Problem with GMA4500

Over the years I have used countless numbers of different laptops with varying mobile chipsets. Recently I got a Msi X340 Pro notebook with the Intel 4500 gpu and a Core 2 Solo SU3500 1.4ghz. I have not had any experience with this card, and I can say right now i'm not impressed. I don't really play games and the only one I do play from time to time is Team Fortress Classic (TFC). This is an old game and plays on just about any integrated gpu since the AMD 690G.

For whatever reason the performance is horrid. Any time there is action on the screen the frame rate dips badly and I get around 4fps. When there is zero action going on (which is almost never in TFC) the frame rate is around 45fps, but drops right away.

I've attached a screen shot to show how bad it is, settings are 1280x800 32Bit




I fail to understand how I'm getting such horrible performance. I've got a itx desktop with a Core 2 Duo T5200 1.6ghz with the gma 950 and at the same settings it smokes the 4500 and is actually playable, tfc is also not multithreaded. I've also updated drivers as well.

Also as a comaparison is a shot of my N10J and it running with an atom at 1.6ghz with the Geforce 9300m GS




Any idea's a Core 2 Solo should be more than enough to be getting goo frame rates in this game, hell I used to play it on a Duron 650 with a TNT2 graphics card. At the moment i'm not thrilled with this gpu, and wasn't expecting much but really this game shouldn't be that much of a problem.

 

It sounds weird. Intel GMA 4500 should have no problems to run even TF2 and that's much more demandning than the TF1.Have you tried to download the newest driver for your card?

http://downloadcenter.intel.com/Default.aspx

EDIT: I can see on your screenshot, that you have a lot of things running in the background, eg. Windows Update utility (You have to have your windows up to date, or then it is not safe), and your CPU is 100% in use. Go to start, search for run, and type MSconfig, then hit enter. Go to Start, or Applications (I don't know what it's called in english). Then a list of all programs that are starting up with your computer will be shown. Untick all the programs you don't need, and press apply.

It could also be malware. Run a full scan on your computer with your Anti Virus. If you don't got one download AVG (Don't install the toolbar, it's useless!) or AVAST. Then run a full system scan, and clean.

You should also try to download CCleaner. It is a very good program that cleans up your cookies etc.!

Last, but not least download Auslog Disk Defrag, and run a "Defrag and Optimize" deframention.

This takes a long time, but it's worth it! Your computer will run like a dream again.

Kind Regards Peter

 

Thanks for the quick response, the cpu is at 100 because I was in game at the time the screen shot was taken. When my system is idling with no activity the cpu usage is nil.

 

From the looks of it you are running Windows XP. Is it 32-bit or 64-bit? Are you running in Windowed mode or full screen? Window mode takes a lot more horsepower to manage than full screen.

I have similar spec Acer as you: Core 2 Solo SU3500, 4GB DDR2-800, 250GB HDD, GMA 4500MHD, 11.6" 1366x768 LCD, except I am running Windows 7 64-bit.

If I get a chance, I will install and run Team Fortress Classic sometime in the next couple of days and let you know my results, and maybe see if I can figure something out. Unfortunately running Windows 7 vs. XP may not help much, but at least can let you know if the hardware is capable, and I don't see why it shouldn't be.

 

He is on Vista. There is a Windows update icon in the dektopbar. On Windows XP you have to update from Microsoft's website

 

I tried running it in the full screen mode, and its the same deal just horrible performance.

Maybe it is just that the cpu doesn't have enough horsepower to go along with the GMA4500, oh well not a deal breaker just thought about getting some ideas here.

 

Have you tried the advices I gave you ?

 

CPU doesnt have enough power, i can play team fortress 2 just fine on low graphics

 

the problem is your CPU
your cpu is SOLO meanin it's only 1 core and at 1.6GHz is not a good idea
good for power saving but not good for performance
and another thing i gotta gma 950 and i used to have the same problems but what i did i overclocked my graphix card to 400MHz and also downloaded a MODDED driver that i had problems with
the website for the modded driver is: http://www.4shared.com/file/118373484/d2671d37/Windows_Vista_Modded_Driver_v12.html
copy and paste and download
it will install it but this is ONLY for GMA graphix cards

 

1. Install XP or 7 if you will.
2. Make sure, like GMA950 says to have a good driver.
3. For great justice

It should really be able to play TF1, which is a 'end of the 90's game'..

 

I ran it on my Acer and it ran perfectly fine. I am using the latest driver from Intel pointed out above and Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit.

 

A little FSB overclock couldn't hurt.

Actually overclocking my FSB from 200 to 240mhz doubled my 3dmark05 score with my X3100.

 

And? A single core 1.6ghz Core 2 smokes any high pentium 4.