Windows 7+Graphic Anomalies

[elNewbie]

Okay - this is a great community for the best baseball game ever released.

So I need some help with this one... and thought I'd come and ask you folks.

I bought (!) the game from a thrift store last year and was running it on a Mac with Parallels and WinXP.

All was good. Loved it, tried a few mods, learned the ins and outs of using a Chillstream controller, etc etc etc.

Then I moved on and received a brand new HP laptop with a pre-install of Windows 7 x64 as a gift.

A few days back I decided to try MVP 2005 on this machine.

Did a install, ran as admin, did the compatibility to WinXP.

Now here's the problem.

When I start the game everything's fine.

I can do all the extras, you name it.

But when I start anything like a game or a mini game, the first few minutes everything runs smooth, then gets progressively "slower". The graphics start bogging down until it gets to the point where I'm swinging and the ball is already in the catchers mitt.

Or I can count to "5" before my fastballs cross the plate.

It's really weird.

As I say - the games start out fine - but by the 3rd inning or so, it's ridiculous - it feels like I'm swinging a bat under water.

I've tried every single graphics tweak I can think of, but the game just doesn't seem to want to play nice on this Win7 64 bit system.

Anybody? Any ideas?

Thanks in advance and I have to say this community was (and is) invaluable to people who appreciate MVP 2005 - the BEST DAMNED baseball game ever made!

[MarkB]

Even newbies are expected to read the pinned topics - especially ones named "The Support Forum - Read This First".

Sounds like your GPU just isn't able to keep up with the graphical demands of the game, but obviously we can't confirm that without the details from the aforementioned thread. However, with it being a laptop, I have very few doubts that the integrated GPU isn't causing the problem, and the symptoms you've described are tell-tale signs that the system just can't keep up with the game's demands.

[elNewbie]

Even newbies are expected to read the pinned topics - especially ones named "The Support Forum - Read This First".

Sounds like your GPU just isn't able to keep up with the graphical demands of the game, but obviously we can't confirm that without the details from the aforementioned thread. However, with it being a laptop, I have very few doubts that the integrated GPU isn't causing the problem, and the symptoms you've described are tell-tale signs that the system just can't keep up with the game's demands.

Hi.

I did actually do a search for this problem and though I noticed some issues relating to Windows7, none specifically mentioned this odd graphics problem.

My game isn't crashing at various times or during certain modes - it's only slowing down!

On the GPU issue - as I mentioned - I was running this on a MacPro (laptop!) under Parallels with WinXP, so I'm skeptical that that alone accounts for the problem.

The PC I have now is *much* more robust than that setup was.

Though it's not a "gamer's set-up by any measure, based on the game's system requirements, this machine should be more than adequate.

Here's the numbers:

HPG61 Notebook PC, 2.1 Ghz AMD Dual Core M320 CPU, 3 Gb RAM, 64 bit OS, ATI Radeon HD 4200

Hope that helps & thanks for answering.

[MarkB]

Programs slowing down while executing graphical imagery usually points to one thing, and one thing only - the GPU can't keep up. On occasion, you'll get things like a dead or dying HDD causing it, or even a flaky CPU, but I'd wager that it's the GPU any day of the week, unless the system is showing any other symptoms, and barring stupid things like the drivers not being up to date or a driver conflict somewhere. The reason for the slowness is usually that the system sends requests to the GPU, but the GPU can't process them fast enough to keep up the FPS, whether that be due to shortfall of core clock or memory clock, and since there obviously isn't any buffer zone as the processing is done on the fly, you get gradual lagging, which only gets worse as the GPU is made to work harder and harder and, thus, gets hotter, reducing the processing power even further, especially when power management comes in to play and the system starts throttling it to keep it cool. The game would only normally crash for this issue if it's just totally unable to render the graphics at all - usually when people try to use massive stadiums, 2x - or even 4x - uniforms and accessories, and stupid resolutions which their system can't even begin to keep up with.

I know nothing technical about Macs made in the last 15 years (thank you, God - I truly consider this a blessing) other than the fact that I'd rather vomit than use one, but just because MVP ran fine on a parallel install on a random MacBook Pro doesn't indicate anything other than that, especially not that it should also run fine on another system, even with what appears to be better hardware. Also, never and better doesn't always mean compatible. It's comparing apples and oranges. Furthermore, you were running XP on your parallel install - you're now running Windows 7 on the 4200. Again, apples and oranges. Windows 7 is, like Vista, an absolute beast when it comes to graphics. The Aero theme and all the bells and whistles that come as default with 7 probably use more memory than a stock install of MVP '05, and even with all the fancy graphics disabled, you'll still find that it's storing a hell of a lot more in graphics memory than XP does.

In all honesty, if you want to game on a laptop - get a gaming laptop. If you don't and even a 5 year old game doesn't work very well, don't be too surprised. We've all seen the same story far too often in recent years - brand new laptop, user can't wait to install MVP, gets it installed and it runs like crap, user subsequently rages, posts on the forum and we all find out that the GPU is the culprit.

But, obviously, just my opinion. :)

[elNewbie]

Programs slowing down while executing graphical imagery usually points to one thing, and one thing only - the GPU can't keep up. On occasion, you'll get things like a dead or dying HDD causing it, or even a flaky CPU, but I'd wager that it's the GPU any day of the week, unless the system is showing any other symptoms, and barring stupid things like the drivers not being up to date or a driver conflict somewhere. The reason for the slowness is usually that the system sends requests to the GPU, but the GPU can't process them fast enough to keep up the FPS, whether that be due to shortfall of core clock or memory clock, and since there obviously isn't any buffer zone as the processing is done on the fly, you get gradual lagging, which only gets worse as the GPU is made to work harder and harder and, thus, gets hotter, reducing the processing power even further, especially when power management comes in to play and the system starts throttling it to keep it cool. The game would only normally crash for this issue if it's just totally unable to render the graphics at all - usually when people try to use massive stadiums, 2x - or even 4x - uniforms and accessories, and stupid resolutions which their system can't even begin to keep up with.

I know nothing technical about Macs made in the last 15 years (thank you, God - I truly consider this a blessing) other than the fact that I'd rather vomit than use one, but just because MVP ran fine on a parallel install on a random MacBook Pro doesn't indicate anything other than that, especially not that it should also run fine on another system, even with what appears to be better hardware. Also, never and better doesn't always mean compatible. It's comparing apples and oranges. Furthermore, you were running XP on your parallel install - you're now running Windows 7 on the 4200. Again, apples and oranges. Windows 7 is, like Vista, an absolute beast when it comes to graphics. The Aero theme and all the bells and whistles that come as default with 7 probably use more memory than a stock install of MVP '05, and even with all the fancy graphics disabled, you'll still find that it's storing a hell of a lot more in graphics memory than XP does.

In all honesty, if you want to game on a laptop - get a gaming laptop. If you don't and even a 5 year old game doesn't work very well, don't be too surprised. We've all seen the same story far too often in recent years - brand new laptop, user can't wait to install MVP, gets it installed and it runs like crap, user subsequently rages, posts on the forum and we all find out that the GPU is the culprit.

But, obviously, just my opinion.

Right.

Well, I hope this problem doesn't come off as "raging" - it's an annoyance for sure, but nothing to lose my noodles over. I do appreciate and understand the hardware issues you've outlined as "apples and oranges" - there's a host of differences. Even with the Aero BS tuned down to a nice, comfortable Windows Classic setting I understand MS insistence on making things purty doesn't make for the sleekest use of the hardware requirements.

Kinda sucks not being able to play the BEST DAMNED BASEBALL GAME ever made - but I'll get over it.

Or find a super cheapo 2nd hand laptop that can dish out Gehrig's homers on WinXP and go that route.

Thanks for the response.

[MarkB]

No, you don't come off as raging at all. Thankfully, your posts have been much more thoughtful and tempered than many others, who seem to have the impression that it's our job to get MVP working on their system - no matter how old or poorly spec'd it is.

Just a thought, it may be worth a try - you could create another partition on your drive and install XP and MVP on it, even if just to test how it runs. It's unlikely, but if it does work, it may mean you could have a "gaming" partition and a "normal" partition with Windows 7 installed for regular desktop use. If it doesn't, you can just kill the XP install and merge the partitions to get the space back.

[elNewbie]

No, you don't come off as raging at all. Thankfully, your posts have been much more thoughtful and tempered than many others, who seem to have the impression that it's our job to get MVP working on their system - no matter how old or poorly spec'd it is.

Just a thought, it may be worth a try - you could create another partition on your drive and install XP and MVP on it, even if just to test how it runs. It's unlikely, but if it does work, it may mean you could have a "gaming" partition and a "normal" partition with Windows 7 installed for regular desktop use. If it doesn't, you can just kill the XP install and merge the partitions to get the space back.

hmmmm. That's a *very* good idea..

I'll let you know how that works out....

stay tuned.

[elNewbie]

hmmmm. That's a *very* good idea..

I'll let you know how that works out....

stay tuned.

Well, the first thing I came across was this...

http://www.microsoft.com/windows/virtual-pc/download.aspx

... and demonstrating why I hate MS, it says I'm not "eligible" to download these tools, because I only have Home Premium and not Professional.

I really wonder how it is companies get away with this s***.

[MarkB]

Sadly, because our governments care more about big business today than the rights of the consumer.

So here's a workaround. I've not tried it, but it looks legitimate.