Brand New Laptop, Windows 8, Start Up Error?

**mas8394** · March 30, 2013, 12:34 AM

I'm sure this is somewhere in the forums but I'm tired of searching and googling. I just got the new Alienware M17X laptop but with Windows 8. I just installed Medieval Total War 2, Gold Edition (kingdoms, etc) and prepared to reinstall Westeros, Game of Thrones (submod to Westeros) and The Third Age. I installed Westeros, clicked in it to play it... And it said I had my graphics set too high. I went into all the regular Medieval Total War 2 games, the regular Grand campaign and the expansions games, and got the same error. "M2TW Graphics Error... Because graphics set too high.... Lower graphics..." I can't lower the graphics because I can't even get into the game, not too mention I am 100% certain that this laptop can handle the game - so is this solely a Windows 8 problem?

P.S. I also can't get it to start in full screen, only partial.

**mas8394** · March 30, 2013, 12:35 AM

The Forum won't let me put my dxdiag in spoilers, for what ever reason, but you can check out the M17 at alienware.com to get a glimpse at the laptop specs.

**irishron** · March 30, 2013, 05:58 AM

For starters, install the latest graphics drivers from www.nvidia.com an d in Nvidia Control Panel, be sure the game's profile is set for High Performance, and not auto, power saving or some other ungaming BS setting.

DVD or Steam or other version?

**irishron** · March 30, 2013, 05:59 AM

For starters, install the latest graphics drivers from www.nvidia.com an d in Nvidia Control Panel, be sure the game's profile is set for High Performance, and not auto, power saving or some other ungaming BS setting.

DVD or Steam or other version?

**n1njaloanthi** · April 01, 2013, 12:06 AM

I also bought a new laptop recently (asus n56vz-1as4). I can get into the game, but it lags terribly. I can play empire, napoleon or shogun 2 on ultra setting so its not my laptop's strength causing this issue. I installed newest nvidia driver and I have the DVD version of the game.

Can anyone help me?

P/S: sorry for my bad English

**irishron** · April 01, 2013, 06:04 AM

Originally Posted by n1njaloanthi

I also bought a new laptop recently (asus n56vz-1as4). I can get into the game, but it lags terribly. I can play empire, napoleon or shogun 2 on ultra setting so its not my laptop's strength causing this issue. I installed newest nvidia driver and I have the DVD version of the game.

Can anyone help me?

P/S: sorry for my bad English

Post your dxdiag.

**n1njaloanthi** · April 01, 2013, 08:27 AM

What's happening with TWC? I cant post my dxdiag in spoiler tag. I have just bought this laptop two days ago: core i5-3210m, 8gb ram ddr3 1600mhz, vga 2gb ddr3 geforce gt 650m, windows 8, hdd 750gb 7200rpm. So what can i do? Should I buy a steam version of the game?

**irishron** · April 01, 2013, 08:39 AM

Win 8? Brand new?

1. Activate your copy of Win 8 and run Windows Update manually installing all software options.
2. www.nvidia.com for the latest graphics drivers unless Acer has them proprietary.
3. Nvidia Control Panel and be sure the game's profile is set for High Performance, not auto, power saving, or some other BS.
4. Consider lowering your graphics settings. The game is ancient by today's standards.

**irishron** · April 01, 2013, 08:39 AM

Win 8? Brand new?

1. Activate your copy of Win 8 and run Windows Update manually installing all software options.
2. www.nvidia.com for the latest graphics drivers unless Acer has them proprietary.
3. Nvidia Control Panel and be sure the game's profile is set for High Performance, not auto, power saving, or some other BS.
4. Consider lowering your graphics settings. The game is ancient by today's standards.

**n1njaloanthi** · April 01, 2013, 08:48 AM

I even set all to low and the problem still exists. All drivers were installed. If the game was considered ancient by today's standard then it should run smoothly even at the highest setting. I can play Shogun 2 at ultra setting (directx 11) (~35-40 fps).

**irishron** · April 01, 2013, 09:08 AM

1. The game is XP exclusive. That's 2003 release even if ti's writtten with Visual Studio 2005. Ancient.
2. The game only uses one core of that i5 and everything including the proverbial kitchen sink before either the graphics part of the i5 or the 650m ever see the first byte of graphics. If it's going to bottleneck, odds are here you are.
3. ETW and S2 are made to use Optimus a little bit. M2 predates it by a few years and will never catch up.
4. The 650m is worse than my old 9800GT.
5. It would even lag on my 9800GT.

**irishron** · April 01, 2013, 09:09 AM

1. The game is XP exclusive. That's 2003 release even if ti's writtten with Visual Studio 2005. Ancient.
2. The game only uses one core of that i5 and everything including the proverbial kitchen sink before either the graphics part of the i5 or the 650m ever see the first byte of graphics. If it's going to bottleneck, odds are here you are.
3. ETW and S2 are made to use Optimus a little bit. M2 predates it by a few years and will never catch up.
4. The 650m is worse than my old 9800GT.
5. It would even lag on my 9800GT.

**n1njaloanthi** · April 01, 2013, 10:01 AM

My old VGA was a gigabyte 9800gt 512 mb ddr3 and it never lag. It looks like I was just unlucky

**n1njaloanthi** · April 01, 2013, 10:33 AM

sorry to be a bother, but I have just found out the solution for my problem: my laptop has two VGA - one HD Graphic 4000 and one Gt650m. If I right click on the game icon and choose "run with high performance nvidia processor" and not "run with intergrated graphic (default)" then the game ran smoothly. This may be the solution for the owner of this topic as well. Again, sorry for being a bother irishron :">