AkaRai

I recently purchased a laptop, a Dell Vostro 1500. It was pretty inexpensive, and all the specs seemed perfect, but I overlooked one thing until after I got it: The graphics card. What it came with was an Intel® Integrated Graphics Media Accelerator X3100.

I started installing games unaware of the problem. First I installed the four Warhammer 40k Dawn of War games. There was no major problem, but there was a strange error. It wouldn't let me load the game unless I loaded it in safe mode. However, once the game was loaded from it's safe mode, I was able to switch all the settings to their max, and the game played and loaded fine. No error after that. No slowdown or video skip.

So then, I installed Overlord. It crashes before it even starts up, so I can't play it at all.

Then I start to install some of my older games. I install Civilization 2: Test of Time, and while it loaded and played fine, it crashed during play. That has never happened to me on any other system before. It's an old, sturdy game. I was surprised.

Then I installed Dungeon Keeper 2, and while no errors were reported and it loaded up fine, when I started an actual level, the screen was blank. Well, not the entire screen. The toolbar, the map, the cursor all appeared fine, but the actual playfield was blank. It just didn't show up at all.

Is it the drivers, or is it because the card is weak? Is it possible to do anything to make these games work with this card?

For that matter, is it possible to replace the card at all? I know it's integrated, but does that mean no other card can be put in? And if it could, what would I replace it with?

I contacted Dell, and the technician told me it was possible to replace the card, in this method: http://support.dell.com/support/edoc....htm#wp1179839

I don't even know enough to know if that's what an integrated card looks like, or if he misunderstood me and thought that it was an interchangeable one.

Can this laptop be altered to be made into a gaming laptop, or have I made a huge mistake?

thompsop07

ive found alot of problems with dungeon keeper 2 are down to the opperating system, it had troubles playing on my old xp machine and that error you described sounds just like one i had with medieval total war, all the units and tollbars will load but no map, i assume its a vista error as even the battles( much more demanding than the map) played smoothly for me.
My brother has an acer with the x3100 which smoothly plays games such as aoe3 and empire earth 2 and the likes.
so in short it will do better than alot of people would think and i imagine would only struggle with very recent games

Bakryuuha

I doubt the card being weak would cause the game to completely crash or not start up, most games come up with a window that say your specs dont meet the requirements. Try getting newer drivers. But yes, the word integrated always makes me cringe a little lol

FreoHeaveho

You will be able to play very basic games at low resolution, but dont expect to play any newer games.

Andrews15r

That is an interchangeable graphics card, you will not be able to switch an integrated graphics card without replacing the whole motherboard. (something I just found out today which is kind of a bummer) I hate this part...

grimx133

Most motherboards with integrated video also have a slot for a graphics card. Desktops anyway, laptops and upgrading video is pretty much a no go.