Bioshock running like a slideshow on my XPS m1710.

Why is Bioshock have more in common with a slide show than a FPS on my XPS m1710? With my specs, I should be getting pretty solid fps, right? I am running the game on my external 22" widescreen so the resolution is only 1680x1050. I have the settings on high in most cases. Each new mission takes forever to load and then when any monster walks into the room or there is water/fire in the room, its slideshow time. Is this normal for a non-8800 PC?

 

What OS are you running?

 

Vista Home Prem. I think I have the beta drivers from the dell site for my 7950 GTX also. I'll check again right now.

 

I certainly don't have that problem and didn't have it when I was running non-SLI. I'm running in max resolution and most other things high and it moves smoothly.

What drivers is the next question?

 

101.19. I would like to update those, but I cant seem to locate any which specifically work on the GeForce >>Go<< 7950 GTX.

 

Use laptopvideo2go.com drivers.

http://www.laptopvideo2go.com/drivers/vista

After you download the driver executable, run it to create a folder wherever you downloaded the file, then save the corresponding .INF link INSIDE the driver folder. Once that's done, you can just run the driver folder's "Setup.exe" to update the drivers.

 

What Thain said. You should see a huge increase in performance with updated drivers. Don't forget the .INF part, it wont work without it.

 

Wew. New drivers installed. Let me see if Bioshock is still painfully slow. Btw, do you guys recommend overclocking my notebook at all? I can bump up the multiplier to go anywhere from 2.33 to 3.16 or something, but just because I can doesn't mean I should.

 

You'll get different opinions about overclocking, but I suggest you do not do it under any circumstances on a notebook. It increases heat levels in your notebook, which is very dangerous, and, should Dell ever find out it has been done, it would void your warranty, as well.

Notebooks are such a tight, controlled environment that you really can't afford something that is going to add so much extra heat. With a desktop, there are plenty of options to offset the additional heat. Notebooks do not have that luxury.

 

it should run just fine after u update ur drivers! u have a very nice config, i wouldn't bother oc'ing it

 

Dell allows it to be done with the T7600G, options are in the bios. I wouldn't recommend overclocking past 2.75ghz otherwise the CPU will overheat and throttle downwards anyways.

 

Thanks for the help. The new drivers caused the game to run more smoothly, but somehow I still dont think its running as smoothly as it should. The screen still hesitates when I move the mouse around slowly...if I move it around quickly the whole thing freezes up for a second or two. What should I do now?

 

1680x1050 is a high resolution to play that game at, and alot of other games even with the best mobile card.

Bioshock for my desktop wont even run good probably with a 7800gtx, lower the resolution down to say 1280x800 and I bet your performance will nearly double.

 

Take a look at this thread. This guy has similiar problems as you do and has the exact same laptop model as you own:

http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=179053

 

Like a slideshow? On a M1710? Geez...

 

Very true; but a 7950GTX shouldn't run like a slideshow even at 1920 x 1200.

 

OK, I found this website for you. Compare your 7950GTX Go to the ATI X1950pro, which is comparable to the performance of an Nvidia 7950GT. This sould tell you the expected fps that you should be getting in reality.

http://www.firingsquad.com/hardware/bioshock_directx10_performance/page6.asp

 

I'm sorry J-Bytes but I have to disagree with that statement you have just made. The 7950GTX is simply an Nvidia 7950GT on a desktop platform. And if you go take a look at some 7950GT review, you would see how poorly it performs in some cases where the game is very texture taxing. (G.R.A.W and all the next-gen games like Bioshock).

 

Yeah, Bioshock is a demanding game and the Go 7950 GTX is based on an aging architecture (G71, circa early 2006). That said, it certainly shouldn't be a slideshow at 1680x1050. I usually play Bioshock with max settings @ 1280x800 and get a pretty solid 40 FPS (give or take, depending on the scene).

It's playable at 1920x1200, if you call 20 FPS playable. But even then, it's still not a slideshow.

The 163.75's are the latest and greatest drivers for Vista, released last week. (there are some 165.x drivers floating around - ignore them, they're from several months ago, because Nvidia's naming system is retarded.)
Anywho, I heartily recommend 163.75 - They work great on my Go 7950 GTX.

Also, make sure that Vertical Sync is disabled in the video options. It's enabled by default. That would certainly cause Bioshock to be choppier than usual. Also, Bioshock is famous for its awful mouse acceleration - you might have to play around with the sensitivity a little bit (and if you have a G5 or G7 mouse, try lowering the sensitivity on the mouse and increasing the sensitivity in the game - worked for me).