Better late than never. At the end of 2016, we got caught up in the excitement of Pascal, Kaby Lake and co. and entirely forgot about Civilization VI. To rectify our mistake, we are putting the latest addition to the Civilization family in the spotlight with multiple notebook and desktop PC tests.
For the original German article, see here.
Graphics
The first time you see this turn-based strategy game with its comic visuals, you might think it runs easily on PCs. That is far from the truth: Civilization VI can run on entry-level systems, but if you expect 20-40 fps consistently with high settings or resolutions, we recommend choosing a powerful system. The graphics card is usually the limiting factor for games, but in Civilization VI the processor is just as important.
Our tower PC uses an Intel Core i7-6700K. We ran the game with a GeForce GTX 1060, a GTX 1070 and a GTX 1080: on all settings and resolutions, the frame rates were identical across the graphics cards. On notebooks, we did not notice significant performance increases from a GeForce GTX 980M and upwards. In summary: after a certain level, the graphics performance is not nearly as important as the CPU.
With weaker and/or older processors, the GPU performance is even significantly slowed down. As such, you should not be surprised to see a few relatively 'faster' gaming platforms fall behind otherwise 'slower' devices. Furthermore, lowering the settings and/or resolutions does not result in a great performance increase. A GTX 980 would perform between 61 FPS (3840x2160 pixels, high settings) and 90 FPS (1024x768, minimum settings).
Now that we are talking about settings, let us take a look at the presets provided in this game. The developer, Firaxis Games, has made it possible to change the game quality with two sliders, which are dubbed 'Performance Impact' and 'Memory Impact'. Advanced users can also manually tweak the video settings, via an additional, detailed graphics menu (also covers the lighting, shadows, overlay, terrain, water and character portraits). Vertical synchronization and optional frame limiter settings can also be found in this extra menu.
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Most options can only be turned on or off. Some settings are presented as sliders, but there does not seem to be a great difference between 'Low' and 'Ultra' - at least from far away. It seems that only 'Minimal' settings hurt the game atmosphere due to missing shadows.
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Depending on your taste, you will either like or dislike the comic style of this game. We like the fact that this game is very memory-conservative and takes up a mere 8 GB on a storage device. This is a rarity in 2016 where some games can take up to 70 GB (Call of Duty Infinite Warfare, Doom, etc). We also appreciate the option to deactivate the intro video and the ability to activate new settings without needing a restart of the game. Sadly, the long loading times are a definite weakness of the game, as it can take ages to load maps, even with an SSD.
Fans will be happy to know that we did not encounter any graphical issues, such as bugs or crashes, during our testing. There were some problems with changing the resolution (due to wrong scaling, the mouse did not work properly). These issues could be remedied with a restart of the game. Civilization VI can be started in DirectX 12, but this typically led to worse performance for us. As such, we ran our tests with the DirectX 11 mode. A note about the anti-aliasing: the game supports MSAA, which is light on many GPUs.
Keeping with tradition, Civilization VI includes an in-game graphics benchmark, which runs for 40 seconds (including the 'Warm-up Phase'). This benchmark measures the frame rate and frame times. Sadly, at the end of the benchmark, the report only includes an average of the latter.
The procedure to determine the average fps is a little awkward. The user will have to go to the benchmark file in the Documents folder in Windows (see screenshot #2). This file must be opened and the detailed frame rates must be calculated together (see screenshot #3). We will be using FRAPS to determine the average fps (see video).
Results
If you have a cheap office or multimedia notebook with a processor integrated graphics chip, you will need to run Civilization at minimal details and/or resolutions. The Intel HD Graphics 4600 was only able to produce 31 fps with a resolution of 1024x768 pixels and minimal details. This was sufficient for the turn-based strategy game. At a resolution of 1366x768 pixels and medium settings, the game needs a dedicated GPU like the GeForce 940MX or better.
For FHD and high settings, the gamer needs a powerful CPU and GPU. The 'Medium' preset runs well starting from a GeForce GTX 950M, whereas the 'High' preset requires a GeForce GTX 960M. The 'Ultra' preset needs a GeForce GTX 965M or better. 4K fans will be looking for a GeForce GTX 970M or stronger to run this game.
Civ 6 Game Speed Differences 2017
Verdict: Civilization VI runs on almost every system (to a certain extent) and does not need a GeForce GTX 1080 or GTX 1070 to run at max settings (like a few other modern games). However, this game is demanding and, considering the visuals it offers, the fps should be higher.
Other systems (Intel, AMD, etc.) will be added in the near future.
Civilization VI | |
3840x2160 High Preset 1920x1080 Ultra Preset AA:4xMS 1920x1080 High Preset 1920x1080 Medium Preset 1366x768 Medium Preset 1024x768 Minimum Preset | |
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 (Desktop), 6700K Desktop PC | |
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 (Desktop), 6700K Nvidia GeForce GTX 1070 | |
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980 Ti, 4790K Asus Strix GTX 980 Ti Desktop PC | |
AMD Radeon R9 Fury, 4790K XFX Radeon R9 Fury Pro | |
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 (Desktop), 6700K Desktop PC | |
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980, 6700K Desktop PC | |
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 (Laptop), 6820HK Asus G752VS | |
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 (Laptop), 6820HK MSI GT62VR | |
AMD Radeon RX 480 (Desktop), 4790K AMD Radeon RX 480 8 GB Reference | |
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 970, 4790K MSI Gaming Z GeForce GTX 970 Desktop PC | |
AMD Radeon RX 470 (Desktop), 4790K MSI RX 470 Gaming X 4GB | |
AMD Radeon R9 290X, 4790K Sapphire Radeon R9 290X Tri-X OC | |
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980M, 4700MQ Schenker W504 | |
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 970M, 4700MQ Schenker W504 | |
AMD Radeon R7 370, 4790K MSI Gaming R7 370 2GB | |
AMD Radeon RX 460 (Desktop), 4790K XFX RX-460P4DFG5 Double Dissipation 4 GB | |
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 965M, 6700HQ MSI GE72 965M Ti | |
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960M, 4720HQ Schenker XMG A505 | |
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 950M, 6700HQ MSI PE60 2QD | |
NVIDIA GeForce 940MX, 6700HQ MSI CX72 6QD | |
NVIDIA GeForce 920M, 2970M MSI CX61 2QC 2970M MS-16GD | |
NVIDIA GeForce GT 720M, 4200M MSI CX61-i572M | |
Intel HD Graphics 4600, 4700MQ Schenker W504 |
Civilization VI - 3840x2160 High Preset | |
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980 Ti Asus Strix GTX 980 Ti Desktop PC, 4790K | |
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 (Desktop) Desktop PC, 6700K | |
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 (Desktop) Nvidia GeForce GTX 1070, 6700K | |
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 (Desktop) Desktop PC, 6700K | |
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980 Desktop PC, 6700K | |
AMD Radeon R9 Fury XFX Radeon R9 Fury Pro, 4790K | |
AMD Radeon RX 480 (Desktop) AMD Radeon RX 480 8 GB Reference, 4790K | |
AMD Radeon RX 480 (Desktop) AMD Radeon RX 480 8 GB Reference, 4790K | |
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 970 MSI Gaming Z GeForce GTX 970 Desktop PC, 4790K | |
AMD Radeon RX 470 (Desktop) MSI RX 470 Gaming X 4GB, 4790K | |
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 (Laptop) Asus G752VS, 6820HK | |
AMD Radeon R9 290X Sapphire Radeon R9 290X Tri-X OC, 4790K | |
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 (Laptop) MSI GT62VR, 6820HK | |
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980M Schenker W504, 4700MQ | |
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 970M Schenker W504, 4700MQ | |
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960M Schenker XMG A505, 4720HQ | |
AMD Radeon R7 370 MSI Gaming R7 370 2GB, 4790K |
Desktop-PCs | Platform I | Platform II |
---|---|---|
Mainboard | Asus Z170-A | Asus Z97-Deluxe |
Processor | Intel Core i7-6700K (Skylake) | Intel Core i7-4790K (Haswell) |
Graphics Card | MSI GeForce GTX 1080 (8 GB GDDR5X) MSI GeForce GTX 1070 (8 GB GDDR5) Nvidia GeForce GTX 1060 (6 GB GDDR5) Nvidia GeForce GTX 980 (4 GB GDDR5) | Nvidia GeForce GTX 1080 (8 GB GDDR5X) Asus GeForce GTX 980 Ti (6 GB GDDR5) XFX Radeon R9 Fury (4 GB HBM) Sapphire Radeon R9 290X (4 GB GDDR5) Sapphire Radeon R9 280X (3 GB GDDR5) MSI Radeon R7 370 (2 GB GDDR5) |
RAM | 2 x 8 GB DDR4-2133 | 2 x 4 GB DDR3-1600 |
Memory | Crucial MX100 SSD (256 GB) Crucial M500 SSD (480 GB) OCZ Trion 100 SSD (480 GB) OCZ Trion 150 SSD (960 GB) | Intel SSD 530 (240 GB) OCZ Trion 100 SSD (480 GB) |
OS | Windows 10 Pro 64 Bit | Windows 10 Home 64 Bit |
Schenker Notebooks | Schenker W504 | Schenker XMG A505 | Schenker S413 |
---|---|---|---|
Mainboard | Intel HM87 | Intel HM87 | Intel HM87 |
Processor | Intel Core i7-4700MQ (Haswell) | Intel Core i7-4720HQ (Haswell) | Intel Core i7-4750HQ (Haswell) |
Graphics Card | Nvidia GeForce GTX 980M (8 GB GDDR5) GTX 970M (6 GB GDDR5) GTX 880M (8 GB GDDR5) GTX 870M (6 GB GDDR5) GTX 860M Kepler (4 GB GDDR5) | Nvidia GeForce GTX 960M (2 GB GDDR5) | Intel Iris Pro Graphics 5200 |
RAM | 2x 4 GB DDR3-1600 | 2x 4 GB DDR3-1600 | 2x 8 GB DDR3-1600 |
Storage Device | Samsung SSD 840 EVO (250 GB) | Micron M600 SSD (128 GB) HGST Travelstar 7K1000 HDD (1.000 GB) | Intel SSD |
OS | Windows 10 Pro 64 Bit | Windows 10 Home 64 Bit | Windows 10 Home 64 Bit |
MSI Notebooks | MSI GT62VR | MSI GE72 | MSI PE60 | MSI GP62 | MSI CX61 | MSI CX61 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Mainboard | Intel HM170 | Intel HM170 | Intel HM170 | Intel HM86 | Intel HM86 | Intel HM86 |
Processor | Intel Core i7-6820HK (Skylake) | Intel Core i7-6700HQ (Skylake) | Intel Core i7-6700HQ (Skylake) | Intel Core i7-5700HQ (Broadwell) | Intel Celeron 2970M (Haswell) | Intel Core i5-4200M (Haswell) |
Graphics Card | Nvidia GeForce GTX 1060 (6 GB GDDR5) | Nvidia GeForce GTX 965M 2016 (2 GB GDDR5) | Nvidia GeForce GTX 950M (2 GB GDDR5) | Nvidia GeForce 940M (2 GB DDR3) | Nvidia GeForce 920M (2 GB DDR3) | Nvidia GeForce GT 720M (2 GB DDR3) |
RAM | 4 x 8 GB DDR4-2133 | 1 x 8 GB DDR4-2133 | 2 x 4 GB DDR4-2133 | 1 x 8 GB DDR3-1600 | 1 x 8 GB DDR3-1600 | 1 x 8 GB DDR3-1600 |
Storage Device | Samsung NVMe MZVPV128 SSD (128 GB) | Toshiba THNSNJ128G8NU SSD (128 GB) WDC WD10JPVX HDD (1.000 GB) OCZ Trion 100 SSD (480 GB) | Toshiba MQ01ABF050 HDD (500 GB) | WDC Scorpio Blue HDD (1.000 GB) | ||
OS | Windows 10 Pro 64 Bit | Windows 10 Home 64 Bit | Windows 10 | Windows 10 | Windows 10 | Windows 7 Home Premium 64 Bit |
Asus Notebooks | Asus G752VS | Asus N551ZU |
---|---|---|
Mainboard | Intel CM236 | AMD K15.1 |
Processor | Intel Core i7-6820HK (Skylake) | AMD FX-7600P (Kaveri) |
Graphics Card | Nvidia GeForce GTX 1070 (8 GB GDDR5) | AMD Radeon R9 M280X (4 GB GDDR5) |
RAM | 4 x 16 GB DDR4-2400 | 2 x 4 GB DDR3-1600 |
Storage Device | Toshiba NVMe THNSN5512GPU7 SSD (512 GB) | Samsung SSD 830 (256 GB) |
OS | Windows 10 Pro 64 Bit | Windows 10 64 Bit |
4K Monitor | Nvidia Driver | AMD Driver | Intel Driver |
---|---|---|---|
2 x Asus PB287Q | ForceWare 376.33 | Crimson 16.12.2 | 15.40.28.4501 |
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For long-time series fans, there are some changes in the map setups to be aware of from previous Civilization titles. There are five main map types available in Civilization VI, plus a Shuffle option for more random generation that includes features from all map types.
Each of the six main map setups also feature a horde of different options -- from size (2 player Duel to 12 player Huge) to specifying what types of terrain are found across the map. Other than choosing the type, you can also specify World Age (amount of hill and mountain tiles), Rainfall (amount of forest tiles), Temperature (amount of desert and tundra riles), Sea Level (water tiles), and the amount of resources present, from sparse to abundant.
Aside from changes in map setup, the new Districts system also significantly modifies how you build cities while expanding and conquering. Check out our guide to the Districts right here.
Looking for other Civilization VI guides? Check out:
Continents
Missing the “Earth” maps from previous Civilization titles? This is the closest thing currently available (until some modders get us a real one or more map types arrive in DLC anyway). You get a smattering of larger continents along with some smaller land masses to expand into with your naval forces.
Continents map
Inland Sea
A central water area dominates the map, with land masses surrounding on the top, bottom, and sides. Keep in mind when choosing this map that it doesn't actually wrap around like a globe would, as the top and bottom are impassible borders.
Inland Sea map
Fractal
Similar to Shuffle, this map setting creates patterns across the world but can give you either a single landmass or several large ones spread across a sea.
Pangaea
As the name implies, this map setting creates a super land mass with all the continents connected. Although there's one primary landmass, you can still get small island chains on the edges.
Civ 6 Game Speed Differences Chart
Pangaea map
Island Plates
The opposite of Pangaea, this map spreads all the landmasses out across a large ocean and doesn't give you a huge central area.
Download american truck simulator completo. Island Plates map
Shuffle
Don't give a flip which map type you get or want something really randomized to keep games exciting? This is on the you want, as you're going to be surprised every time. The image below is obviously just one option - you could get anything.
Shuffle map
What do you think of the base Civilization VI map selections, and what kinds from previous games are you hoping will eventually make their return?