sis661fx 'Unsupported Video Card...'

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highe5

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Hi

I've just installed and started playing hl2, but every time I start the game, I get an error message saying 'Unsupported Video Card'. The game also crashes, and I have noticed that so far this seems to happen at the auto-save points of the game.

These are my specs:

Windows XP pro (SP1)
512MB RAM
x86 3000 Mhz
sis 661fx version 6.14.10.3770 (which I recently downloaded from sis)

I have checked the support pages and done everything including the msconfig changes (ie starting hl2 with nothing running in the background) and my Norton firewall is fine.

I notice the the sis 661fx is not on the list of supported video cards for hl2. Does this mean I have to look for a new video card and if so which one is recommended and how do I go about it? (sorry, although I am pretty PC savvy, I am new to the gaming world).

Any help would be greatly appreciated!
 
Generally, graphics cards made in the last 2-3 years should run HL2 no problem. However don't be fooled in thinking that a 40 dollar/pound GPU will be able to play the game fine, there are other things that need to be taken into consideration.

If you want some help, provide information on the country where you live

and/or

The amount you wish to spend on a new graphics card

in the mean time, download the latest version of PCWizard and see if its possible to find out information on the type of motherboard and/or graphics capabilities (PCI only, AGP x4/8, PCI-E etc)

The PSU power output could be useful as well, as some graphics cards require more juice than others
 
Thanks for your comments - I did think that because my PC (Pentium 4) is only about 2 years old, it seemed weird that I was having problems.

My brother (who is definitely not PC minded, and who would have definitely got a bog-standard PC package without an extra video card) was the one who recommmended half-life 2 to me, so if it's working on his PC, I see no reason why I should have to fork out for something extra to play the game.

I am based in the UK, but, if forced to shell out for something, would not want to pay anything more than the bare minimum to get the game playable - ie, I'm not looking for an award-winning set-up!

I know this might be an infinitley open-ended question, but what else should I be checking in my system before thinking about opening my wallet? - I've got the latest Direct X 9c installed and have updated my sis 661fx video driver.

(PS - I've only just re-fromatted and re-installed XP pro on my PC due to USB driver conflicts causing the 'USB Device Not Recognised' error message and stopping my printer from being seen, a problem which, incidentally has not yet been resolved0
 
Having a pentium 4 3GHz isn't that bad. The two crucial areas I would look into is RAM and the GPU, but as you said, the GPU is the most important of the two.

The thing that is important when upgrading is whether or not your computer can support the GPU. This is mainly down to the graphics slot you have on your computer, and the power supply unit's power output.

-The two possible graphics slot types you have is either x8 AGP (being phased out by PCI-e) or a PCI-e (The next generation graphics slot).

-The Power Supply Unit is another factor. The best way to find out its power output is by opening the PC case and observing what value the PSU has been given. Its not uncommon to have a PSU with 400W of power within the last 2 years.


ATi and nvidia are the top two companies developing graphics cards, so purchasing a card from either company is your best bet at getting some play value.

If you decide to buy a graphics card, avoid Maplins like a plague, they usually put an extra 40% on the value of graphics cards.
 
highe5 said:
My brother (who is definitely not PC minded, and who would have definitely got a bog-standard PC package without an extra video card) was the one who recommmended half-life 2 to me, so if it's working on his PC, I see no reason why I should have to fork out for something extra to play the game.
Click to expand...
Yes, why would you have to have a graphics card to play the game that re-defined the FPS genre, and set the bar for in-game graphics. What a rip-off. Developers just expect too much from gamers these days. If they can't give me photo-realistic graphics, superb physics, and make it all run on my 5-year-old calculator, then they shouldn't be making games, because "I see no reason why I should have to fork out for something extra to play the game".
 
Can you run other Source games, if you have any?
 
This is the first Source game I have tried (not that I know exactly what is involved in a Souyrce game!)

I will definitely NOT be spending any money on a graphics card just yet. I will put up with the occasional crashing until such time as I start pulling my hair out or being tempted to throw the PC out of the window!!!
 
highe5 said:
This is the first Source game I have tried (not that I know exactly what is involved in a Souyrce game!)

I will definitely NOT be spending any money on a graphics card just yet. I will put up with the occasional crashing until such time as I start pulling my hair out or being tempted to throw the PC out of the window!!!
Click to expand...
"I will NOT be upgrading from my Model T Ford car! I will just expect it to cruise at 100km/h on the highway, like today's cars! And when it doesn't, I will get frustrated that my 100 year-old technology won't keep up with today's technology, pull my hair out and complain to you about it! I'm so confused!"
 
Don't get me wrong, Shasta, I'm a great believer in upgrading as the technology around us upgrades, but let's be realistic here rather than nerdish - this is a game that SHOULD be playable on a Pentium 4 running at 3GHz with 1.5Gig of RAM - I don't think it's unreasonable to expect to be able to run the game on that kind of system without getting caught up in this adolescent upgrade addiction that pushes us all to spend more and more on addons, etc !!!

(PS - I'm sure you ARE a god!)
 
Well Highe, while a Pentium 4 3Ghz with 1.5GB RAM is indeed sufficient to play Half-Life 2, you would get graphics the quality of Half-Life 1. Dedicated graphics cards were brought into the hardware scene for a reason. Now, a (now low-range) graphics card such as an ATI Radeon 9800XT (which is pretty cheap nowadays) with the rest of your hardware will be able to run HL2 at high settings without stutters. Personally I would go for an ATI Radeon 800 (PRO/XT/XL), which is a slightly older card (about a year old or so) but is very powerful. The nVidia nForce 6 series (6xxx, example: 6600GT or 6800GTX) cards are also very powerful and very cheap (but make sure you have decent cooling because those babies radiate heat :D).

I've gotten my computer at the beginning of the entire graphic card run, and it's about 4.5 years old now. When prices for Intel Quad Cores start to drop and DirectX 10 cards fall down to reasonable prices, I'll get myself a new one. Your spendings pretty much depend on how much graphical prowess you want and how efficient one is with money :p
 
Hi Beerdude26, and many thanks for the useful advise and explanation - I will definitely bear that in mind.

Actually, the graphics themselves in the game run very smoothly (although I do appreciate that what I'm seeing now might not be necessarily as good as what I would be seeing with a better graphics card), it's just when the game gets to the auto-save stages of the game, it seizes. (Incidentally, when I force-quit and then reload the game, it does save the stage I got to.)

Anyway, if & when I upgrade, your post will be the first port of call!
 
There can be many reasons for that. You've got all the latest video and sound drivers?
 
that would be a good choice for the lower class pc, yes.

if you don't want to shell out that much money but only play the game in rather in medium to high settings in a res like 800x600 without AA you can as well go with a card like this:

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Radeon-9600-P...ryZ27387QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

i had a similar card a while ago and played through hl2 just fine with a setup like yours.
 
3ssence said:
Unfortunately the rest of the time Shasta just appears to be a complete arse. I guess that is the price you pay for being SO witty.
Click to expand...
No, that's the price you pay for always being right. It makes people like you feel inferior and so the self-loathing and jealousy rises within you, until you lash out at me. Oh well. You're just some kid on the other side of the world. Just add me to your list of people that don't care about your opinion.

Have a great day.
 
Ok, nerds, prepare to eat humble pie !!! Remember the 'God'-like Shasta harping on about the adolescent need to consantly upgrade, upgrade, upgrade...

Well, it seems my 'Model T Ford car' seems to be fast enough after all:

http://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?t=228067

Remember folks, it's not the size of your graphics card that's important, it's what you do with it.

...Oh, and yes, my HF2 now runs fantastically on my entry-level, insignificant motherboard without a dedicated graphics card...
 
highe5]Ok said:
I will definitely NOT be spending any money on a graphics card just yet. I will put up with the occasional crashing until such time as I start pulling my hair out or being tempted to throw the PC out of the window!!!
Click to expand...

I was clearly mocking your claim to refuse to update your computer. Idiot.
 
Shasta said:
No, that's the price you pay for always being right. It makes people like you feel inferior and so the self-loathing and jealousy rises within you, until you lash out at me. Oh well. You're just some kid on the other side of the world. Just add me to your list of people that don't care about your opinion.

Have a great day.
Click to expand...

Lol, some 24 year old kid, idd. There's being right and then there's being downright arrogant and rude. Oh, the jealousy and loathing rising as i type, i cannot contain it any longer.... You don't need to care about my opinion as chances are you can't read it as your head is inserted so far up your own backside.

:)

Have a good day
 
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