Will Civilization IV work on my computer?

[Samsonite]

My Specs:

System:
Wicrosoft Windows XP
Home Edition
Version 2002
Service Pack 3

Dell Dimension DIM3000
Intel[R]
Celeron[R] CPU 2.66GHz
2.66GHz, 512 MB of RAM

 

[ori]

Welcome to CFC

and please post your dxdiag results file

 

[Samsonite]

Operating System: Microsoft XP Home Edition (5.1, Build 2600)
System Manufacturer: Dell Computer Corporation
System Model: Dimension 3000
BIOS: Phoenix ROM BIOS PLUS Version 1.10 A02
Processer: Intel(R) Celeron(R) CPU 2.66 GHz
Memory: 510 MB RAM
Page File: 473 MD used, 774 MB available
DirectX VersionL DirectX 9.0c (4.09.0000.0904)

I'm unsure what you mean by results file.

Oh and thank you for the welcome!

 

[ori]

when you run dxdiag - please click on save results and post the whole file as a post attachment. You can attach files to posts by clicking on go advanced and then on manage attachments below the reply box

 

[Samsonite]

Here you go.

 

[ori]

it *should* run - though the computer is at the low, low end of the necessary specs and your graphics driver predates the game's release - so you should update that. In either case it will probably run - but not at the highest settings.

 

[Samsonite]

it *should* run - though the computer is at the low, low end of the necessary specs and your graphics driver predates the game's release - so you should update that. In either case it will probably run - but not at the highest settings.

I've been having difficulties finding a driver update for my graphics card, but I'll continue looking. Thank you for your help!

 

[ori]

http://downloadcenter.intel.com/Sea...65G+Graphics+and+Memory+Controller+Hub+(GMCH)

is the latest - two years younger than yours - just choose win xp as your operating system and the first one is the newest...

 

[Samsonite]

http://downloadcenter.intel.com/Sea...65G+Graphics+and+Memory+Controller+Hub+(GMCH)

is the latest - two years younger than yours - just choose win xp as your operating system and the first one is the newest...

Thanks for your help, but I already checked and that one does'nt work. My graphics driver is a computer manufacturer installed (Dell) driver, and Intel drivers won't work. I need to contact Dell. I checked their website, but they did'nt have anything.

 

[ori]

yeah - Dell and other computer manufactures are too cheap to continue supporting their own products past their shelf life
there are ways to get these drivers to work though - but that require some technical work...
I'd only worry about that though if the game does not run

 

[Lemon Merchant]

@Samsonite:

I checked, and your Dell can use a PCI video card rather than the internal Intel graphics adapter it's using now, and that will solve the driver issue. You can still buy them at places like Newegg. Make sure it's a PCI card, not PCI-e, and make sure the power supply can handle the extra card. Check the power requirements before you buy.

Something like an Nvidia series 8400 or 9400 with 256 to 512 MB of RAM should do the trick, but don't expect any stellar performance out of other games. The PCI bus is just too slow for that, but it should handle Civ fairly well at medium settings.

It really might be time to put that Dell out to pasture...

 

[Samsonite]

@Samsonite:

I checked, and your Dell can use a PCI video card rather than the internal Intel graphics adapter it's using now, and that will solve the driver issue. You can still buy them at places like Newegg. Make sure it's a PCI card, not PCI-e, and make sure the power supply can handle the extra card. Check the power requirements before you buy.

Something like an Nvidia series 8400 or 9400 with 256 to 512 MB of RAM should do the trick, but don't expect any stellar performance out of other games. The PCI bus is just too slow for that, but it should handle Civ fairly well at medium settings.

It really might be time to put that Dell out to pasture...

Thanks for the help. I'm getting a new computer soon, and this Dell is about done.

 

[mmeyerde]

Hello,

I hope it is okay to push this thread back up, as I have some "problems" with Civ IV which I would like to fix.

Unfortunately I am working on a two-year-old machine. By the end of the year I would like to buy a new one. Since I am a player of all Civ parts from the very first hour I am asking, how the new machine should look like to play Civ IV with modifikations like RoM and AND or maybe others fluently on gigantic maps. How much ram, which os, cpu, graphic card and so on, do I need?

At the moment I can play on a small map with 2 enemies only and even then the game will take its thinking brakes, meaning for me that I can get myself a cup of coffee or tee when it comes to the change of a turn . As far as I can recall I did not have these problems with the published unmodded version of the game.

There is one more I would like to ask, if this is okay? I uploaded my dxdiag.txt file because I hope that someone can give me a hint what I can do for the moment, to work around these problems? I installed XP new this week and Civ IV is the only installation. Oh yes, can someone please confirm how fast my cpu is? Is this one really a 3gHz machine? Do you need more information?

Thanks in advance for your help

Regards

 

[Lemon Merchant]

Your machine is a 3 GHz dual core with a good amount of memory. You can only play small maps? Are you running a big mod when you play? You mentioned RoM, but even RoM isn't that slow on a small map. Are you running other programs while you play?

Your computer should be more than capable of playing larger maps. If I were you, I would upgrade your graphics drivers. They are quite old. If you're using a big mod, try running just regular BTS and see if the speed has improved. Your computer is faster than my laptop, and I can play large maps with it, so I'm not exactly sure why you're having the problem...

 

[mmeyerde]

Hello,

thank you for your answer. Well indeed I "can" play bigger maps or with more than two enemies. But unfortunately when I advance until the late middle ages or early industrial era, my machine gets slower and slower. First I thought that these problems are due to the long running times of my machine but they remain even after rebooting or on the next day. Unfortunately I observe this even on the small maps I mentioned before. It is frustrating. As another climax I cannot even start on a gigantic map; I am getting a maf, when I just try to start the game. Civ IV is the only game in which I have such problems.

I find it interesting that my graphic drivers are that old. I downed them last week, while I was setting XP up and was sure that I chose the latest one. Well I will change this at first. According to your theory regarding the mods: I only play RoM (2.91) with AND (1.73) and the United Modders Mod Mod with the latest patch (3.19). No other programs are running except a firewall and progresses XP starts in the beginning. There are no viruses or malware on the machine, which could slow down the system either. All versions are the latest as far as I know. I will recheck this with BtS and try to compare the performance.

Edit:

Okay, now I rechecked the pages of my graphiccard manufacturer: The driver I have installed is the latest one.

Regards

 

[Lemon Merchant]

Edit:

Okay, now I rechecked the pages of my graphiccard manufacturer: The driver I have installed is the latest one.

Regards

This is the latest driver, dated 4/13/2010:

http://www.nvidia.com/object/winxp_197.45_whql.html

That's right from Nvidia. Graphic card manufacturers are notorious for being lazy in updating their drivers. Sometimes you need to go to the people who actually make the chip. But be sure to make a restore point before you install it.