Finally Got Civ4 to Work, New Question

[DonStamos]

Using the same old bucket of a comp that I posted about before, I managed to get Civ to run, albeit slowly, but I think that's a memory issue (I have 256 RAM/Windows XP)

I have it patched to 1.52, and it plays well enough with everything set to low resolution and the unit graphics off (til I can find out whether my system can handle them).

My only problem thus far is the intro/wonder movies. They play, but both the audio and video stutter quite a bit. Is there any way to fix this?

A side not, I still have no idea what the comp uses as a video card, so how do I find that?

 

[Zydor]

Don

Post your Dxdiag

(Dxdiag - Start Button - click - choose run - type dxdiag - hit enter - wait a min - select save all information - post using 'advanced' button below)

Regards
Zy

 

[DonStamos]

Yikes this is huge.... but here ya go:

 

[Zydor]

You have an Intel 8 Series IGP - Integrated Graphics Chip

So as you suspected - you got a graphics problem. The game does not support IGPs, you need a hardware T&L support - ie a graphics card

RAM is low, you need 512mb with XP.

You have a Celeron - P4 is the minimum

Pagefile is low

Now the positives (!)

You will never get much performance, your hardware setup is not supported, but, try reducing everything possible in the game setup that cuts down the graphics side (no textures, low resolution etc) anything that reduces graphics and main RAM workload. An IGP will draw from main RAM what it needs - making any RAM shortage more acute.

Change the Pagefile to 2000mb. The Pagefile has temporary information that the game does not need at any instant in time, and with your hardware and low RAM it will be swapping in and out of the Pagefile like crazy, I have no doubt your drive light is like a new year firework display An increased Pagefile size (no point beyond 2000mb) will help stop the processor running out of space with the large memory needs of CIV IV. A low pagefile can cause CTDs (crash to desktop)

Not happy news - but suspect you felt that was coming anyway.

The most important thing - which you have done - in Civ IV to date is to load the Patch V1.52 it fixed a large number of Major Critical memory issues.

If you ever need to reload/reinstall follow this:

Get Patch as separate file
http://www.2kgames.com/civ4/downloads.htm

Before Patching
Windows add/remove in control panel remove Civ - success or failed do the following

Delete the Civ IV Directories in:

- Programs/Firaxis
- My Documents / My Games
- C:\Documents and Settings\USERNAME\Application Data\My Games\Civilization IV\ Its a hidden directory if not seen just check you have "show hidden files" switched on

Load from discs
Load Patch V1.52

get into game Options to reset the aspects that cut down on graphics and processing. Stop any background program or Service thats not really needed (most of us have a lot of the latter )

Regards
Zy

 

[DonStamos]

Ehhh, I'm counting it as a victory that I'm able to play Civ at all

Though I must ask, where could I find decent graphics cards/memory (I believe mine is DDR RAM) on a very tight budget?

 

[Zydor]

Standby for an avalanche of go here ... go there ....

Countless places to be honest. Use Google to get a feel for prices etc. Always (given Charlie Chan's shop in Katmandu etc ) cheaper to buy on line. A minus point here tho, its easy to fall prey to buying something less than ideal in terms of the inevitable price / preformance compromise. Usually more dosh

Suggest you get someone locally - friend, collegue, workplace IT guy to have a look at what you have, so you get a sensible suggestion on a compromise. Particularly memory, its easy to say that all you need is .... whatever ... but there are varying quality memory chips (bang for your buck).

But .... dont think you will succeeed there with anything sensible

You beastie is under spec, it would not surprise me to find you get to the conclusion that a new box is needed, or cheaper/more economical than an upgrade. In the latter case, remember you dont have to buy new screens, existing CRTs will do fine,dont pay for a flash LCD unless you want to, or really need to. Many suppliers will sell a box without a screen.

Its not a "throw it away" PC, it is fine for standard everyday things in life, and will be so for a few years yet. Its problem is that its not built for Graphics intensive applications / games because it lacks an AGP slot (AGP is a standard that "accelarates" the way graphics intensive programs work - latest successor to AGP standard is known as PCI-e). Its this latter bit that is your real problem, there is no real way to cope with the graphics intensive 3D that games such as Civ IV throw at it. It understands them, but it cannot process them fast enough with the results you see.

So, yes we can tweek as above, and maybe other things some may come up with that had the same problem, however in the medium & long term, spending too much on upgrade will be fools paradise - even expanding memory would do little as such without at least AGP standard graphics, and your PC board does not have an AGP bus, therefore no AGP card can be fitted.

Sorry kinda gloomy .... But the time has come to get a new beastie ....


Regards
Zy

 

[DonStamos]

I guess it's a good thing that news came early, eh? At least now I can start planning ahead to income tax time to figure out what kind of computer I can afford, and it's not like I'm gonna ditch this one, I have two hard drives in it

What kind of graphics card should I look for in a computer, btw? Dell has all this Intel stuff and I don't remember seeing much of it around the forums:-x

 

[Neon Deon]

I guess it's a good thing that news came early, eh? At least now I can start planning ahead to income tax time to figure out what kind of computer I can afford, and it's not like I'm gonna ditch this one, I have two hard drives in it

What kind of graphics card should I look for in a computer, btw? Dell has all this Intel stuff and I don't remember seeing much of it around the forums:-x

You might want to think outside the box a bit.

http://www.cyberpowersystem.com/Default.asp

IMHO:

If you have software and os and can install your own OS, you can save yourself from buying prefab propietary brand names and get somethin that has a real powersupply and is made with gamming in mind

 

[DonStamos]

Yeesh... I can't afford any of those!

 

[Neon Deon]

Yeesh... I can't afford any of those!

600 bucks

you could always wait 2 tax periods

 

[DonStamos]

I dunno if I could stand Civ being that slow for that long I can tolerate it if I know there's gonna be light at the end of the tunnel soon