Warning to laptop users

[LochnarITB]

If you are a laptop user interested in WoW, you might want to look at this link from which I quote:

Although it may be possible to run the game on a laptop or notebook computer, we will be unable to offer support for video related problems stemming from inconsistent driver implementations. We sincerely apologize if you are unable to run the game for this reason and advise contacting your laptop's manufacturer and requesting the release of a new driver package based on the latest reference drivers from the video chip manufacturer.

I downloaded the WoW beta and was having some fun playing on my laptop. I did notice some graphics problems even though the video card should be able to handle it. I would see little pieces of tearing and the sky would flash. I could live with the little flickers and pretended that we were having lightning storms. Then I made my way to Stormwind. I was treated to these graphics (warning - large) pic1 pic2 pic3 pic4

This started me on a journey in search of updated video drivers (one that I had given up in frustration several times before). Either I got lucky or [disjointed lip sync] the Google-fu is strong in this one [/disjointed lip sync]. I managed to find a way to update my drivers beyond the very old ones provided by my manufacturer. It was not for the fainthearted. I ended up having to use a driver from another laptop maker and had to modify one of the provided files to get it recognized properly.

The good news is that it worked. I succeeded where I had failed so many times before. Not only did the junk go away but the movement got smoother and the graphics looked better in general. I actually like them now and no longer think of them as too cartoonish, as I stated elsewhere earlier. Like all things in life, sometimes something that seems to be a setback is really the impetus to push on to something bigger and better.

[Elegantly]

What kind of laptop and video card do you have?

[Walkiry]

May I suggest Omega Drivers?

http://www.omegadrivers.net/

They usually work great.

[Tommi]

If you are a laptop user interested in WoW, you might want to look at this

Hmm... The list says nothing about ATI Fire GL T2 and Mobility Radeon 9600. Anybody know if WoW works with them?

[LochnarITB]

What kind of laptop and video card do you have?
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It is a VPR Matrix, former(?) house brand for Best Buy. When I was looking, they were getting very good reviews. Although I love this machine, I have run into a couple problems that proved that support was pretty much non-existent. The card is an nVidia GeForce4 420 Go 32M.

May I suggest Omega Drivers?

http://www.omegadrivers.net/

They usually work great.
[right][snapback]59477[/snapback][/right]

Thanks. I took a look and I might give them a try if I get brave. Right now, all seems good with the driver I have installed. I am a little leery of trying another driver though. I have been able to install other drivers but I could never get the native resolution (1280x854) to work. Without having access to the native resolution, a very beautiful display turns very ugly. For example, when I play D2, I play windowed. Doing so not only gives me immediate access to the desktop but greatly improves the graphics because they are at the proper resolution.

I got this driver to work by finding a forum on the net that dealt with VPR Matrix. Other people were having the same problem. The way it was solved was to find another manufacturer that also made a wide screen laptop with GeForce4 cards. They made it sound like the driver actually had to be modified to allow for the odd resolution and then I had to modify the .inf file to get that resolution displayed. The Omega Drivers page says that they didn't change the actual driver, they just tweaked what was already there. They do say that there are added resolutions but that could mean that they have been added to the .inf file to access what is already in the reference driver. I will have to give it a try some time, as they are more current than what I have. But, I would hate to mess things up right now when they seem to work for what I need. (although I am getting that "oooh newer better gotta have it" urge <_< )

[demus]

LochnarITB:

I also have a VPR Matrix 15.2 and nVidia Geforce4 420 Go 32M...PLEASE share with me how you solved those horrible video glitches (which I see in Darnasses).

I am desperate to know how you altered the display settings to accomadate our beautiful display...

...Help me LochnarITB Kenobi, you're my only hope...

[NightShade101]

Hmm... The list says nothing about ATI Fire GL T2 and Mobility Radeon 9600. Anybody know if WoW works with them?
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I have the Mobility Radeon 9600 and I have 0(zero) issues with WoW. Though I did dl the omega drivers before hand.

[Thecla]

I have the Mobility Radeon 9600 and I have 0(zero) issues with WoW. Though I did dl the omega drivers before hand.
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I have a laptop with a Mobility 9600, and ATI drivers, and had no problems with WoW at all. As always, YMMV.