Official System Requirements (from SC: S website)

[Need_Help]

From :
http://simcitysocieties.ea.com/help/readme/readme_en.pdf

System Requirements :
----------------------
Windows XP SP2 / Vista*
1.7GHz Intel CPU or faster / AMD XP 2100+ or faster
512MB RAM
HDD : At least 2.1GB free space
Video Card : 128MB**
DVD drive : 4 speed
Sound Card : DX9.0c compatible
DirectX version : 9.0c (included on disc)
Input : Mouse,Keyboard

*Windows Vista requires a 2.4GHz processor or equivalent and 1GB RAM

** Supported chipsets :
nVidia Geforce FX5900 or greater
ATi Radeon 9600 or greater
onboard chipsets not supported

Windows Vista requires an nVidia GeForce 6800/ATi Radeon X600 or greater (thats very high :eek: ) Laptop versions of these chipsets may work but are not supported

More informations are inside the 'readme' (click on the link above) such as performance tips, known issues etc.

Thanks :)

Edit : I was informed by Phil just now that the minimum 'GPU' requirements seems to have some 'mistakes'. According to him, an nVidia 5900 is far greater than a Radeon 9600. So, a same 'range' graphic card should be an nVidia FX5200, not FX5900. (he has more 'knowledge' on the performance of each GPU than I am, so I never notice about that)

[Ocram]

DirectX 9.0c! Why not DX10? Because they want XP users or what?

[usman]

Simply because this is directx 9 game. It was built on directx9 so dx10 is not supported.

[Anya]

I was very happy to find the game installed and played perfectly for me. My spec's are P4 3.2 ghz, 2gig ram, 7600GS video card with 256 ram on it.
My concern was that my drivers would need updating but they didn't. My video driver was last updated for C4 and is still the 91.31. I haven't needed to update it for any of the other games I play, so I've left it alone. As for my sound driver, it is whatever came with the computer two years ago :o It works fine, I can hear the sims gibberish :D

[flyer2359]

Do you guys think that this video card will run the game at all?
256mb nvidia geforce 6150se nforce 430

[Need_Help]

@flyer2359 : I don't think your card can run the game. Even if it can, it will be very slow. In the link above (in my first post) nVidia GeForce 6200 TurboCache is listed as 'unsupported card', and your 6150 is slower than that card, so I don't think it may run the game.

Thanks :)

[flyer2359]

Well if it doesn't run it i will just have to go buy a new video card like a 7200 or something because wouldn't a 7200 with turbocache so shouldnt that run it fairly well?

[bryann AEx]

I'm not sure if my upstairs computer can run it, but I'm nearly 100% sure it would work on my downstairs one.
I'm still going to attempt to put it in the PC in my room anyway, though. :D
It runs The Sims 2, so I'm hoping it'd be able to run this, too.

[Need_Help]

@flyer2359 : I would suggest you to buy a mid/high-end card instead of a low-end card. They ends with 600 or above eg. 6600, 6800, 7600, 7800 and so on. Cards that end with 500 maybe can be considered as 'mid-end', but the performance is not so good.

@bryann :
The Sims 2 is an old game, and it doesn't 'demand' a 'strong' PC to run it. My 6600 can run it without any problem (smooth as silk, with all options maximized) but in Caesar IV, I need to turn off some options to run it at 'normal' speed (SC: S demands a better PC than Caesar IV demands)

Thanks :)

[bryann AEx]

@flyer2359 : I would suggest you to buy a mid/high-end card instead of a low-end card. They ends with 600 or above eg. 6600, 6800, 7600, 7800 and so on. Cards that end with 500 maybe can be considered as 'mid-end', but the performance is not so good.

@bryann :
The Sims 2 is an old game, and it doesn't 'demand' a 'strong' PC to run it. My 6600 can run it without any problem (smooth as silk, with all options maximized) but in Caesar IV, I need to turn off some options to run it at 'normal' speed (SC: S demands a better PC than Caesar IV demands)

Thanks :)

Looks like I'll be setting all of the settings to low. :(
Unless i feel the need to use the downstairs PC, which ran Caesar very easily.

[WolfwoodSama]

Well, here's some info: My build is thus...

AMD Athlon64 3200+
2GB RAM
BFG Geforce 7800 GS

I can start out with the settings maxed, but as my city grom, my settings have to shrink. Even with my system I eventually have to set everything to low by the time I have hardly a medium sized city, and it still lags! I'm hoping this is a software issue that can be patched later as I can run Supreme Commander: Forged Alliance on max settings with very little hitching. Also, I run the game at 1440x900.

[Need_Help]

I believe that the game is not really well optimized (same as Caesar IV, where I can run some other games with quite high graphic settings (looks better), with higher FPS).

Thanks :)

[Talshiarr]

DirectX 9.0c! Why not DX10? Because they want XP users or what?

I have yet to see a game except perhaps Crysis that having DirectX 10 makes more than the most trivial difference in, and there are far more WinXP users left in the world than Vista at the moment.

[Need_Help]

Until now, every game still can be played with DX9.0c (even crysis, bioshock, and many other new games, if I had not mistaken). Actually, DX10 doesn't have much difference, but costs a lot more ( need to upgrade Windows, upgrade the PC (Vista is using lots of system resources, so you need to have a very good PC to play at 'normal' FPS) and upgrade the graphic card). The most 'obvious' visual effects with DX10 are the water effects and the 'god rays'.

Thanks :)

[skyline7284]

Windows Vista requires an nVidia GeForce 6800/ATi Radeon X600 or greater

I hate you windows vista, will Dual x300's match up to a x600?

[John-SJ]

DirectX 9.0c! Why not DX10? Because they want XP users or what?
From all that I have heard of Vista I will resist the change for as long as possible. I'm sure a lot of people feel the same way.

I have already decided, my next computer, which I will probably purchase next year, will be another XP machine. I don't need the Vista hassles.

[Kiya]

Practically everyone I've asked recommends me XP and NOT Vista. (I have some serious PC problems at the moment.) So it will be still XP for me... for a long time in the future, although I've read there is going to be an update for Vista some time next year. But there will also be a service pack for XP! (3rd and last one they say) :D

[Sim Nation]

When it arrives , if it arrives SCS will be installed on this machine

IntelCore2 Duo E6850 (2 X 3.00GHz) 1333MHz FSB/4MB L2 Cache
4GB CORSAIR DOMINATOR DDR2 1066MHz
ASUS MAXIMUS FORMULA: DUAL DDR2, S-ATA II, 2 x x16 VGA, 3 x PCI-E
64 BIT WINDOWS VISTA Home
74GB WD Raptor SATA 16MB CACHE (10000rpm)
20x Dual Layer LightScribe DVD Write

512MB RADEON HD 2600XT PCI E
Crossfire 2nd Graphics Card
512MB RADEON HD 2600XT PCI E
Onboard 7.1 Realtek ALC883

im hoping it plays real well even with large cities , when it arrives that is , its a day late , damn as if ive not waited long enough , last 5 months have felt like 5 years .
________
VAPORITE VAPORIZER REVIEW (http://vaporizerinfo.com)

[Rnett]

I read somewhere vista SP1 should be ready early next year. I would wait until then atleast.

[Olive1]

Anyone playing with a laptop? Here are my specs, and I'm hoping to hear from someone successfully playing on something similar. Thanks.
Duo Core 1.60
2 gig RAM
Vista Home Premium, and NVidia GO geoForce 7600 with 512 MB

[Need_Help]

If you are playing with a laptop, here is a 'reminder' for you :
Laptop versions of these chipsets may work but are not supportedThanks :)

[bryann AEx]

DVD drive : 4 speed
I'm getting a new CD/DVD drive for my computer next week, and it has a DVD-ROM read speed of 16x. I was wondering if the requirement is strictly that you can only have a 4x DVD drive, and is having a 16x going to make my game go slower?

I'm not really into computers, sorry.

[Ocram]

The game won't go slower, it might even go faster. 4x is the MINIMUM speed, NOT the maximum.

[Olive1]

If you are playing with a laptop, here is a 'reminder' for you :
Thanks :)

I know that. But I'm a little unclear on what 'not supported' means. I'm also a little unclear about why people (game developers) don't test/play on laptops. :confused: I'm simply asking if anyone has successfully played on a rather new laptop.

[majortom1981]

Anyone playing with a laptop? Here are my specs, and I'm hoping to hear from someone successfully playing on something similar. Thanks.
Duo Core 1.60
2 gig RAM
Vista Home Premium, and NVidia GO geoForce 7600 with 512 MB


I have successfully played it on my laptop .I have a 1.5 ghz core 2 duo cpu,1 gig ram,8600mgt video card, vista home premium (32 bit) and 160 gig hdd.

I was able to run it on full speed everything highest it can go at 1280 x 800 resolution (max for the notebooks display). It was slow but playable. IF I took of AA it ran fast.

[bryann AEx]

The game won't go slower, it might even go faster.
Oh, really!?
*Phew*
I thought I was going to need to use my other computer (which sucks) because I was getting a new DVD drive. :o

Thank youu. :)

[Olive1]

I have successfully played it on my laptop .I have a 1.5 ghz core 2 duo cpu,1 gig ram,8600mgt video card, vista home premium (32 bit) and 160 gig hdd.

I was able to run it on full speed everything highest it can go at 1280 x 800 resolution (max for the notebooks display). It was slow but playable. IF I took of AA it ran fast.

Dear majortom1981,
Thank you very much. I appreciate it. :cool:

[Need_Help]

What they mean by 'not supported' is, they cannot 'guarantee' you that you will be able to play on your laptop. If any 'problem' happens, they can just don't give you any support and you cannot 'blame' them, since they already written 'not supported' (also known as 'use as your own risk')

Thanks :)