...Alienware M17X - Graphics Card 1.5GB GDDR5 Nvidia GeForce GTX 460M not compatible.

[Regina Marksman]

HELP!!  Ive been saving my pennies for two years.. to get an Alienware laptop.. I finally ordered it.. with the highest graphics card available.. biggest processor... waited 6 weeks for it to arrive.. which it did last night.. I was sooo excited.. first thing downloaded second life.. and logged in to a message that said my graphics card wasnt compatible.. but it would probably be okay..... Its not..:(  the grapics default as low as possible.. and runs sluggish.. blurry... omg.. I don't know what to do???  I am a photographer in SL and wanted a computer that would allow me to use shadows for photos.. but with this.. i can barely type.. let alone take a picture..

Calling out to all technical type people.. please help.... can you offer any advice ???? 

Specs:

Intel Core i7 2820QM 2.3 GHz (3.4GHz Turbo Mode, 8MB Cache)

1.5GB GDDR5 Nvidia GeForce GTX 460M

8GB Dual Channel DDR3 at 1333MHz (4DIMMS)

320GB 7,200 RPM SATA-II HDD

[Cinnamon Lohner]

Your graphics card was probably too new to be recgonized by the viewer.  Since it runs, it probably set itself to the lowest setting possible.  Go into Me - Preferences - Graphics and set it up to a higher setting and see if that helps.

--Cinn

[Regina Marksman]

Thanks Cinn

I did go into sl and set the graphics up higher and it slowed down to a snails pace... and still didnt look very clear.. I guess this is what i get for going for the latest and greatest... I thought Linden Labs would be up for the best... I guess not.. and i shot myself in the foot.. dang it!

ps (love your signature.. hehe

[Peewee Musytari]

 

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Regina Marksman wrote:

I did go into sl and set the graphics up higher and it slowed down to a snails pace... and still didnt look very clear..

  I guess this is what i get for going for the latest and greatest... I thought Linden Labs would be up for the best... I guess not.. and i shot myself in the foot.. dang it!

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Did you try Kristens viewer?...I think thats aimed at better systems...  https://wiki.secondlife.com/wiki/Third_Party_Viewer_Directory

 

[Nyll Bergbahn]

Sounds like you're stuck in integrated graphics mode. The Alienware should be using the discrete nvidia graphics card and working great in SL.

I'm not sure how you change it if it's not changing automatically. Look up the manual or google it.

Edit: My gf has a M17X..I'll ask her if she comes on SL tonight although not looking likely now.

 

[Cinnamon Lohner]

I think Nyll has the right answer here. Had a similar problem with a Lenovo ThinkPad that has a nVidea card as well as the Intel integrated graphics. When I first ran SL on it, it was horrible. But once I realized it was defaulting to the integrated graphics, I was able to get it to use the nVidea card and it works much better now

[Nyll Bergbahn]

Ok...had a word about this with my gf.

It's function key + F7 to switch graphics modes between integrated and discrete but hers doesn't work right and there is nothing onscreen to tell you which mode you're in. Anyway, try it.

What she does is pull the battery out and the M17X will boot in discrete graphics mode and stay there even if battery replaced. The integrated mode is really only for when using the laptop on battery power or light use. On battery power in discrete mode, you're likely only to get 30 minutes of use.

You can also switch in the bios and indeed set it always to boot in discrete mode but that may not suit you.

If in Stealth mode, the M17X will switch off discrete graphics.

Refer back if still in trouble.

 

[Storm Clarence]

Maybe a foolish question, but what card is displayed in your system profile?  Is the machine recognizing the correct card?

 

[Nyll Bergbahn]

The Device Manager will show just a single card if in integrated mode and the two cards if in discrete mode.

[George Orellana]

This is sad to hear as I have been thinking about getting an Alienware machine with the best graphics card too. Hope you get it settled and let us know.

[bardeal2 Diesel]

i am having the same porblem i went into bios and i dont see anything there where i can switch the video now i know sometime i can get it over it i pug in the hdmi for my tv it sometime switches over put i like to know how to switch it proper