ialmrnt5 display stopped working normally

[Birdie]

First, thanks for having this site. I'm about to throw my new Gateway notebook out the window...:eek:

dxdiag:

Intel Pentium M processor 1.86 GHZ
Memory 502MB RAM
Windows XP Professional
182 MB used
1043 MB available
Direct X 9.0c
Display Adapter: Intel Corporation Mobile Intel 915GM/GMS, 910 GML Express
Display Driver: ialmrnt5.dll -- version 6.14.0010.4363, 7/19/05
Approx. Video memory: 64.0MB
Game Detail: I have all Sims2, including the most recent Family Fun Stuff

Problem: With no pattern whatsoever (sometimes just as the game gets started, sometimes 2 hours into the game I receive the following messages and then the computer shifts to Safe Mode and "asks" to be shutdown:

"ialmrnt5 display stopped working normally" and "The graphics adapter in this system experienced an internal error. Please contact your graphics adapter manufacturer."

I've already updated the drivers, installed Direct X, and made sure the laptop is well ventilated with nothing near the side fan and a space under the fan at the base of the computer.

As I said, it is so sporadic that I'm starting to think it isn't just heat. At times, the system has just been started and it'll still lock up.

Any thoughts? I really appreciate your time and expertise. It seems there was a thread with similar questions but I can no longer find it. :o Sorry if this has been answered -- just direct me!

[Mirelly]

I really think this is a heat issue. Technically speaking your display adapter is not supported by the game. Each expansion has placed increasing burdens on the hardware recources the game uses. If you cannot move to a more (graphically) powerful machine then you may get some relief from system resets by getting a laptop cooling pad (basically a tray with a big fans ... you might wanna also invest in some knee-warmers brrrrr ;) )

In short the error message is definitely system based (at motherboard BIOS level) in regard to the built-in hardware overheat protection. The timing of the problem is not significant because the trigger temperature is going to be something quite ludicrous like 98Celsius and that can be reached momentarily during loading the game or it might (as you say) take hours ... suffice it to say that when it does ... boom! :(

[Birdie]

Thank you! I've been trying to troubleshoot this for many months now and am not having much luck. I'm definitely thinking I made a BIG mistake in buying this system and not going for the desktop (and therefore possibly not having a cooling problem). Live and learn.

Do you have any recommendations about upgrading (graphics-wise) or is that an impossibility with laptops?

This has certainly been a learning experience for me. I've been to parts of my system I didn't know existed.

I'll look into a cooling pad right now. Once again, thanks for taking the time to reply!

[Mirelly]

Upgrading laptops (except for replacing hard drives and memory with bigger capacity) is impossible (economically).

Cooling will help, though how much is hard to predict. :(