Grrrrr...Gothic 3 won't install

[Ocelot]

Ok I have all the patches and everything to help this game run properly. Problem is?...it simply will not install. I keep getting a message that says:

Default Component, Gothic 3
D:\Gothic 3\vcomp.dll
Data Error (Cyclic redundancy check)

Now I've googled up this error and I can't find one thing to pinpoint this issue or how to get by it.

Any Ideas?:confused: Thanks in advance for the help:)

[Renzatic Gear]

Take your disc, get some tissue paper, wet it down, and clean it off. Dirty and or scratched discs are the main culprit behind 99% of all CRC errors.

[Mochan]

CRC error means the PC just can't read the disk. Try cleaning it as Renz pointed out, if not you will have to return the disk and request for a new one. Be careful when drying the disk you could scratch it and do more harm than good!

[Ocelot]

Thanks Beer and Mochan. I will change the disc coulda been scratched or dirty!:)

[Ocelot]

Update, I switched the discs for new ones and it works and it's all patched up. Now I have to up my Ram to 2 gigs. The game chuggs a little! I've got a 3000+ AMD and 7800GS still though!

[Renzatic Gear]

Congrats. Hope you enjoy it. Underneath all the bugs, Gothic 3 is a damn awesome game.

Anyway. Get 2 gigs and turn the shadows all the way off. As long as you're playing at a reasonable resolution, it'll run beautifully for you.

[Mochan]

I played Gothic 3 on a 3200+ Athlon and a 7800GT, with 2GB of crappy mixed DDR400 RAM at 1280x1024. It ran pretty good but I had to turn a few options off so that it would run to my liking. I remember turning soft shadows off like Renz suggested but I still had the ugly blocky shadows on, and I was able to keep my draw distance I think.

Today I could probably run it almost perfectly wtih a little chugging when loading stuff.


Let us know how the game treats you. :)

[Renzatic Gear]

I fired it up just the other day. Other than the constant hiccups caused by not having enough ram (which is going to be remedied after I post this), it ran great with everything turned on.

I'm gonna play through it after I beat Stalker and The Witcher...and maybe Ultima Underworld, which I started playing (and really enjoying) here recently.

[Renzatic Gear]

Addendum: I'll be 2 giggin this Tuesday, folks! WOOHOO!

[Ocelot]

Ultima Underworld, the greatest dungeon crawl to date!

I'm going out tomorrow to pick up another 1gb stick of ddr400...that should do it! At this time I have Gothic on "Low" right now and it seems to run with a higher frame but the hiccups are still there so like Beer said the ram should do the trick. I'll just keep the Res at 800x600 and hike up the draw....shelves Oblivion. I'll keep you boys posted. And again thanx for the input :)

[Mochan]

Wow Ultima Underworld, that's freaking old school. I got the port of it for my PocketPC. I mean how cool is that? Then I sold my PocketPC so I can't play it anymore. :P

The Corsair dual kit I found is missing and no longer available, so I am thinking of getting something called Super Talent. Never heard of it but it's dirt cheap and at least I can get a matched pair. I did some quick research but there doesn't seem to be much info on it. It has heat spreaders and apparently is very good RAM but it's no use for overclocking. Since I don't plan to overclock, I guess I'm good. Any word on this brand from your experience, Renz?

[Mochan]

Ultima Underworld, the greatest dungeon crawl to date!

I'm going out tomorrow to pick up another 1gb stick of ddr400...that should do it! At this time I have Gothic on "Low" right now and it seems to run with a higher frame but the hiccups are still there so like Beer said the ram should do the trick. I'll just keep the Res at 800x600 and hike up the draw....shelves Oblivion. I'll keep you boys posted. And again thanx for the input :)

How much RAM is on your rig anyway Jupes? Are you on 1GB right now? You definitely need 2GB or more for Gothic 3. I was getting chugs on it and that was from my crappy mismatched RAM and not my GPU (since I lowered the settings enough and the chugs were still there, just like in your experience -- I have 2GB but the mismatches sticks don't mix well).

[Renzatic Gear]

Wow Ultima Underworld, that's freaking old school. I got the port of it for my PocketPC. I mean how cool is that? Then I sold my PocketPC so I can't play it anymore. :P

You know, everytime I play these well-aged oldschool RPGs, it makes me wish they still made games like this. It also makes me want to break out Lightwave and a C++ handbook and start designing my own.

Hmm...that's an idea. I'm stuck at home, I could use a hobby. Might try something here.

The Corsair dual kit I found is missing and no longer available, so I am thinking of getting something called Super Talent. Never heard of it but it's dirt cheap and at least I can get a matched pair. I did some quick research but there doesn't seem to be much info on it. It has heat spreaders and apparently is very good RAM but it's no use for overclocking. Since I don't plan to overclock, I guess I'm good. Any word on this brand from your experience, Renz?

Super Talent? Never heard of it. It sounds kinda...budget...to me. Might be a little janky. I'd be wary.

While you're still looking, check out G-Skill. Every review I've read of the brand has practically gushed over the performance, which is weird because I'd never heard of it until here recently and there's tons of info out there on it.

They're a bit less expensive than the Corsairs and Kingstons out there. If it performs as well as the reviews claim (which to me, good ram is ram that runs fast and doesn't screw up...pretty simple guidelines to go by), it might be worth a looksee. Specially at $70 USD for 2 gig. If it's that good at that price, then it's a deal and a steal.

[Mochan]

Well I'm a bit surprised, I just found reviews of Super Talent vs. Corsair. Super Talent is going toe to toe with Corsair and even betters it in some reviewer's estimates.

http://www.tweaktown.com/articles/1181/corsair_vs_super_talent_1800mhz_ram/
http://www.bit-tech.net/hardware/2007/10/26/corsair_and_supertalent_ddr3/9
http://www.pcper.com/article.php?aid=452

It's talking about newer DDR3 and not the PC3200 memory I'm looking at but at least it looks like they know their stuff. I hope they did back then, though.

Well, it's about half the price of what I would have paid for the Corsair so if it's crap at least I won't feel too bad about it.

[Renzatic Gear]

Guess that goes to show you can't make a judgement call off a name alone.

Considering we're both using about the same CPU/GPU setup, and we're using ram brands we've never used before, we should try and benchmark them against each other and see how they turn out.

[Mochan]

You get your RAM on Tuesday first and I'll try to grab my "Super Talent" this weekend and let's see how it turns out.

My specs will be something like:

Opteron 180 @ stock
Epox NF4 Ultra S939 @ 200FSB
2 x 1GB PC3200 Super Talent (in Dual Channel)
Palit 8800GT 512MB @ Stock
460W Enermax

[BaneNWN]

You get your RAM on Tuesday first and I'll try to grab my "Super Talent" this weekend and let's see how it turns out.

My specs will be something like:

Opteron 180 @ stock
Epox NF4 Ultra S939 @ 200FSB
2 x 1GB PC3200 Super Talent (in Dual Channel)
Palit 8800GT 512MB @ Stock
460W Enermax

wow your running an 8800 gt with a 460 watt psu?nice i couldnt even keep my x1900xt going with a 450 watt.ended up getting a 650 watt might switch out my mobo and get a sli one and run dual 8800 GT'S

[Mochan]

Well the x1900xt uses far more power than the 8800GT does. Also I'm using a good quality Enermax PSU with a fat juicy 33a 12v rail so I'm good.

http://www.enermax.com.tw/english/product_Display1.asp?PrID=28

The wattage isn't really important though what's important is the amperage on your rails. What model was your 450W, anyway? If it was a not-so-good brand I wouldn't be surprised if it didn't have enough juice on the 12v rail for your 1900xt.

The reqeuirement for an 8800GT is like a 400W and needs 24 amps on the 12v rail. The x1900xt needs something like 30 amps on the 12v. That's one of the nice things about NVidia's 8800GT its power requirements are pretty low for the performance they output. Nvidia for the past few generations is generally a lot more power efficient than ATI. Heck, my 7800GT consumed far less power than the Radeon 9800 Pro I had, and the 7800GT is like a generation ahead and like twice as powerful in performance.

[Ocelot]

How much RAM is on your rig anyway Jupes? Are you on 1GB right now? You definitely need 2GB or more for Gothic 3. I was getting chugs on it and that was from my crappy mismatched RAM and not my GPU (since I lowered the settings enough and the chugs were still there, just like in your experience -- I have 2GB but the mismatches sticks don't mix well).


Hey sorry 'bout the lengthy delay. My weekends are eaten up with this new gf (girlfriend not Geforce...lol) Game time has taken a back seat:mad2:

Anyway, yeah I really haven't upgraded at all since about 2 years ago with my vidcard. I had 1gb in my system up until 3 days ago. Now with 2 gb the game runs a little smoother but the load times are still brutal and I still get occasional hiccups or even long pauses during certain times of entering towns or caves. My quick saves also have a lengthy 10-15 second delay....overall it's a good game but dying sucks due to load times grrrrr!


.........ok ok, I upgraded the flat screen from the Samsung 40" inch to a Sharp Aquos 46 inch 1080p. PC gaming is even better now!

[Mochan]

PC Gaming on HDTV = the ****!!!

[Ocelot]

PC Gaming on HDTV = the ****!!!


Well I've had my PC hooked up to HDTV since I bought the 40" Samsung last year. I just upgraded to 46" and 1080p.Tv's are getting dirt cheap now and I just don't feel the need for a computer desk and chair. I use my PC for movies, music and games etc. Best part is, it's an all in one entertainment center. 360, PC and PS3 at the flip of a switch:thumbsup:

[Renzatic Gear]

I'm a 2 gigged up mofo now! Everything runs silky smooth, and my timings at default are nice and tight.

Moch, when are you getting your ram?

[Mochan]

I don't know when exactly I will get the Super Talent, I can afford it already but I just seem to keep putting it off. Finding hard to find time to go pick it up lately, just so stressed out from work.

I have been using my PC as my media center for years now myself. Hooked up to an HDTV. It's the best setup in my opinion. All in one!

[G07H1C]

I just finished Gothic 3.....sweet! After the patches, the only problem I had was day & night flickering back and forth. Thru another forum I found out it was my AMD dual core processor, downloaded the new drivers.....perfection, no glitches, no bugs!

[G07H1C]

Sorry to double post, but I have Super Talent in another PC, it works fine, 6 mo now. Good RAM!

[Mochan]

Don't worry about doubleposting here, we all do it. I will grab that Super Talent soon, problem is I just bought an Asus EEE PC so I blew my budget. :) Probably in a month or two I will get that RAM. I need to improve my desktop PC's performance a bit.

[G07H1C]

Isn't that one of those small laptops about the size of a portable DVD player? As you can tell, I'm not to familiar with those either! If you don't mind, say in a week or 2, could you possibly let me know if you like it, give me the Christmas catelog opinion so to speak! I would appreciate it.....thanks!

[Mochan]

Yeah, it's that, it's unbelievable small and portable. And hey, it even costs the same as a portable DVD player. Kinda. Well I dunno how much are portable DVDs these days? But this thing is much better it has a screen too so you can watch DivX and XVid all you want. I really love it and now that I loaded it up with XP I got more free space on its solidstate drive, and it can do all sorts of things on it and it runs impressively fast despite such low power specs.

Its only failing is its small screen, wish it were larger with more resolution and its small internal memory capacity -- which you can get around with a big flash drive or SD card. But as a mobile surfing platform (I am posting this from the EEE PC) and all around laptop it is excellent. Yeah I am not gonna be playing games on this but it's not what I got it for. At the price I got it for, it's a steal.

You should consider getting one though only if you really need one. Do you need to have a a small PC with you anywhere you go? For the purposes of doing emails, posting blogs/messageboards, working with office documents, etc. Then the EEE PC fits the bill. It also connects easily to a USB Modem so you can do the internet on the go (or if your place has WiFi hotspots galore even better). There are other options to do these things, likea Pocket PC or even the iPhone but the versatility and power of a real desktop with a full keyboard you can touch type on cannot be understated.

There's no way you'd catch me making a post this long on my iPod or Blackjack. This EEE PC rules in this regard and is especially useful since I am on the go a lot these days. I still find that I only bring my iPod and Blackjack with me when I say go to a mall and don't have the leisure of sitting down at a coffee shop but the EEE PC is quickly becoming indispensable to me.

[G07H1C]

Wow, you could have actually done the add for this pc - I know, you were a salesman in a past life or something. Sounds terrific! I'm not able to get one at the moment, but I will look into them, not that I really need to now! Funds are thin presently.....I can definitely see where one might come in handy!!! Thanks for the heads up.

[Mochan]

This is my EEE PC:
http://espowyn.wordpress.com/2008/06/09/asus-eee-pc-looks-like-delicious-white-chocolate/

I was supposed to write a followup blog for my new EEE PC after I ditched the Linux Xandros OS and moved to XP. But since I'm currently busy moving I shall have to put it on hold at least for a few days.

[G07H1C]

Looks sweet!!! I have to put one on the old wish list, but could be a little ways away!