Wrong Video card for game

[Guest]

I hope someone can help me. I'm not the sharpest crayon in the box when it
comes to hardware (I'm more an "end-user" type).

Comp specs:
Dell Dimension 3000
WIN XP Home edition
SP2
512 RAM
2.4 GHz

I bought the game "Tron 2.0" and installed it with seemingly no problems.
When I try to run the game, however, I get the message: "Error initializing
the Renderer. In order to play Tron 2.0 you must have DirectX 9.0a installed
and a video card that supports hardware TnL."

I contacted the manufacturer via email and was told that my video card is
not compatible. My DirectX version is the most current, but my current video
card is "96MB Intel(R) 82865G Graphics Controller video card". They told me
I need one that is 32MB and can run TnL. They listed a bunch of compatible
video cards, a couple of which are NVIDIA GeForce FX and ATI Radeon 8500.

My question is this: is there a workaround to allow my current video card to
play the game? Or, if not, are the TnL-compatible video cards better or
worse than my current Intel one? I don't want to downgrade my video card
just to play a game but I want to play it now that it's bought and installed.


Sorry for the long question. Thanks in advance for any help.
ZM

 

[Bob Knowlden]

The Dimension 3000 has onboard video:

http://support.dell.com/support/edocs/systems/dim3000/en/SM/techov.htm#wp1043338

The 96 MB is taken from the system RAM.

The mainboard has no dedicated graphics card slot, so any add-on card would
have to be PCI (not PCI Express, which is newer and entirely incompatible).

PCI graphics cards are not known for 3D gaming performance, but they may
still be better than onboard graphics, which are usually adequate for 2D
business applications.

See your manual as to whether you need to change any BIOS settings to switch
to an add-on graphics card. (If you've mislaid it, a version is available
for download from support.dell.com.)

If you want to buy a new card, I suggest you try the selector at
www.newegg.com, whether you buy from them or not. Choose the PCI interface,
and you may as well go for a card that supports DX9 in hardware. (That's not
required, though. The game apparently runs on DX7 cards.) Cards based on the
nVidia Geforce FX5200 chipset exist in the $50 range; you won't save a lot
of money with a card based on older chips (like an MX440).

Good luck.


Address scrambled. Replace nkbob with bobkn.

 

[jb]

there be sharks in them waters.... this is one problem I keep having with
del (and other) machines.. clients always having to be told there $400/$500
del can't be upgraded 'cause that model does not have any video expansion
slots for it...... 'but it's a del'?? ........ yep that's the problem
sir'....
you buy consumer electronics .. you get consumer electronics.... turn it on/
use it / through it out...

 

[Bob I]

How to upgrade:
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=PCI+video+adapter

 

[jb]

Yes there are still some pci <<not pci express>>> cards around.. but is the
price worth the performance? Most of the older pci cards still have the same
problems the integrated graphics have... low performance for the newer class
of games out there..

You all may have to forgive me a little bit on the first post it was early..
I.E. before the first coffee set in and I had just gotten off my third ..
sorry sir's that week... ;0

jb..