Graphics Issue

[Jesus1254789]

Hi guys so i recently got this computer on christmas. its amazing heres a linkki didn't alter anything when buying it: http://configure.us.dell.com/dellstore/config.aspx?oc=dncwdp1&model_id=xps-l502x&c=us&l=en&s=dhs&cs=19

its a dell xps 15. now i tried SL on my desktop it has 2GB and a nvida gamecard and it still ran sl kinda slow and i paid 150 dollars for it total and so i was excited about playing it super fast with amazing graphics but im kinda bummed since im playing on the lowest settings of graphics and it till messes up somewhat :( can someone help i would really would like to play lag free and i do have a very stable internet connection. all help would be appriciated thanks! :D

[Peggy Paperdoll]

That link sends me to the customization page for a Dell computer.  It tells me nothing about what computer you wound up with.  All I know (and this is if you didn't change it with the customization) is that you have an i5 CPU with a 2450M on chip video adapter (that's an Intel on CPU chipset graphics accellerator.....not a discrete video card).

To give some useful computer specs launch your viewer (no need to log in).  Under the "Help" menu click on "About Second L:ife".  Copy those specs and paste back here for people to see.

[VRprofessor]

Nope, that page doesn't tell us about the computer.  I will hazzard a guess that it is a second generation i3 based laptop using the built in graphics.  (But actual system specs would be best.)

I haven't tried one of these yet, but I am guessing that you aren't going to get really great performance.   If you are in a relatively empty area and can tolerate low frame rates--for example if you are building--you might be able to move to medium graphics settings. 

[Darien Caldwell]

I think everyone missed the system specs down in the Right corner:

 

• Windows® 7 Home Premium, 64bit, English
• 2nd Generation Intel® Core™ i5-2450M processor (2.50 GHz with Turbo Boost 2.0 up to 3.10 GHz)
• 6GB Dual Channel DDR3 1333MHz
• 750GB 7200 RPM SATA Hard Drive
• NVIDIA® GeForce® GT 525M 1GB graphics with Optimus
• 15.6" Multi-Touch HD (1366x768) Truelife WLED Display with Skype-Certified 2.0MP HD Webcam
• 8X Tray Load CD/DVD Burner (Dual Layer DVD+/-R Drive)
• 6 Cell (56 WHr) Battery

 

I looked up the 525M, it's a middle of the road card compared to other mobile cards:

http://www.notebookcheck.net/NVIDIA-GeForce-GT-525M.43889.0.html

 

Looking at the benchmarks it should perform decently, but it's not going to be a screamer. That combined with the usual sub-par performance laptops have, you're likely not going ot see the blazing fast performance you expected.

 

 

[Perrie Juran]

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Darien Caldwell wrote:

I think everyone missed the system specs down in the Right corner:

 

• NVIDIA® GeForce® GT 525M 1GB graphics with Optimus

 

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Could they also be having a problem with Optimus not switching from the on board graphics to the card? 

I can't find it now but I know this problem and solution has been discussed.

[Nalates Urriah]

Perrie is probably right... Right click on an empty part of the desktop image and select Nvidia Control Panel. You can set up game paramaters for the video card to use with Second Life. Make sure you have it set for PERFORMANCE.

Also, your laptop will try to save battery power if you run unpluged. That can force the computer to use the CPU's HD graphics and disable the Nvidia video chip, which will kill your SL performance. When you are plougged into the wall the laptop should automatically change to Nvidia for graphics. Some laptops don't change over as they should. I think the free program GPU-Z will tell you which video processor your computer is using at any given moment.

Graphics Tweaking for Second Life

[VRprofessor]

My laptop is a different brand, but if I right click the link for SL I get an option to set whether it runs with the graphics card or othe built in graphics. 

[Peggy Paperdoll]

Optimus is what Intel based computers called the feature designed to save battery usage by automatically switching from the higher comsumption devices, such as discrete video cards, to the lower comsumption onboard graphics chipsets incorporated into the CPU.  It's relatively new technology that CPU manufacturers developed to answer the inherent issue of laptops running batteries down quickly with heavy graphics requirements for programs that require graphics (SL certainly falls into that catagory).  The switching takes place when the graphics demand is high and has had problems in the past when OpenGL is the graphics platform is used (which SL uses).  I believe the problem has, for the most part, been taken care of but, the technology is still quite new and it doesn't always work as advertised.  DirectX based graphics don't seem to have the problem to the extent that OpenGL does.......at least the past they didn't.  Using the ac adapter/charger when using programs that have high graphics demands, as Natales suggested seems to help make the switch to the discrete card work a little more reliably.

SL will not run well at all on the 2450M chipset.  SL should work at mid-range preference settings in your viewer using the 525M card.  But don't expect "super fast with amazing graphics".........the card is an "entry level" gaming card that will give decent, but not fantastic graphics performance.