in use that throttles when it gets warm. __________________ It's not so much getting your way that matters or not - what matters is how you go about getting it.

Oct 13, 2007, 02:32 AM	#2
Pr0xiMUS DriverHeaven Newbie Join Date: Oct 2007 Posts: 7 Rep Power: 0	Man, I have the same problem. I'll now try to install latest drivers with modtool from this site and report back... Really anoyibg problem. New HL2 Episode 2 works fine for few minutes and then slowdown for minute and then again evething is fine for few mins and ... again slowndown....

Oct 14, 2007, 04:25 PM	#4
Pr0xiMUS DriverHeaven Newbie Join Date: Oct 2007 Posts: 7 Rep Power: 0	I've just installed the latest drivers from the link you provided and it didn't help. I'm not playing at high prefs and its not the latest game. Its Warcraft III which worked in the past but I have this problem for a week or so. I can't remember anything that I've done that could so dramatically lower my frame rate. I have set lower resolution but it just doesn't help. :-/

Oct 14, 2007, 07:26 PM	Thread Starter #6
robyhr DriverHeaven Newbie Join Date: Oct 2007 Posts: 3 Rep Power: 0	i can't be sure which software caused the problems, i formated hard drive a month ago, and didn't install any games till now, and now im seeing this problems... cant really tell which software I installed, that I didn't have before formating...

Oct 16, 2007, 01:06 AM	Thread Starter #8
robyhr DriverHeaven Newbie Join Date: Oct 2007 Posts: 3 Rep Power: 0	this could be the problems, coz im using my computer on my bed, where air flow is awful... i will try to place it on desk, and see it problems still occurs...