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  1. #1
    Player AtrixWolfe's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2011
    Posts
    76
    Character
    Verda
    World
    Bahamut
    Main Class
    SMN Lv 99

    Gaming Laptops don't register FFXI as a game

    Details:
    Reference threads on ffxiah, mine is the first.
    http://www.ffxiah.com/forum/topic/45...ptop-terrible/
    http://www.ffxiah.com/forum/topic/44...ominator-help/

    Summary is I have this laptop: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16834152594

    My laptop and other "gaming laptops" often use two video cards. A high end gaming one, and an integrated one for saving battery power. In some, like mine, they even work together in technology like Optimus. Meaning you can not simply disable the onboard card in BIOS. You have to use it and it helps your performance even in game.

    The issue is, it doesn't "kick into gaming mode" when FFXI is open resulting in very poor frame rates especially for the resolution of my screen. It has two methods of doing this. Auto detect which works most the time, and manually assigning it per program or globally to run the nvidia card.

    The problem is even doing it manually for "All Playonline Games" in the nvidia control panel doesn't have any effect it doesn't show up in my list of applications that my high end gpu is using (which can be monitored with the nvidia control panel under Desktop -> Display GPU activity Icon and it will show which programs are using it).

    I have tried turning it on globally as well. The number of applications using it doesn't change. (You would think that firefox would show up in this case but it doesn't).

    I have contacted the manufacturer. Here is my correspondence with them in which they instruct me to talk to you:

    MSI Tech. 01/17/2015 if problem does not persists under other games and only with this game then you may need to contact the game manufacturer for more suggestions.
    End User 01/17/2015 #3 I have already done. And tried to make work. I even tried doing it global (for all programs). It still doesn't show in my GPU activity (under desktop in the nvidia control panel). FFXI starts through play online, as a dll. There is "All Play Online Games" and that's what you're supposed to use but it doesn't work. Installed #1 no different, but FFXI is directx 8 and that was a patch for directX 9. #2 is an old version of the play online viewer... way out of date. And the one packaged with the 2013 expansion "Adoulin" is compatible with windows 8. As can be seen at the bottom of the page here: http://store.steampowered.com/app/230330/ under minimum system requirements. Some have said certain driver versions fix this and others don't but all my experimentation this hasn't been true. The only way to "force" it to use the nvidia card isn't working. And turning on the nvidia card globally isn't working.
    MSI Tech. 01/16/2015 FAQ links: http://www.msi.com/faq/nb-1095.html http://service.msicomputer.com/msi_u...px?formid=2927 http://support.na.square-enix.com/fa...aqtop&c=4&sc=0
    End User 01/16/2015 Final Fantasy XI won't use the GeForce card. As a result the game runs at a very bad FPS rate. This has been a problem well documented. http://www.ffxiah.com/forum/topic/44...elp/1/#2796688 And even on ati cards of other laptops: http://www.ffxiah.com/forum/topic/44...ormance-gpu-on It makes one of my most played games unplayable and is a serious issue for me. Even setting global (all applications) to use the highend card has no result. The gpu activity never shows FFXI, or play online. Or much else like my web browser either. I have tried older drivers and the latest both. I can't get it to function after several hours of trying to force it to use the GPU. I even tried disabling the integrated card but know that isn't possible due to Optimus.

    Date & Time: 1/20/2015
    Frequency: Constant
    Platform: Windows 8.1
    PC Manufacturer & Model Number: MSI Ghost Pro 3k
    OS: Windows 8.1
    Graphics Card: NVIDIA GTX860M
    ISP: Skybeam
    Type of Internet Connection: Radio Tower
    (0)
    Last edited by AtrixWolfe; 01-21-2015 at 02:15 PM. Reason: better title

  2. #2
    Player
    Join Date
    Mar 2011
    Posts
    453
    what is your frame rate? the game caps it at 30 FPS.
    (0)

  3. #3
    Player AtrixWolfe's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2011
    Posts
    76
    Character
    Verda
    World
    Bahamut
    Main Class
    SMN Lv 99
    8 FPS to 28 FPS averaging 21 FPS unless in combat then 12 to 18 FPS. This same laptop however can run Skyrim at the max settings and get over 30 FPS and this game is less demanding, it is just not using the nvidia card, only the integrated intel one which is meant to save battery power.
    (0)