What's the cheapest video card I can get that will run Civ IV

[Danchops]

Hello there! I'm a long-time lurker who has been visiting this site regularly for the last several months, getting more and more excited each day for Civ IV. Alas, recently discovered that my computer's graphics card does not have Hardware Transform and Lighting. (Doubly depressing for me since I didn't even know such a thing existed until I discovered I both needed, and didn't have, it for this game.)

Now, I need to buy a new video card to play Civ IV. I don't need a super spiffy one - the only other games I play with regularity besides Civ are Colonization and Heroes of Might and Magic IV, and I don't even play them all that often. I saw the other thread asking what graphics card he could get for less than $100. However, I don't even want to spend that much. I'm asking what's the least amount I can spend to get a graphics card that will work for Civ IV.

Thanks in advance for the help.

 

[Phyr_Negator]

your Eyes and friend's comp.

 

[Tactician Zhao]

Now, I need to buy a new video card to play Civ IV. I don't need a super spiffy one - the only other games I play with regularity besides Civ are Colonization and Heroes of Might and Magic IV, and I don't even play them all that often. I saw the other thread asking what graphics card he could get for less than $100. However, I don't even want to spend that much. I'm asking what's the least amount I can spend to get a graphics card that will work for Civ IV.

Thanks in advance for the help.

my ATI 9800XT died about a week ago, and I'm now running some dumpster special card I bought several years ago for 50 bucks.. and it will run Civ 4 just fine, so it won't be hard to get a bargain card for cheap now.. anything you can buy new now, as long as it has 64MB of vram should work.. just looking around really quick I saw this

http://www.pricegrabber.com/search_getprod.php/masterid=5510021/search=Geforce+2

thats assuming you have an AGP slot

 

[DreadCthulhu]

Brand new, or are you willing to hunt around on Ebay? You can pick up a Radeon 9250 for $35, and it should play CIV 4 fine, though with not so much eye candy and stuff. If you don't mind mail in rebates, $30 will get you a similar speed Geforce 5200 and $40 will get you a mildly faster Radeon 9550. Check to make sure you have an AGP slot, otherwise you will have to find a slower PCI card.

 

[Grohan]

Any old GeForce card should be fine (Geforce 2, 3, 4 or FX).

In example GeForce FX 5200: http://www.pricegrabber.com/search_getprod.php/masterid=4577277/search=fx+5200

 

[solowoo]

I just found that my PC has no AGP or PCIe slot. So I can only go for a slower PCI card.

Which card should I buy? Is it still possible for me to meet the recommended requirement?

 

[DreadCthulhu]

Well, find a PCI version of a Radeon 9200 or Geforce 5200; that should be able to play CIV 4, though less eye candy for you.

 

[BeefBayford]

For people living in the UK this card should be fine...
http://www.ebuyer.com/customer/prod...2hvd19wcm9kdWN0X292ZXJ2aWV3&product_uid=54890
...or if you prefer ATI cards...
http://www.ebuyer.com/customer/prod...2hvd19wcm9kdWN0X292ZXJ2aWV3&product_uid=62209

 

[Karnak]

www.pricewatch.com is a good listing of computer parts offered by stores around the US, including older video cards. You should be able to get a PCI card easily capable of running Civ 4 for a pretty low price.

$56 for a GeForce 5200 FX PCI card: http://www.pricewatch.com/prc.aspx?i=37&a=290801
Or

$103 for a GeForce 5700 PCI if you want a more capable card for a bit more. FX cards are much slower, budget cards: http://www.pricewatch.com/prc.aspx?i=37&a=277778


One thing, when you install a new video card based on nVidia or ATI chips, never install the drivers that came with it or drivers from the card manufacturer's site. Allways use the newest reference drivers from www.nvidia.com for nVidia based cards and www.ati.com for ATI based cards. They are invaribly newer and cleaner drivers.

 

[wotan321]

I have relatively new PC, fast CPU, fast BUS, a few Gig of RAM.... and only PCI slots and onboard video.

I've done some looking around, and I plan to purchase the GeForce FX5500 card with 256Mb of memory. It seems to be the best card I can get for my PC, and its doubtful other stronger PCI cards are going to come along, since PCI for video is fading away.

Am I right? Anyone know of a better PCI slot card for the money?

 

[solowoo]

I just found that my onboard Intel Extreme Graphics, working on a P4 2.6GHz with 512MB, can run AOE III well, yet it does not meet the minimum requirement either.

So, do I really need a new card, after all?

 

[ZubieMaster]

I was going to buy a new video card but saw this note: "The onboard video adapter that shipped in the computer cannot be disabled in the system BIOS. Because of this, the add-on PCI video card can only be used as a secondary video card, and not the primary one". Anyone know if this will screw things up?

 

[Phoenix_56721]

I have a (128 MB Geforce 5700 le) card and I'm really happy with it for a cheap card, it should run Civ4 just fine and it uses DX 9c drivers! I would buy this card before the Geforce 5200 it cant cost that much more they are both old cards. I've been able to play most of the new games on decent graphics settings with this card (Call of duty 2, AOM3, Fear)

My system specs are:

P3- 866 mhz processor
512 SD Ram
128 MB Geforce 5700 le
Sound blaster card
Windows XP

 

[Rayanth]

I was going to buy a new video card but saw this note: "The onboard video adapter that shipped in the computer cannot be disabled in the system BIOS. Because of this, the add-on PCI video card can only be used as a secondary video card, and not the primary one". Anyone know if this will screw things up?

without advanced fiddling around, and possible bug-crashes, it's incredibly difficult to get a game to run on the second video card instead of the first. As a result, if you cannot disable the onboard video as primary, chances are you'll have issues.

 

[Rayanth]

fwiw, as an AGP-owner I just bought an upgrade off newegg for $75. Radeon 9600 4/8x with 256m of memory and an excellent rating.

 

[irishlamma]

i need a cheap mac one
any suggestions?

 

[Cyberstar]

Yeah, I've got the intel extreme graphics on-board too. P4 3.0Ghz 512 Ram. I'm thinking to try the game first to see if it works and then get a card if necessary.

Can these on-board graphics be turned off? How do you do that? Will the new card installation do that automatically?

 

[dragontail]

Yeah, I've got the intel extreme graphics on-board too. P4 3.0Ghz 512 Ram. I'm thinking to try the game first to see if it works and then get a card if necessary.

Can these on-board graphics be turned off? How do you do that? Will the new card installation do that automatically?

Go to BIOS setup by hitting either DEL, F2, F1, or Ctl-Alt-Enter, Ctl-Alt-Esc during boot. There should be an option "Primary Video Output Device" or the like. Select "AGP" instead of "Onboard". Most BIOSes will automatically switch to AGP if it detects a card in the AGP slot.

 

[Yusaku Jon III]

Well, a 64-meg vidcard would be the minimum specs, so unless you're willing to dig a $1,500 (US) hole for yourself, you may have to do with less of the eye candy than you'd like to see until you can afford a newer one. Hopefully, there'll be graphics options that allow you to adjust effects animations until your system plays it smoothly enough for you. I know I had to do it with Rome: Total War on my 2003-model P4, but it still allows me to get over 2,000 units moving around on-screen. But with a Civ game, the process is more CPU-intensive and that 400-MHz front side bus was really a pain on the huge maps during later turns.

The thing that I'd like to know is if there are 128 MB AGP vidcards built for the older (4x) slots. I recall seeing an Nvidia model (MX 4000?) specced for both 8x and 4x AGP...

If they're still available, they have to be under $100 now.

 

[Cyberstar]

Go to BIOS setup by hitting either DEL, F2, F1, or Ctl-Alt-Enter, Ctl-Alt-Esc during boot. There should be an option "Primary Video Output Device" or the like. Select "AGP" instead of "Onboard". Most BIOSes will automatically switch to AGP if it detects a card in the AGP slot.

Thanks Dragontail