worst laptop ever
- Thread starter IDR15
- Start date
Its a shame you've come across problems like that, appreciate its not going to change your mind but PCS use the same hardware as all the other botique PC builders. So you'll not get different hardware from them. Besides, the fps slowdown might be a software issue. Hope you get it sorted (either your refund or the problem)!
If your unsure of how to do something I always found going onto youtube and typing how to install drivers there is usually a step by step guide very useful and if you go onto the amd site there is a drop down list of graphics card, desktop, laptop etc and it will find the most upto date driver for your GPU goes the same for most of the other drivers aswell. Youtube for win 
Did you check to see if any of them required updating? PCS might not have installed the most up to date ones? I'm not sure though.
Pagey
Bright Spark
Actually I agree with this: If you've not had the laptop long it wouldn't hurt to do a fresh OS install. I got this Optimus IV around November of last year and have now installed the OS fresh about 3 times, It normally takes a few tries to iron the kinks out.
Either way good luck.
I still can't believe Windows 8 displays a giant sad face when it crashes. Joke of an OS (and yes I've used it extensively).
My advice would be to do a fresh install of Windows 7 instead. If its a driver issue chances are that the drivers will be a lot more mature for W7, but don't quote me on that as I have no idea what changes were made at system level from W7 to W8. The drivers usually come bundled with all supported versions anyway to reduce the risk of downloading the wrong ones.
I'd also avoid using the normal drivers for AMD, as they are notoriously bad for CrossfireX. Get the beta 12.11 drivers from here: http://support.amd.com/us/kbarticles/Pages/AMDCatalyst1211betadriver.aspx
My advice would be to do a fresh install of Windows 7 instead. If its a driver issue chances are that the drivers will be a lot more mature for W7, but don't quote me on that as I have no idea what changes were made at system level from W7 to W8. The drivers usually come bundled with all supported versions anyway to reduce the risk of downloading the wrong ones.
I'd also avoid using the normal drivers for AMD, as they are notoriously bad for CrossfireX. Get the beta 12.11 drivers from here: http://support.amd.com/us/kbarticles/Pages/AMDCatalyst1211betadriver.aspx
There is a new Driver from AMD for all Windows 8 users using the 7970m. Most of the new drives for the 7970m are still in beta so won't auto detect. Check out the AMD support page, as this will also install the latest Intel display driver which you also need to stop the BSOD you are experiencing Hope you got sorted!!
Hope you got sorted!!
Pagey
Bright Spark
I've never had the sad face on my Windows 8.
Me neither, although I haven't had a major crash yet touch wood.
Pagey
Bright Spark
I have to admit Windows 8 is pretty damn stable.
HAL INITIALIZATION FAILED as pointed out is the blanket screen for hardware/software incompatability with the operating system termed "Blue screen of death" BSOD by many in the past.
The problems you are experiencing are softwear related not comfort to you but they are not anything to do with the laptops components or the pc specialists engineers more to do with the AMD drivers being completely incompatable with your operating system.
My guess is if you had chosen Win 7 you would not experience these problems. Again no consolation to you. Everyone has experienced something like this over the years. I have no interest in Win 8 as it is really only a win 7 modified to cope more easily with the new tablet and phone users out there. If I was PC Specialists I would not install win 8 unless people requested it. In the short term Win 8 will be more or less useless as it tries to find compatability with all the drivers out there. Sadly AMD have a long history of producing good cards but really poor drivers and extremely slow at updating the drivers which have fault. The stability of any operating system is based on its compatability with the hardware that interacts with it that was the reason NT4 was with business users for so long as it used a hardware compatability list and would only work with components which were on this list.
My advice is dont panic and look at Win 8 and AMD forums to find out what is the best solution for the incompatability of the operating system and your drivers. The laptop would work out of the box as it would be running windows 8's own system drivers for your AMD cards supplied in the build of windows by AMD. You correctly tried to update these drivers with AMD's latest ones to get the benifit of your cards though it then started to cause problems. This was because the drivers you sourced were either the wrong ones or not as yet fully compatable with Win 8 which is AMD's fault. AMD drivers will tend to be in Beta do not worry about this they only get Win certification after they pay money to microsoft and only do this when the drivers come close to doing the job they were written for.
So the important point's are you laptop will be excellent when AMD and Win 8 find a solution to incompatabilities so check the web for Win 8 and AMD forum data on a solution based on people having similar experiences to you.
Thing is people could have the exact same spec laptop and operating system as you and have no problems. This is what makes finding the problem very difficult the only way to find the source of the problem is to have clean windows install add no additional software other than the system drivers supplied on a dvd by pc specialists then install the AMD drivers suggested in AMD's forums and no other games or software until you have a fullly working machine. Making windows save points at each successful junction then logging if anything you add makes the machine unstable thus your problem would be that.
I am not going to check spelling and grammer so shoot me
The problems you are experiencing are softwear related not comfort to you but they are not anything to do with the laptops components or the pc specialists engineers more to do with the AMD drivers being completely incompatable with your operating system.
My guess is if you had chosen Win 7 you would not experience these problems. Again no consolation to you. Everyone has experienced something like this over the years. I have no interest in Win 8 as it is really only a win 7 modified to cope more easily with the new tablet and phone users out there. If I was PC Specialists I would not install win 8 unless people requested it. In the short term Win 8 will be more or less useless as it tries to find compatability with all the drivers out there. Sadly AMD have a long history of producing good cards but really poor drivers and extremely slow at updating the drivers which have fault. The stability of any operating system is based on its compatability with the hardware that interacts with it that was the reason NT4 was with business users for so long as it used a hardware compatability list and would only work with components which were on this list.
My advice is dont panic and look at Win 8 and AMD forums to find out what is the best solution for the incompatability of the operating system and your drivers. The laptop would work out of the box as it would be running windows 8's own system drivers for your AMD cards supplied in the build of windows by AMD. You correctly tried to update these drivers with AMD's latest ones to get the benifit of your cards though it then started to cause problems. This was because the drivers you sourced were either the wrong ones or not as yet fully compatable with Win 8 which is AMD's fault. AMD drivers will tend to be in Beta do not worry about this they only get Win certification after they pay money to microsoft and only do this when the drivers come close to doing the job they were written for.
So the important point's are you laptop will be excellent when AMD and Win 8 find a solution to incompatabilities so check the web for Win 8 and AMD forum data on a solution based on people having similar experiences to you.
Thing is people could have the exact same spec laptop and operating system as you and have no problems. This is what makes finding the problem very difficult the only way to find the source of the problem is to have clean windows install add no additional software other than the system drivers supplied on a dvd by pc specialists then install the AMD drivers suggested in AMD's forums and no other games or software until you have a fullly working machine. Making windows save points at each successful junction then logging if anything you add makes the machine unstable thus your problem would be that.
I am not going to check spelling and grammer so shoot me
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