A laptop running WinXP with a no-name embedded graphics chipset is a very bad legacy gaming platform. Have you tried running GTA8?

http://www.intel.com/design/chipsets/mobile/830.htm

The second is the 830M chipset which includes Intel's next generation performance oriented integrated graphics controller, featuring Intel® Graphics Technology, as well as external AGP2X/4X graphics support

Doesn't sound too hot....

http://support.intel.co.jp/support/graphics/intel830m/

http://support.intel.co.jp/support/graphics/i … 830m/tti002.htm

Don't see 24bit in here....

Snover wrote:

A laptop running WinXP with a no-name embedded graphics chipset is a very bad legacy gaming platform. Have you tried running GTA8?

GTA8 works, but the main screen with all the players and cities is all distorted, 24-bit still says no vesa mode detected

It might be worthy to check and see if DOS Glide emulation works properly on your laptop at all. If you can try downloading the demo for "Extreme Assault" at http://www.bluebyte.net/eng/products/extreme- … ssault/demo.htm (12 Megs)

Then try running it with GliDOS.

Nicht Sehr Gut wrote:

It might be worthy to check and see if DOS Glide emulation works properly on your laptop at all. If you can try downloading the demo for "Extreme Assault" at http://www.bluebyte.net/eng/products/extreme- … ssault/demo.htm (12 Megs)

Then try running it with GliDOS.

I just tryed it, the normal xa.exe wont work at all and neither does xa_3dfx!!

Originally posted by Unregistered I just tryed it, the normal xa.exe wont work at all and neither does xa_3dfx!!

The plain xa.exe isn't working for you outside of GliDOS? Not good. Even if you can't get a VESA screen, it should still display VGA. Try disabling audio completely and see it will startup then. Does CHECKVGA.BAT fail everything?

Nicht Sehr Gut wrote:

The plain xa.exe isn't working for you outside of GliDOS? Not good. Even if you can't get a VESA screen, it should still display VGA. Try disabling audio completely and see it will startup then. Does CHECKVGA.BAT fail everything?

I've tried checkvga.bat, it crashed with a blank screen on its first try!
but blood and duke3d work fine! and at 640x480, why not GTA or XA?

Originally posted by Unregistered I've tried checkvga.bat, it crashed with a blank screen on its first try!

If you re-run the .BAT it should display a list of resolutions and indicate what test caused the crash, then ask if you want to test it again. (Pass on that)

...but blood and duke3d work fine! and at 640x480, why not GTA or XA?

Unknown. Were you using NOLFB with them?

Nicht Sehr Gut wrote:

If you re-run the .BAT it should display a list of resolutions and indicate what test caused the crash, then ask if you want to test it again. (Pass on that)

The test just comes up with a blank screen on the first test.
320x200, no linear frame buffer

Nonono, dude. It should say what is causing it to crash on the screen that you select a test from. We need to know that.

Originally posted by Snover It should say what is causing it to crash on the screen that you select a test from.

Actually, it doesn't give details. Simply a list of screenmodes, what it will test next, and (if that mode crashed previously) a warning that this mode previously caused a crash (with the option of skipping that particular test).

In any case, if what he said is true, it's very bad. 320x200 with no LFB is very basic video. If his video chipset is choking on that, he probably will have no end of trouble with DOS titles.

OK, im not sure how but I've got most of the resolutions working, but when it runs 640x480, its all distorted but DOS says it works, so i always get a distorted screen!!

Weeeeeeeird. Does 800x600 work okay, then, or is that not tested by this utility? (I haven't run it myself 😒)

Originally posted by Snover Does 800x600 work okay, then, or is that not tested by this utility?

It should test all the way up to 1024x768 capacity (the 3dfx version is 640x480 only, I believe).

Hrmm...need to choose a good low-level VESA tester.

I forgot to mention anything above 640x480 just says vesa not supported? (damn acer make shitty laptops! if it didnt belong to a friend i'd break it!)

While it may be shitty. (Never used it) You shouldn't say that. In the future there will be no VESA most likely (at least not in it's current incarnation). Then where will we be? Emulation will be the future.

The point is just because something doesn't support something else doesn't mean that it is shitty. It just doesn't support it.

No, Acer sucks. 😜

Hey you wont have to worry your silly head about your gta problem since rockstar games released it for free and updated it to run on modern operating systems. 😁 http://www.rockstargames.com/classics/

Edit: nevermind it doesn't offer any kind of hardware exceleration. To top it off i think it uses 8bit textures and runs heck of slow with my radeon.

I H8 ACER! 24-bit color should still work! but it doesnt!!!!!!!!