What specs should I consider in computer in order to play sim city 4 smoothly?

[GMT 389]

can't we finally get a sticky with all the sc4 vs hardware stuff?

[A Nonny Moose 8,262]

Check your game profile in C:\Program Files (x86)\Maxis\SimCity 4 ...\Apps\<your system name>-config-log.txt to see what card the program thought it got when it started.  You should find the card name around line 25 of the file.

 

My game thinks it has cardIdentity = ATI Radeon HD 3200 Graphics, which might be possible.  It is actually an AMD RS780 chip.  You see, I am running using the Linux Windows Executive (wine), which can throw some interesting curves.

[nas786 104]

 

i'm basically looking at this right here, a lenovo thinkpad laptop

http://shop.lenovo.com/us/en/laptops/thinkpad/e-series/e545/

Friend ... Like everything which is a bit cheaper this also not the best solution for games whatever they are, new or old

This equipment has a Dual Graphics solution with support for DX11 combining APU HD8450G AMD with HD 8570M graphic dedicated in asymmetric Cross Fire configuration.

Solutions of this type can suffer from Micro stuttering that does not have much solution so their performance much depends on the driver support for games that are used and in the case of SC4 is not need to comment.

In some games this solution can even degrade the performance 10-15% compared to single use dedicated GPU so overall most games only runs fluently at low levels.

Now here comes the problem SC4 only identies the device Graphical default OS and has no support or support any dual graphics scheme then it is the responsibility than you can with the drivers or the Control Panel Graphical AMD.

Luckily this ThinkPad with original drivers seems to allow the driver allows the user to select whether the dual graphics solution is used or not for each application

 - So if you want a board only about play SC4 on this equipment buy it with Wndows 7 put another stick 4 Gb to make the video memory shared with OS execute with dual channel configuration and turn off the Windows update as well as avoid any driver updates and try running the game only in APU.

 

note: for SC4 - SSD would only be useful to speed up the reading of the plugins used for memory or paged memory if necessary, through the -dir command line :, improving but not much startup time of the cities as well as the location of virtual memory system to accelerate the exchange of pages but in this case its useful life would be reduced.

 

 

 

sorry to intervene here, just wanted to double check, so what I want to do with simcity 4 if running on comp with amd processor + windows 7, is this right here?

 

 

This will take full advantage of AMD dual graphic set up?  Can this be done on windows 8?

 

I found a pretty good deal on the laptop, so I think I'm gonna just buy it.  I can't imagine I will find it cheaper than what it is right now.  Then maybe upgrade the RAM and HDD in the future (maybe even get a SSD )

[Indiana Joe 1,752]

I went into my nvidia control panel and set SC4 to run on the nvidia card, i think it was on auto select before. I followed this thread that i found too:

 

 

It still says im running on intel though. The processor its running off of is an intel 4600. I cant complain with it, sometimes when your zoomed in i can tell it'll lag a tiny bit but its not that noticeable. My other card is a Geforce GTX 850m.

8gigs of ram, i7 processor, windows8.1, 

 

What would posting a copy of that file do?

Thanks so far for the help.

 

First, open up the NVidia Control Panel.  In the menu bar, somewhere between File and Help should be 'Desktop'.  Open this menu and check "Add 'Run with graphics processor' to context menu."

 

Then you gotta right click on the SC4 icon and select "Run with graphics processor."  Choose "High performance NVIDIA processor".  If it says you don't have permissions, you have to disable your Windows Security temporarily.  It took me a while messing with things and Google-ing before I got it to work.

 

After I got it to run on the NVidia GPU for the first time, SC4 has automatically used it ever since when I just double-click the icon normally.

[troy96 0]

Moose: I went into the file and it says intel 4600. 

 

Joe: I double checked and i have all that stuff checked

 

Does it matter im running the disc version?

[NCGAIO 562]

The big problem with these tips and the constant repetition of this information
 

How to make SimCity 4 Recognize the modern graphics card.
 
First locate the SimCity 4 Deluxe install folder and the two files. Graphics and Video Rules.sgr Cards.sgr ....

Inserting the string that identifies your graphic card in Video Cards.sgr file as indicated only allows the startup script Graphics Rules.sgr choose a render parameter for the game.

It in no way makes that the game choose the card set to start its execution.

Or whatever.
 

After I got it to run on the NVidia GPU for the first team, SC4 has automatically used it ever since when i just double-click the icon normally.

hint:As I said before it would be nice to learn more about how this works..

 

Despite all good intentions this Tips do not always correspond to a THE SOLUTION for all.

 

This is a problem that depends on the equipment you are using so if you want to help solve the problem could provide the data requested below.

 

Equipment - make / model - (Desktop - Portable)

If OEM. then describe.

Operating System - Version
Virtual Memory - Size enabled
Mother Board - make / model
Processor - make / model
Installed memory - Size / type / Nº sticks
Graphics devices - make / model - Integrated / graphical board

thanks

[A Nonny Moose 8,262]

If you have an nvidia card, current drivers, and have set up an nvidia profile for SC4 with all the 3D options turned off, it should switch to the nvidia card and this should show in the config-log.txt file.  If not, then you are beyond my small expertise in this matter.

[Indiana Joe 1,752]

Moose: I went into the file and it says intel 4600. 

 

Joe: I double checked and i have all that stuff checked

 

Does it matter im running the disc version?

 

Just do this dude:

 

[NCGAIO 562]

If you have an nvidia card, current drivers, and have set up an nvidia profile for SC4 with all the 3D options turned off, it should switch to the nvidia card and this should show in the config-log.txt file.  If not, then you are beyond my small expertise in this matter.

 

Let's say I have a little more Ok!  

 

Just do this dude:

 

If you want to keep posting this information then I ask you to pass stating that this solution depends on the equipment used.Ok!    PM