What Graphics Card is the Best?

[Knyx]

I have a Radeon 9800 256 Pro, but I'm getting constant crashes during midgame.

Anyone out there have yet to experience a crash with their graphics card?

Specs are

AMD Athlon 64 Processor 3200+ 2.2 GHz
Dual 512 Crucial SDRAM
Radeon 9800 256 Pro
Western Digital Caviar SE 200GB 7200 RPM

 

[PGM]

Good question.
What is the best video card out there?

 

[Rise]

i have a geforce 6600 and mine works fine. its not the best but fits into my budget and does the job. Whats your budget like?

 

[Knyx]

Well I can afford to get one of the newer graphics cards if need be, but then again, I thought my current vid card was pretty new, heh.

I'm just wondering if there IS a graphics card out there that isn't having trouble. If its obvious that all the older video cards are doing better than the new ones then I don't know what I'll do...if theres a newer graphics card out there that is doing fine then I might consider picking it up; mainly because I'd rather upgrade than downgrade my vid card.

 

[Moepheus]

EVERYONE is bound to have thier own idea about which graphics card is best for playing CIV4.

I have got the same card as Rise GeForce 6600

 

[civ4at3am]

I have a Radeon 9800 256 Pro, but I'm getting constant crashes during midgame.

Anyone out there have yet to experience a crash with their graphics card?

Yes, I can say that Civ4 has never crashed on me or my wife, either the original version on CD-ROM or the 1.09 patch version. The wonder movies sometimes stutter badly, but sometimes they run fine. Other than that, the game is very stable for me. I run it at the highest video quality settings with 4X AA and it runs very smoothly, despite my "ancient" machine:

Athlon XP 2000+ (Palomino, 1.69 GHz)
VIA KT600 chipset
1.5GB DDR266 RAM
ATI Radeon 9800XT 256MB
SB Live! Value

As you see, I've got basically the same video card as you, just clocked a little faster. It works for me. Perhaps your video card is not the problem after all?

 

[wright100]

I have a Radeon 9800 256 Pro, but I'm getting constant crashes during midgame.

Anyone out there have yet to experience a crash with their graphics card?

Specs are

AMD Athlon 64 Processor 3200+ 2.2 GHz
Dual 512 Crucial SDRAM
Radeon 9800 256 Pro
Western Digital Caviar SE 200GB 7200 RPM

its not ur graphics card i have the 128 MB version and it works for me. Do u have Directx updated?

 

[awoersch]

I am yet to buy CIV4 (I don't want to fail my exams), but I'm wondering about my graphics card. Its an Intel GMA 900. Its supposed to be good except for a crucial flaw in the lack of T&L. For someone who knows the tech stuff, is that passable (Will I even be able to play?) and if not how much is a replacement graphics card/Would I be able to figure out installing it on my own?
Gracias

Also, I know for GMA 900 direct X is supposed to be excellent and the rest of the specs for CIV4 are covered by my laptop.

 

[Rodatam]

an 7800GTX 512mb will do the trick

well, if this card cant, no card can

 

[awoersch]

As glorious as my plan to spend my entire winter break playing CIV 4 is, I can't drop a few hundred dollars on a new graphics card even if thats necessary to play. Anyone have an idea if CIV4 will work if all specs are satisfied except for a T&L handicap. For instance, I've heard some high T&L demand games won't install if the T&L isn't there with the graphics card. What I really need is to find a friend with the game and try it out or will the game not install on multiple machines?

 

[Azazell]

I Have Radeon X600 pro and zero problems with games

 

[wright100]

The problem is not the graphics card. Civ IV is not a graphics intensive game. The intensity of the stress on the graphics card is dependent on teh number of polygons in the models. and the Models are not that complex or real so it does not stress teh graphics card.

What i'm seeing here is a wide spread problem from ppl with my graphics Card the 9800 pro to ppl with 64MB cards. So that makes me think its not in the hardware its in the software. Update all ur drivers. Post ur system specs and we may be able to help u.

 

[automator]

I don't have a T&L card. My comp meets the minimum system requirements (I have a p4 2.1ghz, 512MB) but definitely not the recommended requirements. And the graphics card is only supposed to be able to shuttle 32MB of my RAM to video (when the minimum asks for 64MB).

But with the 1.09 patch, it runs fine (albeit slowly).

 

[awoersch]

Thanks automator.

Some things I found: Civ4 Minimum and recommended system requirements:
http://www.aaasoftwaresearch.com/Software/SystemRequirements/B000BI4GP6

Intel GMA 900 specs (my graphics card)
http://www.intel.com/design/graphics/gma900/

This bullet: "Microsoft* DirectX* 9 Vertex Shader 2.0 and Transform and Lighting supported in software through highly optimized Processor Specific Geometry Pipeline (PSGP)" makes me think I might be ok on the T&L

my system specs: Toshiba Satellite M45-S265
http://reviews.cnet.com/Toshiba_Satellite_M45_S265/4507-3121_7-31415537.html?tag=sub

If that one bit about the T&L means that its covered I think I might be good to go though I'm sure a little higher processor speed would help. I'd appreciate it if any knowledgable persons would give this a quick look over. New question: Is the demo a good indicator if your system is sufficient to play CIV 4?

 

[PGM]

The problem is not the graphics card. Civ IV is not a graphics intensive game. The intensity of the stress on the graphics card is dependent on teh number of polygons in the models. and the Models are not that complex or real so it does not stress teh graphics card.

What i'm seeing here is a wide spread problem from ppl with my graphics Card the 9800 pro to ppl with 64MB cards. So that makes me think its not in the hardware its in the software. Update all ur drivers. Post ur system specs and we may be able to help u.

Well I have updated all my drivers, and still no luck. I have a P4 2.5, 512Mb, SIS 650 64Mb (no T&L, but I can see leaderheads, units, cities, forests, jungles, flood plains, waves moving, hammers, bread, coins and every resource available, and can zoom pretty well).
Why can't I see normal terrain?? It´s all BLACK!

 

[civ4at3am]

As glorious as my plan to spend my entire winter break playing CIV 4 is, I can't drop a few hundred dollars on a new graphics card even if thats necessary to play.

Now is a good time to pick up slightly used AGP video cards on e-bay. All the newest motherboards use PCI express, so there are lots of fairly recent AGP cards up for sale from upgraders. I recently picked up a used Radeon 9800XT for a little over $100, but that's more card than you need for Civ4. You can find a used "made by ATI" 128MB 9800Pro for about $80 or so if you're patient. That should work fine. A 9600 would probably work fine and would undoubtedly be even cheaper.

Civ4 doesn't need a cutting-edge video card, just a fairly recent one. There's no point spending $300 on a card when an $80 card will do what you need.


Sorry, I didn't notice that you had a laptop before I posted this. Nevermind....