Troubleshooting Guide - Graphic Card Issues

The Star Hermit · 07-05-2005, 12:45 AM

Graphic Cards

When running The Sims 2 and other games that use the latest version of DirectX, you need to ensure your computer is running the very latest drivers for your video card. Often people think they have the latest drivers available, but on looking again, find they haven't. You can update your graphics drivers for free by downloading them from the website of your graphics card manufacturer. To find out which ones you will need, you can run the dxdirect diagnostic program.

Contents

The Star Hermit · 07-05-2005, 12:46 AM

a. Running DxDiagnostic

Goto your start menu and select the Run option. In the box that appears, type in dxdiag and press enter. Let the program run its course. When it's finished running You will have a large box on the screen with 8 tabs across the top. The fisrt information we need is the operating system. This can be found on the system tab.

The System Tab

The sysem tab is the 1st tab and should already be showing. For an example of what to look for, click the image below:

Now look for the following information on the tab:

Operating System

Next we need the driver information and that can be found on the display tab.

The Display Tab

The display tab is the 3rd tab along. Just click the tab name to select it. For an example of what to look for, click the image below:

Now look for the following information on the tab:

Card Name
Card Manufacturer
Driver Version
Driver Date

You now have all the information you need to determine if there are any updated drivers available.

The Star Hermit · 07-05-2005, 12:47 AM

b. Getting Your Drivers

It is likely that you will either have a card by nVidia or ATI. Their web addresses for driver updates are:

If your card is not by either of those it may be by one of the following:

http://www.europe.creative.com/
http://www.guillemot.com/
http://www.hercules.com/
http://www.s3graphics.com/ (for S3 integrated chips)
http://www.sis.com/download/ (for SiS integrated chips)
http://downloadfinder.intel.com/ (for Intel integrated chips)

Whichever it is, you can follow the advice given on site to find the drivers you need. If you need any further help in finding the right drivers, post the relevant information from the 2 tabs and I or someone else will see what we can find for you.

The Star Hermit · 07-05-2005, 12:48 AM

c. Note on Laptops

Laptops and graphic intensive games don't usually go well together. That isn't to say that your game cannot run on a laptop or even run well, even more so with the very latest graphic chipsets designed for laptops; however, based on some recent user experiences, it can be hard to get your game running correctly. Also remmeber that only the graphics cards listed by EA in the minimum specs are supported.

You can check the minimum specs with this link: The Sims 2 minimum Specs

Drivers for laptops are usually customized by the laptop manufacturer to be compatable with

the built in flat panel display.
any other graphics or video options installed in that specific computer.

and the graphics chip provider doesn't usually provide drivers direct from their own support sites. Therefore, if you cannot find drivers from the card manufacturer, you will need to visit the website of your laptop manufacturer to look for any updated graphics drivers.

07-05-2005, 12:45 AM	#1 (permalink)
The Star Hermit Super Moderator Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Sol 3 - Sector 001 Age: 39 Posts: 24,307	Troubleshooting Guide - Graphic Card Issues Graphic Cards When running The Sims 2 and other games that use the latest version of DirectX, you need to ensure your computer is running the very latest drivers for your video card. Often people think they have the latest drivers available, but on looking again, find they haven't. You can update your graphics drivers for free by downloading them from the website of your graphics card manufacturer. To find out which ones you will need, you can run the dxdirect diagnostic program. Contents Running DxDiagnostic Getting Your Drivers Note on Laptops __________________ The Star Hermit Forum Moderator The Sims Series \| The Sims 2 Frequently Asked Questions Last edited by The Star Hermit; 25-09-2007 at 02:57 AM.

07-05-2005, 12:46 AM	#2 (permalink)
The Star Hermit Super Moderator Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Sol 3 - Sector 001 Age: 39 Posts: 24,307	a. Running DxDiagnostic Goto your start menu and select the Run option. In the box that appears, type in dxdiag and press enter. Let the program run its course. When it's finished running You will have a large box on the screen with 8 tabs across the top. The fisrt information we need is the operating system. This can be found on the system tab. The System Tab The sysem tab is the 1st tab and should already be showing. For an example of what to look for, click the image below: Now look for the following information on the tab: Operating System Next we need the driver information and that can be found on the display tab. The Display Tab The display tab is the 3rd tab along. Just click the tab name to select it. For an example of what to look for, click the image below: Now look for the following information on the tab: Card Name Card Manufacturer Driver Version Driver Date You now have all the information you need to determine if there are any updated drivers available. __________________ The Star Hermit Forum Moderator The Sims Series \| The Sims 2 Frequently Asked Questions

07-05-2005, 12:47 AM	#3 (permalink)
The Star Hermit Super Moderator Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Sol 3 - Sector 001 Age: 39 Posts: 24,307	b. Getting Your Drivers It is likely that you will either have a card by nVidia or ATI. Their web addresses for driver updates are: http://www.ati.com/support/driver.html http://www.nvidia.co.uk/Download/index.aspx?lang=en-uk If your card is not by either of those it may be by one of the following: http://www.europe.creative.com/ http://www.guillemot.com/ http://www.hercules.com/ http://www.s3graphics.com/ (for S3 integrated chips) http://www.sis.com/download/ (for SiS integrated chips) http://downloadfinder.intel.com/ (for Intel integrated chips) Whichever it is, you can follow the advice given on site to find the drivers you need. If you need any further help in finding the right drivers, post the relevant information from the 2 tabs and I or someone else will see what we can find for you. __________________ The Star Hermit Forum Moderator The Sims Series \| The Sims 2 Frequently Asked Questions Last edited by The Star Hermit; 13-12-2007 at 03:26 PM.

07-05-2005, 12:48 AM	#4 (permalink)
The Star Hermit Super Moderator Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Sol 3 - Sector 001 Age: 39 Posts: 24,307	c. Note on Laptops Laptops and graphic intensive games don't usually go well together. That isn't to say that your game cannot run on a laptop or even run well, even more so with the very latest graphic chipsets designed for laptops; however, based on some recent user experiences, it can be hard to get your game running correctly. Also remmeber that only the graphics cards listed by EA in the minimum specs are supported. You can check the minimum specs with this link: The Sims 2 minimum Specs Drivers for laptops are usually customized by the laptop manufacturer to be compatable with the built in flat panel display. any other graphics or video options installed in that specific computer. and the graphics chip provider doesn't usually provide drivers direct from their own support sites. Therefore, if you cannot find drivers from the card manufacturer, you will need to visit the website of your laptop manufacturer to look for any updated graphics drivers. __________________ The Star Hermit Forum Moderator The Sims Series \| The Sims 2 Frequently Asked Questions Last edited by The Star Hermit; 25-09-2007 at 02:58 AM.