Topic: graphics card (Read 8048 times)

bkeaster00 · « **on:** November 14, 2013, 16:06:39 »

How do I know if I have a good enough graphics card for the best possible details of the water, ship detail, etc? I am using AMD M880G with ATI Mobility Radeon HD 4200. Is there a better one that anybody would recommend? The one I am using seems pretty good just wondering if there is a better one to use with SSE?

Oh by the way, I am using an HP Pavilion dv7 with Windows 7 notebook computer to play the game on.

sydmichel · « **Reply #1 on:** November 14, 2013, 23:03:32 »

Quote from: bkeaster00 on November 14, 2013, 16:06:39

How do I know if I have a good enough graphics card for the best possible details of the water, ship detail, etc?

If you buy a new graphics card and still have enough money to feed your children, you probably haven't bought a good enough card too play SSE on the highest settings.

bkeaster00 · « **Reply #2 on:** November 15, 2013, 07:18:53 »

ok, what does that mean? How good should the graphics look when playing? I need more of an answer than that. I don't have any kids. I need an honest answer. thanks

JEL · « **Reply #3 on:** November 15, 2013, 08:15:58 »

I use a "Geforce GTX 560 Ti" and it runs ShipSimExtreme fine at max-settings on win7 x64 home premium.

bkeaster00 · « **Reply #4 on:** November 16, 2013, 01:07:43 »

Ok. I don't know much about graphics cards so how good are the graphics in the game suppose to look? I don't know how to tell.

tracybee · « **Reply #5 on:** November 16, 2013, 03:25:45 »

It's very hard to actually show what a "good" pic is. You could try the Net for SSE movies Youtube.
A lot of cards will give a lovely pic but at a slow frame rate which means sluggish play which means no fun.
Cheaper cards, running the game at a very low quality setting may allow a faster frame rate but at very low graphics quality.

JEL mentioned a GTX560. This is a great card and will not blow the budget.

The HD 4200 would be very low down on the list of cards as far as SSE or any good 3D game goes.
I am amazed it would run this game at all...
Your experience of SSE would be horrid? Link. Check here : http://www.videocardbenchmark.net/gpu.php?gpu=Radeon+HD+4200

Just wait until you see what this game can do graphics-wise with a suitable card(GPU)
I am using a GTX590 which is a pretty old card but still a pretty good one.
Check the WEB and note the comparable frame rates for different cards.
Buy one that is near the top of the list. Prepare to pay around $350
Make sure though that your computer has a powerful enough CPU. Not many Laptops can compete with a desktop in any good 3D game..Unfortunately !!

bkeaster00 · « **Reply #6 on:** November 16, 2013, 05:02:40 »

I googled to see if my laptop which is a HP Pavilion dv7 if the graphics card was interchangeable and a lot of responses said NO that it is almost impossible to upgrade because it is very difficult. they said that it is integrated into the motherboard or one of the boards. Can you post a pic from SSE that would show how good the graphics can be with a great graphics card that is?

tracybee · « **Reply #7 on:** November 16, 2013, 06:13:18 »

Yes sure, but to make it easier, could you post a screen pic of say your favourite Ship in your favourite place at some specific time of day and weather...and I'll try and simulate that scene and post a pic. of how it looks with a "better" video card.
That way you will have some comparison.
Cheers and goodluck.

PS: Yes, pity about upgrades for Laptops. Most are like that..but honestly SSE was never made to run on probably any Laptop ever made except for the $4000 and over !!
That unfortunately is the nature of the beast.

bkeaster00 · « **Reply #8 on:** November 16, 2013, 06:20:43 »

how do I do a screen pic? My print screen does not seem to work. Please help....

tracybee · « **Reply #9 on:** November 16, 2013, 06:48:20 »

That's a shame..!
Here is a link: http://getgreenshot.org/ to a free snapshot prog.
Works well.
Good luck

bkeaster00 · « **Reply #10 on:** November 16, 2013, 06:48:56 »

I did a print screen and saved it to My Pictures but it won't let me Copy and then Paste it here. what am I doing wrong?

bkeaster00 · « **Reply #11 on:** November 16, 2013, 06:59:49 »

here is photo of MS Oceana in Bora Bora at about 12 noon

bkeaster00 · « **Reply #12 on:** November 16, 2013, 07:02:36 »

Hope that you got it. Now try to create same image and post it. My graphics are probably better than you thought...

bkeaster00 · « **Reply #13 on:** November 16, 2013, 07:29:42 »

Here is another pic of MS Oceana docked at quay in Sydney, Australia.

bkeaster00 · « **Reply #14 on:** November 16, 2013, 07:35:15 »

Hope to hear back from you soon Tracy Bee. It is late here and I will check to see if you responded in the morning here in Florida. Thanks for your help tonight so far.

tracybee · « **Reply #15 on:** November 16, 2013, 07:49:30 »

Hi again,
Your grab shows the problems of having, unfortunately, a low-end card.
The sea looks very flat and not many hilights. Probably get away with the trees and scenery but they look very 1980 ish.
It's what one would expect though with both the gpu and the smallish resolution of your screen.
I would guess that once movement is introduced then things would get a bit choppy and jerky?
I've attached a screengrab of the general area. Just the default Bora-bora mission start.
I haven't had time to reproduce your position accurately.
My monitor is an ultra-wide 2650x1920. I had to cut the resolution by half to fit the attachement into this post.
Hopefully you may be able to see some differences. Once you add particles and see the ocean heaving and rain falling and etc etc then the differences are like cheese and chalk. A still frame unfortunately does not do much justice to this post.

bkeaster00 · « **Reply #16 on:** November 16, 2013, 08:04:19 »

well when you have the time send some more posts of pics. thanks

Traddles · « **Reply #17 on:** November 16, 2013, 13:36:31 »

Hi bkeaster00,
I attach a picture of "Oceana" at the cruise ship berth in Sydney. However I should point out that I have a desktop PC with a Nvidia GTX 660 graphics card. Such a card could not be installed in a laptop, as the thing is thicker than any laptop and almost as big!!! See picture. I am no expert but I cannot see how you could get a really good card into a laptop, but I stand to be corrected if I am wrong. I also attach a copy of my DxDiag to give you an idea of my set up.

Regards,
Angus.

saltydog · « **Reply #18 on:** November 16, 2013, 13:52:35 »

You could try Googling "External Graphics Card for Laptops"..

bkeaster00 · « **Reply #19 on:** November 16, 2013, 20:04:30 »

Traddles,

maybe you could tell me how to adjust my settings for the graphics in SSE options so that I can enhance the water detail and all detail as best as I can? I think my ship looks pretty good compared with yours in Sydney don't you think I mean for being on a laptop? I think it is impossible to switch out my graphics card for a better one. My laptop does not have a video card only a graphics card. Any help would be great.

saltydog · « **Reply #20 on:** November 16, 2013, 20:15:28 »

A video card is a graphics card. There are possibilities to connect an external card to a laptop (have you even tried to Google it?)

bkeaster00 · « **Reply #21 on:** November 16, 2013, 20:20:53 »

oh I did not know that. I was just googling External Graphics Cards for Laptops. I also found some info that said I could build my own desktop pc for gaming purposes mainly for around $300 to $600. I am still looking into it but if I can upgrade the card that is in my laptop now and have pretty good graphics that would be good to. I think my graphics are pretty good but others are telling me that it is lacking some detail. I don't know. I just want to be able to play SSE with really good graphics, you know?

sydmichel · « **Reply #22 on:** November 16, 2013, 20:58:45 »

Hi

Reference upgrading the graphics "card" in your laptop: Unfortunately what is being referred to as a graphics card is not a card at all. It is but a chip soldered onto the main board in your laptop and therefore impossible to change. You had the best idea of building a dedicated gaming computer, but you must dedicate at least half the budget to the graphics card.

Hope that helps.

Traddles · « **Reply #23 on:** November 16, 2013, 21:38:17 »

Hi bkeaster00,
If you go to "Options/Graphics/Quality settings" you will find something like the attached picture. All I can suggest is to try "fiddling" about with these settings until you find what is most suitable for you. You might well find that what I show is not possible for you to achieve with your laptop. However as has been mentioned by others here it is fortunate that you can play the game at all with your machine so I would not waste too much effort in trying to make things better. $:-\$ This could well lead you to getting very frustrated when you can see no improvements.

Regards,
Angus.

saltydog · « **Reply #24 on:** November 16, 2013, 22:11:25 »

As far as I know, his laptop has a NVidia GeForce 9600M GT graphics card..

Author Topic: graphics card (Read 8048 times)