Software requirements vs. Software recommendations
Apr 03 '00 (Updated Jul 22 '01)
The Bottom Line I recommend before buying any software, you read the box and check out the system requirements and also look for the recommended configuration.
This is a revised opinion that I wrote when I first started with Epinion's. So if you have already rated the original, could possibly re-rate this with the changes I have made.
I don't know how many of you have bought software from your local store and brought it home and it didn't work well if at all on your PC. Well I have a theory on this, the software maker puts on the side of the box SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS for example:
Pentium 150 or higher
16 MB memory or higher
75 MB free drive space
8MB Video w/ 3D graphics
We are supposed to use that to make a choice whether we should buy it or not. The trouble is system requirements doesn't mean if you have what it says you need it will run like you want it to. It has been my experience that if you go by the so called system requirements you may not be happy with the results, especially if the software is a computer game. When you are dealing with software games they need a lot more processor speed and memory and graphics acceleration to make them run properly.
That is why on most software there is another section on the box called system recommendation, this is what the software maker recommends your system to have to really get the most out of the game.
The Recommended System configuration:
Pentium 550
64 MB or even 128 MB
120 MB free drive space
32MB w/ 3D and graphics acceleration
My theory is if the software makers put the requirements to high people might be less likely to buy there software. I think the biggest category of software where there is a problem with that is games, they hog up so much system resources, that unless you have a high end machine or a machine configured for gaming, you probably wont be happy with a lot of the games now a days. For advice on Gaming it would be a good idea to check out the PC Gamer magazine, sold at most store. They spend all their time testing games and hardware.
My recommended configuration for a gaming PC for what it is worth, there are people with more experience other that may disagree with me, and hopefully they can add some suggestions and I will update them if I need to.
Recommended System Configuration for Gaming:
Pentium III 1GHz or AMD Athlon 1GHz
256 MB memory
45 GB 7200 rpm HDD
52X CD-rom or faster
64 MB AGP Video w/ GeForce2 chipset (This is a much debated topic)
SoundBlaster Live Platinum or compatible sound card
17" or 19" SVGA Monitor
The above configuration is only my opinion, I would still suggest you check out some of the PC Gaming magazines and see what the experts are saying about the software you are thinking about purchasing. I hope this information will help you make a informed decision on the software you maybe looking at purchasing.
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