Ok, I got a new game-it doesn’t run on my computer because of my video driver: it doesn’t have enough ram.
The advice I get is to update my driver-fair enough it’s a little old. My current driver is RAGE LT PRO AGP 2X (English).
From all indications I have to download the new RAGE PRO. But when I went to ATI’s website I couldn’t find how to do it. I sent a few emails there way and automated responses greeted me.
Can I increase the ram by an update? What is the website with the download for the update?
I doubt updating your driver will help you. It sounds more like your video card itself doesn’t have enough oomph to run the game. The driver is only a bit of software designed to let programs use your hardware–an interface. And ATI generally wasn’t in the habit of frequent driver updates until very recently, so the driver on ATI’s web site (when and if you find it) probably won’t be very different than the one you’re currently using.
If you want to run the new game, you’ll probably have to upgrade your video card itself, which might not be possible if your current card (as I’m guessing, judging from the model) is built directly into your motherboard.
As slortar mentioned a new driver isn’t going to help you assuming what you describe is the problem. If you don’t have enough RAM on your video card that’s a hardware issue and no driver will help. You also can’t add memory to your video card so you will need an entirely new one to fix the problem.
That said there are a few things you can do before plunking down your hard-earned cash on a new card.
Go ahead and download the latest driver. It can’t hurt and maybe it will help.
Check the requirements on the game you have. It should mention how much RAM a video card needs to have in order to run. Then look-up your card and ATI’s web site and see how much RAM your card has.
If your card does at least meet the minimum specs you may be running the game with too much detail turned on. Go into the Options section (or wherever the game has its setup) and turn ALL video details down to their minimum (some games have a setup you can access without entering the game in case the game won’t start for you at all). This especially includes 16-bit color vs. 32-bit color and textures (the game may or may not have options for these). Start the game and see if it runs. If it doesn’t you are SOL. If it does you can slowly increase detail till it stops working agin and then back-off a step.
If your video chipset is on the MB and not a separate card, sometimes the video is using a portion of system RAM that is assignable via the BIOS, and can potentially be increased via the BIOS setup if not currently set to maximum sharing RAM specs.
If that doesn’t work just get a new AGP or PCI video Nvidia card. Even the fairly powerful ones (relative to your game requirements) can be had inexpensively.
Sorry to say but you’re SOL on this one. You can’t install a new video card into a laptop. About the best you could do would be to replace the whole motherboard in the laptop if that is even possible.
I often have people telling me they want to get a laptop because they are ‘cool’. I tell them that unless they need their computer to be mobile it’s a waste of money. Laptops cost more than an equivalent desktop, perform a bit worse in some ways than an equivalent desktop (disk transfer rates for one thing) and are much more difficult if not impossible to upgrade should things like this occur. However, if you need the mobility then a laptop is your only choice.
FWIW laptops do exist now that actually try to cater to the gaming market by incorporating powerful video cards and such so game can be run. You can still get more from a desktop at the same cost but if you want to play Quake III on your train-ride home you can now do so (I did that and networked my laptop to a friend sitting across from me on the train…too much fun and way too geeky).