What's up with the extreme system requirements?

[hardcore_gamer]

So I was on systemrequirementslab.com and saw that Civ 5 had been added. "Sweet!" I thought to myself and decided to see how my PC would handle the game expecting good results.

But then to my shock this is what I saw:



What the heck?

4 GB OF RAM RECOMMENDED?!?!

I mean, I actually have a fairly strong PC with over 5 GB of RAM so I do meet all of the minimum requirements as well as most of the recommended ones but I am still a little shocked by how demanding the game appears to be in spite of the fact that it is a turn based strategy game.

Also, how does it come that my video card meets all of the recommended features but still isn't considered good enough to meet the recommended requirements? And a 1.8 GHz Quad Core CPU recommended WTH I am not trying to run Crysis!

Why is the game so demanding?

 

[alpaca]

You have 2.7 GB of video ram? That's like 4 gfx cards? WTH?

Anyways, a 9800 is recommended and you have a 8800. I don't really follow these things but the 9800 supposedly has a better architecture and possibly newer DirectX support?

As for the main question: Strategy games need a hell of a lot more CPU power than, for example, ego shooters. Graphics-wise it all depends, you can make a game ask for as much as you want.

The devs said the game is well-scaling, though, so I hope I can play it with my slightly aged rig. I don't mind having less graphical details but the AI turns could turn out to be a pain. We'll see.

 

[Venereus]

What's up with all the complaining threads?

4GB of RAM it's pretty standard with today's Operating Systems.

 

[Huyanglee]

I know I tried to play Civ IV as soon as it came out.
I had 1 GB of RAM and 512 MB would be recommended according to the box. Then I tried to play on a big map, undoable, upgraded to 2 GB and no more worries.

I now have 2 GB and have 4 GB extra coming this week so even if they underestimated I'm safe with 6 GB.

Only praying that my E6750 will be good enough since I cannot afford to buy a new CPU + Mobo + Mem, also with Sandy Bridge Octo coming in a year...

 

[hardcore_gamer]

You have 2.7 GB of video ram? That's like 4 gfx cards? WTH?

The devs said the game is well-scaling, though, so I hope I can play it with my slightly aged rig. I don't mind having less graphical details but the AI turns could turn out to be a pain. We'll see.

I think the PC video card can use the main RAM as well or something and thus it says 2.7 GB, I am not expert on this though so don't take my word for it.

What's up with all the complaining threads?

4GB of RAM it's pretty standard with today's Operating Systems.

People are just baffled by how the game can be this demanding when there is almost literally nothing going on in terms of movement or complex actions on screen. Most games have to calculate all sorts of stuff that is happening on screen but Civ 5 does not. Also, considering that the game is in fact static unless the player gives an order does it really matter if the game runs super smooth or not?

 

[parabellum9x19]

i needed a new notebook anyway, so i bought one that i was sure would meet minimum specs. Core i3 mobile, integrated graphics, 6GB system RAM. i'm still working on configuring it tho. still using my POS Civ IV laptop for cruising the interwebz.

 

[Olleus]

Your CPU is good enough, its the website which is broken. Your video card is probably a little on the low side for recommended requirement, but well above the minimum.

In other words, you'll be fine.

PS: You have 2.7GB or memory on your graphics card? Thats a very unusual and very large number

 

[Venereus]

People are just baffled by how the game can be this demanding when there is almost literally nothing going on in terms of movement or complex actions on screen. Most games have to calculate all sorts of stuff that is happening on screen but Civ 5 does not. Also, considering that the game is in fact static unless the player gives an order does it really matter if the game runs super smooth or not?

What abut the other civs? The AI is happening all the time.

 

[Lillefix]

I thought Geforce 9800 and 8800 were basically the same card. And my dual 3.16 ghz intel better work.

 

[Guardian_PL]

I'm entering forum. And I see a thread called "what's up with the extreme system requirements?", made by someone called "Hardcore Gamer". How hilarious is that?

To the OP:
Do you really think that all these "canyourunit" bullcrap sites will tell you how your PC will perform if the game's not even out yet, not even demo, and we know for a fact that preview builds have a lot of issues?

Seriously, take a breather and be thankful that you haven't just tried to learn how to find a girlfriend from a p0rn movies.

On the 21st launch a demo and see for yourself, for now I think the drama is premature ^^

 

[gibson1314]

My ATi Radeon 4870 graphics card came up with 3.6 gb memory on my graphics card which is nonsense.

 

[Schuesseled]

So I was on systemrequirementslab.com and saw that Civ 5 had been added. "Sweet!" I thought to myself and decided to see how my PC would handle the game expecting good results.

But then to my shock this is what I saw:



What the heck?

4 GB OF RAM RECOMMENDED?!?!

I mean, I actually have a fairly strong PC with over 5 GB of RAM so I do meet all of the minimum requirements as well as most of the recommended ones but I am still a little shocked by how demanding the game appears to be in spite of the fact that it is a turn based strategy game.

Also, how does it come that my video card meets all of the recommended features but still isn't considered good enough to meet the recommended requirements? And a 1.8 GHz Quad Core CPU recommended WTH I am not trying to run Crysis!

Why is the game so demanding?

Because it uses up to date graphics, as does every game produced, you must be new to pc gaming ehh?

 

[Schuesseled]

Seriously, take a breather and be thankful that you haven't just tried to learn how to find a girlfriend from a p0rn movies.

^^

What you can't do that?

 

[CurseUppl]

The "extra" memory you see is real enough. Not being an expert, a GFX has integrated memory for fast access (which is the 512 MB, 1 GB, etc) that you see marketed on the box. Then it has additional memory for just general run of the mill stuff.

Now, in regards to these requirements, if you can't run Civ5, do yourself a favour and buy a new PC. Seriously, you only need 3-400 dollars if your upgrading old hardware. Twice that if you're building your own.

3-400 dollars is not a lot of money. I am a student. I study. I don't even work. So stop being niggardly and either upgrade your ancient hardware or don't buy the game.

*edit* Oh and stop cluttering the forum with these topics.


Moderator Action: "niggardly" has nothing to do with the "n-word". Stop reporting this post.

 

[neev]

My ATi Radeon 4870 graphics card came up with 3.6 gb memory on my graphics card which is nonsense.

And my Radeon 4850 came up with 2.4 gb of videoram. And according to this site, my Core 2 Duo E7400 is not even enough to RUN the game, which is obvious nonsense.

Those websites really are full of it. I say : everyone, just wait for the demo.

 

[Venereus]

What you can't do that?

Well, may be if you're really really lucky.

 

[Schuesseled]

I think the PC video card can use the main RAM as well or something and thus it says 2.7 GB, I am not expert on this though so don't take my word for it.



People are just baffled by how the game can be this demanding when there is almost literally nothing going on in terms of movement or complex actions on screen. Most games have to calculate all sorts of stuff that is happening on screen but Civ 5 does not. Also, considering that the game is in fact static unless the player gives an order does it really matter if the game runs super smooth or not?

This is a computer game, with a detailed living enviroment. It's not static.

 

[Gazurtoid]

I wouldn't discount the idea of under the hood calculations either. Bigger maps + more units, etc., is going to require more of HAL's resources to do all that number crunching.

 

[Guardian_PL]

What you can't do that?

Well, may be if you're really really lucky.

I wouldn't call myself lucky in that case. What kind of girlfriend you think she would be? But to each their own I guess...

 

[mercury529]

I wouldn't discount the idea of under the hood calculations either. Bigger maps + more units, etc., is going to require more of HAL's resources to do all that number crunching.

Yes, it would be my hope that the AI's next set of turns are being calculated when the player is playing his turn. It would only need to recalculate AI moves that are influenced by player decisions (and could even use a decision tree for when the number of player moves that influence AI decision-making is small).