New Dell Computer w/ X600 SE Can't Run Madden 2006?

[mtivin]

I just purchased a brand new Dell XPS 200 with a 3.0 Ghz Pentium D
processor, 2GB of RAM and a 128MB X600SE video card. I expected that
this would be sufficient to play Madden 2006, but the frame rate has
been extremely low and the screen often stutters during plays. Is it
possible that my video card isn't powerful enough (Madden only requires
a 64MB video card and a Radeon 8500 chip set)? Will installing the
latest drivers really make a difference? Is there anything else that I
can do? FWIW, Madden 2004 looked 10 times better on my old Dimension
desktop with a 32 MB Geforce 2 card. Something must be wrong. Thanks in
advance.

 

[ADR]

... Something must be wrong. Thanks in
advance.

Lower your resolution if possible, turn down settings, updated drivers
and DirectX. Belive it the x600se is not much more powerful than the
8500. 8500 is clocked at 275 MHz and backed up with 64 MB of DDR RAM
that runs at 550 MHz While the Radeon X600se runs 400 MHz 500 MHz
respectivly.

IMHO Dell is destroying the XPS brand with all these crap XPS machines.
Maybe they don't care since they own Alienware now.

 

[mtivin]

Hi. Thanks for the reply. Unfortunately, I've already done all those
things, and the frame rate is still unacceptably low. I just can't get
over how a five-year-old 32MB GeForce 2 card can be so far superior to
the X600 SE. FWIW, GTA Vice City runs nearly perfectly, as does NHL 06.
Any other ideas? Or should I just resign myself to upgrading?

 

[Victor]

Hi. Thanks for the reply. Unfortunately, I've already done all those
things, and the frame rate is still unacceptably low. I just can't get
over how a five-year-old 32MB GeForce 2 card can be so far superior to
the X600 SE. FWIW, GTA Vice City runs nearly perfectly, as does NHL 06.
Any other ideas? Or should I just resign myself to upgrading?

Send it back!!The XPS200 has a pci-express slot but because of it's
slimline case requires half-height cards -- and, by the nature of their
architecture, half-height video cards have always been less powerful
than corresponding full-height cards.The x600se might be the best you
can purchase for that system.Go here:
http://support.dell.com/ and enter your service tag,use the dropdown
list to (upgrades, parts,and accessories) and check your video upgrade
choices.-Vic