Geoforce GT230 Graphics Card

[Sonya Bigboots]

Hello,

I am awaiting my new computer - which people more technical than I am have told me has a 1.5 GB Geoforce GT230 Graphics Card in it.

Will I have any problems running second life? - I saw some other posts that warned against using some more recent graphics drivers (whatever they are!) so is that an issue with this graphics card as well? I will also be upgrading to Windows 7 64bit.

Many thanks for your replies (and no offence meant if this has been posted in the wrong place).

Sonya.

[Cinnamon Lohner]

You should be fine.  I've got a Geoforce GT220 which is the same family but less powerful and it runs SL just fine.   I am also running Win7 64bit.

--Cinn

[Sonya Bigboots]

Thankyou Cinn,

I have pretty much been the walking wounded in Sl for the last few months due to my computer struggling with the graphics, and it would have been annoying if the new computer wouldn't fix things.

Sonya.

[Veritable Quandry]

There was a problem with a recent Nvidia driver causing overheating, but they pulled that version from the site.  If you get the most recent driver from http://www.nvidia.com/Download/index5.aspx?lang=en-us you should have no trouble.

[Sonya Bigboots]

Thankyou Veritable,

The link to the drivers will be useful.

Nice to know I should be OK - although I expect lag will still mean I walk through the occasional wall

 

Sonya

[Angelina Devin]

wondering if that is the problem with my old laptop...it got to where it would get hot and shut off...i would have to let it cool down and then restart the laptop...now it only comes on for a couple of minutes where you can see the desktop screen..then lines go through the lcd screen where you cannot see the desktop anymore then it shuts its self off..and tries to reboot several times but is unsuccessful

[Veritable Quandry]

Updating the driver might help, but most likely not.  The driver that was problematic was released for desktops, it had to be modded to run on laptops.

Have you tried to use canned air to blow dust out of the vents?  If you are willing, opening the bottom and cleaning the fans and vents will improve airflow.  Or find a computer shop that can do it for you.  I'd also suggest trying a laptop cooler.  By the sound of it you may be too far gone, but it' can't hurt to to try.

[Linda Brynner]

You should be ok. Be aware that VidRam is not the most important in SL btw. SL hardly uses more than 256Mb. With all my settings put at the highest possible, my vidcard reports only 15% used of 1792, so nearly 256Mb. It's due to SL's graphics which are kinda outdated, but ok.

And Nvidea's above 512Mb vidram hardly run faster anyway. I only have a 9800MGS and SL runs superfast. Most important is the the vidcard's databus which should be at least 256 bits wide. But your system has that since it's higher clocked version of the 220 which is a higher clocked compared to the 9800 and 8800. All Nvidea's board structures and logics are the same as long as they are in the same price-version range from the 8800 onwards. Unfortunate we are waiting for real news from Nvidea, but it seems that, with the 8800, 9800, 220,230, etc they developed a great fundament.

Overheating can be a little problem with some driver versions. Running SL my card temp reads 85C which is a bit hot, but as long as it is not hitting 90, there is not much to worry about.

[Sonya Bigboots]

Thanks Linda, I think. You lost me with some of the technical speak

Guess the thing to do now is unpack the box, plus it in, and see if it works.

If I am never seen in SL again then you all know I am sat cursing my new computer somewhere.

Sonya.