Minimum and Recommended Hardware Requirements Revealed for Civilization V

Firaxis, the developer of the series, and 2K Games, the publisher, have announced the hardware that players will need to have in order to enjoy Civilization V when it comes out on the PC on September 21 in the United States and three days later in Europe.

The minimum system requirements for the turn based strategy title are:

- Any dual core Central Processing Unit
- 256 MB ATI HD2600 XT and better or 256 MB nVidia 7900 GS or better or Core i3 or better integrated graphics
- 2 GB RAM
- DirectX 9.0c

The hardware recommended by those at Firaxis include:

- any 1.8 GHz Quad Core CPU
- 512 MB ATI 4800 series and better or 512 MB nVidia 9800 series or better
- 4 GB RAM
- DirectX 11

All those who get Civilization V will also need a DVD ROM if they plan to install their game from a disk bought at retail and Windows XP SP3 or Windows Vista SP2 or Windows 7. The sound card needs to also be compatible with DirectX 9.0. Firaxis is also saying that an Internet connection is needed so that Steam can authenticate the game when it's first launched. The game will require Steamworks to also add Achievements and to deliver more content for Civilization V.

The new turn based strategy title will bring some important changes to the series. Square tiles are gone, replaced with hexes that a lot of players might know from wargaming. The tactical aspect of the game is also enhanced by a new rule that only allows one military unit to occupy one hex at the same time. Firaxis has also promised a more dynamic system of civic choices for the nations the player can control and more diplomatic options, with neutral states coming into play and the Artificial Intelligence of the game strengthened.