GTA IV Low-End Patch (Very Low PC)

This patch allows you to play GTA IV on very weak computers (from 2004).

This is the latest version of the patch for running GTA 4 on low-end PCs, according to the publisher, dated January 14, 2012 (see the author's website).

What this patch changes:

- Sets an extremely low draw distance (50-100 meters).

- Removes all pedestrians and traffic from the streets. Only special actors are left in minimal numbers - police, firefighters, hotdog vendors, and escorts, etc.

- Minimizes visual effects (explosions, illumination, bloom, glare, etc.). Tire and blood trail textures remain.

The patch is installed over the original game. Graphics settings are set to minimum. Before launching the game, it is strongly recommended to terminate processes such as antivirus programs, download managers, and other third-party applications that do not ensure stable operation of the operating system, as well as to disconnect all current network connections – this is done to free up as much RAM as possible for the game.

I successfully installed the patch on GTA IV version 1.0.6.0 with Russian localization. This was done on a Pentium4 2.8GHz computer, 1024MB DDR-I, 128MB nVidia GeForce6600, with a pagefile size of 2GB. The resulting frame rate in the game was 8-14FPS, and in cutscenes and missions, it was 5-11FPS. Before launching the game (with the patch installed), I had previously terminated all non-system processes and disabled all network connections. The launch was sequentially on the following operating systems - Windows XP SP2 and Windows 7 (without SP). The difference in performance and frame rate is negligible, however, if you have less than 1.5GB of RAM, it is recommended to play under Windows XP.