Star Wars: The Old Republic is one of the most anticipated releases in recent memory. The game will be released on 12.20.11 and is currently undergoing final beta testing. For a second weekend, I have been chosen to participate in the beta. Unfortunately, my system is just a shade under the minimum requirements, which are:
Processor:
AMD Athlon 64 X2 Dual-Core 4000+ or better
Intel Core 2 Duo Processor 2.0GHz or betterOperating System:
Windows XP or later
RAM:
Windows XP: 1.5GB RAM
Windows Vista and Windows 7: 2GB RAM
Note: PCs using a built-in graphical chipset are recommended to have 2GB of RAM.Video Card:
Star Wars: The Old Republic requires a video card that has a minimum of 256MB of on-board RAM as well as support for Shader 3.0 or better. Examples include:
ATI X1800 or better
nVidia 7800 or better
Intel 4100 Integrated Graphics or betterDVD-ROM drive – 8x speed or better (required for installation from physical editions only)
Internet connection required to play.
Everything I have meets the requirements with the exception of the video. My system has a Nvidia GeForce 6150SE nForce 430 built in. I need to upgrade, but I need to do that without breaking the bank. I’m open for your suggestions.
A little bit about the game itself. I’ve been a fan of the Star Wars franchise since the first film was released in 1977. Those of you who have only lived in the world of multi-plex theaters have missed out. The original film was amazing on a truly big screen. The opening credits and iconic introductory scroll were enough to let you know you were in for an experience. EA has brought those elements to the game. As you can imagine, the in-game cinematics are exceptional.
Typical of an MMORPG, the first step is creating your character. There are four classes for each of the two factions, The Republic and The Sith. For the Republic you can choose to be a Trooper, Smuggler, Jedi Knight, or Jedi Consular. The Sith classes are Bounty Hunter, Sith Warrior, Imperial Agent, or Sith Inquisitor. I chose to be a Smuggler. At this point you can also modify the look of your character. Then it’s on to your first adventure.
Even after dumbing down the settings as much as possible, the lag on my inadequate system was tremendous. Creating my Smuggler was a test of patience. I had to be very slow to focus on and change any of the attributes. Once into the game, the lag was even worse. If I haven’t done so already, let me make it clear once again. I am not faulting the game in any way. I know that my system isn’t up for it. I did manage to get “on the ground” and start to move around. I just didn’t have any control. I’d try to turn and wouldn’t go anywhere. I try a longer turn and end up doing a 180. Let’s face it friends, I need to upgrade to play this.
I do have some friends that have also been invited to this weekend’s beta party. Friends with better gaming systems. I’m anxious to hear their thoughts, and I’ll be sure to pass them along.
Have any of you participated in the testing? Let us hear from you in the comments.
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#1 by zaphod on December 14, 2011 - 8:09 pm
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I had the exact same problem with the same graphics card. the nvidia GEforce 6150SE just wasn’t quite enough. What you are describing is EXACTLY what I was going through too. Funny thing is that the 6150SE isnt that bad of a card. It played Rift,WoW,etc… pretty decent. Once Cataclysm came out I did have to play it on the lowest settings but it did fine, even on raid bosses like Alysrazor. So I went to Best buy and picked up a $200 nvidia graphics card with a $80 power supply, had them install it, and SWTOR runs perfect at pretty high settings.