Screen freeze when gaming with ZX5000

Hello, I'm new to this forum. I just purchased a ZX5000. Here is how I configured it:

HP Pavilion zx5000 series customize notebook
- Microsoft(R) Windows(R) XP Home Edition
- Intel(R) Pentium(R) 4 3.00 GHz w/HT Technology
- 15.4" WVA WSXGA+ (1680x1050)
- 128MB ATI Mobility Radeon(TM) 9600
- 512MB DDR SDRAM (1x512MB)
- 60 GB 5400 RPM Hard Drive
- FREE Upgrade from 8X DVD to DVD/CD-RW Combo Drive
- 54g(TM) 802.11b/g WLAN w/ 125HSM/SpeedBooster(TM)
- Microsoft(R) Works/Money
- 12 Cell Lithium Ion Battery
- hpshopping in-box envelope

My problem is that when I am playing BF1942 the laptop will have to access the hard drive occasionally for information (I guess) and while it is doing this the game stops and the screen freezes until it is done accessing the hard drive (lasts 2-5 seconds) then the game continues. Is this normal. I have a desktop that is not as powerful as this laptop and it never freezes during gameplay. Do I need more RAM (which would be hard to believe)? Any assistance or ideas would be appreciated. Thanks.

 

Well with that symtom I would first want to say add ram but sense its an older game I think 512 should be plenty. Is this happening on large maps only? or just anytime during game play? Also before you start the game are you leaving programs running in windows? If you leave things like IE, aol, outlook, virus scanners anything really running will keep running and using up your ram. If to much is taken your game will be forced to access the hard drive more often. For myself I have the same system as you but lower screen res and dvd burner otherwise its the same. I leave virus scan on and have no problems but don't really let anything else remain on. It will help others help you if you give us more information like what is running in the backround, are you having the problem all the time? what res are you running the game at. Anything information could be helpful.

Compaq R3000T (CTO)
P4 Desktop 3.0GHz w/HT
1 X 512MB RAM
Radeon 9600 128MB
60GB 5,400 RPM HD
AquaMark3: 24,257, 3DMark03: 3,115

 

I get the same problem with some newer games, though the delays are say .5 seconds. The problem is it is loading textures off the HDD and the HardDisk goes into a half-rpm power saving mode after only a few seconds of idleness. With desktops the delay for the RPM reduction is less, and thus you have to wait for it to spin up sometimes before it can access the file. Quite a pain.

HP ZX5000
Aquamark: 25,053
MR9600 @ 405core/295mem

 

when I play unreal 2004 I do also sometimes get a .5 second delay but not all the time. I haven't noticed if the hard drive light it on when this happens though I'll try to pay attention. I do plan to get another 512MB of ram in the next month. For christmas all i want is the 60GB 7,200 drive [ ]

Compaq R3000T (CTO)
P4 Desktop 3.0GHz w/HT
1 X 512MB RAM
Radeon 9600 128MB
60GB 5,400 RPM HD
AquaMark3: 24,257, 3DMark03: 3,115

 

One of the things you may want to try, is going into Control Panel and then into Power Options where you can manually adjust at least some of the settings for how long before your HD goes low power / powers off hard disk / etc. So before you start playing, just set the HD shut down to 'never'. Depending on the utils that came with your model, you may have additioinal power management software as well.


Cheers,

Stevo

zv5000z: Ath64_3200+ (2.0GHz) - 1GB DDR - 80GB 5400rpm - 64MB 440 - 15.0" XGA - Win2k (tentatively)