Hi,
I myself play Civ4, which is a fine game. Im also using version
161. This latest version is already intended to improve game
performance. If you are still experiencing slow performance, that
means your computer specification is a little outdated. There is
only one way: scrimp and save. Disable your background applications
such as anti-virus and all other applications, and run the game in
minimum graphics detail. If you still find it slow, go to
'msconfig' and untick all unneccessary services. If it's still
unsatisfactory, buy more RAM or upgrade your video card.