Getting DS2 to run on an ASUS Vintage AE1
| Submitted by bare_elf on Tue, 2012-08-14 17:11 | ||
I have been spending so much time herding cats here at the cat farm. I thought I would install DS2 and Broken World on the ASUS Vintage AE1 system here. I had forgotten that the video and sound where chips on the main board. So when I installed the software it said DS2 can not detect a sound card. I said oh well not a problem since the sounds might wake up the cats. Then when I started the game it told me the video card does no have enough memory and the game could get wonkie or something close to that. Again not really a problem because I am sure I have either an AGP8x or PCI express 1 video card around someplace. The part I found very annoying was when I went to install the 2.0 to 2.2 patch it told me that the older an older file was missing and I should reinstall the game. So I tried the 2.0 to 2.1 patch and that worked just fine. So now I am just a bit pissed off at the patch and the computer. I wonder if the patch is broken or the DS2 install is messed up because it could not find a sound card? forums: |
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I finally got the programs and patches installed had to reinstall the DS2 3 times and download the patch 5 times before it worked but it worked. Now it is just getting a video card and sound card that the game will understand and fit in the the system. When I got home I dug through all the old computers I have hanging about and found an ASUS V9520/TD/128M which uses the Nvidia FX5200 chip set. I know this will work for playing DS2, But I have no idea if the card is any good. I am not going to disassemble this system to test it that is for sure. Sure hope it works when I plug it into the cat farm computer.
A Geforece FX 5200 is probably as old as DS2 itself so there should good chance that this chip-set will be recognized (correctly). If it doesn't (this may produce a warning about failing the minimum specs) then try to find out the Device ID of the chip-set and make your own system_detail.gas file.
But if the performance will be satisfying then...
Besides of the (aged) CPU/GPU power, most probably system and video memory are shared here, assumed there is only a system memory of 512mb, and you need to assign 128mb in the BIOS for the video card, then large parts of OS and DS2 have to move into the slow paging file.
So if you already have another (faster) video card (with own/more memory), you should rethink of using that card nonetheless (in particular if you are familiar with exchanging hardware).
Concerning your sound card, I guess you already have checked the general things - system control, sound volumes, in-game options, etc.!?
Did also you try to run DxDiag? What does the sound/music tabs say?
You can run DS1 on a system with only 8MB on the video card (I do that, it just means blockier trees etc.) and I don't recall DS2 being much more demanding. Of course, that machine also pre-dates the concept of on-board sound, so it has a card that the game knows.
SJR was maintaining a system_detail.gas for video cards newer than the game, and I think they're still available, although they haven't been updated recently.
Second the use of dxdiag to check it out.
Hi Ghastley,
I was speaking of DS2 and Broken World no DS1. DS2 requires something more than 32 MB of Video Ram and this silly system has no way in the bios to adjust the amount of memory, it is pinned at 32MB. So I am going to try an old GeForce 5200 and if that does not work a new PCI-express video card that I discovered in a box in the garage.
Thank you KillerGremal for the tip on writing my own system_detail.gas file. DX Diag ran without problems and the version of Direct X the system has is correct for all of the Dungeon Siege Games. The problem is that the bios on this system is very limited and I am kind of stuck with the 32mb of video ram. I was digging about in the older computers that I have sitting about and discovered two video cards. A used Nvidia AGP8x with 256 MB Ram and a new never even removed from the box PCI-Express video card with Nvidia chip set and 1 GB Ram. The system has an AGP8X slot and a PCI-Express slot. So I will give them both a try and see if either works (will start with the PCI-Express) thank you for the tip on writing my own system_detail.gas I will do that if I have to. As for the sound chip on the motherboard I have never heard of the brand and could find no data on it in English. However I do have a new CMedia sound card which is sound blaster compatible I know this sound card will work with DS2 because I used this sound card when I built some computers for some friends so they could play DS2 also.
Again thank you for the tips and suggestions.
Well the computer at the cat farm is now up and running with the AGP video card I found. I remember now why I have the PCI-Express video card. I purchased it for this system and then discovered that the manual lied and there was not an PCI-Express video card slot. No PCI-Express slot of any kind. But things are working nice.
I've never met a motherboard that has both. AGP for video plus regular PCI for everything else, yes.
But now you've got me thinking of upgrades on an older machine. Do you recall if AGP8x cards will work at reduced capability in an AGP4x slot? They seem to be physically compatible.
imagine the mobo Bare_Elf has is one of the boards that came out when pci-e just hit the market, they may have kept agp cause it was still dominant video card at time.
pretty sure AGP8x will work in 4x slot, but could be a difference in voltage that dictates if they work, know some old mobo didnt do the higher volt cards. wont know till u pop one of those bad girls in and try it.
The Vintage AE1 and the Vintage AE1 V2, share the same manual and they only supply a picture of the AE1 V2 motherboard. The AE1 has an AGP8X slot and 4 pci slots. The AE1 V2 has AGP8X slot, PCI-Express x16 video slot, 2 PCI slots and something that might have been a PCI-E slot if a connector had been installed. So the GeForce 5200 worked great in the AGP slot so have a spare PCI-E video card for the next computer I build.
err there is no such thing as an agp 8x or 4x slot for political correctedness. its agp rev3, rev2 or rev1. each revision defines different signalling voltages over the agp bus. LINK
generally the rule of thumb is that if the video card fits in the agp slot, it *should* work.
however, there are certain third tier video card and motherboard manufacturers that dont follow the agp slot keying rules as mentioned in the linked site above. so another reason not to buy stuff from no-name brands. stick to tier one manufacturers like abit, asus, gigabyte, dfi, msi etc. for peace of mind.
the last thing one wants is burning out the switching mosfets, caps and coils on the video card and/or motherboard...
nice link and welcome back Lady Femme
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So it has been written, and so it shall cometh to pass! Quothe The Darkelf, forevermore!
That maybe quite true from a politically correct point of view. However both manufactures of motherboards and video cards list AGP Card and Slots as either AGP, AGP 4x or AGP 8x and computer stores both brick and mortar and On-Line stock AGP video cards, the ones that still sell them, as either 4x or 8x. I would give you the links to such sites however it would be a pointless exercise since I have already solved the problem.
Oh yes welcome back Lady Femme
i was simply pointing out that the agp transfer rate is not related to the agp voltage and generally if it fits in the agp slot, it *should* work...
Sorry I miss understood.