Help with using Lasergolf
Questions & Answers - PC

The PC equipment

Can I play Lasergolf on any PC?
Technically yes, the software will run on any Pentium-class PC. But to get the degree of realism which the game is capapble of you need a decent video accelerator or graphics card. Fortunately, most PCs in the last couple of years come with reasonable cards included. If you don't have one, they're not expensive, and not difficult to install.

How do I find out if my PC is fast enough?
Processor/RAM: Go the Start button in Windows and choose Control Panel I System.The General page tells you your processor speed and memory, and the Windows version
Graphics card: Select any open space on your PC desktop, right-click your mouse and select Properties. Choose the Settings tab, then Advanced, then Adapter and you'll see the type and the memory available.
DirectX support: Within Windows XP, choose Start I Run and then key dxdiag.exe and Enter. The DirectX version is given towards the bottom of the window

If you have Microsoft Word, an easy alternative is to start Word then select Help I About Word I System Info, which will give you a complete summary of everything on your system

Can play Lasergolf on my laptop computer?
Unless it has better than average video support (and only the more expensive recent models do) then it won't be worth it. Portables which use the GeForce2 go chipset from nVidia, or ATI's Radeon Mobility-based adaptors will give you a reasonable game.

What is Lasergolf like on a slow computer?
Slooooow. If there's no graphics accelerator card, Lasergolf has to use the main processor to do all the intricate and repetitive calculations to create realistic trees, greens and animations. You could wait several minutes before you see anything. It's just not worth it.

What video graphics cards are best?
Many manufacturers build video cards, but they're generally based on processors built by nVidia and ATI (though there are several others). A recent search on the Internet showed you could pay $52 for a card using the nVidia GeForce2 chipset with 64Mb of memory, which would be just fine.You could pay $369 if you wanted the latest and greatest!

Can I use a TV instead of my computer monitor?
Yes - LaserGolf looks good on a TV. BUT you need to make sure that the graphics card in your PC supports TV out - not all of them do. You can also output to a video projector, which gives absolutely the best experience.

What's a USB?
The Universal Serial Bus is a form of connection to your PC, which largely replaces the bulky Parallel port used primarily to link to printers. You'll recognise it as a slim rectangular socket which will accept a plug like this:

Sometimes they're on the back of the PC, sometimes on the front. If you don't have one, you can't play Lasergolf

How do I make sure Lasergolf is using my graphics accelerator card?
If you press the F2 function key, you get the Change Device window. This lists the possible ways Lasergolf can use your display. Make sure you're video adaptor is in the drop-down list, and select it. The other options allow for software-only support and various degrees of hardware support for Lasergolf display functions.