Second Life recommends High Graphics on CPU, but Lags horribly.

[Leeroy Flagstaff]

I have a Netbook computer that Second Life supposedly says is supposed to be able to play it on High Graphics. It plays Starcraft 2 on high, Skyrim on High, WoW on Ultra, Guild Wars 2 (beta) on High, Diablo 3 on High, and really does well with every other game then Second Life. I understand the differences of Second Life to any other game, but my CPU should still be able to handle it and it doesn't. I've been playing since 2005 and I'd like to still be able to play but my CPU lagging on it is driving me away. What can I do? Specs: Samsung Notebook Series 7 Chronos Video Card - AMD Radeon HD 6490M GDDR5 512MB CPU - Intel Core i7 2675QM Memory - 8GB HDD - 1 TB

[Leeroy Flagstaff]

Yes, it is also a Switchable Graphics computer and I did set in the Catalyst Control Center for Second Life to be on High Performance and that still does not work. I also noticed that when I turn off Basic Shaders it runs better, but I should be able to have Basic Shaders on plus I want to be able to see Mesh objects.

[Storm Clarence]

If you are having any problems/issues with a NVIDIA Optimus Hybrid card I know just the guy.  

PS Yes, I did read your post and I know what I wrote has absolutley nothing to do with your issue.  

[Kenbro Utu]

http://www.notebookcheck.net/AMD-Radeon-HD-6490M.43843.0.html Describes the GPU as "The AMD Radeon HD 6490M (sometimes also still called ATI Mobility Radeon HD 6490) is a laptop graphics card for entry level to middle class notebooks."  Perhaps this is where the problem lies.  Also you mentioned nothing about your internet connection, which is also a sore spot with SL. 

[Leeroy Flagstaff]

It is not the internet connection. It is the computer. I've been using the same internet company and even upgraded speed since 2002 and have had other computers play Second Life just fine on it. It's also using a Linksys AE2500 Dual-Band Wireless-N USB adapter so I get even better internet access. I also understand the video card is not the greatest, but it should be able to run Second Life just fine, if it recommends for High and I can't even run it on Low then there is something I'm doing wrong. I've heard there has been issues with AMD to Second Life because of AMD using Direct X and Second Life uses OpenGL something or another. There has to be someway to fix it. My previous computer I was using couldn't do half the things this computer can do BUT it had a low end NVIDIA gaming card and could run Second Life just fine on Medium. So if that crappy Alienware netbook could do it then this Notebook which is significantly better should be able to.

[Leeroy Flagstaff]

Also, I have noticed if I turn off basic shaders the game runs better. However, I can't see mesh then, and I should be able to run the game with basic shaders.

[161488303349]

people who have that card say the problem is caused by the driver shipped from the factory. is out of date

they recommend that you get the latest driver off the manufacturer website and install

 eta: am not abs sure but i think your card is using shared memory. check and see. like it maybe 256 dedicated and 256 shared. if it is then in Prefs \ Graphics \ Hardware changed it down to 256 so only uses dedicated 

[Leeroy Flagstaff]

Trying for the new driver now. When I went into Second LIfe and checked that, it was actually under 256. So I raised it up to 256. Didn't help though. Perhaps raise it up more to the 512?

[Seven Overdrive]

Leeroy,

I know you said you set the control panel to run SL at high performance, and I am going to assume you are running Windows 7 on your machine.  Have you, just for trying it, tried to right click on the shortcut for SL on your desktop and selecting your AMD graphics card in the 'Run with graphics Processor' option?  Sounds like SL is defaulting to your integrated graphics card.  

[161488303349]

sl viewer is a bit funny

quite often what works on one computer doesnt work on another. like on mine i have a nvidia 230. it actual goes faster when basic shaders is on than when they off. weird !!!

+

 but anyways. get the latest driver and play with your Grpahics/Hardware settings in the viewer. try to find a mix that works

if the latest driver doesnt work then start stepping back thru the versions available on the website

secondlife also uses OpenGL not DirectX for graphics. the driver for that should be included in the manufacturer driver install

if anything i think that the problem. an old OpenGL driver. the latest driver off the website should give you a 3.x

[161488303349]

or do that^^

(:

[Leeroy Flagstaff]

When I right click it to see what you said, I don't see any option like that at all, where would that be at? Because it is not in the long list of things when I right click the icon.

[Seven Overdrive]

You said it was switchable graphics so I assumed it would be the same as Windows 7 machines with nVidia graphics cards (which is what I use).   Guess not.  Sorry to not be much help.  Good luck.

[Leeroy Flagstaff]

I am using Windows 7 and in the catalyst control center you have the option whether if you want a program cranking out power of your video card when playing something for to battery save. So my internet explorer is set for battery saver where games such as Starcraft 2 or Second Life are set for high performance. I checked the right click and unfortunately I did not see that setting. Thanks anyway!

[161488303349]

if you can open the graphic control program then i think that the same thing

is all kinds of stuff in there. working out what is what can be a pain sometimes. i just end up trying things and see what happens

[Qwalyphi Korpov]

The resident who provided the previous content, if any, has replaced it with this generic statement.

[Leeroy Flagstaff]

I updated the Graphics Driver and it fixed the problem. Thank you everyone!

[161488303349]

\o/

[Lord Derryth]

When I first read your message, I said to myself "i'm going to eat him alive".  Then I realised you meantioned a NOTEBOOK and it's SAMSUNG with 512mb video ram and an old CPU, that's when I felt relaxed.  I thought, "there's noway in hell a NETBOOK can run SL let alone a Laptop.  You have to realize there is so much graphics in the virtual world that your laptop even desktop can't handle without a video card running 1gb of ram.  

 

Here are my specs and I still lag like crazy in SL because it's not my problem it's LL's.

CPU - Intel Core i& 860 @ 2.8GHz (still one of the top CPU's on the market)

16gb memory

Nvidia GeForce 295 896mb GDDR3 also have a GTS 450 in PhysX.