What's the "BEST" Video Card for Civ IV

[Solver]

They have support for the same graphical features, but the GT is faster.

6600 = 300 MHz core, 350 MHz memory.
6600 GT = 500 MHz core, 500 MHz memory.

[notyoueither]

Originally posted by Ming

Ming, if you go for the 6600's or 6800's get the GT version, really much better.

Why?

Originally posted by Solver
They have support for the same graphical features, but the GT is faster.

6600 = 300 MHz core, 350 MHz memory.
6600 GT = 500 MHz core, 500 MHz memory.

In English...

The nVidia GTs have more power. They will run this game, and the next one or two, better. Thus it should last you longer. Could also make a difference in MP.

Price difference shouldn't be that much, and with this game would be worth it over a step up in processor. Don't sacrifice RAM though. Get 1G.

If you want to be really cautious, post the specs of what you find here and let us rip them apart.

[Aeson]

One caveat on the 6800 GT is that it seems to be the nVidia card in this general pricerange than has the most consistant problems with CIV.

http://apolyton.net/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=140816

http://apolyton.net/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=141016

[Ming]

Originally posted by Aeson
One caveat on the 6800 GT is that it seems to be the nVidia card in this general pricerange than has the most consistant problems with CIV.

Is there similar problems with the 6600 GT?

[DJ]

I have a Nvidia 6800 GT and I can run the game... I left it on overnight once and went back to playing and I've never crashed. I will admit though that I'm afraid to zoom out to look at the map later on in the game. It just runs FAR too slow when zooming out. I wonder what type of LOD algorithm they are using for the terrain and models on the map... Scrolling can be a probably too sometimes.

It's very slow when run on my laptop (ATI Radeon 9600, 2.8Ghz, 512 MB DDR), unplayable actually.

Honestly, I'm not sure if it's all a graphics issue on the hardware level, looks like a programming issue. That's why I'm curious as to what algorithm they used to render their objects.... Oh well, guess I just have to wait for a patch.

[Aeson]

Nothing as consistant that I've seen, other than this, which isn't fatal:

http://forums.civfanatics.com/showpost.php?p=3248737&postcount=19

http://forums.civfanatics.com/showthread.php?p=3250123&highlight=6600gt#post3250123

[JdeFalconr]

Just to throw in my $.02 I have a Sapphire ATI x800 Pro AGP and I run the game fantastically well. I have yet to see any of these ATI issues people have been speaking of. I truly feel sorry for them all but boy am I happy mine's working.



specs:
Athlon64 3200+
MSI K8N Neo 2 Plat
2gb HyperX PC3200
Sapphire Radeon x800 Pro AGP
SB Audigy2 Gamer

[Brizey]

If you build now, you should go with a PCI-E MoBo. Your video card will cost a bit more, but you will be much more future proof. I would also consider an SLI or crossfire setup as well. Usually only runs US$30 to US$40 more for an SLI board.

[thesandtiger]

For my money, I'd say go with an nVidia 6600GT. I've got everything in Civ4 (and all the other games I play) running at maximum settings with nary a hiccup.

As for performance, it works fine - someone else says they're getting slow zoom-out when using the 6800gt (a better card) in the late game, but I'm not getting that problem.

I also have 2GB of RAM, which, I have to say, helps quite a bit.

The card will run you about 150-200, depending on where you get it. I usually buy cards from Newegg.com.

[DJ]

I fixed my problem yesterday by putting 1 GB of RAM into my computer. Now it doesn't go slow and seems to work just fine. I'm playing on a huge map with 18 civs.

spec:

winxp prof
1 GB ram
nvidia 6800gt
p4 2.6 Ghz
directx9c (october 2005 update)

[Ming]

Hmmm...
It seems like 1 GB of ram and the 6600 GT is the way to go.

[Solver]

to that.

[alva]

Wise decision.

[dac]

I'm running a 6600GT and the only video problem I have is when I zoom way out (to the strategy layer), the clouds look fine, but the land and sea kind of "break up" into a striped mess. If I go into the video options of Civ 4 and change the Alias from whatever it is to anything else (0, 2, 4, I just need to change it), then it resets and everything is fine for about an hour or so, then I have to do it again. Not quite sure what's getting messed up.

[DJ]

that worried me as well... i would just save and load up the game again and it'd be fine again for a while.