Video Minimum Specs ?

[ACEofHeart]

Okay, if you can run CIV 4 fine, will COL run fine too ??
I know it's the same engine as CIV 4 but I've read about different shaders because of the water graphics but is that an option that you can turn off ?
Sigh,,graphic card incompatibility is why more PC gamers have gone to consoles. To have to run out and buy a new graphic card every time a new game comes out is depressing .

 

[Lord Shadow]

I read it uses version 1.1 pixel shaders, which were first supported by DirectX 8.0, which is 8 years old by now (many recent games use version 3.0, and DirectX 10 supports 4.0). You might be able to use 1.0 shaders, like Civ4's, but if your PC can't handle 1.1, it's either an old laptop or an ancient desktop computer.

 

[ACEofHeart]

I have a Gateway 2.9 GHZ w/ 1.5 gig of RAM and a PCI GS7300 Nvidia video card.. it's NOT a ancient computer or laptop.. I run CIV4 fine but even with that some of the other newer games do run slow.

 

[Lord Shadow]

Oh, that card certainly supports pixel shaders 1.1 (and probably 2.0 too).

 

[SoonerNation]

I have a Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition, with 768 MB of RAM, an Intel Pentium 4 CPU with 2.00 GHz, and an Intel 82845G Graphics Card. Civilization III worked fine on my computer, but I could only get Civilization IV to work about a quarter of the time (and that was on a tiny map, with only one other civilization). However, I can play the American Revolution Scenario on Civ IV without any problems. Can anyone tell me if the new Colonization will be able to work on my computer?

Thanks.

 

[Jerrymander]

Sooner: No. Colonization will have slightly higher requirements than Civilization IV.

 

[SoonerNation]

Ok, thanks for your reply, Jerrymander. Does anyone have any suggestions on what I need to do to my computer so I will be able to play the new game?

 

[Lord Shadow]

Get a new graphics card. The one you have seems like an onboard one, and those by definition suck.

 

[Jerrymander]

Ok, thanks for your reply, Jerrymander. Does anyone have any suggestions on what I need to do to my computer so I will be able to play the new game?

Intel has very bad graphics cards. You should get a new one. However, you can't just get ANY graphics cards, because they come in different expansion slots.
This topic on Tom's Hardware can help you:
http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/250470-33-tomshardware

You might do well to get more RAM, too, but I've run Civilization IV/Warlords/BtS with 768MB and a weaker processor (A Sempron, no less) but it wasn't very smooth. You'll probably be able to run it, but unit movement will be slow, leaderheads might stutter, and large maps will be unplayable.

 

[Civfan333]

I suggest getting at least a NVIDIA like......6800? or if it's cheaper one of the 7000's.....and getting a completely new processor wouldn't hurt, though I think your's will run it, getting to 1gb of RAM would help the speed also.......also I have a sempron, which is newer, but still sucks, but Civ IV runs smooth, so it's mostly your RAM, processor, and graphics card

 

[Jerrymander]

Mostly RAM and graphics card, but a better processor allows more AIs and units to play.

Also note that, if you're getting an nVidia card, and the letter ending is "GS" and not "GT", you're buying a piece of crap.

 

[SoonerNation]

Thanks to everyone for their help. I'll try and do those things if they aren't too expensive.

 

[Jerrymander]

nVidia 6 series cards are only 30-60 dollars, and they do run Civilization IV fine.

 

[Civfan333]

the biggest would probably be the processor if u bought one...

 

[SoonerNation]

I went to the NVIDIA website and went here: http://www.nzone.com/object/nzone_civiv_home.html

Since I assumed that Beyond the Sword is about as close to Colonization in terms of system requirements as you can get, I went ahead and clicked on "Click Here To Test Your System". As I was expecting, my computer failed the video card requirements but passed everything else. This is what it said I should get: "Video Card Recommended: 128MB 3D 100% DirectX 9.0c compatible video card with Hardware T&L and Pixel Shader 2.0 (NVIDIA GeForce 6000 series +)". I plan to look into this further. I assume that all of that would probably be enough to run the new Colonization without any problems?

 

[Civfan333]

hmmmmmmm, they it could run, but to run not choppily, I suggest at least a 6800, or a 7000 series

 

[I-am-a-panda]

i havent played civ iv on my computer. I think it should be fine as its new-ish and has vista built - in, but is there a way to test my specs instead of buying the game and going *&$@!

 

[Jerrymander]

i havent played civ iv on my computer. I think it should be fine as its new-ish and has vista built - in, but is there a way to test my specs instead of buying the game and going *&$@!

http://www.systemrequirementslab.com/referrer/srtest

Select Civilization IV: BtS and run the test. Note that you need Java.

 

[Lord Shadow]

GeForce 7 series minimum (upper models recommended). The 6 series is already 4 years old, and buying one of those is simply not thinking of the future. Sure, you'd be able to run Colonization, but unless you like your games choppy...

Not to mention you'll have to upgrade again next year. Unless you don't play anything but Colonization and Civ4, and don't mind the choppiness.

 

[Shurdus]

I am under the impression that you can manage just fine be reducing the visual quality of the game. If your computer supports civ4 just fine, then it most likely will support col just fine. The computers that barely run civ4 otoh might be in trouble here.

Looking at the system reqs for col, the game looks not too heavy on a moderatly good machine.