ALC Game 21: Zulus/Shaka

[swordmaster29]

I can't wait to see how Civ performs with a 2.66 GHz proc, 4 GB RAM, and a 256 MB video card.

I just got a new system as well. It rocks for Civ IV (much faster load times and turn lengths). We need more details! Specifics please! Oh, and enjoy the crud out of it.

 

[iamnleth]

Sisiutil, why don't you just insert your current hard drive into the new PC rather than reinstalling everything?

 

[swordmaster29]

Sisiutil, why don't you just insert your current hard drive into the new PC rather than reinstalling everything?

Depending on the magnitude of the changes, that doesn't always work.

 

[kazapp]

Sisiutil, why don't you just insert your current hard drive into the new PC rather than reinstalling everything?

He doesn't wish to give his Windows installation a massive heart attack?

 

[iamnleth]

Ah, well I'm no expert. What would actually happen if the changes are too great?

 

[Sisiutil]

I just got a new system as well. It rocks for Civ IV (much faster load times and turn lengths). We need more details! Specifics please! Oh, and enjoy the crud out of it.

Dude, I'm getting a Dell.

I've had good experiences with Dell; my wife has a Dell laptop which required service lately, and our experience with that was excellent. The Dell on-line ordering system beats the crap out of their competitors'. (HP's is good in the US, but the Canadian one lacks the customization capabilities.) And as usual with Dell, it's hard to beat their price.

The new system is (or will be, when it arrives) a Dimension 9200C desktop PC. It has an Intel Core 2 Duo proc (4 MB L2 cache, 2.66 GHz), 4 MB RAM, a 320 GB hard disk, an ATI Radeon 256 MB X1300 Pro video card, and Windows Vista.

Oughta run Civ just fine, don't you think?

Coincidentally, the old system gave of the ghost today shortly after I ordered the new one--out of spite, perhaps? I'm pretty sure the motherboard failed. It's been giving me problems lately--severe slowdowns and system instability--hence the urge to get a new system.

Sadly, however, this means the next ALC will not start until the new system arrives. My work laptop, which I am using to write this, is incapable of running Civ (which is probably a very, very good thing).

Sisiutil, why don't you just insert your current hard drive into the new PC rather than reinstalling everything?

He doesn't wish to give his Windows installation a massive heart attack?

Depending on the magnitude of the changes, that doesn't always work.

I'll probably try to add the old disk as a slave in the new system just so I can easily get to my old data, but I won't boot from it. There's something to be said for starting fresh. If the old drive works, I might see if moving my page file over to it to see if that helps performance. Tough to say, it's an older disk so it will probably be slower.

 

[Peluin]

I've never actually seen this happen (despite numerous upgrades over the years), but I've heard that Microsoft, in their infinite wisdom, created some "features" where Windows tries to detect if it's in a "new computer" and asks you to reinstall it (with a new CD-key of course!).

More realistically, swapping the harddrive might leave you with mismatched drivers for the new hardware (especially video). Then Windows would try to install all of the new stuff it thinks it found, and the whole thing would get happily messy

 

[tazpn314]

I'd not try to use your old partition to run from. And indeed Windows will request its key again (you can use most keys a total of 10 times before it stops working) if you switch MBs or HDs if it will even boot at all. I'd install the old HD in the new machine and 'recover' data but then remove it and keep it as a backup (unless you actually do regular backups to Tape/DVDs). I had a 2 hard drives catch on fire recently due to a power surge and thankfully had a year old HD from a previous upgrade available to recover some data from.

Anyway, Dell is good if you don't like to build your own but then Tigerdirect/newegg/Fry's is cheaper. I've recommend Dell to family because I dont want to have to be customer support when a custom built one fails. Also good is that Dell seems to have improved their components after a couple of years of less than good quality.

 

[Validator]

The new system is (or will be, when it arrives) a Dimension 9200C desktop PC. It has an Intel Core 2 Duo proc (4 MB L2 cache, 2.66 GHz), 4 MB RAM, a 320 GB hard disk, an ATI Radeon 256 MB X1300 Pro video card, and Windows Vista.

I hope that's actually 4 GB of RAM, otherwise you're going to have a big problem.

Did you get the 64 bit version of Vista? You'll need it to be able to access all that RAM.

The video card is a bit old by today's standards. (That's a common problem with Dell systems.) It should be OK for Civ4, but you'll likely need a new card when Civ 5 comes out.

Ah, well I'm no expert. What would actually happen if the changes are too great?

The main problem with using an old hard drive with a new system is that the drivers for the system components likely won't work with the new system so Windows will just hang. And as others have pointed out if you have Windows XP or Vista you might have some problems with Microsoft's activation (although you can usually get past that with a phone call).



Not that any of this has anything to do with this ALC game of course.

 

[Moxxa]

Dude, I'm getting a Dell. ...4 MB RAM...Oughta run Civ just fine, don't you think?

Dude, that's not enough RAM.

 

[madscientist]

Funny, I got the household a new computer a year ago, much more ram and faster video card. I was greatly anticipating my first Civ game on it. A year later I am still ancipating that game, as the family never let's me on it! Now I am rearranging the office furniture for a third computer, and prepared to demand my rights! I am sure in a few years I'll actually get a fast paced Civ game played!

 

[Winston Hughes]

For a second there, I thought I'd wandered into the Technical Support forum by mistake.

Anyway, congrats on the win, even if it was too easy (I'm not gonna stop 'til you get beat, you know ).

 

[swordmaster29]

Dude, I'm getting a Dell.
...
The new system is (or will be, when it arrives) a Dimension 9200C desktop PC. It has an Intel Core 2 Duo proc (4 MB L2 cache, 2.66 GHz), 4 GB RAM, a 320 GB hard disk, an ATI Radeon 256 MB X1300 Pro video card, and Windows Vista.

Oughta run Civ just fine, don't you think?

Yeah, that should make thinks pretty fun. Good choice!

Anyway, Dell is good if you don't like to build your own but then Tigerdirect/newegg/Fry's is cheaper. I've recommend Dell to family because I dont want to have to be customer support when a custom built one fails. Also good is that Dell seems to have improved their components after a couple of years of less than good quality.

You know, I always believed that building your own was cheaper - but when it came to my latest system, I found that buying pre-built was actually cheaper. Not only that, but you save yourself the time of building it, and the possible incompatibilities that always seem to occur in a new upgrade (mainly due to old BIOS).

That being said, I did build my most recent system from parts. And I recommend Mac to my family, because then I get to use the excuse "I don't have that much Mac experience, perhaps you need to call tech support." I used Dell first, but they still refused to call Dell for their problems.

Back on topic:

What's the ship date on your new computer, Sis? Should we be expecting a long wait, or are you looking at some time this week? Man, I'm all excited FOR you - new hardware is always fun (as long as nothing burns down).

 

[Sisiutil]

Dude, that's not enough RAM.

Whoops, typo! Yeah, it's 4 GB. (My use of "MB" obviously dates me, doesn't it?)

The estimated delivery date is the 26th. No Civ for 2 weeks! Well, I suppose it's a good time to catch up on all the sleep I've missed since I bought this game.

Winston: I don't know if I'd call any Civ win easy, considering all the attention to detail required and the many hours of gameplay (enjoyable hours, nevertheless). Part of the reason that these games go well--besides the benefit if the hive mind--is the care and attention I give every turn. Because I know I'm being watched, as it were, I usually check in on every city on every turn, as well as checking on espionage points, diplomatic relations, and possible resource and tech trade deals as well. In my off-line games, I might do that once every 4 or 5 turns. Maybe that's why I almost always do better in the ALCs than I do off-line!

 

[Sam_Yeager]

The estimated delivery date is the 26th. No Civ for 2 weeks! Well, I suppose it's a good time to catch up on all the sleep I've missed since I bought this game.

OTOH it gives you lots of time to work on Princes of the Universe. The only downside is that you need the old drive to get the pics.

 

[Winston Hughes]

I don't know if I'd call any Civ win easy

hehe, the Noble game I'm presently playing says otherwise.

But I know what you mean. I'm a bit of a micro-freak, so even my current game is a bit of a labour of love.

And I don't mean to criticise - even when the victory is fairly straightforward, an ALC game is always good value for education and entertainment.

It's just that I especially enjoy the ones where you struggle.

 

[sveint]

Insert the old hard disk as a slave on the new computer. No need to reinstall civ.

 

[LcOiVvE]

A word to the wise, Sis. I recently (read: about 1 year ago) got a brand spanking new laptop, all the bells and whistles, etc, and it ran/runs Civ wonderfully. One thing to be aware of, regarding Vista, however. Im not sure if it will make a difference for Canada or not, but I had a bug type problem due specifically because Vista wasnt compatible. Forgive me for not remembering all the specifics, but there is a download type solution ( a patch of sorts if i recall correctly) you'll need to look into before delving too far into Civ and your ALC's. Perhaps someone more tech savvy than I could give you a more detailed description, or maybe someone made note of this in the other forums. Just a friendly FYI.

P.S. I have Windows Vista Home Premium.

 

[popejubal]

I'll probably try to add the old disk as a slave in the new system just so I can easily get to my old data, but I won't boot from it. There's something to be said for starting fresh. If the old drive works, I might see if moving my page file over to it to see if that helps performance. Tough to say, it's an older disk so it will probably be slower.

Since the page file is hard drive space rather than ram and since it's even worse if it's fragmented, I thought I'd try to see what my 2 gigabytes would do if I told windows to not have a page file at all. I was surprised at how much faster it ran without the page file than with.

I can't do 3-D rendering of massive constructs while playing a Large Civ IV map, searching for SETI and virtually folding proteins to cure cancer all at the same time, but the things I actually do happen a lot faster now. I was surprised.

 

[3rn0]

I can't do 3-D rendering of massive constructs while playing a Large Civ IV map, searching for SETI and virtually folding proteins to cure cancer all at the same time, but the things I actually do happen a lot faster now. I was surprised.

It´s always that tough choice - should I try to find cure for cancer, or should I play some civ