Below minimum specifications???

[jwbryan]

Hi all!

I just found this forum tonight while trying to find a solution for my Civilization problem. I installed the game on my Toshiba Laptop, installed the 1.09 patch and am receiving the "Your machine is below the minimum specifications. Civ4 will not run on your hardware configuration." message. I absolutely CANNOT believe this to be true since my configuration is:

* Intel Pentium M 760 (Centrino) running at 2Ghz
* 1 GB Ram
* 100 GB SATA HD
* Intel 915GM Graphics (128 MB RAM)

Am I off? Is my system actually below the specs?? Has anyone else received this error on a Centrino?

 

[Exavier]

It could be because Intel Graphics chipsets don't support Hardware Transform & Lighting features... most games comming out now require this to function (including Civ 4)

http://support.intel.com/support/graphics/intel915gm/

Under known issues...

 

[jwbryan]

Yeah, I was afraid of that. I guess I'm confused since this machine includes the 900 GMA chip which is SUPPOSED to provide T&L through software ( http://support.intel.com/support/graphics/intel915g/sb/CS-012579.htm ) Direct X. I guess I'll have to let Firaxis know that they should use DX more T&L.

Thanks!

 

[Darkness]

@jwbryan:
I also have an intel card (without T&L) and I get the same message as you do. However, the game works for me (with some minor problems*). Just give it a try.

*problems include:
- resouces do not show on the map anymore after hooking up (easily solved by just switching on the resource display option).
- battle animations are warped and stuttering, but that doesn't matter because you still see the result.

BUT: The good news is: not a single crash so far (though I only played two games so far....)

 

[Mercade]

Yeah, I was afraid of that. I guess I'm confused since this machine includes the 900 GMA chip which is SUPPOSED to provide T&L through software ( http://support.intel.com/support/graphics/intel915g/sb/CS-012579.htm ) Direct X. I guess I'll have to let Firaxis know that they should use DX more T&L.

Thanks!

The fact that the game installer says that your system is below minimum specs (because of the T&L) it does not mean that your game won't run (with perhaps a few glitches). Just give it a try and see for yourself whether it's acceptable to you or not.

(And yes, feel free to curse Intel for making these budget chips for laptops, laptop makers for using them all over the place, customers to buy them in droves, only to find out modern games don't run on modern laptops).
(Oh, and on that note: don't you hate it that every single graphics card is described as if it is the greatest graphics card ever built, regardless of whether it's made for budget laptops or hard core gamers.)

"Fabulous 3D performance" No, without T&L it's not

 

[Sybot]

I get the same message on my laptop, probably because the intergated chipset doesn't support T&L, but the game runs perfectly fine, with only the missing resources a problem, so its nothing to worry about.

Oh, and of course: A POX ON INTEL/LAPTOP MAKERS

 

[jwbryan]

The fact that the game installer says that your system is below minimum specs (because of the T&L) it does not mean that your game won't run (with perhaps a few glitches). Just give it a try and see for yourself whether it's acceptable to you or not.

(And yes, feel free to curse Intel for making these budget chips for laptops, laptop makers for using them all over the place, customers to buy them in droves, only to find out modern games don't run on modern laptops).
(Oh, and on that note: don't you hate it that every single graphics card is described as if it is the greatest graphics card ever built, regardless of whether it's made for budget laptops or hard core gamers.)

"Fabulous 3D performance" No, without T&L it's not

Agreed! I love how Intel has made it sound like you don't really need hardware T&L since it can be done in software "without any performance impact". Whatever.

The game runs fine on my desktop system, I was just hoping to have it running on my laptop since it SHOULD have been able to support the game's requirements. Oh well, I can play it in a degraded mode, but that doesn't mean I have to like it.

As for my laptop...I think Toshiba chose this chipset b/c of the "extra" stuff it has on it (support for PCI Express, SATA, etc). I suppose that the crappy video is just a um...bonus.

 

[Mercade]

We forgot our manners. Welcome to CivFanatics, JWBryan.

 

[gusten]

Hello, I also have an intel 915GM 1.3 GB Ram 128 MB grfx...

I have had the computer for four month. Not a single crash in those month. And I'm not only talking about civ. I'm talking about not a sinlge crash in any program. OK, i must say that gaming raly sucks on this notepad but..... no crashes...

 

[jwbryan]

Its funny. I just uninstalled Civ4 (patch and all) and reinstalled it without the patch. The game plays fine and does NOT complain about the system not meeting minimum specs. I guess they added a check or something to the 1.09 patch to lower the game's settings.

Has anyone else tried running the game like this?

 

[Shivam]

my computer is also below spec. i just click past the message and play as normal =)

 

[Exavier]

hehe talk about below spec computers the laptop I play on (Toshiba) only has a 32MB Nvidia FX5100 GO card in it... Actually I knew this when I bought it and its the reason I bought it (Intel graphics suck, and I have never been a big fan of ATI for personal reasons). I just had to tweak the card a little but I can run on medium graphics levels with no problems