TnL get your facts straight (chart included)

[Comraddict]

Okay listed here are most modern chipsets along with their TnL capability.
I'm surprised on how many people have their facts wrong. TnL is feature from 2000. Newer cards don't even mention it. Instead what counts in newer cards is pixel shader capability. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vertex_and_pixel_shaders. However, hardware TnL support is minimum requirement for CIV IV as you know. Hardware TnL means that graphic card can perform "Transform and Lighning" complex calculations that result in some nice effects; without use of the CPU.

Anytime when graphic card supports pixel shaders, TnL does not need to be mentioned because it is assumed.
GeForce 2- supports TnL
GeForce 3- supports TnL and shader 1.1
GeForce 4MX (420,440,460), and nForce2 integrated - supports TnL *confirmed that works*
GeForce 4Ti (4200,4400, 4600,4800)- supports TnL and shader 1.3
all GeForce FX series: (5) 5200FX, 5500FX, 5600FX, 5800Fx, 5900FX- support TnL and shader 2.0
all GeForce 6 series: 6100 integrated, 6200, 6500, 6600, 6800- support TnL and shader 3.0
all GeForce 7 series: 7300, 7400, 7800GT(X), 7900GT(X)- support TnL and shader 3.0

Radeon 7200/ Radeon VE - supports TnL
Radeon 7500- supports TnL
Radeon 8500, 8500LE, 9000, 9100, 9200, 9250- supports TnL and shader 1. All same chip.
all Radeon 9xx0 series: 9500, 9550, 9600, 9700, 9800, 9800XT and all variations- supports TnL and shader 2.0
all Radeon Xx00 series: X200, X300, X600, X700, X800 and all variations- supports TnL and shader 2.0(b)
all Radeon X1x00 series: X1300, X1600, X1800, X1900 supports TnL and shader 3.0

intel 8xx series - DOESNT support TnL. *however some managed to run game*
intel latest 9xx - support TnL and shader 2.0 but in software acceleration, i.e. CPU will do the math. This card is story for itself; it could run, I'm waiting for somebody to confirm whether it does or not. It is known that this card runs some games that require TnL. EDIT. *confirmed in other threads that game works*

Radeon 7000 - DOESNT support TnL
ATi Rage - DOESNT support TnL
Voodoo x - DOESNT support TnL

Complete gfx chips list here:
http://www.neeyik.info/3dspecs/

EDIT2. To tell what card comes with your Windows 2000/XP computer, type devmgmt.msc in start-> run box and card will be named under "display adapters"

EDIT. Here is very quick speed comparison between most common supported cards. Just to see where you stand at. Some cards might be little out of place.
On beginning of the list- slowest cards. On the middle - mainstream. On the end of list, the fastest cards, for smoking the CIV IV out.

Low-end (basic)
Intel 9xx – GF 2- Radeon 7200 – Radeon 7500 - GF 4MX

Low-end (basic to acceptable- all have shader support but not much 'juice')
Radeon 9200SE- Radeon 200M - GF 5200FXSE – GF 5200FX- GF5500FX- Radeon 300M - GF 6200/6200Turbo

Mainstream (decent - should perform good enough with latest patch and 1024x768 res.)
Radeon 9000 – Radeon 9100 – Radeon 9200/9250 – GF3 –GF4 Ti- Radeon 8500 LE- Radeon 8500 – GF 5700FXLE – GF5700FX/5700U - Radeon 9800SE -Radeon 9500/9550 – Radeon 9600/Pro/XT- GF 5800/U –GF 5900/U – Radeon X600- GF6 6600/LE - GF7 7400 - Radeon X1300

ex-High end (very good - should run with everything maxed out)
Radeon x700 - Radeon 9700/Pro – Radeon 9800/Pro/XT- GF6 6600GT - GF 7400GT - GF 7600

High end (insane )
Radeon X1600Pro/XT- GF 6800/LE – Radeon X800SE/GT - Radeon X800/ GTO/Pro – Radeon X800XL – GF6 6800GT/Ultra – Radoen X800PE/X580PE- Radeon X1800XL/XT/GTO - GF 7800GS/GT/GTX/ - Radeon X1900XL/XT - GF 7900 GT/GTX

[cancerkitty]

Thanks a load for the chart, I was looking feaverishly for my card's specs (without success I might add).

[Dave22]

Sweet, I do have it. Thank you! I don't really follow computer technology closely, and I bought my computer a while ago, so I was worried. Thanks again.

[Comraddict]

I can't believe that with all this graphic card confusion that we don't have sticky thread with supported/unsuported graphic hardware.

[Andrew_Jay]

Wait, my intel card might support it? That's news. But mine is also the newer mobile chipset, so maybe not.

[McLamb]

Thanks for the post, helps idiots like me not panic.

[harlowheat]

mine is Geforce4 MX does that mean my card should be okay .thanks im comupter ignorant

[gDubya]

will a geforce fx-5700 le support it if everything else is high end?

[Comraddict]

Originally Posted by harlowheat

mine is Geforce4 MX does that mean my card should be okay .thanks im comupter ignorant

somebody reported issues with GF4MX that are same as issues with cards that lack TnL. This group of cards suport TnL nut but pixel shaders. I hope that Firaxis got their facts straight, that game does not require pixel shader model 1.0. I have laptop with GF4MX Go, you'll know for sure in day or two when I get my copy.

[Tarkhan]

Geforce 4 MX cards...they dont support pixel or vertex shader, but do have TnL.

These things must be nvidia's most profitable product...theyre pretty well standard issue on all new pc's that dont have an intel motherboard...cutting edge technology gets in the news, but I bet its these lower-end cards that keep nvidia and ati in business.

[Tactician Zhao]

I have a GeForce 4 MX420 that I'm using while my primary card was being replaced (Radeon 9800XT), and it wont run for crap with it.. for the first game I was able to play, but it was incredibly laggy and nearly unplayable.. and now (before and after a reinstall, even with latest drivers) everything is blacked out and its even laggier.. not that it matters, because everything is black

I'm just glad my Radeon will be replaced by this weekend, or I might be climbing a clock tower right now.. this GeForce meets the requirements.. as it has TnL and all.. but not sure exactly where it falls short otherwise

[Carver]

Thanks for the link.

[gDubya]

so wat about the fx cards?

[Corbeau]

Good thread. Good research. Might be sticky-worthy, considering the frustrations people are having with this issue.

[Hardin]

Originally Posted by gDubya

so wat about the fx cards?

Originally Posted by Comraddict

GeForce 5 (FX) 5200FX, 5500FX, 5800Fx, 5900FX- support TnL and shader 2.0a

[Dave22]

Originally Posted by Comraddict

somebody reported issues with GF4MX that are same as issues with cards that lack TnL. This group of cards suport TnL nut but pixel shaders. I hope that Firaxis got their facts straight, that game does not require pixel shader model 1.0. I have laptop with GF4MX Go, you'll know for sure in day or two when I get my copy.

Is it really possible that they could be wrong about the minimum requirements for the game they themselves made?

[The Beastmaster]

How can we recommend that this thread get a sticky?

[Louis XXIV]

Is there an easy way to tell what kind of graphics card came with my computer?

[schnizm]

I had no problems playing doom3 in low details with XP1700+/GeForce3.
Civ4 cant seriously have higher hardware requirements...

I guess there will be a patch for graphic bugs like the black terrain and such.

[Pragmatic]

Dang. I have TnL, but the video card for my computer (one of the thin computers sold by Dell) is an X300, one of the slowest cards able to support the game.

Oh well. In a few years, I'll buy a second computer. I like this one, though, so I'll start on my own personal network.