ATI Radeon X200 Mobility vs Games

verzutiko

System:
HP pavilion dv8354ea
CPU: AMD Turion 64 2.0 GHz
RAM: 1 GB DDR
Directx: ver 9.0c
Graphics card: ATI Radeon X200 Mobility
Graphic card drivers: Omega 3.8.252

Hi. I'm new to this site so feel free to treat me as a newbie.

I have recently bought this laptop from HP, and I'm fairly satisfied with it, but it don't run games very good. I have understood that my card is a pretty low entry graphics card but I would think that it could run better than LOW quality. Maybe also the reason why it runs like crap is that BF2 don't support the X200 chipset.

Anyway, is there some software that would allow me to play games that don't support the chipset? I have searched through the developers websites, but I haven't found any patches. So now I'm starting to look into catalyst, omega and so forth.

Or is there a possibility to change my graphic card and replace it with a stronger, more efficient graphic card? I was thinking like X800?

Thanks
verzutiko

verzutiko

Replying to my own post here...


No, I can't replace my graphics card. It is integrated into my mainboard.

X1800XTTOP

Yes, and also, there is no software to make the board work with new games. They don´t work because the X200 lacks things like new shader models and such.

I have a laptop with a Radeon 9200 card, and it can play low-end games (like Half-life 1 mods), but new games are impossible to play.

Randomness

Hello:

The Radeon Xpress 200M is a realtively good integrated graphics solution for newer notebooks sporting a PCI-Express archetecture. The following are its specification. If you would like more info, goto:
http://www.ati.com/products/radeonxpress200m/specs.html
Graphics Core 350MHz
Memory Archetecture: 128-bit
Based on Radeon X300 Graphics core.
Designed for DirectX 9.0 and OpenGL compatible games (with Vertex Shader 2 and Pixel Shader 2.0)
Uses UMA and/or HyperMemory (ATI's way of using both dedicated memory and system memory without comprimizing preformance)
Maximum resolution of 2535 x 2536 @ 32bpp

It will play most new games that are based on DirectX 9.0 at comparable speeds of the Radeon 9600-9800 series with subtle preformance enhancements.

Battle Field 2 System requirements indicate that it is compatible with a Radeon 8500 or better with at lest 128MB of graphics memory.
Make sure the BIOS is updated to the latest posted for your mdel by HP. and Make sure the BIOS UMA setting is set to 128MB or more (if the option is present).

The Radeon Xpress 200M can preform rather well for new games, but it isn't something Hard-core gamers would want if your looking to play everything at maxium settings and super-high frame rates.

Could you provide more detail about the problem you are having with your Xpress 200M?

Because the Xpress 200M is an Integrated graphics solution, it means that it is part of your systems northbridge chipset, and ergo cannot be replaced. There are some systems that do have graphics chips that are seperate from the northbridge, and in some cases (like alienware notebooks) can be replaced.
---------------------To make your own modded drivers---------------------------
UPDATE: if you are using Windows XP x64 edition, you may run into problems doing this mod.

I would recommend trying to install the Catalyst Mobility driver. You can get a copy (without having to worry about "system validation") from here:
http://www2.ati.com/drivers/mobile/6..._enu_33680.exe
You may need to edit the INF file and add support for the Radeom Xpress 200M. You could try using either patje's mod tool (www.driverheaven.net/patje) or using the most up-to-date Omega drivers. However i have found in the past Omega drivers do not always work well when the graphics chip is integrated into the northbridge.
You could also try the following self-mod:

When you download the catalyst mobility, run it, and cancel the installation when it brings you to the Welcome screen. The driver will have unpacked itself to c:\ATI\Support\6-6-mobile_xp_dd_ccc_enu_33680\
Open the "Driver" folder
Open the "XP_INF" folder
Open the CX_33680.INF with notepad
Under the [ATI.Mfg.NTx86] section with the other Radeon products, put in the entry:
"ATI MOBILITY RADEON Xpress 200 Series" = ati2mtag_M22, PCI\VEN_1002&DEV_5955

Safe the new INF file. Now you will need to manually install the driver through Device manager. Click START-->RUN-->devmgmt.msc
Expand "Display adapters" and right click on the Radeon Xpress 200M and click Update driver.
On the next window, click on "Install from list or specific location" and click next
Click "Don't search, i will choose a driver to install"
Click "Have Disk" and enter the path :
C:\ATI\Support\6-6-mobile_xp_dd_ccc_enu_33680\Driver\XP_INF\CX_33680. INF
Click OK, select the Xpress 200M from the list, click next. It will prompt you to click "Continue Anyway" with regards to "Driver Signing", and will than install.
You will than have to manually install the Catalyst Control center by clicking Start--> run:
c:\ATI\Support\6-6-mobile_xp_dd_ccc_enu_33680\ACE\setup.exe
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
If all else fails you could try using the Updated Driver from HP which you can get here:
http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/s...tem=ob-38902-1
Or you could try a Catalyst Mobility Driver that is certified and has Xpress 200M support that a fellow DriverHeaven member, Alexl55, discovered. You can download it here:
http://www.station-drivers.com/telec...-2kxp-whql.exe
Please note, you do these mods under your own risk, and i strongly recommend setting system restore points before starting. I also recommend DriverCleaner Pro from www.drivercleaner.net to clean your system after you uninstall old drivers from Add/Remove Programs in Control panel.

Hope this was helpful. Take care and good luck.

- Randomness

verzutiko

Hey, thanks Randomness!


The problem is as follows: I run the BF2 game on 800x600 res, everything set at low graphics, and still the game lags when there are multiple things going on (like explosions, 5 or more other players present on the screen, etc.).

I have downloaded the newest BIOS software and set the memory support to be 128MB.

I have the Omega drivers as stated in my first post.

I guess this is all I can squeeze out of my graphics card though.

Randomness

Hello again:

As i have stated earlier, i have found that Omega drivers are not always fully compatible with some Integrated Graphics solutions in notebooks.
Given the design of the game, its system requirments and the capabilities of the Xpress 200M, i believe the trouble you are having is software related.

I would strongly suggest trying some of the HP-OEM drivers i found from there website:

ATI Catalyst version - Internal Version Table
http://www.ati.com/products/catalyst/versions.html

Catalyst 5.10 (internal 8.18)
http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/g...reg_R1002_USEN
Catalyst 6.1 (interal 8.205)
http://h18007.www1.hp.com/support/fi...reg_R1002_USEN
Catalyst 6.2 (internal 8.221)
http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/g...reg_R1002_USEN
Catalyst 6.5 (8.252)
http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/g...reg_R1002_USEN
I am uncertain if the last driver has the Xpress 200M chipset listed in its INF, although it is specific to the Xpress 200 series. I didn't have time to download and check. But the Catalyst 6.1 & 6.2 look promising, and have your mobile version in their INF setup file, so it should install normally. I would recommend removing the omega drivers with its uninstall utility, and than cleaning your system with driver cleaner pro, as earlier discussed.

If you still have preformance problems, it is likely that something else is taking up system resources, such as a background program, or old driver on a different device (like your NIC).
You can goto www.systernals.com and download "autoruns" to check your system's startup programs, adn disable any un-needed background programs that may be taking up system resources.

With regards to game settings, i would recommend 800x600 @ 16bpp and if possible, lower the "particle" setting to the lowest, and make sure Anti-aliasing is off completely, or not greater than 6x.
You could also go to the Catalyst Control Center or Control Panel, and set all the Direct3D settings to "Preformance". But you wil have to experiement to find the best settings that work for you.

Take care, and Good luck.

eugenef

none of those downloads work, unfortunately.
have you had success using these drivers?

Randomness

Hello,

I will need more information about your system to help point you in the right direction.
If the OEM drivers for your notebook aren't satisfactory, it is likely you'll have to download and mod another compatible driver yourself. I can try to walk you through it, but i need more information regarding your system.

However, please note, i will be unavailable for a couple of days, and may not be able to reply quickly.


Take care.

Carl-XTC

Hi, i recently bought a emachines computer from Comet ( a uk based shop! ) and it was pre-loaded with windows xp media edition, and i'm on tiscali internet ( 8mb ), and it kept disconnecting me from the internet.. so i decided to reformatt the pc and have a fresh install of windows xp professional, so anyways installs fine.. then i needed to download the gfx drivers for a ATi Radeon Xpress 200 card, so i do that.. installed fine.. then i wanted to play some music and when i tryed to play some it said i didn't have the driver installed.. so i installed the driver and then it was playing the song's but i didn't have any sound. altho it say's i have my sound driver installed.. wondering if anyone could help me? thanks in advance! :o)

hannah

Hi, I'm having a similar problem with my dell pc, i.e my graphics card is out of date and will not run my games properly, if at all. I've got a radeon x600 SE and need at least an X700, or a 9800. I'm running xp and coundn't get the mod tool to work properly, maybe because the intructions are for vista?
Please treat me as a newbie because I really don't know what I'm doing! please help, having amazing new games that won't play is just torture! thanks x