Currently, NWN Diamond loads up just fine and responds well to inputs...until I play long enough to get into a busy situation in the game (e.g., a battle, where I need to pause, input commands, etc.). At that point, the game slows down considerably...even extending to menu screens, and even after I exit to the main menu. The game is not really playable in this state.

Now, my system, modest as it is, really *ought* to be able to run this thing:

Processor: 2.13 GHz Celeron (single core)
RAM: 3.89 GB usable
OS: Windows 10, 64-bit

Still, I expect to be getting a better computer in the next year or two, and I'd be happy to put this thing on the back burner for a while.

But my question is--is the problem I'm having now likely to actually get better with better hardware? Or am I looking at a problem with the software that would continue even with a better rig? Any opinions out there?

Yeah Recommended Specs Are

CPU: Pentium® 4 1.3 GHz or higher
RAM: 256 MB (512 MB recommended for XP)
GPU: 64 MB video card with Hardware T&L support*
DX: DirectX® version 9.0b or higher

I think Celeron has slower internal Clock speed and lower L2 Cache

You probably can get a better PC just going to local school and ask if they have any PCs thrown out.

http://computer.howstuffworks.com/question268.htm

Very helpful--thank you! I got a bit of a chuckle at your last comment. Poor old PC--gets dissed by my son all the time, and now online, too. :)

It's a bit strange, though--I can play most games from this time period--Morrowind, Arx Fatalis, Gothic (with a bit of tolerable slowdown), KOTOR, etc. It doesn't *seem* like NWN1, of all things, should be the one to give me trouble. Ah, well!

What's your graphics card?

Find out exactly what CPU that is.

http://www.cpuid.com/softwares/cpu-z.html

Some Celerons should run it with ease, others are just downright dreadful.

I am also assuming you are running with the GPU integrated inside the Celeron, these are usually weak.

It's a Celeron N2820. And yes, I believe the GPU is built in. When I look for display adapters, all I see is "Intel(R) HD Graphics".

I'm thinking the only thing that an old Pentium 4 would have on the Celeron is a bigger L2 cache... But then again, I don't know my head from my butt on this stuff.

Actually, as I'm doing more work on this...my processor has 1 MB of L2 cache. I'm guessing that's competitive with the old P4, right?

Yeah, that is one of the more dreadful Celerons.
http://ark.intel.com/products/79052/Intel-Celeron-Processor-N2820-1M-Cache-up-to-2_39-GHz

It's Bay Trail. That's an Atom processor, and Bay Trails also had weak integrated GPUs even among integrated GPUs.

It's terrible all around. That definitely explains the poor performance. You nearly have the worse case of both CPU and GPU.

Excellent to know--thanks much! I suppose you get what you pay for...

I'll just put this title on the back burner then.

If you're feeling adventurous, you may have better luck with Linux on your machine than Windows 10. Your machine can probably handle nwn, but not nwn and windows 10. That said, not being computer savvy may make it too scary.

Yeah, IMO, it should almost be a crime to sell machines with those Atom cores, or at least have clear naming so people can know to avoid them.

Also ignore the Linux fan post above. Nearly every game runs slower in Linux than it does in Windows.