System Requirements FAQ

[Slothy]

Uhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

Uhh?

Got to be better than an Amiga 500 with one fecking floppy disk drive. And Civ 1 came with 2 disks, save games were a pita

[mattlach]

Games started using SOME multi-threading four years ago, but didn't make very good use of multi-core processors.

If I recall correctly Quake 3 was the first to offer SMP compatibility in late 99, early 2000 some time, no?

It's amazing how little ground we've made in this department in the last 10 years...

[Targon]

I am starting to wonder just how wrong the minimum requirements are for Civ 5 at this point. While Intel graphics will tend to be sub-standard, we have no idea at this point just how much is NEEDED, and how much is needed to have every feature turned on.

Since ALL Civilization titles are turn based, what would happen if your graphics card/integrated graphics supports the shader models but is slow? The worst I can think of would be problems with the animations, both in combat and when in diplomacy with another leader.

A Radeon 3200, 3300, or 4200 integrated graphics setup easily falls into this situation, where it SHOULD work, but again, animations may be ugly.

You are correct about the Intel GMA graphics. It's nowhere near sufficient for CIV5. The 7900 GS will be somewhere between the minimum and recommended specs, but much closer to the minimum. It will likely run, but probably with most options turned way down.

The GTX460 is a great card if you have the budget. It will be more than powerful enough, and have DX11 support which is a plus.

I recommend trying to stick with DX 11 boards these days if you are going to go out and buy something. This means the GTX460 will be the cheapest Nvidia DX11 board. There are plenty of cheaper options on the Radeon side though that have DX11 support. The 5670 is probably the lowest I would go, the 5750 and 5770 are both better, and the 5830 is about the same as the GTX460.

[slowtarget]

Half Life 2 is probably coded as a 32 bit app, but the 64 bit version just used a compiler switch. This is a poor way to implement 64 bit, in the same way the multi-threaded designs of Neverwinter Nights 1 and 2 don't really use a multi-core processor well.

The two situations really aren't that comparable. Multithreading is a complete re-structuring of how software design is done. The choice between 32-bit and 64-bit compilation is a (relatively) simple API change, since the dominant 64-bit API (amd64/x64) is a superset of i686 (the 32-bit API).

There is very little benefit to re-coding an application to take advantage of the additions in x64 unless it was already running into problems with i686. Its not at all like moving to a multi-threading model. If you're running stream processing and you run out of registers or if you are doing complex math and need to use alternate math routines to handle high precision, then yes, you'll benefit from taking advantage of x64. However, modern compilers are pretty good and they already know about this and take advantage of x64 where appropriate.

Thus allowing you to flip a compiler switch and get the improvements from x64.

The point is just that those improvements don't show significant gains in standard applications.

So, just because titles to date don't make good use of 64 bit does NOT mean that the move to 64 bit will not provide a significant improvement if done properly.

I don't know what you mean by this. 64-bit code doesn't look any different than 32-bit code. The same techniques are used. The same design is used. The idea of redesigning code for 64-bit execution is just confusing. We didn't redesign code when it moved from 16-bit to 32-bit APIs. We adjusted the bit length of various types and got used to the fact that more memory was available and moved on. The move to 64-bit is very similar.

Right now, 64 bit has shown SIGNIFICANT benefits for things like compressing/expanding, but the so-called 64 bit versions of games don't even seem to provide improvements to the load process(which tends to involve opening encrypted archives). So, if you see no benefit from 64 bit, that shows that you are just looking in the wrong place.

Yes, games open encoded (rarely encrypted) archives, but the routines for processing those are usually simple IO routines, not customized hardware level processing. Even when they are, they are included in the MMX, SSE, SSE2, and SSE3 APIs, which are already available to i686 processors. All of those same APIs are used in x64. The same code is used and all that needs to be changed to go from one API to the other is a compiler flag.

The (most common) actual improvements in x64 are: larger addressing space, faster 64-bit floating point math, a few more general purpose registers, more SSE registers, instruction pointer relative addressing, and the NX bit. Of these, none of them see common use in games or show any improvement for gaming.

Extra registers and the SSE improvements are going to drastically improve things like multimedia encoding. However, games rarely do that. Even when they do perform transformations like that, the bulk of the work is done by the GPU, which is a vastly better parallel processing engine than general purpose CPUs. Really, the first reason why games will move to 64-bit execution is to take advantage of larger memory addressing space, but we haven't gotten to the point where games are routinely taking up 3GB of RAM, so there's little reason to make the move now.

[Civ5Fiend]

this is what I'm going to assemble so that I cant play civ5 above recommended settings. I just need to know if all the parts are compatible. I would just use my laptop but the video and ram are not up to snuff and I cant afford to sent it to dell and be without it for a month at a time.

Here is the build I'm going to make;

1. http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16811147144
2. http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16811992005
3. http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16813130223
4. http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16814150497
5. http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16820231193
6. http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16819103727
7. http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16899261001

I'm mainly worried about compatibility of all the parts. I already have zalman 850watt PSU. Any assistance would be greatly appreciated.

[OniaPL]

Hello guys, I am back here to bother you!

I didnt saw this card listed on the first page, so i was hoping that someone could answer me quickly.

Does a AMD ATI Radeon HD 4770 graphic card have any chance of reaching recommended specs? It is relatively cheap, so I thought you guys could tell me if it passes.

Fast edit: If it doesn't pass, how about AMD ATI Radeon HD 4850?

[ianmartin]

I have a laptop - it's fairly new but I didn't spend much on it

the spec is

X2 Dual Core Processor L310 1.20ghz
4GB RAM
ATI Radeon HD 3200

I think I'm below the minimum maybe but I dont' mind lowing certain options on the game if I can still play on it

[Targon]

slowtarget: If you know that you will be limited by a 32 bit OS, you may take steps to write AROUND said limitations, rather than just sitting back and praying the compiler will do the work for you. This type of proactive approach may neutralize the benefits of going to 64 bit. You know that 2GB(not 4GB) wall in Windows programming? With 64 bit it just isn't there, so you don't have to code to avoid it.

Working around a 32 bit system limitation in the design may very well neutralize a good chunk of the advantages of going to 64 bit. As I have mentioned, at the very least, 64 bit should provide faster loading times compared to 32 bit in many data extraction operations, and we just have not seen this improvement. This strongly suggests that the code is not making very good use of 64 bit.

It is one thing to just let the compiler do its thing, it is quite another to code with a 64 bit OS as the primary target rather than 32 bit.

[Targon]

I have a laptop - it's fairly new but I didn't spend much on it

the spec is

X2 Dual Core Processor L310 1.20ghz
4GB RAM
ATI Radeon HD 3200

I think I'm below the minimum maybe but I dont' mind lowing certain options on the game if I can still play on it

The processor is well below the minimum requirements. It may run the game, but you may be looking at 10 minute turns. The Radeon 3200 is also well below the minimum requirements, but DOES have everything needed to display stuff...the real question is how badly animations and such will turn out.

[vg_colt]

Hello guys, I am back here to bother you!

I didnt saw this card listed on the first page, so i was hoping that someone could answer me quickly.

Does a AMD ATI Radeon HD 4770 graphic card have any chance of reaching recommended specs? It is relatively cheap, so I thought you guys could tell me if it passes.

Fast edit: If it doesn't pass, how about AMD ATI Radeon HD 4850?

It is better to buy HD 4850 than 4770. And with HD 4850 you`ll be abke to play very smoothly.

[ianmartin]

The processor is well below the minimum requirements. It may run the game, but you may be looking at 10 minute turns. The Radeon 3200 is also well below the minimum requirements, but DOES have everything needed to display stuff...the real question is how badly animations and such will turn out.

I was able to play on LOTRO no problem with the graphics on this laptop but the processor needs for CIV 5 are higher than for LOTRO online - just wondering if it's worth the risk in buying CIV 5

[ttoastt]

Keep in mind that there will be a demo, so if you're wary of buying the game before knowing how it'll perform, that'll be an excellent opportunity to see.

[slowtarget]

slowtarget: If you know that you will be limited by a 32 bit OS, you may take steps to write AROUND said limitations, rather than just sitting back and praying the compiler will do the work for you. This type of proactive approach may neutralize the benefits of going to 64 bit. You know that 2GB(not 4GB) wall in Windows programming? With 64 bit it just isn't there, so you don't have to code to avoid it.

The wall is technically at 3GB, but not all hardware supports it and that mode is mostly used in commercial installations. You're right that nearly all home users are limited to 2GB of addressable space. However, few games are running up against that wall. For those that don't, there is no advantage to removing it and if you were to re-engineer the application to use (a lot) more memory, you'd probably end up with lower performance, not greater.

For those few that do, using more memory still doesn't translate into guaranteed speed. In most cases, better handling of memory would result in better performance and lower memory use. For gaming performance, developers usually try to maximize L1-L3 cache hits. Increasing memory use makes this goal harder. Just as there are a few applications which do benefit from more address space, there are probably a small number of games which benefit as well. However, they are the minority and its pretty clear that Civ 5 will never be in that group.

To use one application that does benefit from 64-bit execution: The MySQL database server supports both 32-bit and 64-bit execution. The 64-bit version is usually used only in professional situations where the server really does need the increased memory. If its not needed, the performance is actually lower than the 32-bit version. And despite the fact that thousands of people were trying to find any way to improve performance, the difference between the code used for the 32-bit version and 64-bit version was less than 1% (they use the exact same codebase, but with precompiler directives to select alternate behavior when needed). If there was a real benefit to redesigning for 64-bit execution, you know that the database server designers would be doing it. They haven't. That should tell you what sort of improvements you'd expect.

And returning to the original topic: This shows that the effort to allow an application to use more addressable memory does not require anything close to the level of redesign that is necessary for moving a game from a single-threaded model to a multi-threaded model.

[Black Gate of Mordor]

Keep in mind that there will be a demo, so if you're wary of buying the game before knowing how it'll perform, that'll be an excellent opportunity to see.

If he's in America then I believe he'd prefer to just get the game rather then waiting, which is why the internationals get the better deal here.

[ianmartin]

If he's in America then I believe he'd prefer to just get the game rather then waiting, which is why the internationals get the better deal here.

I'm in the UK

I'm a long time fan of civ, just a pity I've not got the cash at present to buy a bigger computer

[kyken123]

Does this Acer laptop match the requirements?

Computer: Acer Aspire 7551G-N934G50Mn - Phenom II N930 2 GHz - 17.3" TFT
RAM: DDR3 SDRAM - 1066 MHz ( 2 x 2 GB )
Harddrive: 500 GB - 5400 rpm
Graphic: ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5650, 1 GB DDR3 VRAM
(what does mobility mean in regard of the performance?)

The resolution is 1600x900 px, can i still use it with my 1920x1080 tv?

If this one haven't got what it takes, please show me a laptop that does. Thanks!

[slowtarget]

Computer: Acer Aspire 7551G-N934G50Mn - Phenom II N930 2 GHz - 17.3" TFT
RAM: DDR3 SDRAM - 1066 MHz ( 2 x 2 GB )
Harddrive: 500 GB - 5400 rpm
Graphic: ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5650, 1 GB DDR3 VRAM

You've got a 2GHz "mobile" quad core with the recommended amount of RAM and plenty of hard disk space. These all meet the recommended values. Your video card is a decent mobile card, but "decent" in this case means its only meeting the minimum requirements. However, it should have DirectX 11 support and the rest of the system is good.

I'd guess that you should be able to play the game without problems. You likely won't be able to play at the highest detail and it may not have great frame rates, but it should do just fine for normal play. (NOTE: This is just a guess for now, but you do meet the minimum requirements)

(what does mobility mean in regard of the performance?)

In almost all cases, an ATi Mobility card or an nVidia M/xx50 variant is produced as a video card which uses less power and produces less heat than its non-mobile relative. This is usually done by reducing the video memory and processing power of the card.

This means that the mobile variant is almost always a weaker card than its non-mobile version and in some cases, a much weaker card.

The resolution is 1600x900 px, can i still use it with my 1920x1080 tv?

I can't say for sure, but I wouldn't think it would be that much of a problem. Again, it might reduce your framerate a little, but nothing that would keep you from playing and enjoying yourself.

[kyken123]

Thanks!

[weller1980]

Hope someone is kind enough to help with my system specs, basically can i run this game, so its fun to play.

Acer laptop

intel core 2 duo T6500 2.1ghz 800mhz
ATI mobility radeon hd 4670 gb ddr3
4 gb memory
windows 7

thanks in advance for any help....

[vg_colt]

Hope someone is kind enough to help with my system specs, basically can i run this game, so its fun to play.

Acer laptop

intel core 2 duo T6500 2.1ghz 800mhz
ATI mobility radeon hd 4670 gb ddr3
4 gb memory
windows 7

thanks in advance for any help....

I think you`ll be able to play the game at medium specs without any lags.

[pCiaran]

I found the following website useful for checking system requirements. Crucially it has Civ 5 as an option - http://www.systemrequirementslab.com/cyri/.

I need to get a new laptop to run the game which makes it a slightly expensive game (but one which I'm sure will pay for itself after an unhealthy amount of playing it to exclusion of most other activity in my life). Any recommendations for buying a new laptop with the necessary specs? I'm tempted by Dell (my current laptop is Dell) but open to suggestions if anyone has a recommendations. It'll have to be a laptop over a desktop but otherwise the only requirement is that it can play Civ 5 and any future expansion packs for Civ 5

pC

[vg_colt]

I found the following website useful for checking system requirements. Crucially it has Civ 5 as an option - http://www.systemrequirementslab.com/cyri/.

I need to get a new laptop to run the game which makes it a slightly expensive game (but one which I'm sure will pay for itself after an unhealthy amount of playing it to exclusion of most other activity in my life). Any recommendations for buying a new laptop with the necessary specs? I'm tempted by Dell (my current laptop is Dell) but open to suggestions if anyone has a recommendations. It'll have to be a laptop over a desktop but otherwise the only requirement is that it can play Civ 5 and any future expansion packs for Civ 5

pC

LOL this site makes huge mistakes in analysing hardware.

He wrote that i have core i7 and i didnt pass because when test ran CPU was in c5 state a.k.a 1.3 Ghz Buhaha

He said that i have shader model 4.0 but in my case GTX 470 with support of SM 5.0 how is that possible?

He also said that i have Dx10 ver, though i have dx11 and win7 Ult.

And also he saw only nvidia hdmi sound device, when i use Xifi
it is a bit wierd that he saw only sound driver of videocard.

Well some wierd test i say.

[newbloke]

can't find this one in your first posts??

ATI Mobility Radeon™ HD 5470
- 512 MB dedicated video memory

OK?

[vg_colt]

can't find this one in your first posts??

ATI Mobility Radeon™ HD 5470
- 512 MB dedicated video memory

OK?

HD 5470 is at the adge of minimum for graphics. So it`ll be fine.

[weller1980]

HD 5470 is at the adge of minimum for graphics. So it`ll be fine.

so whats the better graphics card hd 5470 or hd 4670?

[mensan70]

Need feedback on whether it will run.

System Model: HP HDX 16 Notebook PC
System Type: x64-based PC
Intel(R) Core(TM)2 Duo CPU P8600 @ 2.40GHz,
Installed Physical Memory: (RAM) 4.00 GB
NVIDIA GeForce 9600M GT, 512.00 MB

[vg_colt]

so whats the better graphics card hd 5470 or hd 4670?

Honestly they are very similar if you talking about power, but all AMD HD 5xxx series have native DX11 support, and GPU made with 40nm tech. so obviously better HD 5xxx series than HD 4xxx series.

[vg_colt]

Need feedback on whether it will run.

System Model: HP HDX 16 Notebook PC
System Type: x64-based PC
Intel(R) Core(TM)2 Duo CPU P8600 @ 2.40GHz,
Installed Physical Memory: (RAM) 4.00 GB
NVIDIA GeForce 9600M GT, 512.00 MB

Civ 5 will run on that type of system fine. The weakest point is your video card. So i assume that you`ll be able to play on minimum or even some medium specs.

[OniaPL]

I am here once again, and hopefully for the last time.

So thanks to some advice, i decided to buy AMD ATI Radeon HD 4850. But when i went to their website to shop, it turns out there are like 12 different versions of the card all with different price tag!

So could anyone tell me what is the "best buy" of this list? Or maybe top 3?
Thanks in advance.
Here is the link: http://shop.amd.com/US/_layouts/shop...ts=10&offset=0

[vg_colt]

I am here once again, and hopefully for the last time.

So thanks to some advice, i decided to buy AMD ATI Radeon HD 4850. But when i went to their website to shop, it turns out there are like 12 different versions of the card all with different price tag!

So could anyone tell me what is the "best buy" of this list? Or maybe top 3?
Thanks in advance.
Here is the link: http://shop.amd.com/US/_layouts/shop...ts=10&offset=0

Your best buy is here. All other video cards are the same only difference in VRAM and brand of manufacturer.

[OniaPL]

Thank you vg_colt!

Really, thank you. You were my guide in the dark swamp of modern technology!

[vg_colt]

Thank you vg_colt!

Really, thank you. You were my guide in the dark swamp of modern technology!

Пожалуйста
# you are welcome

[mensan70]

Civ 5 will run on that type of system fine. The weakest point is your video card. So i assume that you`ll be able to play on minimum or even some medium specs.

Thanks for the feedback.

[vdubridesagain]

I already know my computer won't work but I'm checking for my brother in law...

AMD Turion X2 Dual-Core Mobile RM-75 2.20 GHz

3.00 GB of mem

ATI Radeon HD 3200 Graphics card

Will he be able to prun the game ok? will he have to set a lower graphics setting or run as normal. Thanks again for everyones helpful advice in advance.

[FyshStyx]

Hi guys, I have a pretty unique situation here. Don't yell at me, I'm aware I don't have anything close to a gaming machine on my hands, but I'm able to run Civ IV at the optimum settings (mostly because I never bothered to lower them) without any hiccups.

So I'm on a MacBook Pro (in before "there's your problem") dual-booting Mac OSX Leopard and Microsoft Vista SP2 32-bit. The reason I have both is because I use the Mac for quickly referencing things and for taking notes in class, since the startup for that OS is maybe 15 seconds (I have next to nothing installed on it), whereas it's like 3 or 4 minutes for Vista, and then it still takes a while to get fully up and running. Vista is where I do most of my work on, and it's where all of my serious programs are.

My problem is that the Can You Run It? website is saying that my CPU speed won't be able to handle Civ V, although I'm clearly above the minimum requirements in all categories I think.

Here are my specs:
Intel(R) Core(TM)2 Duo CPU T8300 @ 2.40GHz (minimum is 1.8GHz, wtf?)
2GB of RAM
GeForce 8600M GT video card

I know, they're embarrassing, but Civilization is really the only game I play for PCs, and I'm really hyped for this one. Now, I'm planning on upgrading my OSes to Snow Leopard and 7 (64-bit); my RAM to either 4GB or 6GB depending on which is possible for a late 2008 Penryn model MacBook pro; and my HDD to something as big and as fast as possible. I don't really care about battery life since my charger is small and I carry it everywhere.

Once my RAM is increased, do you think I'll have issues playing the game at medium-level graphical effects? I'm hoping that the Can You Run It? results are just a fluke, and that I'll actually be able to play this, since I've already preordered it... Sorry if I've left out any important details, but like I said, I don't really PC game, so I don't know what's what.

[andrew.j.busch]

Hi guys, I have a pretty unique situation here. Don't yell at me, I'm aware I don't have anything close to a gaming machine on my hands, but I'm able to run Civ IV at the optimum settings (mostly because I never bothered to lower them) without any hiccups.

So I'm on a MacBook Pro (in before "there's your problem") dual-booting Mac OSX Leopard and Microsoft Vista SP2 32-bit. The reason I have both is because I use the Mac for quickly referencing things and for taking notes in class, since the startup for that OS is maybe 15 seconds (I have next to nothing installed on it), whereas it's like 3 or 4 minutes for Vista, and then it still takes a while to get fully up and running. Vista is where I do most of my work on, and it's where all of my serious programs are.

My problem is that the Can You Run It? website is saying that my CPU speed won't be able to handle Civ V, although I'm clearly above the minimum requirements in all categories I think.

Here are my specs:
Intel(R) Core(TM)2 Duo CPU T8300 @ 2.40GHz (minimum is 1.8GHz, wtf?)
2GB of RAM
GeForce 8600M GT video card

I know, they're embarrassing, but Civilization is really the only game I play for PCs, and I'm really hyped for this one. Now, I'm planning on upgrading my OSes to Snow Leopard and 7 (64-bit); my RAM to either 4GB or 6GB depending on which is possible for a late 2008 Penryn model MacBook pro; and my HDD to something as big and as fast as possible. I don't really care about battery life since my charger is small and I carry it everywhere.

Once my RAM is increased, do you think I'll have issues playing the game at medium-level graphical effects? I'm hoping that the Can You Run It? results are just a fluke, and that I'll actually be able to play this, since I've already preordered it... Sorry if I've left out any important details, but like I said, I don't really PC game, so I don't know what's what.

I also got that MBP. Your problem is the graphics card - it's "Noticeably below minimum requirements". So don't bother upgrading your RAM and stuff - your GPU might not even be able to handle it

So I'd advise doing what I'm doing - wait till it comes out, and find out if those "Minimum specs" are really the minimum. If so, we'll have to consider getting a new computer as upgrading GPUs on MBPs is not possible from what I know.

[Civ5Fiend]

Here are the specs on the rig im going to make to play civ5 please let me know if these are compatible?

MSI 790FX-GD70 AM3 AMD 790FX ATX AMD Motherboard

Radeon HD 5830 1GB 256-bit DDR5 PCI Express 2.1 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFireX Support Video Card w/ Eyefinity

AMD Phenom II X4 965 3.4GHz Socket AM3 125W Quad-Core Processor

G.SKILL 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800)

[mattlach]

Here are the specs on the rig im going to make to play civ5 please let me know if these are compatible?

MSI 790FX-GD70 AM3 AMD 790FX ATX AMD Motherboard

Radeon HD 5830 1GB 256-bit DDR5 PCI Express 2.1 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFireX Support Video Card w/ Eyefinity

AMD Phenom II X4 965 3.4GHz Socket AM3 125W Quad-Core Processor

G.SKILL 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800)

This should run Civ 5 excellently at high settings.

[ANZACTUCK]

OK

I have an i3 2.93ghz dual core with
2gigs of ddr3 ram. (but ill get more so imagine i have 4gigs)

My mate is upgrading and he's giving me his video card for cheap,
a GeeForce 8600 gt.

This should be ok yeah?

[vg_colt]

OK

I have an i3 2.93ghz dual core with
2gigs of ddr3 ram. (but ill get more so imagine i have 4gigs)

My mate is upgrading and he's giving me his video card for cheap,
a GeeForce 8600 gt.

This should be ok yeah?

Well new 8600 gt is very cheap, it is better than i3 integrated video chip, but, 8600 is not enough to play game at meduim or high settings. Actually i3 video chip is enought for comfort game on minimum as it said in official sytem req. So i cant see a big point in byuing this GPU. If your friend will give to you this GPU fo free you can have a use of it, but dont expect that game will be running much better.