The M2TW hardware thread: please post all hardware queries here

[Gawain of Orkeny]

How has this thread remained here instead of the hardware and software forum is beyond me.

I have ordered a computer and it'll be here later this week.

Specs:

Windows XP
Dual AMD 2.4ghz processors
1 gig of RAM
Geforce 8600 gts


I'm not really a fan of running things on max settings, I just want smooth gameplay.

Any idea how this pc will work? (low, medium, high settings.)

(Sorry if someone has posted about the same thing, I don't have time to read the entire thread.)


Thanks.

Id say medium to high settings. How much will this baby cost you?

Heres a pc I posted in the other thread for under $1000 that should run MTW2 fine

This includes everything shown.


Quote:
Micro Express MicroFlex 66B
This model may be priced as a cheap system, but its components make it a performance powerhouse.

When it comes to performance, the Micro Express MicroFlex 66B ($999 as of November 6, 2006) is a winner: It managed an impressive WorldBench 5 score of 148. The MicroFlex 66B carries a speedy 2.4-GHz Core 2 Duo E6600 processor and 2GB of memory--the only system in our roundup to do so. It also came configured with an ATI Radeon X1600 graphics card. This system produced the best graphics performance of any cheap PC on our gaming tests, making it a good choice as a versatile, low-cost gaming system.

The large, imposing case has plenty of room for expansion, with five open externally accessible drive bays (one of which is a 3.5-inch bay) and one open internal bay. The system's construction improves on previous Micro Express models: Cables are tidily bundled inside the case with reusable ties that prevent them from blocking fans and airflow.

Our only major complaint involves the system's paltry 380-watt power supply, which could become overloaded if you add several hard drives or optical drives.

The MicroFlex 66B came with a 17-inch ViewSonic VP720b LCD monitor that rendered graphics adequately but produced text lacking in sharpness and rather difficult to read at smaller font sizes. Peripherals include a comfortable wireless keyboard and mouse from Microsoft.

Micro Express describes the system as Vista-capable and offers Vista upgrade information on its site.

The fastest cheap PC we reviewed, the MicroFlex 66B is a great value. It's well worth considering if you're on a tight budget and need to perform intensive tasks like video or graphics editing.

-- Richard Baguley

Features
Very Good: 80
Basics
CPU 2.4-GHz Core 2 Duo E6600
System Memory 2048
Video & Display
Graphics Adapter ATI Radeon X1600
Graphics Board Type PCI Express
Graphics Board RAM (MB) 256
Graphics Board RAM Type DDR2
Monitor Model ViewSonic VP720b
Monitor Type LCD
Monitor Size 17
Storage
Hard Drives 1
Total HD Size (GB) 250
RAID Type none
Optical Drive Type DVD±R DL/DVD±RW
Optical Drive Speed 10
Other Storage Four-in-one media-card reader
Expansion
PCI Slots 3
PCI Express Slots 4
Open PCI Express X16 Slots 0
Open PCI Express X1 Slots 2
Open Slots 4
External Drive Bays 7
Open External Drive Bays 5
Internal Drive Bays 3
Open Internal Drive Bays 2
Ports
Serial Ports 1
Parallel Ports 1
Front USB Ports 2
Rear USB Ports 4
Front FireWire Ports 1
Rear FireWire Ports 2
Other
Audio Adapter Model Integrated Realtek HD
Audio Channels 7.1 surround
Network Adapter gigabit network adapter
Case Type Midsize tower
Operating System Windows XP Home
Other Included Hardware S-video cable
Included Software CyberLink DVD Solution, Power DVD, Nero Express
Support & Reliability
Labor Warranty (years) Four
Parts Warranty (years) Four
Weekday Support Hours 24
Saturday Support Hours 24
Sunday Support Hours 24
Toll-Free Support Yes

Its certianly alot better than what your getting although i dont know what your budget is.

LINK

[sapi]

How has this thread remained here instead of the hardware and software forum is beyond me.

Because most M2TW players don't look there.

As for the computer, I'd strongly advise against an AMD processor in favour of Core 2, even at that price range...

[I Am Herenow]

Hello :)

Which PC should I get to be able to play M2 with 10,000 (or whatever the maximum is) units on the field all at once, at the highest graphics setting, without any lag?

I found this one on the net - if I get it with the best possible features (Core 2 Extreme 6800, GeForce 8800 etc.), will that be enough to run M2 on the best settings smoothly?

Cheers! :D

[Rhyfelwyr]

This is the new PC I just ordered:

AMD Athlon 64 X2 6000 3.00GHz Dual Core CPU
Asus M2N-SLI Deluxe (Socket AM2) PCI-Express DDR2 Motherboard
Award winning OCZ Revision2 2GB Ultra PC2-6400 CAS4 (2x1GB) Dual Channel Kit
500GB Western Digital Enterprise 16MB Cache SATA-2 Hard Drive
NVIDIA 8800 GTS 640MB GDDR3 VIVO HDTV/Dual DVI (PCI-Express) DirectX 10Graphics Card
Antec 650W Next Generation Power Supply

Do you think it will be able to run M2TW at the max settings?

[sapi]

Depending on the resolution, yes, it should.

[konijn]

Hi,

Could I get some opinions about the following specs and how it would work with MT2W;

Acer Aspire E380
AMD Athlon™ 64 X2 Dual Core 5400+
2048 MB (2x 1024 MB)
256 MB ATI Radeon X1650SE PCI-E
Windows Vista™ Home Premium

If someone could tell me at which settings it would work it would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks a lot. =)

[Lurker on the Threshold]

OK all I an a technical idiot so bear with me. I recently was given a 05 Gateway computer. I suspect it has an onboard video card. At work right now and don't have the specs. I tried running MTW2 and while it ran ok on the campaign map the battle screens were very choppy. I trolled the forum and ran the Canyourunit program and as suspected it told me the video card failed to meet requirements but everything else passed. The reason I suspect it was an onboard card is that it listed only 64mb in the failed field. Can this be upgraded with a new video card and if so what would be a good card to get. Mind you all I am only looking to get something to play this game with and not for any other reason so I don't need or want all the bells and whistles (and expense). If I need be I can post the info from a dxdiag later. Thanks in advance and awaiting your replys.

[Riadach]

I've a laptop intel core 2 duo t5500 1.6 ghz
2046 mb ram
160 gb rom
Nvidia GeForce go 7300 how would it fare if at all?

[Hoplite7]

I've a laptop intel core 2 duo t5500 1.6 ghz
2046 mb ram
160 gb rom
Nvidia GeForce go 7300 how would it fare if at all?

I'd say low settings, the 7300 is a pretty weak card.

[jimmy]

as the games been out a while and hopefully the price of PC,s have fallen acordingly as well. could someone please give me an idea on how much i should expect to pay for a new system to run the game on as an example on the highest settings. with out me resorting to flogging of one of my internal organs to pay for it.

trolling through previous posts
one previous poster was on about paying 1700 quid for a set up thanx but no thanx.

[ForgotMyOldNick]

Just wondering if someone can help me with a problem in setting my gpu properly, thanks.

I used to have an asus 5200 gpu 128 mb and it could play RTW fairly ok but I knew I would need a new GPU for MTWII. So I bought an nvidia XFX 7600 GT 256mb as it was recommended to me by a gamer stating that the actual architecture is better than the GTS models so ... I did.

Anyway, after taking nearly 12 hours to find the right drivers :S I finally got everything up and running But something a bit new to me that I haven't had to deal with before is the bios setting where you allocate the ram or memory or something as I hadn't needed to deal with it before and the old gpu served me just fine so never needed to get into this stuff.

My MB is asus p4p800, yes I have an old configuration for a pc but it does everything I need so I'm happy. In BIOS it says settings of 64mb, 128mb, 256mb, 512mb too I think. So I need to change this setting in bios right? I read a few articles on the net but they don't really come to a conclusion they just say figure in your available ram etc... (I have 1gb Kingston ram).

So to get to the point after the facts: Do I need to set that MB option in BIOS to 256mb? And could someone please tell me what it actually is?

Thankyouverymuch :)

[sapi]

From my experience, it shouldn't be necessary to touch the BIOS...

I'd suggest that you post up your dxdiag report (start > run > dxdiag) which should tell us if the GPU is using all avaiable RAM, and if it is, forget the confusing BIOS setting...

[ForgotMyOldNick]

Ahhah! of course :S

Thanks again Sapi I will have a look and if it's too confusing for me I will post it here.

[Riadach]

I'd say low settings, the 7300 is a pretty weak card.

Anyone else have any opinions on this? It can play Rome on highest settings.

I've a laptop intel core 2 duo t5500 1.6 ghz
2046 mb ram
160 gb rom
Nvidia GeForce go 7300

[Rhyfelwyr]

This is the new PC I just ordered:

AMD Athlon 64 X2 6000 3.00GHz Dual Core CPU
Asus M2N-SLI Deluxe (Socket AM2) PCI-Express DDR2 Motherboard
Award winning OCZ Revision2 2GB Ultra PC2-6400 CAS4 (2x1GB) Dual Channel Kit
500GB Western Digital Enterprise 16MB Cache SATA-2 Hard Drive
NVIDIA 8800 GTS 640MB GDDR3 VIVO HDTV/Dual DVI (PCI-Express) DirectX 10Graphics Card
Antec 650W Next Generation Power Supply

Do you think it will be able to run M2TW at the max settings?

Apparently, this PC won't run M2TW very well at any settings. CTD's, blue screen, unspecified error messages.

I have patched to 1.2, installed the lateset drivers, fiddled around with setting such as anti-aliasing etc. I even read somewhere RAM could cause problems, so I removed 1GB with no improvement. I have no idea what the problem is.

The OS is Vista BTW, but everyone else says its works with M2TW for them. Anyone here got any ideas?

[sapi]

Very odd.

A few questions, then:

• What exactly are the errors, and when do they occur (both in game terms, and real terms)?
• Did you follow the arduous install procedure for nvidia drivers on vista correctly (ten million restarts and all that )?
• Have you installed dx9 manually?

Can't think of much more for now; if I do think of anything/when you get back, I'll try my best

[Rhyfelwyr]

Done all of the above. The crashes occur both during the campaign and in battles.

One thing though now you mention it. Battle for Middle Earth also crashes on my new PC, and a couple of times it gave me an error message related to DX8, which doesn't make sense since I definetely installed DX9. My PC shouldn't be having problems with DX9, its even DX10 compatible.

[sapi]

Hmm - maybe try a reinstall of dx9 (you should be able to grab a 'redistributable' version from the microsoft website; that seems to be the only one in my experience that overrides the 'earlier version installed' trigger in Vista) and see if that solves things for you...

[firedragom]

I am curious because I know some games run faster with hyperthreading, and some actually run slower. I am curious to know which it is. Anyway, thanks.

[Dr_Horse]

Hey guys, what componant is breaking when the program starts doing this and then crashing at increasingly regular intervals. Or is it just program instability of Stainless Steel 4.0? Cheers.

[Dr_Horse]

Here's the pic, sorry it wouldn't let me post one right away.

[ForgotMyOldNick]

I am curious because I know some games run faster with hyperthreading, and some actually run slower. I am curious to know which it is. Anyway, thanks.

Yeah... 'Hyperthreading'... I read several articles about it and the only two games I play are RTW/MTWII and Dawn of War (Due to time mainly and most other games suck!). DoW required me to disable hyperthreading in BIOS to play as the sounds where stuttering etc after 2 clean installs ...then it worked fine.

Sort of annoying because I payed good money for this cpu way back when and I can't use a feature of it for one of my favourite games at least. (forgot all about this so gonna try it later with MTWII !)

Considering I haven't used hyperthreading since I switched it off for when I mucked around with DoW I am thinking maybe there would be an actual improvement if I reactivated it.

So maybe just experiment ?


Dr_Horse: use photobucket or some image hoster for your pics mate.

[Dr_Horse]

Dr_Horse: use photobucket or some image hoster for your pics mate.

Photobucket is where that pic is hosted. Why, can't you see it?

[ForgotMyOldNick]

Sorry mate. Internet silliness today... and it's my day off !


Nice map hehehehee

[sapi]

Here's the pic, sorry it wouldn't let me post one right away.

Looks a bit like overheating to me.

What's the temperature like where you are?

I am curious because I know some games run faster with hyperthreading, and some actually run slower. I am curious to know which it is. Anyway, thanks.

Very few games take advantage of multiple cores (of which hyperthreading is a virtual simulation); but M2TW should have little to no performance loss from using it.

[firedragom]

Well I have been playing it with hyperthreading enabled, Ill try it disabled, see if I notice a difference and I will post back.

[Dr_Horse]

Looks a bit like overheating to me.

What's the temperature like where you are?

...I can't believe you just used the "t" word.

Basically, a few month ago I got a warning in the bios at start-up saying "low cpu-fan speed". When i continued to windows, the asus software i have to monitor temperatures and fan speeds said everything was normal. I did a few benchmark things to work the processor, still no problems.

After a bit I got sick of the warnings and thought I had better change the cpu-fan just in case, which I did, with a beast of a tower fan that was better than the one I had before.

Shortly after this upgrade the bios warnings about the cpu-fan started again, but this time when i got to windows, the asus software was telling me that the power fan wasn't working. A visual check confirmed that it was working fine, so i just assumed that the sensors were faulty or something.

The thing is I've used overheating computers before, and medieval is the only program having any problems (it runs company of heroes for hours in full spec with no problems). Also, the asus software reckons the temperatures never get any higher than 40 on the chip and 45 in the case. BIZARRE AND FRUSTRATING. It's a nice rig. I've had it over 2 years now and it can still run new games (does M2TW in full detail, huge units with no hassle) and I don't want to retire it just yet.

any ideas?

[sapi]

Hmm - no ideas, then - a temperature problem would, as you say, show up in multiple games...

[Rhyfelwyr]

Done all of the above. The crashes occur both during the campaign and in battles.

One thing though now you mention it. Battle for Middle Earth also crashes on my new PC, and a couple of times it gave me an error message related to DX8, which doesn't make sense since I definetely installed DX9. My PC shouldn't be having problems with DX9, its even DX10 compatible.

New development here. I have 2 1GB RAM sticks in my PC. I took the one in slot 2 out, tried playing with just the slot 1 RAM. Still crashes. So I put the slot 2 RAM back. Then, I tried swapping the two RAM sticks around. This left M2TW crashing as normal, but also gave me blue screens when doing things like browsing the internet, even starting the PC up once.

The reason I am doing this with the RAM is that I heard blue screens tended to be caused by faulty RAM. So, my last plan is to remove the RAM that was originally in slot 1 (now in slot 2), and put the RAM currently in slot 2 into slot 1. This may prove that the RAM beginning in slot 1 was faulty. I will try and see...

[firedragom]

If it still does not work, try asking the experts at computing.net, I have not had a problem they couldn't figure out yet. Seems like a better place to be asking about crashing errors and things like that than in a gaming hardware forum.

Anyway, do what you wanna do, but I imagine you'll get better results from computing.net, probably quicker too. Not downing any people here who have serious knowledge of computers and all that, just saying, a lot of these people work in IT for a living and do this in their free time.

Try it out if you want.