Hi. Just got Myst 5 for Christmas and I am wanting some advice about getting a graphics card. I downloaded the demo and everything's okay except that the animated characters aren't in sync with the sound. I'm actually still working on Myst IV, and I'm saving 5 for later. But I'd like to get a good card (but can't afford one that's really expensive). Any advice on what would work well on a game like this? What I have now is an NVIDIA GeForce FX 5200. Thanks!

Your GeForce FX 5200 should work with Myst V, assuming that you install the proper video driver. See Myst V: Installing Video Drivers With Win XP.

The best way to install the game (and the demo) is from a clean boot. See Myst V: Clean Boot Install/Re-install With Win XP, especially the Overall Windows and Hard Disk Tune-up With Win XP section, and under Installing and Re-Installing EoA With Win XP, "In general, any or all of the following may be necessary to prevent EoA installation problems".

And take a look at Myst V: Miscellaneous Video Problem Fixes.

Thanks for the advice. I did update my driver and I see a bit of improvement but not where I had been having the most problems, i.e. in Direbo where Esher gives his first advice. When you see him on Noloben, he is more or less in sync with the soundtrack whereas before the soundtrack sounded fine, but Esher jumped all over the place bodily and was never in sync with the track. I doubt this will really affect the enjoyment of the game for me, but that's why i was asking about drivers. My sound driver is updated as well.

I have been experienceing in Myst 4 some of the same problems in Spire that I have seen others posting about. This is after you get the ship working and get it to the next part of Spire. The lighning flashes are continuous and there is an annoying red hue that is on everything. I have not yet checked whether my new driver has fixed this but hopefully it has.

Just checked Spire on Myst 4. Problems fixed with new driver.

Try a clean boot EoA re-install.