How much RAM does Sid Meier's Civilization® V need?

Sid Meier's Civilization® V lists 4 GB of system memory. 16 GB is a safe modern baseline.

Is a NVIDIA GeForce 9800 GT still enough for Sid Meier's Civilization® V?

It matches the game's stated target, so it will run, but it is an older part. A current card in the budget tier above gives you driver support and better efficiency for a similar outlay.

Sid Meier's Civilization® V System Requirements

Sep 21, 2010Strategy

Sid Meier's Civilization® V, released Sep 21, 2010, is a strategy game from Firaxis Games, Aspyr (Mac), Aspyr (Linux). Its recommended spec points at NVIDIA GeForce 9800 GT graphics with an Intel Core i3-3240-class CPU; below we translate that into parts you can actually buy today.

Add to list View my list →

Official System Requirements

The minimum specs for Sid Meier's Civilization® V call for Intel HD Graphics 4000-class graphics, Intel Core 2 Duo E6600-class processor, 2 GB of RAM and 8 GB of storage.

The recommended specs for Sid Meier's Civilization® V call for NVIDIA GeForce 9800 GT-class graphics, Intel Core i3-3240-class processor, 4 GB of RAM and 8 GB of storage.

Component	Minimum	Recommended
CPU	Intel Core 2 Duo E6600	Intel Core i3-3240
GPU	Intel HD Graphics 4000	NVIDIA GeForce 9800 GT
RAM	2 GB	4 GB
Storage	8 GB	8 GB

Original published requirement text

Minimum: Minimum:

OS *: Windows® Vista SP2/ Windows® 7
Processor: Intel Core 2 Duo 1.8 GHz or AMD Athlon X2 64 2.0 GHz
Memory: 2GB RAM
Graphics:256 MB ATI HD2600 XT or better, 256 MB nVidia 7900 GS or better, or Core i3 or better integrated graphics
DirectX®: DirectX® version 9.0c
Hard Drive: 8 GB Free
Sound: DirectX 9.0c-compatible sound card
Note: Optimized for the touch-screen Ultrabook™ device

Recommended: Recommended:

OS *: Windows® Vista SP2/ Windows® 7
Processor: 1.8 GHz Quad Core CPU
Memory: 4 GB RAM
Graphics: 512 MB ATI 4800 series or better, 512 MB nVidia 9800 series or better
DirectX®: DirectX® version 11
Hard Drive: 8 GB Free
Sound: DirectX 9.0c-compatible sound card
Note: Optimized for the touch-screen Ultrabook™ device

Best GPU for Sid Meier's Civilization® V

Full GPU guide →

Sid Meier's Civilization® V's stated graphics card is roughly NVIDIA GeForce 9800 GT level. The current sweet spot is the AMD Radeon RX 9060 XT, with cheaper and faster options either side.

Budget

Intel Arc B570

~$259.99

score 21010 GB VRAMBattlemage

Intel Arc B570 is the cheapest current card that clears this game's recommended bar with 10GB VRAM. Fine for 1080p.

View on Amazon

Other options at this level

Intel Arc B580 · 12GB~$250Buy
AMD Radeon RX 7600 XT · 16GB~$320Buy
AMD Radeon RX 7700 XT · 12GB~$400Buy
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 · 8GB~$409.22Buy

Prices are approximate, not live Amazon prices — the link opens the current listing on your regional Amazon. As an Amazon Associate we may earn from qualifying purchases.

Recommended

AMD Radeon RX 9060 XT

~$350

score 24016 GB VRAMRDNA 4

AMD Radeon RX 9060 XT adds headroom with 16GB VRAM - a safe pick for 1080p high or 1440p depending on the game.

View on Amazon

Other options at this level

NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 · 12GB~$520Buy
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 · 8GB~$646.99Buy
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 Ti · 8GB~$659.98Buy

Prices are approximate, not live Amazon prices — the link opens the current listing on your regional Amazon. As an Amazon Associate we may earn from qualifying purchases.

Performance

NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 Ti

~$430

score 27516 GB VRAMBlackwell

NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 Ti leaves plenty of margin with 16GB VRAM for higher resolutions and frame rates.

View on Amazon

Other options at this level

AMD Radeon RX 7800 XT · 16GB~$539.99Buy
AMD Radeon RX 7900 GRE · 16GB~$550Buy
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 · 12GB~$560Buy
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Super · 12GB~$809.22Buy

Prices are approximate, not live Amazon prices — the link opens the current listing on your regional Amazon. As an Amazon Associate we may earn from qualifying purchases.

Best CPU for Sid Meier's Civilization® V

Full CPU guide →

Sid Meier's Civilization® V's stated processor is roughly Intel Core i3-3240 level. The current sweet spot is the AMD Ryzen 5 5500, with cheaper and faster options either side.

Budget

Intel Core i3-14100F

~$104.97

score 130Raptor Lake Refresh

Intel Core i3-14100F is the cheapest current chip that clears this game's recommended bar. Fine for 1080p.

View on Amazon

Other options at this level

Intel Core i3-13100F ~$100Buy
Intel Core i5-12400F ~$169.85Buy

Prices are approximate, not live Amazon prices — the link opens the current listing on your regional Amazon. As an Amazon Associate we may earn from qualifying purchases.

Recommended

AMD Ryzen 5 5500

~$84.93

score 140Zen 3

AMD Ryzen 5 5500 adds headroom - a safe pick for 1080p high or 1440p depending on the game.

View on Amazon

Other options at this level

AMD Ryzen 5 5600 ~$140.99Buy
AMD Ryzen 5 5600X ~$177.97Buy
Intel Core i5-13400F ~$180Buy

Prices are approximate, not live Amazon prices — the link opens the current listing on your regional Amazon. As an Amazon Associate we may earn from qualifying purchases.

Performance

AMD Ryzen 5 5600GT

~$179

score 170Zen 3

AMD Ryzen 5 5600GT leaves plenty of margin for higher resolutions and frame rates.

View on Amazon

Other options at this level

Intel Core i5-14400F ~$178.99Buy
AMD Ryzen 7 5700X ~$209Buy
Intel Core i5-13500 ~$265Buy

Prices are approximate, not live Amazon prices — the link opens the current listing on your regional Amazon. As an Amazon Associate we may earn from qualifying purchases.

Recommended PC build for Sid Meier's Civilization® V

Full build guide →

Want the whole tower speced out? Our Sid Meier's Civilization® V build guide pairs these CPU and GPU picks with RAM, motherboard, SSD, PSU and case at budget, recommended and performance tiers, with an approximate total.

Can these parts run Sid Meier's Civilization® V?

Can the AMD Radeon RX 9060 XT run Sid Meier's Civilization® V?: Yes. The AMD Radeon RX 9060 XT is well ahead of Sid Meier's Civilization® V's NVIDIA GeForce 9800 GT target, so expect a comfortable 1080p experience with headroom to spare.
Can the AMD Ryzen 5 5500 run Sid Meier's Civilization® V?: Yes. The AMD Ryzen 5 5500 is well ahead of Sid Meier's Civilization® V's Intel Core i3-3240 target, so expect a comfortable 1080p experience with headroom to spare.

FAQ

What is the cheapest GPU for Sid Meier's Civilization® V?: Intel Arc B570 - Intel Arc B570 is the cheapest current card that clears this game's recommended bar with 10GB VRAM. Fine for 1080p.
Which CPU should I get for Sid Meier's Civilization® V?: AMD Ryzen 5 5500 - AMD Ryzen 5 5500 adds headroom - a safe pick for 1080p high or 1440p depending on the game.
How much RAM does Sid Meier's Civilization® V need?: Sid Meier's Civilization® V lists 4 GB of system memory. 16 GB is a safe modern baseline.
Is a NVIDIA GeForce 9800 GT still enough for Sid Meier's Civilization® V?: It matches the game's stated target, so it will run, but it is an older part. A current card in the budget tier above gives you driver support and better efficiency for a similar outlay.