Kay, i've tried. I've looked everywhere on this board and read plenty of threads - to no avail.
Here's what's happening.
Not even in the games yet... just clicking on the new game button and getting to pick options.
1- The galaxy spinner movie slowly tilts as it should BUT stops for a
slight 0.005 second or somethin'. Restarts, and does it all over again.
2- Pick your civ screen. There's a ship at the bottom right. Even worst
and obvious since the box is bigger. Terribly slugging too.
3- Same stuff happens on the other screens.
4- Music is also quite choppy and lags all the way to opening gameplay.
Mind you, i HAD a much better reaction overall before... smooth as a
cricket and BANG (somewhere about when i upgraded to 1.80g, now that i
can remember) these annoying lags began to creep in.
Here's the shorty summary of system specs with the debug.err relevant
infos at the start - if that could help define what's really wrong or
pin-point at THE solution;
***********
Debug Message: Version v1.80g Dark Avatar last updated on: Wed Dec 19 15:10:23 2007
Debug Message: Checking DX Version.
Debug Message: *********DXDiag info follows.*********
System Info
Time: 3/10/2008, 01:44:57
DirectX Version: DirectX 9.0c (4.09.0000.0904)
Machine Name: ZYXPSILON
Operating System: Windows XP Professional (5.1, Build 2600) Service Pack 2 (2600.xpsp_sp2_gdr.070227-2254)
Languages: French (Regional Setting: French)
System Manufacturer: MICRO-STAR INTERNATIONAL CO., LTD
System Model: MS-6528
BIOS: Award Modular BIOS v6.00PG
Processor: Intel(R) Pentium(R) 4 CPU 1500MHz
Physical Memory: 512MB RAM
Page File: 325MB used, 1946MB available
Windows Dir: C:\WINDOWS
Display Info
Display device 1:
Device Name: \\.\DISPLAY1
Card Name: NVIDIA GeForce4 MX 4000
Manufacturer: NVIDIA
Chip Type: GeForce4 MX 4000
DAC Type: Integrated RAMDAC
Key Device: Enum\PCI\VEN_10DE&DEV_0185&SUBSYS_00000000&REV_C1
Display Memory: 128.0 MB
Current Display Mode: 1280 x 1024 (32 bit) (60Hz)
Monitor Name: Samsung SyncMaster 750ST(T)
Monitor Max Resolution: 1280,1024
Driver Name: nv4_disp.dll
Driver Version: 6.14.0010.7776
Driver Date: 7/16/2005 18:09:00
DirectX Acceleration Enabled: Yes
Sound info
Sound device 1:
Description: C-Media Wave Device
Default Sound Playback
Default Voice Playback
Hardware ID: PCI\VEN_13F6&DEV_0111&SUBSYS_52801462&REV_10
Manufacturer ID: 1
Product ID: 100
Driver Name: cmaudio.sys
Provider: C-Media
Driver Version: 5.12.0001.0643
Driver Date: 11/18/2002 16:51:40
Type: WDM
Other Drivers:
Acceleration Level: 3
Cap Flags: 0
Min/Max Sample Rate: 0, 0
Debug Message: *********END dxdiag info.*********
Debug Message: Entering WinMain
Debug Message: ******* Starting Game Shell *******
Debug Message: Going Fullscreen
Debug Message: Preparing to change display settings.
Debug Message: Failed to find a device that can start with hardware vp mode. Trying sw vp.
Debug Message: Using software vertex processing
Debug Message: Using multilsample setting: D3DMULTISAMPLE_NONMASKABLE
Debug Message: Attempting to create D3DDevice at resolution 1280 x 1024, Windowed: 0, Multisample: 1
Debug Message: Game Resolution: 1280 x 1024
Debug Message: Running fullscreen.
Debug Message: HAL (sw vp): NVIDIA GeForce4 MX 4000
Debug Message: D3DPRESENT_INTERVAL_DEFAULT
Debug Message: Refresh rate: 60
Debug Message: Bit Depth: 32 bit.
Debug Message: *********Checking D3DDevice Caps***********************
Debug Message: A full-color cursor is supported in hardware at high resolution modes.
Debug Message: RGB in format 6:6:6, Masks reported as ff0000:ff00:ff
Debug Message: Now Fullscreen
Debug Message: Shell initialization complete
Debug Message: GalCiv2 is activated.
Debug Message: ***** Initializing Game *****
Debug Message: Timer Frequency is 0 369e99
Debug Message: Initializing sound card.
Debug Message: initailizing bink.......
---
All gameplay stuff after that last line above.
***********
I know it IS a very low-end PC... but since i could enjoy a reasonably
fair start and early turns without any such lags - it now puzzles me
that the thing started to act strangely. I don't mind the frame rates,
nor the fact that i get no textures on ships. They simply never ticked
this much before.
Oh, and i tried a LOT of many different things over the last few days and weeks;
- Anti-aliasing / Nope.
- Bump-Mapping off / Nope.
- Considerable number of clicks and re-sets on MANY performance lines and options / Nope.
- Verified, increased size, defragged, moved on another drive... the pagefile.sys / Nope.
- Checked drivers and codecs. / Nope.
- Uninstalled FFDSHOW, AC3FILTER, re-installed layers and other sound drivers including MP3 and WM9. / Nope.
- Accelerated, decelerated, combo-writes off, compatibility checks, N-Vidia tweaks and defaults, overclocks, etc. / Nope.
- Opened up the case, No dust, all cables nicely jammed where they
should, Drives in good shape, full system grid complete and clean. /
Nope.
- Rebooted in safe-mode, thorough verifications of the essential in XP. / Nope.
- Cleared memory slacks, fiddled with most core assets, managed off/on Anti-Virus & Firewall, closed other progs. /Nope
- Media Players, Codecs (sound or video), DirectX (I DO understand
Shaders and the difference between 9 and 10!), OpenGL, what is it??
And, i'm still running in full-screen, using same resolution as
desktop. 1280x1024. That's what it was, that's what it should be again.
So, believe me i thoroughly analysed everything i could on my system and, i CAN'T figure it out.
Thus, please help me.
(PS; Although this darn problem may be over soon, since i may find some
cash before month's end and finally go to the store and buy a much
better/recent/compatible video-card. And yet, i'd be turning this same
issue over into a 512MB instead of a 128! I mean, there must be an
explanation.)
- Zyxpsilon.