Need help to run Everquest on a Radeon X300, char moving like jello

Yeah I know it's an old graphics card, but it's definitely capable of running it.

My laptop is a Toshiba Satallite A80 with 1.5 Gig of ram, 1.73 Ghz processor, ATI Mobility Radeon X300

Only on Everquest (I play on emu, so not the latest patches) do I get a super sluggish character movement motion, it's like I'm moving on Jello and such, and my spell icon resets are delayed by a lot of seconds, it's like the whole game runs at 1/50th it's speed. A normal spellgem reset is like 1 second, would take 8seconds on mine.

I know that the X300, even old, is very capable of running Everquest on this machine. Just not sure if my processor is downstepping or whatever.

I do notice, that when I download my emails, that the motion of my characters would move faster, like tap dancing, but when email stops downloading and my fan stops blowing, then it's back to the slow motion.

I've installed the latest catalyst driver (but not from official ATI, because it failed to install), and is running NHC 2.0. I've turned off all vertex effects in EQ, and lowered all settings, using old models, anything that can save processing power I've switched off...

Hoping any of you gurus here can help me out on this. My computer is super fast on anything else like watching video, photoshop, Flash or whatever..

 

Im assuming your using windows XP, if so try setting the power management to "minimal power management.". Also use the mobility modder to install the latest catalyst drivers.

 

hello Harper.

Yes I do have the latest catalyst driver installed, and getting the laptop to running at both "minimal power management" and also "always on", it's still running sluggish, but when I do cpu intensive stuff in the background (like loading an intensive ajax page), then everquest runs at normal speed for that slight moment of 1 second...

Any insights?

 

Are you talking about the orignial EQ? I didnt know anyone plaid that anymore.

 

Hmm, try downloading CPU killer, put it at something like 20%, then run your game. http://www.cpukiller.com/download.html

 

It sounds like your cpu is downclocking and that Everquest isn't triggering it to increase the clock speed. Try installing RMClock and seeing if the the clock speed is stepping up properly (i.e. Is it sitting at 700mhz when your playing the game?).

 

THanks for the replies guys,

It does seem that my cpu is downclocking. Also i'm not sure if it's a bug with RMClock, but it shows that my cpu load is constantly at 99%, at super idle situation? What's up with that!

What can I do to let EQ upclock my cpu?

Anyway I'll attach a screeshot of the clock's output when I'm having the jello motion in EQ. if you notice that little red spike, that's when I can run at normal EQ speed..

 

Well I can't get the image to attach, so please imagine it as a flat line at 700MHz, then a sudden jump into 1600MHz for 2 seconds, that's when EQ would run normal speed...

Any possible way to solve this? This is the only game I Play so Please help me! Or suggest where I can go and ask? Would OCforum be able to help me out with this?

 

yes....

here you go.

 

If your CPU is always running at 99%..you might have a virus/trojan on your hands. Make sure to clean it up with antivrus software like antivir or AVG.

 

his CPU is downclocking, and not clocking up like it should be.

 

Have you tried setting RMClock to "Performance on Demand" and let it mange your CPU clock?

 

Running CPUkiller at any settings degrades my actual performance, and running the Power management settings via General's advice doesn't help either =/

My processor is a Pentium M 1.73Hz, so it should be able to run it. The X300 also is a mid-grade level for Everquest, so not sure why everquest won't run smoothly =(

 

It just occurred to me, I have Power4Gear installed on my system (came on the driver disk) for power management and under the management you can choose the minimum and maximum processor state, maybe that might help you...

 

Have you tried unticking all but the highest multiplier (i.e. forcing it to max clock)?