Civ4 Performance on '08 MacBook

[jim_survak]

So when I've been considering getting the Complete Edition for Civ4 for my MacBook. It's listed as minimum of a single-core SPU at 1.8GHz, 512MB RAM, and so forth. Now I see it says a minimum of an ATI9600 or nVidia FX6600.

Aside from the GPU, my MacBook's specs blow the minimum (even recommended) requirements out of the water: C2D 2.4Ghz, 4GB RAM, 320GB HDD.

I'm just curious cause I'd like a game that I can have on my Mac that will run ok. Not looking for high-performance (I got a PC desktop for that), just something to kill time on long trips. Looking at screen shots it doesn't *seem* like it's a very graphically demanding game but I know that can be deceiving.

Anyone had any experience with it on a 2008 MacBook (or similar)?

[Badtux]

I'm not sure about the Steam-powered Civ4, but I know that the non-Steam-powered Civ4 won't run on your Macbook, it'll throw up an error about a non-supported GPU and exit. There was a patch you could download via BitTorrent that would remove the exit, and it ran okay then (plus this bypassed the CD check so you didn't have to stick your CD in every time you wanted to play the game), but that probably isn't applicable to the Steam version. I did have to turn off *every* graphics option in order to get okay performance, but it ran okay once I did that.

So: Once I applied that pirate patch, Civ4 (the CD version) ran okay on your Macbook, but I have no idea what the Steam one does. I had your Macbook and upgraded to the 13.3" Macbook Pro 5,5 last year because the Intel GPU is a massive black hole of suck. The GeForce 9400M in my MBP is no great shakes, but compared to any Intel GPU ever created it's like night and day and Civ4 runs great on it. I can even turn on a couple of the graphics options, heh!

So anyhow - I guess this is a "Maybe". The program itself is capable of running okay on your hardware. The only question is whether the Steam version still includes that exit after it prints up the "Your GPU is not supported!" message...

[deer]

What graphics card do you have?

[Badtux]

He has the Santa Monica (Intel) integrated GPU. I forget the Intel number for that, something like "960M". It sucks black holes of suck, but has enough horsepower to run Civ4 -- *IF* the Steam version of Civ4 will let him.

[tokeio]

It sucks black holes of suck
Awesome.

[TheSomian]

do you have a macbook with a 9400M or the old one with a Intel chip?

[deer]

If this card has pixel and vertex shader it should work but still intel makes crappy GPUs and even crappier drivers for them.

[jim_survak]

It's the X3100; I know it's 144MB shared RAM. And yes, I know it's epic failure of a GPU. Like I said, I'm not looking for amazing performance or great visuals. Just something I can kill time on with long travels.

[FuzzyPuffin]

Only the GMA 950 and below is unsupported for Civ IV. With the X3100 you should be OK with low/medium settings.

[ppiixx]

I have a x3100 2008 macbook and civ4 loads ok. Trying to test BTS now but the latest bug has stopped that running at all.

[jim_survak]

ppiixx,
Does it play ok too?