Symptom(s):
SimCity* 4 game works only in software 3D mode.

Cause:
The game appears to be checking the device ID and vendor ID for supported graphics controllers. It prevents enabling hardware mode with Intel® graphics controllers, as they are not on the list of supported graphics controllers.

Solution:

The following steps can be used to eliminate or minimize the issue(s) reported with the game:

Run the game in software 3D mode, which is chosen by default. Only a few small differences can be seen between software and hardware 3D mode in this game.

This applies to:

Intel® 82810 Graphics and Memory Controller Hub (GMCH) Intel® 82815 Graphics Controller Intel® 82830M Graphics and Memory Controller Hub (GMCH) Intel® 82845G Graphics Controller Intel® 82852/82855 Graphics Controller Family