What games WONT run on Intel "Extreme" Integrated Graphics

[Locutus]

Gigabyte GA-6WMM

That's known as a Houston mobo at PB, and there are about a dozen different versions, many of which have their own BIOS updates. You absolutely need to use the serial number to determine which update(s) are suitable for your system.

[child of Thor]

ok cheers for the info Locutus - i'll leave of flashing the Bios until next week when i've had a good look at the PB site using my serial numbers.

[lord of the mark]

Originally posted by child of Thor

You have an on-board pc dont you? Have you tried yet to put in a better graphics card? anyway if not then maybe when you do, and if you get problems then this part of the thread may help out a little - especially if i can get mine sorted

actually i think my current dinosaur actually has a discrete card - rage something?

But why upgrade it? there arent any games im interested in that will run on the PC that the video card is a problem for. Im limited by the CPU speed and the RAM. Id have to rebuild the whole machine to make it decent, and I dont think thats really doable, and id be afraid of really messing it up. Once we have a second machine, I may upgrade the RAM for better performance, but thats about it.

[lord of the mark]

Originally posted by DrSpike


Crass to quote your own posts but I just reread the thread.

LotM I see you are in fact worried about building for the future, but have concluded you can get this machine now and buy a decent one later. I don't think you appreciate how much easier (and cheaper!) it is to upgrade. I have built 3 systems in my life for personal use, a P2-400 with Voodoo3 graphics (this kicked severe ass when I built it), a 1.2 Ghz Athlon with Hercules with great budget card graphics (this kicked less ass in relative terms, but was a cheap upgrade) and my current 2Ghz with 9800 Pro (kicked most ass when built, but cost a nasty amount of cash all in as I upgraded most at once this time).

Each system has fed into the next. I have 2 systems from the 3 I built (ie one with old components entirely). I still use my monitor, keyboard and floppy drive from my first machine! The old mobo, cpu, hard drive, and graphics card are in my spare machine.

Other stuff I sold to get money for upgrade.

Consider it.

P.S I agree with the post I quoted. That guy makes a lot of sense.

Youre about right. Im thinking if I can buy, say a $400 machine, and it lasts for 2 plus years, and then buy another $400 machine (with circa 2007 bargain specs) im better off than trying to buy a machine now that will last 4 years, with an upgrade in 2007. depends on the prices though, which is why im considering the longterm. I certainly WOULDNT buy a machine I could hardly upgrade at all, like my current one. But the priority is a machine with easily upgradeable RAM, which even the bargain basement machines have now. 2nd priority would be a SLOT for a discrete video card, assuming the premium I pay for that isnt too much. Now thats where the local shop comes in. The bargain basement name brand machines are really cheap, but dont have the discrete video card slots. The name brand machines with AGP/PCI slots or with discrete cards are SIGNIFICANTLY more, to the point where my buy a cheapo machine every couple of years strat probably makes more sense. But a shop built machine gives me the option of a machine with an AGP/PCI slot at not that much greater a price, and thats tempting.


I suppose I could ask them upfront about issues like COT faced, upgrading to a discrete card from the integrated video the Mobo comes with- the question comes up - can i trust them - which of course is the question that comes up with any shop built machine.

[DrSpike]

Yes, if you don't feel confident to do it yourself getting a shop to build a machine with components *you* specify (we can help) is just a much better choice.

I hope I helped move you away from the eternal pain the extreme budget stuff would have caused you.

[pg]

I hope you don't get any intregrated graphics. They are one of the many reasons PC gaming is dying slowly.

[lord of the mark]

Originally posted by pg
I hope you don't get any intregrated graphics. They are one of the many reasons PC gaming is dying slowly.

Happy PC buyer runs and buys $350(US) PC with Integ. Graphics and nice CPU speed and Ram numbers, looks at Half Life 2 box, sees specs seem ok, buys HL2, it doesnt work, gets disgusted with PC gaming, and goes back to Halo2 on his xbox. Or so the story goes.

Dont worry, PG that wont happen to me.

[Nostromo]

For your knowledge, I got an Asus K8V-MX with integrated graphics. I got it to cut down the price of my PC and, first and foremost, to control my gaming urges. Well, I underestimated my gaming urges: a couple of weeks later, I got a Radeon 9550 and "Vampires: the masquerade bloodlines". It works fine, except for the infinite loop problem that crashes my system once in a while. That problem doesn't seem to be linked to the integrated graphics.

[child of Thor]

http://support.packardbell.com/uk/mypc/index.php?PibItemNr=instr_Houston_bios&PibItemParent=platform_symphonyclub#show

OK if you scroll down the BIOS screens untill you get to:

< < PCI/PLUG AND PLAY SETUP > >

Primary Graphics Adapter can be either: ON-BOARD VGA(default) or ADD-ON VGA.

PCI VGA palette snoop can be either: Enabled or Disabled(default). I only mention this as i've no idea what it does, but it came up in one of the answers i'd trawled the internet for - "look for a snoop PCI option or something like that".

Anyway no matter what combination i use on these options, the new card wont work.

whenever ADD-ON VGA is selected the PC wont boot up. I get one single beep sound, my green 'Power ON' light is on, as is the keyboard light. But after that one beep, you get no sound of hard-drive access and the monitor remains blank(with it plugged into either the new card or the default monitor port on the pc).

Could this be a Power issue? The 150w pc power supply is responsible for supplying the monitors power as well(it doesn't have its own plug, using one of those 'daisy-chain' power leads that plug into the PSU on the pc).

After this happens the only way to get back into the PC is to physicaly remove the new graphics card and reboot. It automaticaly uses either the on-board i810(if its not been disabled) or whatever you've selected in its place(like 'standard VGA').

Now i've heard of one guy who then, in frustration, completely disabled both the i810 and the standard VGA, trying to force the PC to work in the 'ADD-ON VGA' mode. He couldn't get back into his pc at all after that, and had to take it to a repair shop!

So i'm not trying that one

[DrSpike]

150W is pretty weak, but I doubt it's the issue to be honest.

[Locutus]

Did you try a BIOS update yet?

[child of Thor]

@Dr.Spike - yeah if the bios updates dont do anything, then this will be my last thing to try before it goes to the charity shop, at least i've got my P166

@Locutus - not yet, but i'm getting the files(hous30y.exe and pbhou30w.exe) as i type, so should be able to get back to you on that in the next few days
I'm going to try the oldest bios update first, then go with the later one if need be - is this a good idea as they dont give much info away on the website?

[Locutus]

If you're sure the BIOS updates are both suitable for your mobo, yes, that's a very good idea.

[DrSpike]

Make sure you read the instructions 8 times. BIOS flashing without the right procedures will kill your machine off for sure.

[child of Thor]

what instructions?.........it says on the PB website "double-click the extractor file to put it in a disk, then reboot your computer with the disk in the drive, follow the on-screen promts". Thats about it

Maybe i'll kill it - maybe it deserves to die......coming over all superior with its fancy PIII proccessor and all. pfht...on-board graphics you cant(easily?) turn off.

Its like the EA of home computers - promising so much more, but then failing to deliver anything of interest. Ok well its not really like that, but a dig at EA in my momment of frustration is kinda soothing.

I'll report back here in a day or two with either my story of victory or terminal failure.