Hardware acceleration in 2007

[David James]

I've had PPT 2007 installed on two very powerful laptops but find that
hardware acceleration just doesn't work like it did in 2003.

With HA enabled the result is the same on both computers:

Problem #1: the object animations do not play out in the slide preview -
everything just appears (but play correctly with HA off)
Problem #2: when playing the slideshow HA has no affect on the speed
whatsoever - and is sometimes even slower.
Problem #3: all the object animations are slower with much faster computers
in PPT 2007 than they were with slower computers in PPT 2003

It seems that MS has managed to just break the hardware acceleration
function between versions. I can't be the only one who has this problem.

Config:
Dell XPS M1530
Intel Duo Core 2.4
4Gb RAM
256Mb video RAM
200Gb, 7200 RPM HD
Vista Ultimate
All updates installed for Vista and Office

 

[Glen Millar]

David,

Do you have an embedded Intel display chip?
--

Regards,
Glen Millar
Microsoft PPT MVP

Please tell us your PowerPoint version

Tutorials and PowerPoint animations at
the original www.pptworkbench.com
glen at pptworkbench dot com

 

[David James]

If you mean integrated video, no - it has a dedicated Nvidia GeForce 8600 GT
with 256Mb. The computer has an Intel Duo Core, but I don't know what the
chip set is on the video card, but almost certainly isn't Intel, I wouldn't
think.

My previous computer, an Acer Ferrari with a dedicated 128Mb video card
(Nvidia I think), and this one a Dell XPS M1530 are essentially high-end
desktop replacements and quite powerful, with very good Vista graphics
performance numbers. The Dell rates as 5.9 - way above the Acer.

However, I never had this problem with PPT 2003 on significantly slower
computers with only 64Mb video RAM. But with PPT 2007, the problem has been
identical on these two much faster computers.

Does PPT 2007 have a known issue with Nvidia drivers from Dell? I don't know
if I can directly get drivers - as Dell tends to somehow require proprietary
drivers for their implementation of video cards.

It is frustrating to have to run with hardware acceleration off and go in
and change every single "by letter" text animation to "all at once" - when
it worked perfectly in PPT 2003. I don't understand how hardware
acceleration actually degrades graphics performance.

Dave

 

[Austin Myers]

David,

Try running dxdiag.exe from a command line. This should tell you if the
video card / driver is having a problem with any of the directx functions.
(Run it twice with HA on and off.)



Austin Myers
Microsoft PowerPoint MVP Team

Creator of PFCPro, PFCMedia and PFCExpress
http://www.playsforcertain.com

 

[David James]

No problems reported either way.

David,

Try running dxdiag.exe from a command line. This should tell you if the
video card / driver is having a problem with any of the directx functions.
(Run it twice with HA on and off.)



Austin Myers
Microsoft PowerPoint MVP Team

Creator of PFCPro, PFCMedia and PFCExpress
http://www.playsforcertain.com

 

[Austin Myers]

One more suggestion, try turning the Aero Glass feature off in Vista.


Austin Myers
Microsoft PowerPoint MVP Team

Creator of PFCPro, PFCMedia and PFCExpress
http://www.playsforcertain.com

 

[David James]

Makes no difference.

Has anyone else here seen the animations not work in PPT 2007 preview with
hardware acceleration turned on? As I have mentioned, this has consistently
been the case with PPT 2007 from its installation on two difference
computers.

 

[Austin Myers]

Makes no difference.

Has anyone else here seen the animations not work in PPT 2007 preview with
hardware acceleration turned on? As I have mentioned, this has
consistently been the case with PPT 2007 from its installation on two
difference computers.

Well dang, I don't know what to say now. They all play as they should for
me (using an ATI video card and driver). The only thing else I can suggest
is looking to see if there is an updated driver for your video card.


--
Austin Myers
Microsoft PowerPoint MVP Team

Creator of PFCPro, PFCMedia and PFCExpress
http://www.playsforcertain.com

 

[David James]

I had already looked for the latest driver and I had it installed.

It must be the Nvidea / PPT 2007 combination - as I think my previous laptop
also had an Nvidea card. It worked fine with PPT 2003, but never with 2007.

Anyone else out there with Nvidea graphics who has this problem?

It is really, really frustrating - to have one of the most powerful laptops
on the market and have to live with jerky PowerPoint. I just can't do any
letter by letter animations at all, whether it be fades, descends, expands
or anything else. But it plays video as smooth as silk - including in PPT
(which is not a surprise given how video is implemented in PPT).

I have gone into the Nvidea control panel and changed a few options, but
with no effect. I can't see anything obvious that it might be.

I'm currently teaching a 20 class-hour course with about 800 slides in 10
separate files (yes the problem is still there with just one slide) and it
is very mult-media intensive with lots of effects (not distracting), music,
video, but attention-grabbing - which I have taught 4 previous times in PPT
2003 just fine and so this just drives me crazy. I'm also the director of
our Tech. and IT Department - and I've been a "power-user" since PCs hit the
market.

Dave