DirectX 10 hardware causes blackout
#1
So, I'm running PCSX2 on a windows bootcamp partition on a mid-2008 macbook (4gb ram, intel core 2 duo 2.4gz, integrated gpu). Yes, I know, it's too slow to run things consistently at 60 fps, but I've been able to run the games I've wanted to play (JRPGs), so it's been good enough.

I had been running XP/Leopard for a long time, then just recently upgraded to Win 7x64/Lion. Under XP I could only use DirectX9, and I could use either hardware mode or software. Running 7, it gave me options for 9 and 10, hardware or software. I originally used 0.9.7, but I upgraded to 0.9.8 before the OS switch, and that's been working out quite well (noticeable performance improvement).

9 hard & soft both work fine. 10 soft works fine. But if I select 10 hardware, the entire screen of my laptop blacks out. At first I thought the whole computer had crashed, but when I tried switching during the Persona 3 FES theme video, the sound stuttered along as though at 15 fps. Sometimes PCSX2 warns that the plugins failed to load, but sometimes it doesn't. I tried reinstalling, to no avail, and setting the speedhack default slider to 1 didn't help either. I've played a little bit, it seems to be working--maybe a little better than under 9 hard/xp, but it's hard to say--but if I can make x10 hardware work, that'd obvs be better.

Ideas?

Also, my save states from before my OS upgrade (but after 0.9.8 upgrade) won't load: 'unexpected end of file or stream encountered. File is probably truncated or corrupted.' ...So, is it:

1)The files *actually* got corrupted somewhere between the wincloning and the OS upgrading?
2)With the OS difference, PCSX2 is meaningfully different and unable to load previous save states, even though it's still 0.9.8 on both XP and Win 7
or
3)something else entirely?

My memcard saves aren't *so* far back that I'm doomed if I can't get my sstates to work, but it'd be nice if there's a way to fix it!
Reply

Sponsored links

#2
I know windows 7 has DirectX 11 built in but it's sounds like some of your DirectX 10 is incomplete.
Try this http://www.microsoft.com/download/en/det...px?id=8109 and reinstall your DirectX.
Edit: Look up your gpu. It could be that it just doesn't support DirectX 10 as well. This could explain why only software mode works. Good luck.
Reply
#3
(09-22-2011, 08:01 AM)Hellraiseradio Wrote: I know windows 7 has DirectX 11 built in but it's sounds like some of your DirectX 10 is incomplete.
Try this http://www.microsoft.com/download/en/det...px?id=8109 and reinstall your DirectX.
Edit: Look up your gpu. It could be that it just doesn't support DirectX 10 as well. This could explain why only software mode works. Good luck.

Intel GMA X3100, which is directx 10 compatible. >.> [Intel GMA X3100 graphics processor with 144MB of DDR2 SDRAM shared with main memory, if that matters.]

There's a config program through the bootcamp drivers, which are up to date, but I don't understand any of the "3d settings" well enough to know what, if anything, to change.
Reply
#4
(09-22-2011, 08:50 AM)mayhemtea Wrote: Intel GMA X3100, which is directx 10 compatible. >.> [Intel GMA X3100 graphics processor with 144MB of DDR2 SDRAM shared with main memory, if that matters.]

There's a config program through the bootcamp drivers, which are up to date, but I don't understand any of the "3d settings" well enough to know what, if anything, to change.

From wiki so not sure if the info is correct:

GMA X3000

The GMA X3000 for desktop was "substantially redesigned" when compared to previous GMA iterations[8] and it is used in the Intel G965 north bridge controller.[9] The GMA X3000 was launched in July 2006.[10] X3000's underlying 3D rendering hardware is organized as a unified shader processor consisting of 8 scalar execution units. Each pipeline can process video, vertex, or texture operations. A central scheduler dynamically dispatches threads to pipeline resources, to maximize rendering throughput (and decrease the impact of individual pipeline stalls.) However, due to the scalar nature of the execution units, they can only process data on a single pixel component at a time.[11] The GMA X3000 supports DirectX 9.0 with vertex and pixel Shader Model 3.0 features.

The processor consists of different clock domains, meaning that the entire chip does not operate the same clock speed. This causes some difficulty when measuring peak throughput of its various functions. Further adding to the confusion, it is listed as 667 MHz in Intel G965 white paper, but listed as 400 MHz in Intel G965 datasheet. There are various rules that define the IGP's processing capabilities.[11]

Memory controller can now address maximum 384 MB memory according to white paper, but only 256 MB in datasheet.
[edit]
GMA X3100

o The GMA X3100 is the mobile version of the GMA X3000 used in the Intel GL960/GM965 chipsets and also in the GS965 chipset. The X3100 supports hardware transform and lighting, up to 128 programmable shader units, and up to 384 MB memory. Its display cores can run up to 333 MHz on GM965 and 320 MHz on GL960. Its render cores can run up to 500 MHz on GM965 and 400 MHz on GL960. The X3100 display unit includes a 300 MHz RAMDAC, two 25–112 MHz LVDS transmitters, 2 DVO encoders, and a TV encoder. In addition, the hardware supports DirectX 10.0,[3] Shader Model 3.0 and OpenGL 1.5.[12]
Reply
#5
Err... it is directX 10 compatible... but it's not. Actually it's very feature incomplete and therefore causes issues (not just on PCSX2, but ANY directX 10 capable game, in fact most games will default to DX9 pathways if they detect an intel chipset)

The issue is your integrated graphics... You can try updating the drivers for it, but it's still likely to be slow and buggy. PCSX2 needs a modern mid-range video card to run well.
[Image: 2748844.png]
Reply
#6
Tried installing the redist, to no avail. And ecchiless, that does indeed say that it's directx 10 compatible, no? The settings I don't understand (and am therefore not messing with atm) are "asynchronous flip," "force s3tc texture compression," "anisotropic filtering," and similarly arcane things; the only not-totally-arcane-sounding-one(to-me) is "driver memory footprint," but I don't actually know what to do with it, either.
Reply
#7
(09-22-2011, 09:30 AM)Koji Wrote: Err... it is directX 10 compatible... but it's not. Actually it's very feature incomplete and therefore causes issues (not just on PCSX2, but ANY directX 10 capable game, in fact most games will default to DX9 pathways if they detect an intel chipset)

The issue is your integrated graphics... You can try updating the drivers for it, but it's still likely to be slow and buggy. PCSX2 needs a modern mid-range video card to run well.

I mean, it runs well *enough* that, for me, the question is how to make it run as well as I can on the hardware I have.

It's my impression that upgrading my graphics card without buying a new computer is impossible, so should I just stick to dx10 software mode /dx9 hardware, or is there a way I could make dx10 hardware mode work? Tried updating drivers, to no avail.

EDIT: thanks for the explanation though. I was confused since it said dx10 compatible...
Reply
#8
The short answer is yes. Your gpus features are just incomplete when it comes to DX10 unfortunately.
Reply
#9
Just try playing with directX 9 Tongue2. Also, intel gpu's have been always been problematic.
[Image: recodersignature2.png]
Reply
#10
Thanks everyone. *sigh* Well, seems like I'll switch between 9 hard and 10 soft.

[kicks 2008 self for not getting MBP instead of MB]
Reply




Users browsing this thread: 1 Guest(s)