theillego

My x300 is fast but does not play up to speed all the time. I play c&c generals zero hour and when i try to lower the settings of the game is still the same results as if the settings are the highest. But when my friend pops the game into the computer (geforce 4 mx 400) it runs without any flaws? he has only one channel of memory and everything is clearly outdated copared to mine.
Questions
1. Is there a safe overclock? and if so doest the fps improve enough to be noticable?
2. I'm using the service pack 2 of windows xp. Is norton slowing it down?

(3 days old dell i9300)
specs:
Petium m Processor 730 (1.60 ghz/2mb cache/533mhz fsb)
512mb dual channel ddr2 sdram at 533mhz, 2 dimm
64 mb mobility radeon x300

thx

yoda133113

i don't know what the issue is, but it's not that you don't have a powerful enough comp, that game ran on my old laptop good with its M-R 9000 64 mb so you should fly on it. Norton shouldn't be slowing it down even close to enough to matter. My own experience with overclocking on a laptop is that you get only a few extra FPS (1-5) and that it risks the card with the limited cooling, possibly voids the warranty, and isn't a worth the risk given the expense if it dies, but it's your call.

Good luck with a solution maybe someone else here can help you.

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The_Neon_Cowboy

Its a ment to be played game, it was programed and optumized to run better on nvidia cards.
Also you playing on a laptop vs a desktop? laptops are always weaker to pc's when it comes
to gameing.

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Aligokalppeker

It's not related with Nvidia optimization(It run very well on most ATI cards) or about laptop(When laptop is in AC mode it can give same performance with desktop).C&C Generals is a directx 8.1 game in the other hand x300 is a directx 9.0 card.So there should be compatibility issues about this.I see that C&C generals runs faster in Geforce MX440 than GeforceFX5200.This a little bit proves such a compat. problem.Try lowering your pixel and vertex shader from directx 9.0(Pizel Shader 2.0 and Vertex Shader 2.0) to directx 8.1(P.S. 1.4 V.S. 1.1).You can do this by Radlinker or Ati tray tools.May be this solves your problem.

The_Neon_Cowboy

Not really it's unplayable problematic on alot of ATI cards / setups. Can even conflict
with your chipset drivers. Being a direct Dirext card is has hardware support for DX9 and
below. The onlky reason a 5200 would be slower then a geforce 4 MX wich is nothing more
then a higher clocked geforce2 MX is 128bit memory. The 5200's are availble in 64bit LE
verions and otherwise 128bit memory. WHAT MATERS IS THE CARD AND THE POWER OF THE SYSTEM.

The MX440, 8X version
275 Mhz core
500 Mhz memory
2 pixel pipes
2 texture unites
0.5 vertex shaders
128 Bit memory

The MX440, 4X version
250Mhz core
400 Mhz memory
2 pixel pipes 2 texture unites ea
0.5 vertex shaders
128 Bit memory

The 5200FX
250 Mhz core
400 Mhz memory
4 pixel pipes 1 texture unites ea
1 vertex shaders
64bit LE versions or 128 Bit memory

X300 Mobility
325 MHz core
200 Mhz memory
2 vertex shaders
4 pixel pipes 1 texture unites ea
128-bit memory

As you can see the X300 is much FASTER then any of the above. Same with the 5200 so
if it runs faster on those cards it becouse it reverting is a lower IQ and older shader
version. Also the fact remans the game was optuimzed for runing best on nvidia cards.
Same game I haveing massive problems with on my nephews sysetm. only soulition I've found? Buy a nvidia card wich is sad to have to do fo a game.

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theillego

thx aligokalppeeker ill try that but if it doesn't work than ill take neon cowboys advice and buy a new nvidia

theillego

Well i got some money (about $20) looks like i have to wait for a new card till next month but what good games are there that work good with ati???

redsolar

Most of the games work just fine with ATI. x300 is not a great card by any means though.

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The_Neon_Cowboy

Well you can try another ATI card / mobile unit but it seems the game has
more problems on ATI carded systems. I'm sure it has some issues in NV
systems as well just not as much. Most games of the genre are ment to played
titles. But most 1st person shooters seem to be better on ATI.
I'm not sure what to reccomend: depens on you interest

You'd be better off doing most of your gameing on a desktop....

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theillego

k thx

Aligokalppeker

I know that C&C runs better in nvidia than ATI,but in my message i mean it not the problem.25 Mhz slower core and 100Mhz lower memory core are disadvantages but pipelines and vertex shader provides more performance IF IT'S USED.Today most processor architecture based on pipelines and it seems as the most effective way of increasing pro.speed.Also if game doesn't use these properties they mean nothing more than a slowdown.So this is also a source of slowness of game....