Video problem on Windows 7

[timxtg]

Hi Everyone

I am having problems with the graphics on a new laptop from eBay which has Windows 7 on it. However, I do not have these problems with an old desktop computer that I have with Windows XP on it.

The specs of both computers are as follows:

Old Computer:
Model: Dell Vostro 420
CPU: Intel Core2 Quad CPU Q8200 2.33GHz
RAM: 2GB
OS: Windows XP
Graphics card: Nvidia GeForce GT610 (internally installed)

New Laptop
Model: Dell Latitude E6230
CPU: Intel Core i7-3540M 3.00GHz
RAM: 16GB
OS: Windows 7 Profesional 64bit
Graphics card: Nvidia GeForce GT610 (attached via a PE4C V3.0 ExpressCard PCI-E eGPU adaptor)

As you can see from the specs, the video card is the same on both computers and the new laptop is pretty high spec.

I am viewing the output from both computers on the same monitor, an Asus VG278H 27-inch monitor connected via an HDMI cable.

The problems with the new laptop is that when I play videos on it, they look a little faded and they are a little bit stuttery. However, on the old desktop computer, the colours are brilliant and the videos are very smooth.

I should point out here that before I attached the external graphics card to the new laptop, I had worse problems with playing videos. The internal GPU of the new laptop is an Intel HD Graphics 4000 GPU. I have disabled this internal GPU and the laptop screen while the external graphics card is attached.

I have done some research on the Internet about this problem and it seems that it may be something to do with the way in which Windows 7 handles GDI, hardware overlays and hardware acceleration. I don't really know much about any of this. I have attempted to do as some people on the Internet have suggested which is to adjust the hardware acceleration but I have encountered a roadblock to this: The "Change settings" button on the "Troubleshoot" tab of the "Advanced settings" for "Screen resolution" is greyed out so I can't get to the hardware acceleration settings.

Does anyone here know how I can improve the video output of the new laptop so that it is the same as the old computer?

Thank you very much.

Kind regards

Tim

 

[Paul Black]

Hi timxtg,

I am having problems with the graphics on a new laptop from eBay which has Windows 7 on it.

As you can see from the specs, the video card is the same on both computers and the new laptop is pretty high spec.

[1] I assume that you have checked for any yellow triangles in the Device Manager [Start => Control Panel => Device Manager => Expand ALL nodes]?

[2] Have you checked the manufacturers website to see if there are any newer drivers?

 

[timxtg]

Hi timxtg,



[1] I assume that you have checked for any yellow triangles in the Device Manager [Start => Control Panel => Device Manager => Expand ALL nodes]?

[2] Have you checked the manufacturers website to see if there are any newer drivers?

Hi Paul

Thank you very much for your reply.

I am currently at work but I will check the yellow triangles when I get home this evening. If memory serves me correctly, I think that there might be a yellow triangle for the SM Bus Controller. Could this make a difference?

The laptop has the latest Nvidia driver.

 

[Paul Black]

Hi timxtg,

I am currently at work but I will check the yellow triangles when I get home this evening. If memory serves me correctly, I think that there might be a yellow triangle for the SM Bus Controller

When you get home, can you also do the following please!

Update System Specifications

Please update your system specifications in your UserCP => Edit System Spec setup. It will help us to help you!

This SevenForums tutorial [Published by Brink and written by CyberZeus] uses an automated tool which makes this task very easy and quick to do. Click here => System Info - See Your System Specs.

Thanks.

 

[timxtg]

Hi timxtg,



When you get home, can you also do the following please!

Update System Specifications

Please update your system specifications in your UserCP => Edit System Spec setup. It will help us to help you!

This SevenForums tutorial [Published by Brink and written by CyberZeus] uses an automated tool which makes this task very easy and quick to do. Click here => System Info - See Your System Specs.

Thanks.

Hi Paul

Unfortunately, I was not able to get back to you last night because I was very busy.

I actually have four computers at home which are used for different purposes. However, there does not seem to be an option to put more than one computer on the System Specifications page that you mentioned. I have therefore, for now, put on the details of the computer with the problem I mentioned in my original posting in this thread. I did, however, actually include all of the relevant information in my original posting.

I have sorted out the yellow triangle for the SM Bus Controller. In order to do this, I needed to install the full chipset driver package for the computer which contains drivers for various other things in addition to the SM Bus Controller. Unfortunately, this made no difference whatsoever to the quality of the video on the computer.

There are some other yellow triangles for things such as Bluetooth and the SD card slot but I can't see how they would effect the quality of the video.

Do you have any other ideas for what could be causing the problems and how to solve them?

Thank you very much.

Kind regards

Tim

 

[Paul Black]

Hi timxtg,

The problems with the new laptop is that when I play videos on it, they look a little faded and they are a little bit stuttery. However, on the old desktop computer, the colours are brilliant and the videos are very smooth.

[1] What are you using to play the videos [Windows Media Player etc]?
[2] See if using VLC [FREE] makes any difference!

Here are just a few of the reasons why VLC is so good as a media player.

• It is open source [the actual code can be examined closely for any tracking etc, of which there is none].
• It has been in development for many years [1997] and is therefore stable.
• It is still actively being developed.
• It works with internal codecs, so there is no need to download any additional codecs/packages.
• It plays almost everything passed to it [both Audio and Video wise].
• It works on many platforms [you can use the same controls on your computer, smartphone, iPhone etc].
• It also allows you to stream video around your LAN [or even the Internet].
• Best of all, it is FREE.

There are a couple of options available.
Download and use VLC Player for Windows => VLC Player. It pretty much plays anything you throw at it.

I hope this helps!

 

[timxtg]

Hi timxtg,



[1] What are you using to play the videos [Windows Media Player etc]?
[2] See if using VLC [FREE] makes any difference!

Here are just a few of the reasons why VLC is so good as a media player.

• It is open source [the actual code can be examined closely for any tracking etc, of which there is none].
• It has been in development for many years [1997] and is therefore stable.
• It is still actively being developed.
• It works with internal codecs, so there is no need to download any additional codecs/packages.
• It plays almost everything passed to it [both Audio and Video wise].
• It works on many platforms [you can use the same controls on your computer, smartphone, iPhone etc].
• It also allows you to stream video around your LAN [or even the Internet].
• Best of all, it is FREE.

There are a couple of options available.
Download and use VLC Player for Windows => VLC Player. It pretty much plays anything you throw at it.

I hope this helps!

Hi Paul

Thank you very much for your reply.

I am using various players including VLC on both the Windows XP and Windows 7 computers and the video quality on the higher-spec Windows 7 computer is consistently worse regardless of the player I use. I have tried changing various settings in all of the players but this has not helped. Also, if I play videos on the Amazon website, they are worse than I remember them being on the Windows XP computer. (Amazon no longer allows their videos to be played on Windows XP.)

 

[Paul Black]

Hi timxtg, are you sure that the graphics drivers are upto date?

 

[timxtg]

Hi timxtg, are you sure that the graphics drivers are upto date?

Hi Paul

Yes I am.

EDIT: Is there a driver I should be updating other than the Nvidia driver?

 

[Paul Black]

Hi timxtg,

EDIT: Is there a driver I should be updating other than the Nvidia driver?

Is there no option on the Dell website when you enteryour Service Tag number to scan your OS for updated drivers?

 

[timxtg]

Hi timxtg,



Is there no option on the Dell website when you enteryour Service Tag number to scan your OS for updated drivers?

I have already done this and as far as I am aware, all the relevant Dell and Nvidia drivers are all up to date. Are there any other drivers I should be updating?

 

[Paul Black]

Hi timxtg,

I have already done this and as far as I am aware, all the relevant Dell and Nvidia drivers are all up to date. Are there any other drivers I should be updating?

Probably not!

The main drivers to keep updated are:

[0] BIOS and/or Firmware Updates [Advanced Users ONLY].
[1] Motherboard or the Chipset [this helps Windows control system board components and controllers].
[2] Video Adapter [this enhances video performance].
[3] Network Interface Card (NIC) [this enhances the network controller for Internet or network access].
[4] Audio Adapter [this enables and enhances the audio controller].
[5] Wireless Network Card or LAN Adapter [this enables and enhances the wireless network controller].
[6] Touchpad, Mice, and Keyboards [this enhances the pointing device features].
[7] Bluetooth.
[8] Any other hardware device drivers not listed above or show up as yellow triangles in the Device Manager.

I hope this helps!

 

[timxtg]

Hi timxtg,



Probably not!

The main drivers to keep updated are:

[0] BIOS and/or Firmware Updates [Advanced Users ONLY].
[1] Motherboard or the Chipset [this helps Windows control system board components and controllers].
[2] Video Adapter [this enhances video performance].
[3] Network Interface Card (NIC) [this enhances the network controller for Internet or network access].
[4] Audio Adapter [this enables and enhances the audio controller].
[5] Wireless Network Card or LAN Adapter [this enables and enhances the wireless network controller].
[6] Touchpad, Mice, and Keyboards [this enhances the pointing device features].
[7] Bluetooth.
[8] Any other hardware device drivers not listed above or show up as yellow triangles in the Device Manager.

I hope this helps!

Hi Paul

Thank you very much.

Given that we have exhausted the route of updating the drivers, can you think of anything else in my Windows 7 configuration which could be degrading the video quality?