People with old computers

[RDomico]

I was just writing this to tell people with old computers that you can still play Civ 4.

I have this PC:
AMD Athlon 850 mhz
256 mb ram
Geforce TI 4200 64 mb Version: 81.95

It has never crashed and it runs smoothly on low graphics settings and a small map. I'll have to wait for a better computer to play the large maps, but for those of us that can't buy a better PC, you can play it on an old computer if you stick to small maps and low graphics settings.

Bob

 

[Fanny Brice]

Hope for us all



Pentium 3, 1GB
256 Ram
Nvidia GeForce FX 5500, 256 ram



Anyone know which computer component if most critical in the smooth running of the game on older model computers? My graphics card is new so I assume that won't be an issue. CPU power? Ram? (I can easily and cheaply increase the RAM).

 

[BeefontheBone]

I'd go for RAM first off for Civ, it's a memory-heavy game.

 

[warpus]

1. video card
2. ram

my computer is 3 years old, yet i have no problems playing on larger maps due to my 9800 pro and 768mb of ram.

 

[Leonel]

Duron 1300
384 RAM
ATI Radeon 9000

It runs fine on a tiny map but it starts to get in a LITTLE BIT of trouble on small maps but up onwards, I might as well be watching a slideshow of Civ 4 screenshots.

 

[prologos]

Athlon XP 2000
Radeon 9200 128MB
1.25 GB RAM

The game runs very well with all the options turned on and large maps. Before the patch it was constantly crushing though. In the shop I work the PC is Athlon 64 3000 512Mb RAM and Radeon 9250 and It's playing a little slowly than home so I guess RAM is a big issue here.

 

[yatusk]

I have a couple year old laptop and it's been running just fine---I credit my 1 gig of RAM---I notice that the game slows down after a couple hours of playing so I just reboot and the game is back to a nice quick pace.

 

[BirraImperial]

my brother plays Civ IV on a Compaq laptop with an AMD Athlon XP 2000+ 1.2GHZ processor, 256MB RAM and a 32MB Nvidia Geforce 4 Go card or something like that. Anyway, He can play with all settings on low and small maps.

 

[Pounder]

P3 800Mhz, Win98, 512M RAM, Geforce 5500

Never crashed, runs fine on highest graphics settings.

I think that the video card is the most important component.

Windows XP is a negative as it is a hog on resources. I run can run windowed mode on WIN98 with browser and graphics programs while playing CIV4, this all was a surprise to me as the recommended specs were way beyond my machine.

 

[Siggy19]

My home desktop is the good ole 850 MHz AMD, but I only have dialup so really don't want to download the patch.

Does anyone think it'll run on my wife's Compaq 386 Laptop ? It handles the Internet fine...

;-)

More seriously, any suggestions as to how I can persuade She-Who-Must-Be-Obeyed to let me spend $1,500 on a new laptop purely so I can play this ?

It's not as if we have any other use for the money. Apart from food, housing and warmth, that is.

 

[Freddybear]

AMD Athlon, 1Ghz, 384M RAM
GEForce4 MX 440, 64M vidram
NVIDIA 81.95 drivers

Works OK up to Standard size, all graphics options set to "low". Dunno about larger maps yet.

 

[slothman]

I think that the video card is the most important component.

From reading all the posts about it working and not working that seems to be true.
I only have 1.3Ghz and 256Mb and it runs fine.
That is 17 even other civs and a huge map.
I credit my ATI x600 AiW.

 

[glasl]

XP 2800
9800 pro
2GB
Win XP SP2

oh .. no wait ... thats a good PC but I have stupid performance ...
hmmmmmm good game

 

[warp_kez]

P4-3.4 Ghz with 1GB of RAM running an ATI X600 with 256MB.

Runs like a treat even at 1680x1050.

 

[GinandTonic]

pIII 700 Remember when the cpu went in sideways? I do.
gf4 440 64
256

Have to drop the graphics around industrial age on a standard map. Have to force a gig of paging and kill all the unused processes and sometimes have the odd graphical twitch but never a CTD. Sometimes it freezes for ages, and do I ever get the hump with leaders making pointless offers in the modern age. No, I didnt want that resorce the last six times you offered it to me, but gee thanks for freezing up my computer for 30-45 seconds again...

 

[Edward The Big]

I actually have read that if you have Win 2000, you can get by reasonably well with 256 RAM....I'm not sure you can get by with 256 Ram and WinXP...I don't know if I would advise that...

 

[warp_kez]

Spoke to bloody soon. About 20 minutes after I posted my message, the damn thing locked the computer up so hard, that even a Ctrl+Alt+Del did not work.

Now, the game runs like it is handicapped somehow, as it lags more between each turn, when selecting a city, and when selecting a unit.

 

[pris]

yep thats what im doing till i save up more dough

mostly just learning and reading so far

But i got to finish the tutorial earlier and it only took me 3 weeks

Seems to run better without quickplay=1 or any other junk