SimCity (5) System Requirements

[JoeOh 20]

-------------------------------------------

Processor:

AMD Athlon 64 X2 Dual-Core 4000+ or better or Intel Core 2 Duo Processor 2.0GHz or better

Operating System:

Windows XP/Vista/7

RAM:

Windows XP: 1.5GB

Windows Vista and Windows 7: 2GB

PCs using a built-in graphical chipset are recommended to have 2GB RAM

Graphics Card:

ATI X1800 or better*

nVidia 7800 or better*

Intel 4100 Integrated Graphics or better*

DVD-ROM:

8x or better

----------------------------------

My old system had a AMD Quad Core, 4GB of RAM, nVidia 9800GT 1.5GB and the same speed DVD rom drive. Is the new SimCity really going to run good on such dated specs? Or are these the dirt-minimum specs so the game will open and barely function? When I get my new system made you bet it's going to have way better specs than what is listed here. Of course I'll wait for another 6 months or so before I start looking for that new top-shelf system to run this game. What do you all have planned in the way of a new computer system to handle this and other new games?

[Jazzmaster 716]

What do you all have planned in the way of a new computer system to handle this and other new games?

It's already gone through. Spent a good amount of money on an Alienware M17x last summer, and I don't foresee getting a new PC anytime soon....although I have kicked about the idea of building a desktop, I wouldn't guarantee that happening. My current machine is well equipped to run this new SimCity well.

[Mark Waybill 242]

I have a pavilion laptop with intel core i7 a dn ati mobility radeon graphics. Not that good with such data so I don't know whether it will work well or not, but Cities XL and 4 both run although large cities cause lag on both

[Fornix 4]

Currently running on a Q6600, 8GB RAM and GTX470. Soon upgrading to i7-3820, 16GB RAM and R7970/GTX680 (not quite sure yet on the gfx card, whichever it is, will most probably have it running in SLI/CF by the time SC5 arrives). Both will run SC5 fine.

The minimum specs which EA/Maxis list though most likely need to be taken with a grain of salt. Although you will most certainly not need a beast of a machine for SC5, trying to convince people that a C2Duo 2Ghz, 2GB RAM, 7800GT system will allow people to actually play this game is like daylight robbery. Sure it'll run, but hopping by at 10fps whilst having anything over 50 buildings in your town whilst limited at a 1024x768 resolution isn't what I'd call playing.

[johndoh4 13]

I don't exactly have the best PC in the world, but it isn't that bad either. I might be upgrading at some point in the next year or so though. I would like to know for sure whether the specs they posted are Recommended, or Minimum requirements.

Here are my specs just to humor you all:

AMD Phenom X4 9650

Nvidia ATI Radeon 5770

4GB DDR2 Ram

16X DVD+R DL

  Edited March 12, 2012 by johndoh4  

[Ocram's Razr 963]

Alienware is overpriced but not as bad as Macs and Macs don't tend to play nice with video games.

I have a pretty old computer --- a GT5628 --- that runs very good (when it does run...I mentioned my problems in General Off Topic) because I upgraded the RAM (removed the 3GB of RAM and installed 2 4GB RAM chips) as well as upgrading the system from Windows Vista to Windows 7. I think my power supply was replaced with a more durable model of the same wattage (400 W) because I think it had a 300 watt model for a year. If I upgrade my computer again, it would be to install a Zotac Geforce 240 GPU, which is the best one that is backwards compatible with DDR2.

[A Nonny Moose 8,261]

Here's a link to my hardware. I am certainly not planning to upgrade to run this game, if I purchase it at all. My system needs are not driven by gaming.

[deanej 2]

Given that the SC4 minimum requirements stated 256 mb RAM, I'd consider these complete BS. It's not like minimum system requirements are ever high enough anyways.

[BurroDiablo 222]

Currently I have Win7 x64, 3Ghz AMD Phenom II x4, 8GB DDR2 RAM, XFX HD6850 1GB. This should be able to handle SC5 with minimal lag, but I've been looking to upgrade my Motherboard and Processor, I was also looking into Crossfire-ing my GFX card with a HD6870, but I discovered a while back that my Motherboard is only SLI compatible, this is why I'm planning on getting a new one.

[brynhyfryd 222]

I am begining to wonder if the minimum specs are for Origin.

Those specs are lower than what my old rig was (built around 2006). If the minimum specs are correct then I am worried that the new simcity wont be multithreaded.

EA/Maxis should build this game to require a minimum quad core CPU with a nvidia 500 series graphics card and 4GB system ram.

[mapboy 106]

EA/Maxis should build this game to require a minimum quad core CPU with a nvidia 500 series graphics card and 4GB system ram.

These specs are ridiculously high and will prevent a large amount of people from playing the game. I personally only just bought a machine that meets the SC5 requirements, and my machine as of a few months ago was single core, GMA950 with 2GB ram. Just because you and a small group of more hard-core gamers have machines with unnecessarily high specs, don't assume all that want to play the new SimCity do.

[frdrcklim 139]

I must agree though that the requirements are a little bit under from what I was expecting. I would've expected the minimum requirement to be an 8800GT. Other than that, I think the requirements are fairly reasonable. In fact, if not for the 7800GT, I'd say these minimum specs are almost similar to Battlefield 3.

Battlefield 3 Minimum requirements:

RAM: At least 2 GB

CPU: 2 GHz Dual Core (2.4 GHz Core2Duo, 2.7 GHz Althon X2)

GPU: ATI Radeon 3870 or higher, NVIDIA 8800GT or higher

OS: Windows Vista SP2

I'm still using my Core2Duo E7500 clocked at 2.93 GHz, but I do a simple OC to 3.3 GHz. It does my gaming needs quite nicely. Though I wish I could go quadcore about now .

[Craig-Abcvs 1,595]

I think that Maxis will realise that we are not all Fanatical Gaming Fanboys with super pimped out gaming rigs.

However, we are in the second decade of the new century, and we are no longer downloading our SC4 content on dial-up... similarly the computers that we have now, are very different from the computers that we had back in 2003 when SC4 was released.

[brynhyfryd 222]

Firstly I am no fanboy.

My current system is based on a phenom 2 940BE which I built in 2009 at a cost of around £500 and is still capable so have no plan to upgrade just yet.

Aslo modern quad core CPU are dirt cheap.

Until recently I was using a 9600GT graphics card but I upgraded as it no longer can handle most new games.

My point is that times change and we must move forward. How many people still use an old nokia phone over a smart phone? Most people these days have to have the latest handset so why is PC gaming so diffrent.

You dont need a moster PC to play PC games but the games developers should not be expected to stand still. So there comes a time when an upgrade is required. In the 90s it was a constant struggle to get games to run unless you had the latest hardware, Fortunately this is no longer the case.

  Edited March 17, 2012 by brynhyfryd  

[A Nonny Moose 8,261]

Well, if you use my proposed model where all the action takes place on the server and the PC is a smart terminal, then the need for a fancy PC goes away. A dual threaded machine, mine for example, would handle the necessary processes. I see only two basic processes running plus the operating system:

Thread 1: the human interface to mouse and keyboard. Mostly idle.

Thread 2: the graphics display interface. Relatively busy, but not necessarily 100%.

The simulation of however many threads runs on the server or a back-end system that does exactly that, and perhaps in multiple instances.

Whatever the annual license fee for such a system was, it simply has to be less than the on-going cost of a large enough PC to run the program stand alone. With some real programming in the simulation considering some of the stuff in the wish list, this is probably the most practical approach.

[Mark Waybill 242]

I agree with what Nonny says, if it is server based the improvements in the game shouldn't be too much of a worry.

Also "My point is that times change and we must move forward. How many people still use an old nokia phone over a smart phone? Most people these days have to have the latest handset so why is PC gaming so diffrent. " Well Bryn I still use a Nokia but I don't use my mobile much so...

[flowmotion 24]

These specs might not seem like much if you're a "gamer" with a desktop computer. But they exclude almost every laptop in existence. (Intel 4100 chipset doesn't even exist yet, as far as I can tell.)

That's somewhat worrisome because SimCity has traditionally attracted a lot of 'casual' gamers who don't necessarily have the greatest video hardware. For example, Spore supported relatively ancient laptops with the GMA 950 chipset.

[A Nonny Moose 8,261]

Let's be honest about the Laptop/Notebook phenomenon. They are not a replacement for a desktop machine. I don't care how fancy the components are, there is not enough plenum to cool these machines properly when you start running processors at 100% over an extended period. This benefits only laptop builders because you will soon cook your machine and need a new one.

Laptop/Notebook machines are designed to be portable for business purposes. They are not toys. I used a laptop machine when I was teaching because I could carry my materials from classroom to classroom and connect to the college network (physically. It became WiFi just as I retired.). This allowed me to give very nice presentations, demonstrations, and even programming tips to students that amplified the stuff in the course material. It was irreplaceable. It was also supplied by the college and maintained by them as well. I could lug it home and prepare classes without sitting in a stuffy office except on office consulting days. This is the main advantage.

I always have played SimCity on my desktop and I suspect I always will. Desktops have the advantage of good cooling and price. When I upgraded my desktop in the fall of 2010, all I bought was a new naked OEM-built box with the hardware I needed and no software. Cost me around $500 Canadian. For the same bucks today, I can probably get better processors and a newer graphics engine. Meanwhile, I simply plugged in my existing peripherals and loaded my Operating System then restored my files from the old box. All done.

Since then, I have replaced a superannuated hard disk (external) and my monitor (went to 16:9 24". Much nicer to look at.). I will probably add a Blu-ray drive (external) soon.

[deanej 2]

If quad cores are so dirt cheap, why are the majority of new computers still sold with dual cores?

I will also be laptop-only for quite a while. I'm a college student, so a desktop makes absolutely no sense for me - there's no space in my dorm for it, and why would I want to haul a bulky desktop with me every time I go on break? Though my desktop is ancient now (though it still runs SC4 well on the highest settings... helps that it was built for SC4 though), and I won't be able to afford a new one for quite some time yet.

Laptops are great for consumers as well. Portability is awesome regardless of whether you're a business user. I upgraded from Vista to 7 while watching Star Trek on our 50" flat screen TV at home... couldn't do that on a desktop!

[jdenm8 362]

If quad cores are so dirt cheap, why are the majority of new computers still sold with dual cores?

Because the Athlon X2, Core 2 Duo and i3 can all be had for less than $70 a unit wholesale.

[flowmotion 24]

Let's be honest about the Laptop/Notebook phenomenon. They are not a replacement for a desktop machine.

I'm not going to argue this point, but I will point out that most people will not buy a new computer to play this game. Cutting out most laptop chipsets will limit the audience quite a bit, as the majority of consumer computers sold are laptops.

[A Nonny Moose 8,261]

Let's be honest about the Laptop/Notebook phenomenon. They are not a replacement for a desktop machine.

I'm not going to argue this point, but I will point out that most people will not buy a new computer to play this game. Cutting out most laptop chipsets will limit the audience quite a bit, as the majority of consumer computers sold are laptops.

True, but I think the day of the general purpose computer, especially laptops, is nearly over. The consumer machine of choice is either the smart phone or a tablet, and this is becoming more and more evident.

Smart phones don't have the screen size to play SimCity, but tablets might. It becomes a matter of beefing up tablets, and there seems to be a great deal of work going on in that area right now. If you could stick a cool (physically) quad processor in a tablet with enough RAM or perhaps VRAM on an SSD, you should be able to run anything.

The main problem here might be battery technology, but that is also advancing by leaps and bounds now that the automotive industry is getting on board.

This decade may be the last one when software developers give tablets a miss, and exclude other software platforms. Microsoft is about to lose a big chunk of market share if they don't do something about Android.

[LivingInThePast 364]

Minimum system requirements, kids. That is, you could have a computer like that and it would run SimCity 2013...badly. Ever tried to run SimCity 4 on a Windows 98 machine? It's possible!

[meowza 230]

If they need to up the requirements just to accommodate public expectation, simulator wise, I'd say do it.

[Paulobergonci 673]

Core I3 3.07 GHz

4GB RAM

Nvidia 9800GT 1GB

it WILL run, i have to be positive can't spend more money in computers

[A Nonny Moose 8,261]

Of course it will. The question is how much of the program runs locally and how much on the server?

[deanej 2]

I doubt the server would do much more than resource calculations and facilitate multiplayer. It would be too much of a load. More likely each action would generate a "message" that would be sent to each client computer and processed locally at the same time; this is how Civilization IV handles multiplayer. This also has the advantage of making multiplayer and single player identical from a coding perspective.

[A Nonny Moose 8,261]

I doubt the server would do much more than resource calculations and facilitate multiplayer. It would be too much of a load. More likely each action would generate a "message" that would be sent to each client computer and processed locally at the same time; this is how Civilization IV handles multiplayer. This also has the advantage of making multiplayer and single player identical from a coding perspective.

But, didn't they say that saves would be on the server? That means transmission of the entire region between the server and the station at some point. It probably isn't practical to do this every time some mayor wants an in-game save. Also city effects on the region have to be propagated. This is going to be a nightmare.

[Freezebrisk 0]

Intel® Core™ 2 Duo CPU E4500 @2.20GHz (2CPUs)

2046 MB RAM

NVIDIA GeForce 8300 GS

Is it good?

  Edited March 24, 2012 by Freezebrisk  

[§haÅ--Ñ€ §hÅŽo 370]

My computer specs:

Intel Core i5-2400 CPU @ 3.10GHz 3.30GhHz

8GB RAM

64 Bit Windows 7

How far could this get me for SimCity?