Ibm T23 Slow Graphics?

[beecee]

I have an Ibm ThinkPad T23 which I use daily on the Internet & occasionally for playing the addictive Card game Solitaire. But it's sooooo slow when playing Solitaire. My less Spec'd T21 & 600X are way Faster!!!

My question is : Can I improve the Graphics performance, or alter the L2 Cache?

First off was the Embedded Controller & a Bios Update.

Then I Updated all the drivers (Manually when I installed Xp Pro), then via System Update after all Updates had been installed. Solitaire is just as slow now, (even after installing Updates, Sp3, Avast & ZoneAlarm), as it was when I had a basic Install of Xp Pro, Sp2 without any Updates or anything else installed.

I've looked in the Bios, but all the settings seem okay

Spec is :

Bios : 1.20 (1AET64WW)
Embedded Controller : 1.06
Model : 2647-8PG
Cpu : Pentium III M @ 1.13ghz
Ram : 2 x 512mb (Both Low Density) Pc133mhz (1 Kingston & 1 Crucial)
Hdd : 40gb (HTS4240M9AT00)
Op System : Windows Xp Pro (v. 2002)
Battery : Fairly New
Wi-Fi : Pcmcia Card (NetGear RangeMax)
Graphics : 16mb SuperSavage S3 IXC 1014 (Ver. 6.13.10.1290)
Lcd : 14.1” (1024 x 768)
Network : Intel Pro 100 VE
Modem : Lucent WinModem
Optical Drive : HL-DT-ST Dvd Rom (GDR8081N) Ex T30

Apart from fitting a 5400 or a 7200rpm Hdd, I don't know what else to try.

Many thanks.

[moronoxyd]

Solitaire should run just fine on a T23.

Do you have a driver for the SuperSavage installed?
What does DXdiag say?

If everything is fine and Solitaire is still slow, search for the unofficial driver for the video card, called ChromeMetal or suchlike. This does improve perfomance a little bit.

[beecee]

Thanks for the quick reply moronoxyd.

The SuperSave Driver I have installed is Ver. 6.13.10.1290 (In System/Devices).

I have Downloaded the 3DP Edition v.801 (S3).exe Driver from here :
http://www.chrome-center.net/index.php/en/homenews
(But I've not tried it yet).
Is this the Correct One?

DirectX 9.0c is installed (Ver. 4.09.0000.0904)
DirectDraw & Direct3D both seem to test out okay.

Adobe Flash Player 10 is also installed & Updated.

Thanks again.

[RealBlackStuff]

This should be posted in the T2x Forum.
The T23 is not quite a legacy machine yet!

[beecee]

Hi RealBlackStuff,

Can you Transfer this Post to the T? Section Please?

Sorry, I Missed that Section.

[SMA]

Try opening Task Manager and select the Performance tab. The cpu usage should be close to nothing when the machine is idling.
If it is not, then select the Processes tab. Sort the list by cpu descending (click on CPU twice).
Find the process(es) that keeps the cpu busy - besides from the System Idle Process which is supposed to take what's left.

You could also try to disconnect from the network and see if that makes any difference on the performance of Solitare.

[beecee]

Thanks for the suggestions SMA.

Cpu usage in Task Manager is as close to Zero as you Advised.
Disconnecting my Pcmcia Card doesn't improve anything.

Everything else is remarkably quick & performs Admirably for an old Pentium III, (Internet, Explorer etc).

Have installed Adobe Flash Player 10 & Shockwave Player 1.15 to no avail.

I'd really like to know if the 3DP_Edition_v801_(S3).exe that I've downloaded, (from the Link in a previous Post), is the correct one before I install it.

It may sound a bit sad, but I really like my Solitaire Game.

I can Play the Game, but when Dealing or Completing a Suite, it's just soooooo Slow compared to my Older 600X.

[RealBlackStuff]

Try playing Spider Solitaire instead, I don't see any lagging in that on a T23.

[SMA]

If everything else is fine then there is only the Solitare programmer to blame.
Getting the timing right - to everyones liking - is one of the tuffer parts in games programming.
Could it be that the 600x you are referring is running a Windows version different from XP?

[beecee]

Thanks again to RealBlackStuff & SMA for trying to help.

It is actually Spider Solitaire that I'm running. (Sorry, I didn't make that clear).

Both Systems are running Xp Pro (v 2002)

I could deal the Cards quicker myself, & when I complete a Suite, it just drearily stacks the cards.

I had a T23 a year or so ago & that did the same.

Like I've said before, it performs admirably in every other way for an 'Old' Laptop.

Internet, Word Processing, Playing Music & Dvd's etc is a breeze.

I've even copied the solitaire file (C:\Windows\System32\spider.exe) from my Desktop & from the 600X to the T23 without any Luck.

I guess we've exhausted this Topic now.

Thanks again to everyone.

[RealBlackStuff]

Go into the Spider Solitaire Options and UNtick every option, then play it again.
On my T23 (1GB RAM, 1.13GHz CPU, XP-Pro/SP3) it flies!

[beecee]

Thanks RealBlackStuff.

Unticking everything in Options did the trick

It's the 'Use Sound Effects' that causes the game to really slow down

Like you said, it flies really now

I have since enabled 'Animate when dealing cards' without any speed loss

The Audio driver in 'Device Manager' is (Crystal WDM Audio Codec) & I have reset the Speakers to Stereo Laptop.

At least I can play my favourite game now, thanks to the people here on the Forum

I think this case is closed now...........

Unless anyone knows how I can have the Speed & Sound ???????

Thanks everyone.