Can I run Civilization 5? (PLEASE help!)

Hi, I've spent days searching for an upgrade that would allow me to play that game even on minimum settings. I have read from different sources and some say this card will work, while others say it won't. Please help me out and let me know how well my system could run civilization 5 (if it can run it at all)
This is the video card I'm looking into buying (I'm also getting a new psu so my PC can handle the card):
HIS H467QR1GH Radeon HD 4670 1GB 128-bit DDR3

My specs are:
HP Slimline s3200n
2 GB RAM
Radeon HD 4670 1GB
+If any more specs are needed just ask and I'll add them

Thanks!
Michael

That graphics card nearly meets the recommend specs, so it's definitely capable of running the game.

Graphics card: Yes it will run, not on ultra high graphics settings though. Maybe medium - high.

Operating system: What operating system do you have? Is it 32 or 64 bit?

RAM: 2GB is the minimum amount. As RAM is pretty cheap, I suggest you replace it with 4GB of RAM.

CPU: A decent CPU is needed for the game or it will take forever between turns, and you won't be able to play large maps. Overall for Civ5, having a faster CPU is better than one with more cores. What CPU do you have?

Thanks guys! Here are the specs you asked for, Revoran:
CPU: 2600mhz
Operating system: 32 bit windows vista home premium

I still couple of other questions about my system:
Could i buy 2GB of RAM and add it to my current 2GB, or would i have to buy 4GB and switch them out?
Also, am I right in assuming that since Civ 5 has some of the highest requirements of any game out there that this system will be able to run just about everything else, too?

Thanks, Michael

Your CPU seems decently fast and should be okay for all but the largest maps with the most players. Like everyone you'll get a little bit of slowdown in the late game and on bigger maps, though - but that's to be expected.

Could i buy 2GB of RAM and add it to my current 2GB, or would i have to buy 4GB and switch them out?

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Short answer: You should be able to do either, but it depends on whether you have two 1GB sticks of RAM, or a single 2GB stick.

Long answer: Your motherboard will have a certain number of slots for RAM in it. In addition, each stick of RAM will be a certain amount (1GB, 2GB, or rarely 4GB). So for instance if you have two slots and each one has a 2GB stick of RAM, then you have 4GB of RAM in your system.

I don't know how many slots for RAM there is on your motherboard, but my guess is there is two slots each with 1GB of RAM in them.

When replacing RAM you will need to make sure the type of RAM (DDR2 or DDR3) is the type that your motherboard supports or the RAM won't fit / won't work.

There is one last thing you should know: 32-bit operating systems are a little limited with how much RAM they can read - which is around 3.5GB. What this means is that even if you have 4, 5, or 6GB of RAM; 32-bit windows will only be able to use 3.5GB of that RAM. This means to get the most out of your 32-bt system you need to get 4GB of RAM, and that it's a waste to get more than that.

While you're opening up the inside of your computer (you may need a screwdriver to get the side off) you may want to gently clean any dust off the computer parts / fans.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SiFIgSQOY7g - there's a tutorial on how to add RAM.

Also, am I right in assuming that since Civ 5 has some of the highest requirements of any game out there that this system will be able to run just about everything else, too?

Click to expand...

Your system is pretty decent in general and will be helped a lot by getting the extra RAM. The reccopmmended requirements might say that your video card is really good, but in reality you could probably stand to upgrade it eventually. But i'm not an expert on Radeon cards by any means so don't take my word for this.

okay, thanks a lot for the help! I just have one last question, and that is regarding the PSU that I will buy to handle the new video card. How many watts would the PSU need to be in order for my computer to be able to run the Radeon HD 4670 1GB?

It would probably run on a 400W PSU, but just to be safe i'm going to say 500W.

You probably don't actually need a 500W PSU, but better safe than sorry.