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The minimum system requirements for Age of Empires III

Article ID:907884
Last Review:November 14, 2007
Revision:5.8
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SUMMARY

This article lists the minimum system requirements that a computer must have to run Microsoft Age of Empires III. Additionally, this article lists the supported and unsupported video hardware devices.

This article is intended for a beginning to intermediate computer user.

You may find it easier to follow the steps if you print this article first.

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Method 1: Verify that the computer meets the minimum system requirements

The following are the minimum requirements for a computer to run Age of Empire III:
Microsoft Windows XP
A computer that has a 1.4 gigahertz (GHz) processor
256 megabytes (MB) of system RAM
A hard disk that has at least 2 gigabytes (GB) of available space
A 32x speed CD drive
A 64 MB video card that supports Hardware Transform and Lighting
An audio card and speakers or headphones
A Microsoft mouse or a compatible pointing device
A 56.6 kilobytes per second (KBps) or faster Internet connection for online play
DirectX 9.0c
Note These are the minimum system requirements that a computer must have to run Age of Empire III. You may experience increased performance on computers that exceed these requirements.

Note To install Microsoft Age of Empires III Expansion: The War Chiefs, you must have Age of Empires III installed.

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Step 1: Start the DirectX Diagnostic Tool

Windows Vista

To start the DirectX Diagnostic Tool in Windows Vista, click StartStart button, type dxdiag in the Start Search box, and then click OK.

User Account Control permission If you are prompted for an administrator password or for a confirmation, type the password, or click Continue.

Windows XP

To start the DirectX Diagnostic Tool in Windows XP, click Start, click Run in the Open box, type dxdiag, and then click OK.

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Step 2: Collect computer details

a. On the System tab, view the processor details and the memory details.
b. Click the Display tab.
c. In the Device area, note the name of the video card and its approximate total memory.
d. Click Exit.

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THINGS TO TRY

Game Advisor

To determine whether the computer that you are using can run Age of Empires III, visit the following Game Advisor Web site:
http://gameadvisor.futuremark.com (http://gameadvisor.futuremark.com)
You can use the Game Advisor to download a small piece of software that scans the system that you are using. This software will help you determine whether a computer has the correct hardware for the game that you want to play. If you do not have the hardware that you need, the Windows Game advisor provides links to hardware providers that can help you upgrade the system.

To start scanning the system, click Start.

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Supported video hardware

Age of Empires III requires a minimum of 64 megabytes (MB) of memory for video hardware. Additionally, the video hardware must support Hardware Transform and Lighting. Your hardware must pass a system check when you start the game. If your video hardware did not pass the system check, you receive one of the following error messages that indicate that Age of Empires III does not support the video hardware:
Your video hardware is below the recommended minimum requirements for Age of Empires III. If you wish to upgrade your computer, please contact your computer manufacturer for any necessary assistance.
Age of Empires III requires at least a 64 MB video card. This computer appears to have a less than 64 MB video card. If you wish to upgrade your computer, please contact your computer manufacturer for any necessary assistance.

Unsupported video hardware

The following list contains video hardware, chips, and chip sets that are not supported by Age of Empires III. For more information about how to upgrade your video hardware, visit the following Microsoft Web site:
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/using/moviemaker/expert/dunn_03august11_vc.mspx (http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/using/moviemaker/expert/dunn_03august11_vc.mspx)
3dfx
Banshee
Rush (Alliance)
Rush (Macronix)
Voodoo 1
Voodoo 2
Voodoo 3
Voodoo 4
Voodoo 5
3D Labs
GLiNT
GLiNT 300SX
GLiNT 500TX
GLiNT G1
GLiNT MX
Oxygen Series Gamma2
Oxygen Series R3
Oxygen Series R4
Permedia
Permedia 1
Permedia 2
Permedia 3
Permedia 4
ATI
ATI ES1000
IGP 340M
Mach 32
Mach 64
Mobility Fire GL
Mobility Radeon 7000 IGP
Radeon 7000 IGP
Rage 128
Rage 128 Pro
Rage Fury Pro-MAXX
Rage II
Rage II+
Rage IIC
Rage LT
Rage LT Pro
Rage Mobility
Rage Mobility 128
Rage Pro
Rage XC
Rage XL
Chromatic
MPact
Cirrus
CL4610
CL4614
CL5462
CL6729
GD5430
GD5434
GD5436
GD5446
GD5464
GD5465
GD5480
GD7543
GD7548
Compaq
QVision
Digital
TGA
TGA2
Guillemot
GeForce 256
TNT2
TNT2 M64
TNT2 Ultra
TNT Vanta
Intel
740
752
810
810e
815
830
845
865G
915
915G
915GM
945G
For more information, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
907881 (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/907881/) Known graphics issues in Age of Empires III
945GM
For more information, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
907881 (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/907881/) Known graphics issues in Age of Empires III
965
For more information, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
907881 (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/907881/) Known graphics issues in Age of Empires III
Matrox
Millennium
Mystique
Millennium II
G100 PCI
G100 AGP
G200 PCI
G200 AGP
Fusion G450
G400-450
Mistral
G550
NeoMagic
128
128ZV
128XD
256AV
256ZX
256XL
Number Nine
Revolution 3D
Revolution IV
nVidia
GeForce 256
GeForce 256 DDR
GeForce 256 Quadro
GeForce 256 Ultra
NV 1
NV 2
Riva 128
Riva 128 ZX
TNT
TNT Vanta
TNT2
TNT2 Aladdin
TNT2 M64
TNT2 Ultra
Rendition
Verite 1000
Verite 2100
S3
Aurora 128
Graphics Twister
ProSavage
Savage 2000
Savage 3D
Savage 3D S3
Savage 3D S4
Savage IX
Savage MX
Savage4 ProSavage
SuperSavage 128 IX
SuperSavage 128 IX DDR
SuperSavage 128 MX
SuperSavage IX
SuperSavage IX DDR
SuperSavage IXC DDR
SuperSavage IXC SDR
Trio 3D
Trio 64
Trio 64 DX
Trio 64 Plus
Trio3D
Virge
Virge DXGX
Virge GX2
Virge MX
Virge MXC
Silicon Motion
Lynx 3D
Lynx 3DM
SiS
305
315
530
650
6205
6215
6326
ST Microelectronics
Kyro I-II
Trident
975
9753
3D Image
Blade 3D
Cyber
Cyber XP5
Cyber9320
Cyber9385
Cyber9388
Cyber9397
Cyber9397 DVD
Cyber9520
Cyber9520 DVD
CyberBlade E4
CyberBlade i7
CyberBlade XP
CyberBlade XPm
Tsend Labs
ET4000
ET6000
ET6300
VIA
CLE266
KM400
VIAS3G UniChrome Pro IGP
VideoLogic
PowerVR
PowerVR2
Weitek
P9000
P9100

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Supported processor

Age of Empires III requires a minimum of a 1.4 gigahertz (GHz) processor. Additionally, the processor must support Streaming SIMD Extensions (SSE). Processors such as the 1.4 GHz Athlon Thunderbird do not support SSE. Your hardware must pass a system check when you start the game. If your hardware does not pass the system check, you will receive the following error message that states that Age of Empires III does not support the processor:
Age of Empires III requires a processor that supports the SSE instruction set. This computer does not appear to support SSE, so the game will not attempt to run.

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REFERENCES

For information about how to contact video hardware manufacturers, click the appropriate article number in the following list to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
65416 (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/65416/) Hardware and software vendor contact information, A-K

60781 (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/60781/) Hardware and software vendor contact information, L-P

60782 (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/60782/) Hardware and software vendor contact information, Q-Z

Microsoft provides third-party contact information to help you find technical support. This contact information may change without notice. Microsoft does not guarantee the accuracy of this third-party contact information.
The third-party products that this article discusses are manufactured by companies that are independent of Microsoft. Microsoft makes no warranty, implied or otherwise, regarding the performance or reliability of these products.

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APPLIES TO
Microsoft Age of Empires III
Microsoft Age of Empires III : The WarChiefs

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Keywords: 
kbhowto kbexpertisebeginner kbceip kbconfig kbsetup kbdisplay kbinfo KB907884

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