Help Please. Thinking of buying new PC, how well can this spec run CiV?

[kamex]

Very close to buying a new PC, but I really want my new PC to be able to run my favorite game, Civ V, as well as possible.

Heres the spec:

CPU: Intel i3
RAM: 6GB
Graphics: Nvidea GeForce GT 420 - OEM
http://www.nvidia.com/object/product-geforce-gt-420-oem-us.html
OS: Windows 7 Home Premium

I know its not an outstanding system for hardcore gamers, but CiV is my main interest. And CiV, as we know, is deceptively taxing on hardware.

Typically, I want to know if I can play Huge maps with decent loading times, and at what graphics quality. I'd like to play Standard sized maps at High graphics settings, but I'm willing to sacrifice the graphics setting to medium to play Huge maps.


My current PC is:

Intel Core 2 Quad CPU Q6600 2.4GHz
4GB RAM
Nvidea GeForce 9500 GT
http://www.nvidia.com/object/product_geforce_9500gt_us.html
Vista Home Premium

How much better performance can I get?

Note to mods: Feel free to move this to tech support if you deem appropriate. wasn't sure where to post!

 

[KeyCey1995]

The CPU is worse on the computer you want to buy. i3 is ok, but not stunning, and your current CPU is pretty good.
The upgrade to 6 GB RAM nearly doesn't matter, as long as you got min. 3-4 GB in your current computer.
The Graphic card is far better on the one you want to buy, cause your current one is really bad and outdated.

Conclusion: in my opinion it's better to just upgrade your graphic card.

If you know a friend you can get windows 7 from - install it. Vista sucks...

 

[The_Quasar]

My previous computer was very similar to yours, a Q6600, and I have recently upgraded to an i5 760 (quad), with 4Gb of DDR3 and a GTX460 SE with Windows 7 Home premium. It runs Civ V with no problems, and the turn times are nowhere near as long as many have reported on huge maps (however, I usually play standard, my preference).

After having a quad previously, I think you might find the i3 (with only 2 cores) a little restricting. However, unless you have another reason to have 6Gb of memory, you won't need more than 4Gb for Civ V, although, I'm sure, it would probably help if you did.

I would strongly recommend you go for the GTX460 SE or GTX480 over the GT420, this is one area that will make quite a bit of difference, as the 460 & 480 have much more grunt than the cut down 420 and are not hugely more expensive.

Good luck with your new machine

 

[The_J]

Note to mods: Feel free to move this to tech support if you deem appropriate. wasn't sure where to post!

Moderator Action: Done.

And what the others said. Bottleneck is the graphics card, get a new one, that should mainly be enough. If you really want to invest a bit more, then also get Win7, but i really don't think that you need a totally new machine.

 

[kamex]

Thanks for the feedback guys. it seems the deciding factor is the graphics card then.

The only thing i didn't get was how is the i3 worse than the Intel Core 2 Quad CPU Q6600. I thought the i3 has a faster clock speed. Would you recommend getting at least an i5 if I buy a whole new system?

Well, the two main options then are to upgrade my current PC, or buy a new one. IO currently really hate Vista. I can't even run Direct X 10 or 11 because I can't install the Vista service pack properly. I've tried, but its glitches something which kills my sound drivers, and I had no sound for ages, unable to get the right drivers I just gave up and system restored to get rid of the service pack so sound was restored.

I could buy Windows 7 for £110 http://www.pcworld.co.uk/gbuk/microsoft-windows-7-home-premium-03351305-pdt.html

And a ZOTAC NVIDIA GeForce GTX 460 SE for £160 http://www.pcworld.co.uk/gbuk/zotac-nvidia-geforce-gtx-460-se-pci-e-graphics-card-1gb-09885833-pdt.html

Which would upgrade my computer to:

Intel Core 2 Quad CPU Q6600 2.4GHz
4 GB RAM
ZOTAC NVIDIA GeForce GTX 460 SE
7 Home Premium

For a total of £260 (and the hassle of installing everything)

The problem with that though is when I eventually do want a whole new system, those two purchases will be obsolete, especially the OS as all new PCs come with it now anyway. And I'm still stuck with the CPU which I won't be able to upgrade.


The other option is buying a whole new system. You can get a decent i5 or i7 with 4 or 6GB RAM with 7 Home Premium for a decent price, but most of them don't include a decent graphics cards, except the ones which are approaching £1000 !!!

So I just don't know what to do now, invest in upgrading current. Much cheaper now, but limited future upgradability. Or buy new 'future proofed PC' for a lot more.

Or buy decent i5 or i7 and buy graphics card separately....

If anyones generous, they could help me browse PC World http://www.pcworld.co.uk/gbuk/index.html and suggest purchases.

I am actually a technical user, about to graduate from uni with IT Business, but i do suck at hardware!

 

[The_J]

No other shop options? Because the product range isn't really big.
e.g. i can't see a windows system builder version, which would be a pretty good option for a technical user (system builder: You can't get support from microsoft, but price is ~ 40% cheaper). And i think the graphic cards are overpriced, but i guess we might have some other prices here in germany.

 

[kamex]

No, the range kinda stinks. This ones now catching my eye: £600

Processor Intel® Core™ i7-870 Processor
- 2.93 GHz (up to 3.6 GHz with Turbo Boost)
- 2.5 GT/s DMI
- 8 MB Smart Cache
Operating System Genuine Windows® 7 Home Premium
RAM - 4GB installed DDR3 RAM (1333MHz)
- 2 installed memory modules
Graphics card ATI Radeon HD 5450
- 512 MB dedicated DDR3 video memory

Just not sure about the graphics card. Could probably buy a better one seperate. Is this card better than my current (first post)?

 

[The_J]

The card is better than your current one (at least that's what i'm estimating, but i'm not a hardware pro), but you really should get one where the second number is at least a 6.

 

[tokala]

- That shop has no systems that make sense for gaming
- if you buy just a new video card, avoid the 460 SE, both the standard 768 and 1024 MB versions offer way better value for money
- any of the other video cards mentioned so far are better than the old one, yet none of them make sense for gaming
- any i3/5/7 will outperform your old Q6600 in Civ5, but hardly enough to make a completely new system worthwile
- if you switch to Win7, get the 64bit version
- 4 GB is sufficient for Civ5
- a decent video card you buy today can be still be used if and when you upgrade the rest of the system

Check the specs of your old PSU, if it is sufficient AND you have a decently ventilated system, get something like that, or even better, that one.
That Sapphire is a very good deal
Wait at least until AMD has launched its next CPU generation before contemplating upgrading the rest of the system.

 

[civ_king]

- That shop has no systems that make sense for gaming
- if you buy just a new video card, avoid the 460 SE, both the standard 768 and 1024 MB versions offer way better value for money
- any of the other video cards mentioned so far are better than the old one, yet none of them make sense for gaming
- any i3/5/7 will outperform your old Q6600 in Civ5, but hardly enough to make a completely new system worthwile
- if you switch to Win7, get the 64bit version
- 4 GB is sufficient for Civ5
- a decent video card you buy today can be still be used if and when you upgrade the rest of the system

Check the specs of your old PSU, if it is sufficient AND you have a decently ventilated system, get something like that, or even better, that one.
That Sapphire is a very good deal
Wait at least until AMD has launched its next CPU generation before contemplating upgrading the rest of the system.

Yeah, wait until Llano and Bulldozer, it will force Intel to lower prices

 

[Arimae70]

Galaxy was having rebates on their cards - I picked up the GTX460 GC for $99 after rebates at CompUSA.

FYI, I too recently upgraded from a 9800gt, and the new card under Windows XP/DX9 is locked into "low" graphics settings for shadow & tessellation as described in this thread.

 

[Pat McRotch]

http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2371695,00.asp
Gateway ID49C13u is $850. It runs games faster than anything I could find in that price range. Ive been playing c5 on it smoothly at low-med settings on dx9. On dx11 its been running horribly and idk why yet.