Okay, if you can run CIV 4 fine, will COL run fine too ??
I know it's the same engine as CIV 4 but I've read about different shaders because of the water graphics but is that an option that you can turn off ?
Sigh,,graphic card incompatibility is why more PC gamers have gone to consoles. To have to run out and buy a new graphic card every time a new game comes out is depressing . :(

I read it uses version 1.1 pixel shaders, which were first supported by DirectX 8.0, which is 8 years old by now (many recent games use version 3.0, and DirectX 10 supports 4.0). You might be able to use 1.0 shaders, like Civ4's, but if your PC can't handle 1.1, it's either an old laptop or an ancient desktop computer. :undecide:

I have a Gateway 2.9 GHZ w/ 1.5 gig of RAM and a PCI GS7300 Nvidia video card.. it's NOT a ancient computer or laptop.. I run CIV4 fine but even with that some of the other newer games do run slow.:rolleyes:

Oh, that card certainly supports pixel shaders 1.1 (and probably 2.0 too). :p

I have a Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition, with 768 MB of RAM, an Intel Pentium 4 CPU with 2.00 GHz, and an Intel 82845G Graphics Card. Civilization III worked fine on my computer, but I could only get Civilization IV to work about a quarter of the time (and that was on a tiny map, with only one other civilization). However, I can play the American Revolution Scenario on Civ IV without any problems. Can anyone tell me if the new Colonization will be able to work on my computer?

Thanks. :)

Sooner: No. Colonization will have slightly higher requirements than Civilization IV.

Ok, :sad: thanks for your reply, Jerrymander. Does anyone have any suggestions on what I need to do to my computer so I will be able to play the new game? :help::badcomp:

Get a new graphics card. The one you have seems like an onboard one, and those by definition suck. :p

Ok, :sad: thanks for your reply, Jerrymander. Does anyone have any suggestions on what I need to do to my computer so I will be able to play the new game? :help::badcomp:

Intel has very bad graphics cards. You should get a new one. However, you can't just get ANY graphics cards, because they come in different expansion slots.
This topic on Tom's Hardware can help you:
http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/250470-33-tomshardware

You might do well to get more RAM, too, but I've run Civilization IV/Warlords/BtS with 768MB and a weaker processor (A Sempron, no less) but it wasn't very smooth. You'll probably be able to run it, but unit movement will be slow, leaderheads might stutter, and large maps will be unplayable.

:(

I suggest getting at least a NVIDIA like......6800? or if it's cheaper one of the 7000's.....and getting a completely new processor wouldn't hurt, though I think your's will run it, getting to 1gb of RAM would help the speed also.......also I have a sempron, which is newer, but still sucks, but Civ IV runs smooth, so it's mostly your RAM, processor, and graphics card

Mostly RAM and graphics card, but a better processor allows more AIs and units to play.

Also note that, if you're getting an nVidia card, and the letter ending is "GS" and not "GT", you're buying a piece of crap.

Thanks to everyone for their help. :) I'll try and do those things if they aren't too expensive. :scared:

nVidia 6 series cards are only 30-60 dollars, and they do run Civilization IV fine.

the biggest would probably be the processor if u bought one...

I went to the NVIDIA website and went here: http://www.nzone.com/object/nzone_civiv_home.html

Since I assumed that Beyond the Sword is about as close to Colonization in terms of system requirements as you can get, I went ahead and clicked on "Click Here To Test Your System". As I was expecting, my computer failed the video card requirements but passed everything else. This is what it said I should get: "Video Card Recommended: 128MB 3D 100% DirectX 9.0c compatible video card with Hardware T&L and Pixel Shader 2.0 (NVIDIA GeForce 6000 series +)". I plan to look into this further. I assume that all of that would probably be enough to run the new Colonization without any problems?

hmmmmmmm, they it could run, but to run not choppily, I suggest at least a 6800, or a 7000 series

i havent played civ iv on my computer. I think it should be fine as its new-ish and has vista built - in, but is there a way to test my specs instead of buying the game and going *&$@!

i havent played civ iv on my computer. I think it should be fine as its new-ish and has vista built - in, but is there a way to test my specs instead of buying the game and going *&$@!

http://www.systemrequirementslab.com/referrer/srtest

Select Civilization IV: BtS and run the test. Note that you need Java.

GeForce 7 series minimum (upper models recommended). The 6 series is already 4 years old, and buying one of those is simply not thinking of the future. Sure, you'd be able to run Colonization, but unless you like your games choppy...

Not to mention you'll have to upgrade again next year. Unless you don't play anything but Colonization and Civ4, and don't mind the choppiness.

I am under the impression that you can manage just fine be reducing the visual quality of the game. If your computer supports civ4 just fine, then it most likely will support col just fine. The computers that barely run civ4 otoh might be in trouble here.

Looking at the system reqs for col, the game looks not too heavy on a moderatly good machine.

Not true on GS. And there are two generations of GS. If you buy the older one, you're kind of buying crap. But regardless, they're 2.0 shaders and will make graphics intensive games run faster. An upgrade of $80 on a card if they haven't upgraded in 3 years+ when they bought their computer is a good investment if they don't care about FPS. If that drives someone to spend $300 +$50 per game on consoles, they're nuts.

Mostly RAM and graphics card, but a better processor allows more AIs and units to play.

Also note that, if you're getting an nVidia card, and the letter ending is "GS" and not "GT", you're buying a piece of crap.

Just wonder if ATI Radeon 9200 SE 128 Meg video card has the capability of running CIV 4 Colonization? Not sure about the pixel Rendering 1.1 (Shader). Can't find the specs so I'm not sure. Any thoughts on this would be greatly appreciated :):)

With a Go 6800, 1 GB of 533 MHz RAM, and a 2.0 MHz 2 MB L2 Cache Single-Core Pentium M, I run BtS in 1920 x 1200 with everything at maximum and it is fine, with only slight hiccups when you zoom out all the way.

On a really massive map (Earth 1000AD by the 1980's), it freezes, but that is RAM, not video. As far as video is concerned, anything 6800/7600 or better will likely be fine; I expect this computer to run Colonization acceptably. I don't know about an 8400, those low-end nVidia's aren't very good even if the first digit is high.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16883109015

I got this a few months back, and it's pretty good, once you wipe Vista off it. For Civ4, it runs great if you turn the details all off and play on Standard maps. I can play Huge maps okay, but it gets slow about mid-game since it doesn't have enough RAM.

Unfortunately, this particular computer was only available a short while, and it was a refurb, but for $200, it was great! I almost got the one from Wal-Mart that's $200, but since they wouldn't sell it to me without making me go mail-order, I figured I may as well check out Newegg first. Got a better computer.

I am pretty surprised you can get Civ4 running on a machine with only 768 megs. Try turning off/down the details and don't play on the big maps, and this may help.

Col4 will probably be okay on your machine if it runs Civ4. I expect it to run on this one.

Hi, I can't get Civ 4 to run properly on my new laptop with vista, (a conflict with my cruddy SiS grpahics card I think) described here:

http://forums.civfanatics.com/showthread.php?t=254095&page=2

Do you think that this will still be a problem with Colonisation? I've tried the can you run it jobbie and it gives me a pass for BTS.

If you don't think it'll run, how easy is it to find a better graphics card a laptop? I've heard installing them is pretty hard obviously. Thanks for any help/advice.

Can I play??

Windows Vista Home Premium
Intel Core 2 Quad
2047 MB RAM
NVIDIA GeForce 8600GS

Hope... :)

nvidia 7300 is not really a good card, neither is Intel 82845G, neither is 9200SE. Im not even sure if the latter supports pixel shaders 1.1.

Basically the emphasis is on the second number out of four, xXxx. if X is 8 or more, then its a high performance card. If its 6, its a so-so card. If its 2 or 3 its total crap. Regardless of age and regardless of ATi/nVidia. hehe. So 6800 > 8300.

Can I play??

Windows Vista Home Premium
Intel Core 2 Quad
2047 MB RAM
NVIDIA GeForce 8600GS

Hope... :)
You'll be fine. :p

Geforce 7300 is far better than 845G or 9200SE. You don't need a high performance card for a turn based game

The Radeon 9800 was a top-of-the-line card in early 2003. The 9200SE was the entry-level (worst, even used the previous chip) card of the series. So you're trying to run a mid-late 2008 game with one of (barely) 2003's worst cards. I think it supports 1.1 pixel shaders, but even then... I wouldn't keep my hopes up.

And onboard cards are, almost by definition, the worst you can have. Mostly because they aren't really designed for gaming (like laptops).

you might as well pony on up if your pc has less than 2gb ram or a graphics card more than 3 years old. Its really quite cheap and easy to install. Over 3 years ago i bought this pc im on, and with just a couple hundred dollars, its actually running better and faster than it ever has. Not to mention a 3 year old pc, still running faster than 95% of brand new pc's you can buy pre-built right now :) I would recommend doing the same (just upgrading components 1 at a time, as they slowly become obsolete) if you have a few dollars laying around and the know how.

If you're going to buy a new video card follow Toms Hardwares advice. They do a roundup every month:
http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/Best-Graphics-Card,2011-2.html

Don't buy something cheaper than the cheapest they have there. $60 for a new video card is pretty awesome. The $130 card is hot stuff though. It is roughly equivalent to THE BEST card of 1 year ago.

Sigh,,graphic card incompatibility is why more PC gamers have gone to consoles. To have to run out and buy a new graphic card every time a new game comes out is depressing . :(

Sorta.

You shouldn't need a bleeding edge or even remotely close to that PC to run Col2 and you should only need to buy a new graphics card for it if yours is so embarassingly old that it should be upgraded on general principles.

PCs are used for lots of things - gaming is just one of them, and IMO, if you're into PC gaming you kinda of need to keep up on your hardware because things continue to move forward.

The fact that things DO continue to move forward is one of the enjoyable things about PC gaming.