"Your System does not meet System Requirments"

[m.r.b]

Hey all,
I cannot play colonization (well actually, i can, but it does not really work at all. Everything is black and there is no details in the main screen. the sea is black and the land is all white and you cannot see any details unless you walk right up on it. really weird since all other civIV games work on my computer). I believe that its my graphics card. I have uploaded by dxdiag. If anyone could trouble shoot what is the problem and any suggestions on possible graphics cards to buy/upgrad to that would be great.

 

[Dale]

You've got a Geforce4 MX 440, which is an old model (circa 2002 I think). The MX 440 is a basic graphics card (even in it's day) which only fully supports DirectX7.

Just because you can run Civ4 doesn't mean Col2 will run fine. Col2 has a much updated graphics engine, and as such your card which was minimum for Civ4, is under for Col2.

Sorry dude.

 

[candle]

Col2 clearly states what it needs lol.

Minimum card is DX9c complient with Shadermodel 1.1

Meaning

Geforce4 Ti (any)
Radeon 8500

Those are the lowest cards, the Geforce3 Ti is only SM1.0 so it wont run it

 

[m.r.b]

ok, thats all well and good. i know nothing of graphic's cards. what i'm asking is there any way i can either a)play this game witht he current set up i have (ie-update drivers, make changes. or b) what inexpensive graphics card should i be looking for that would get me on the way?

 

[candle]

ok, thats all well and good. i know nothing of graphic's cards. what i'm asking is there any way i can either a)play this game witht he current set up i have (ie-update drivers, make changes. or b) what inexpensive graphics card should i be looking for that would get me on the way?

your only option is to upgrade graphics, I don't have a clue where you live though this is what id get for your comp

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814102073

an x1650pro AGP, its leaps and bounds ahead of that old Geforce4MX card of yours, and you might even be able to play newer games like CoD4 on your comp


though im going to be totally honest, your computer isnt worth upgrading.

id get this
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16883114067

and add this
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814102838

and then you have a very nice gaming computer

 

[m.r.b]

thanks for the info, and yes i'm well aware that my computer is crap, which is why i asked for inexpesnive. i'm most likely going to replace it in the next year, after windows 7 comes out.

whats that website like that you recomended? is it realiable? do they ship to canada?

 

[candle]

newegg.ca does, not .com. Yes they are very reliable

http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814102073

also most OEMS are offering there systems with a free upgrade to windows 7 right now, as Windows7 is actully less of a resource hog