Running the game on Direct X 9 or 10/11

[DarthDooku]

I always just run the game on 10/11 as it says "reccomended". Ive been looking into upgrading my video card and I heard that running on Direct X 9 can solve some resolution problems. What is Direct X and how does it affect the game?

 

[The_J]

DirectX is a graphics technology from Microsoft.
The higher the number, the more beautiful the game will look (theoretically, if it's supported). This goes directly together with more stress for the computer.

The "recommendation" which you see from the game just tells you that: It will look better on DirectX10/11. This recommendation does not check in any way if your computer is capable of that, so that is displayed for everyone.

 

[andreafin]

after 7 hours of install and download i amazingly find civ v runs ok so far on my dell inspiron 15 3521. (i did wonder since its supposed to be below the minimum. but so was civ iv and that runs on high everything without even hitting 70% of the graphics load, so i thot i would try!).
my question is, i have celeron 887 dual core 1.5ghz with integrated intel hd graphics. i notice on one of my info things gpu-z it says the intel hd graphics has directx 10 support (and sm4 shader thingy whatever that means). i have run civ 5 in directx9 and directx 10/11; i noticed the fan was working much higher using directx9 so should i use directx10/11 to launch from now on? thanx in advance.

oh btw all the graphics settings are low except for high texture strategic i think but it works (i'm learning whats different so i'm on settler with 6 other civs on small map and havent tried anything more yet) and it looks better than civ iv does. but if the game looks better on directx 10/11 i would have thought the fan would be working even harder not barely on at all? i have 4gb ddr3 ram, if i add another 4gb ddr3 in the free slot will that help in some way? or does win 8.1 handle that stuff?

 

[ragan651]

after 7 hours of install and download i amazingly find civ v runs ok so far on my dell inspiron 15 3521. (i did wonder since its supposed to be below the minimum. but so was civ iv and that runs on high everything without even hitting 70% of the graphics load, so i thot i would try!).
my question is, i have celeron 887 dual core 1.5ghz with integrated intel hd graphics. i notice on one of my info things gpu-z it says the intel hd graphics has directx 10 support (and sm4 shader thingy whatever that means). i have run civ 5 in directx9 and directx 10/11; i noticed the fan was working much higher using directx9 so should i use directx10/11 to launch from now on? thanx in advance.

oh btw all the graphics settings are low except for high texture strategic i think but it works (i'm learning whats different so i'm on settler with 6 other civs on small map and havent tried anything more yet) and it looks better than civ iv does. but if the game looks better on directx 10/11 i would have thought the fan would be working even harder not barely on at all? i have 4gb ddr3 ram, if i add another 4gb ddr3 in the free slot will that help in some way? or does win 8.1 handle that stuff?

I don't expect you'd get much out of those specs, I'm afraid. As for whether Intel HD graphics will work with DX10/11 mode, depends on the generation and the drivers. With a Celeron, I would think you're better off using DirectX 9.

If the fan is going heavy in DX9 though, and DX11 works, then use that. Heat is the important thing, there's software you can download that helps monitor that.

Your RAM isn't causing the heat. That's just the load on the CPU causing that.