Technical requirements for NWN2

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My old computer was defintely slower when I played NWN online. Transition areas would take 2-3 minutes to load....

We'll see how this one plays the new one. I'm not encouraged though - TOEE gets choppy in the later stages of the game on my pc.

 

2000 us dollars is a lot of money for a pc. I believe 1 usdollar is about 0.75 euro (corect me if you please)

Going even more offtopic.(looking guilty over my shoulders)

I like to add to everybody that not only the processor, but the motherboard also is a vital piece in a good pc. I have an toprated motherboard, but a weaker processor. So don't stare yourself blind at processors. They are not difficult to replace, but the motherboard is. Exampl: a new amd am2 board can use the old 64 processor which is still good enough. with a year the new big processors will drop in price (like 5 gigaherzt dualcore), still fitting on your board. new dx 10 card and you are good for a few more years. A hig end videocard in a slower system also does not work.

 

Oh boy, how am I ever going to know if I have the right 'motherboard'? I was just about getting the hang of this, but you've now thrown in yet another variable to consider.

 

"...TOEE gets choppy in the later stages of the game on my pc."

That's not a good indicator. There performance issues with that game specifically in the elemental nodes.

 

That's where it happens, in the elemental nodes and the fire temple. It sounds common, so I'm hoping I'll be able to play NWN2 with my current desktop. *Crosses Fingers*

 

In general I advise everybody who wants to upgrade to visit hardwareforums first. That way you know if the person behind the counter is honest. Really do it, it will save considerable amounts of money.

 

OK here's my computer's specs:

Pentium 4 CPU 2.66 GHz
256 MB RAM
128 DDR ATI Radeon 9700

With lower graphics settings I play the likes of KOTOR 2 and NWN just fine. If I bump up the graphics I get issues, but as long as I keep them low, no problems.

I keep finding conflicting info on the most up to date specs for NWN 2. Somewhere I saw the minimum was 256 MB RAM, and somewhere else I saw the min was 512 MB RAM. Which is it? Also, I swore I saw somewhere that ATI Radeon 9700 Series would be fine, but I've also seen it left off the list while 9600 and 9800 are listed. Again, which is it?

I don't care about having to turn the graphics down low. I do care about being able to play the game.

So does my computer meet the min requirements or will I need to upgrade (only if I absolutely have to)??? Money is tight. And if I did have to upgrade what price ranges are we talking here?

 

your pc is 3/4 years old? I would say place every penny in a piggy bank and go for a medium upgrade later.

processor: stil reasonable. 100/159 euro for simpel 3.8 (amd not intel) change the processor, means a new board (100 euro) and new memory (100 euro) This is the biggest post to pay. (all three are made for each other.)

videocard: AGP slot? if so. hard to replace due to new socket (pci express). A new agp card cost almost as much as an pci-e. to buy one for only a years use, expensive. 140 euro for a medium card. but your card just might cut it. It is a good card.

memory: as with the vidoecards old cannot be used properly on new. 90/100 euro/gig (new) You need a bit more with your current system. old memstrips like yours cost about 30 euro.

Remember fair and honest windows users that a new pc ofton needs a new windows. The oem version installed on many from the shop pc only work with that one. Smart Bill. 100 euro more.

many questionsl are still unknown. my advise is to upgrade the memory to at least 512 mb, or 1024 as max in your current machine. (In a new one at least 1024mb, and save for a new configuration suitable for games after NWN2 like Gothic 3.

Don't panic, I guess it will run on your pc, but not with 256mb mem.

(I base the prices on a medium system build by myself 2 weeks ago.)

 

After a little digging I still thinkd that big B has a change with an ati 9700. A new, well what is new, 9800 stil costs around 75 euro but is very hard to find. I also found a 9600 256 md for 59 euro.
As for nvidia, a 7600gs for 119. The processor can stil cut it, but the memory not.

 

Unfortunately, according to my dad, the only way to upgrade my card is to get another computer. Is that correct?

 

No. Unless you got something wrong. Maybe your card is integrated onto the motherboard. Or maybe it's the best your mobo can handle. Maybe your dad thought replacing your GFX card in the current computer setup made no sense, which is perfectly possible.

Someone owes a goldmine... Or am I completely behind the price trends?

 

Even if the mobo can't be upgraded or it has an integrated video card, you can remove everything and buy a new mobo/video card. Mobo's range from $50-300. For your set up it'll probably be a $100 or less Mobo since everything for the pentium series of Intel chips on the market is old junk.

It wouldn't be overly expensive to upgrade.

 

Well, I just went to the System Requirements Lab, and apparently everything checks except for:

1) CPU Speed: I only got 1.30 GHz

2) Video Card: 1.1 Vertex Shader, 1.3 Pixel Shader, and 32.0 MB of Video RAM

Darn it!

 

Don't be fooled by the sites that will test your system to see if it can run a specific game,(system requirements lab) (NWN2)...I did this and it said my system was middle srength to run it, yet with everything turned down to min I still get choppy unplayable game time.

 

Careful with that SirChet - some of the problems aren't actually with your system. YesterdayI was running the game at high grahpics no coppiness to speak of - and today I could barely move it was so laggy when I started over.


I think whatever language they programmed NWN2 in, they may have left memory leaks... (basically memory that gets used and when it's over with doesn't get cleared, when a loop does it a few billion times, memory starts becoming scarce and the computer as a whole will slow down until the program crashes from lack of memory).

I haven't actually crashed and I saved/restarted enough I may have avoided the problem, but I'm defiantely feeling more lag now than before and I'm running at lower settings than yesterday.

 

I think it's all languages of Nth level now, meaning they make stuff in compilers compiled in other compiles, which have been compiled in something still different and so on and so forth. After using N generators of this and that, you have a game made in a generator made in a generator made in a generator. Basically think about the performance of a painfully simple game made in Click & Play or games factory that has to drag all the libraries along. Memory leaks are the last thing they can avoid because it piles up all the way down from the least advanced generator and they just don't have the time (or incentive - with all the memory players are expected to have on their systems) to fix it. I may be wrong, but I doubt it.

 

All high level languages are compiled in at least 5 compilers started at machine language, to assembly, etc. etc. etc. Memory Leaks are unnacceptable on the corporate level of products. That's like releasing a car with a hole in the gas tank.

It was only a guess though, there could be any number of smaller issues that could 'cause the same amount of lag in the game for no good reason.

 

I'm not sure I can upgrade the video card as I have a laptop. I've never heard of anyone removing the motherboard from a laptop.