SH3 and Vista

[Johnfb]

Is it possible to run SH3 on Vista?

Is there a patch or something that can make it compatible?


My reason for asking is:
I was about to use the 1.4 patch and GWX on my XP macine but it is old and just about has the min requirements on it. With the upgrad I fear it will run like a pig after the upgrade so I dont want to bother and then it will not run correctly.

I could run it on my laptop...but this has vista


Any ideas?

Thanks in advance
John

Get the SH2 SH3 combination from Amazon.
It's realy cheap.
You don't have to install or play SH2.
There is no Starforce, thus it works well on my Vista.

It's also modded and improved quite a bit from the original release.

I would not recommend a laptop for SH3 though.

[Johnfb]

Thanks for the answer

It's always a pleasure.

[desirableroasted]

I run SH3 GWX on Vista, and it runs 5x5. No hitches.

[Johnfb]

Originally Posted by desirableroasted

I run SH3 GWX on Vista, and it runs 5x5. No hitches.

Really? I have vista 32 home .
Should I give it a spin even though it is on a lap top...I have run other games on it with no graphics issues.
Is there a patch for this ??

Getting excited here

[Gargamel]

Well, without us physically picking up your laptop, shaking it, kicking it's tires, we can't answer your question.

Yes it runs on Vista.

Install it and GWX and see if it works.

IF it don't, it don't.

If it does, it does.

[Johnfb]

Originally Posted by Gargamel

Well, without us physically picking up your laptop, shaking it, kicking it's tires, we can't answer your question.

Yes it runs on Vista.

Install it and GWX and see if it works.

IF it don't, it don't.

If it does, it does.

Yeah, have to agree with ya on that...I will give it a lash and see what happens...cheers

[Johnfb]

Didn't work...

[desirableroasted]

I've never gotten SH3 to run on a laptop, but I am sure that is a function of the vidcard, not the OS.

[Johnfb]

I got it working in vista 32.
The original problem was that SF was needed to let the disc run.

I downloaded the SF patch from their website.

SH3 loaded and ran.

However...and there always is one:

The graphics card is not strong enough to run properly on it ...jerky as Fu*k.

So I uninstalled it as it wasn't worth the hassle of looking at it jerking at almost each frame.

Scenes with simple graphics like the captins log were perfect but in the com tower ...feggidaboutit...

Still I am happy that I sorted it out...albeit the lap top wouldn't handle the graphics.

Never mind, back to the 4 year old desktop with xp, not great but useable


John

[Tessa]

Originally Posted by desirableroasted

I've never gotten SH3 to run on a laptop, but I am sure that is a function of the vidcard, not the OS.

A laptop can work well as long as it has a discrete video card and not an integrated one. No matter how beefy or # of cores your cpu has it can't make up for a POS integrated graphics card. If you use the MS experience benchmark you need to score at least a 4.0 in (both) graphics in order for it to have a chance of running well.

I don't even use my desktop anymore as it has the same video card as my laptop does (an ATI 4650) and runs an average of 80-100 fps, or 15-25 in massively congested slowdown areas. Only downside with the laptop is having to use a special cooling pad that I set the laptop on top of to help dissipate the heat faster; running SH for a few hours eventually keeps the internal fans maxed out on a laptop and makes it hot to handle.

[Johnfb]

Originally Posted by Tessa

A laptop can work well as long as it has a discrete video card and not an integrated one. No matter how beefy or # of cores your cpu has it can't make up for a POS integrated graphics card. If you use the MS experience benchmark you need to score at least a 4.0 in (both) graphics in order for it to have a chance of running well.

I don't even use my desktop anymore as it has the same video card as my laptop does (an ATI 4650) and runs an average of 80-100 fps, or 15-25 in massively congested slowdown areas. Only downside with the laptop is having to use a special cooling pad that I set the laptop on top of to help dissipate the heat faster; running SH for a few hours eventually keeps the internal fans maxed out on a laptop and makes it hot to handle.

What do you think would be a good graphics card to use?

Thanks
JOhn

[kvbrock82]

I run a heavily modded SH3 on my 2 year old laptop with vista.. its a dell studio 15 which i believe has an 8600 nvidea card which is mediocre at best. I cannot use the FMinteriors mod though as it bogs everything down like hell, but otherwise, its very smooth unless im in a congested port. I run it at its resident 1042 reslution and amp up the Anti-Aliasing.

I did the following:

-Install SH3 (you should try and imstall it outside program files directory, though mine would crash the second i try to change folder)
-Download starforce patch
-update to version 1.4b
-install GWX
-begin adding mods

Getting it to run properly was quite a headache, but eventually got everything running fine.

Tessa is right about the heat though. Preferably play it with the laptops's cooling vent wide open or expect it to crash, as happened to me last night while chasing a convoy.

Regarding your question of what GFX card to use, forget upgrading your laptops card. It would help if you posted your specs..

[Gargamel]

Originally Posted by Johnfb

What do you think would be a good graphics card to use?

Thanks
JOhn

Well, since it's nearly impossible to switch out v-cards on laptops, not much you can really do.

I run an 'older' 7800GTX on my desktop and it does fine. There are many programs that others use to speed up the gameplay, but for starters you can just up the priority of SH3.exe in the task manager.