System Requirements

By Alfred Barten

Never buy software without reading the system requirements label. You know the one - it's small, comes in fine print, and usually sits on the bottom or side of the box. It's not the first thing the manufacturer wants you to see. Unlike food labels, which more often point to long term effects, such as clogged arteries from too much saturated fat or transfatty acids, system requirements usually have an immediate impact: the software runs properly or it doesn't - end of story.

There are a number of things you need to be aware of when reading system requirements labels. Perhaps the most important is that these are MINIMUM system requirements. Often a manufacturer adds another set called RECOMMENDED system. Some even add a third label: IDEAL system.

System requirements do not have the standardized format dictated by the FDA for food labeling, but generally manufacturers do their best to cover the essentials. It's in their best interest. Look for such things as Platform, CPU, RAM, Available Hard Disk Space, Graphics, and Sound. It almost goes without saying that a computer has a CD-ROM drive, a keyboard, and a mouse - but you never know. Count on this last group to be required unless you are looking at something that predates Windows 95.

Let's have a closer look at some of these requirements.

Specifications

Platform. Windows machines have a near lock on train simulation software, but don't overlook the game consoles in the months and years ahead. I wish I didn't have to listen to the sounds of dismay from people in the audience at my demos when I answer the inevitable question "Is it available for the Mac?" Except for Railroad Tycoon, there's precious little available for the Mac. I'm a former Mac user, so I know the feeling. What's worse, the Mac community now has its great divide: pre-System X and System X (not to mention the new Intel-Mac models just announced this week). The Windows community has a similar divide, though less pronounced: Windows 95/98 and post-Windows 95/98 (i.e., Windows Me/2000/XP). Moreover, Windows NT often doesn't like games, and Windows 3.1 is almost never mentioned.

So, pay close attention to the operating system and its version. The good news, though, is that you MAY be able to upgrade from, say Windows 98 to Windows XP. Don't assume that you can upgrade from Mac System 7 to Mac System X, however.

CPU (Central Processing Unit). This is another critical specification. Upgrading means replacing the motherboard of your computer - reasonable enough if you are good at this sort of thing, but not for all of us.

The CPU for most if not all Windows sims is typically specified in terms of Pentium (I, II, III, IV) and chip speed (e.g., 733 MHz, 1.5 GHz, etc.). If your CPU uses a chip from AMD, such as the Athlon, or uses a different chip from Intel (e.g., Centrino rather than Pentium), you will need to do some homework. Computer magazines run tests of most or all popular chips and usually make the results available on the Internet. Unlike NASCAR, where 150 MPH is 150 MPH regardless of vehicle, speed of a computer chip has to be considered in conjunction with what the chip does, or how it works. If chip A handles twice the data that chip B does, but takes twice as long, then the two are equal - at least in this crude comparison. Things, of course, are not this simple. The best thing to do is get out your old computer mags or get on the 'net and do some research.

RAM (Random Access Memory). This specification can have a significant impact on the success of your game play, especially for sims that are graphics intensive. Too little RAM can be one cause of poor framerate, which translates to a choppy, stop-start presentation. The more your computer can handle game functions in volatile memory (system RAM and the RAM that sits on your graphics card - see below), the smoother the presentation will be. Some sims let you adjust presentation parameters downward to accommodate lower graphics capabilities (RAM is just one measure) or upward to take advantage of a high performance system. You may also be able to add more RAM to your computer; but, then, you may not. Find out!

Something to be aware of here is that many sims permit third-party add-ons. Often the people who are good at creating such things are also savvy about their computers and very likely will have better than average equipment. Thus they are prone to creating routes and models that make high demands on your system. This is more apt to happen with routes than with models because models can be quantified in terms of polygon count, giving designers the ability to control the model's demands, whereas a route generally has no measurement other than how it works on the designer's system, and possibly the beta testers' systems.

Available Hard Disk Space. Hard disks have become huge in recent years, but so have programs. Microsoft Train Simulator, for example, requires 1.8 GB for the full install. In time, you will find yourself adding third-party routes and models. Your MSTS folder could easily mushroom to 10 GB or more. Trainz is similar, though its method of reusing common parts cuts down on the required disk space. Still, an active user will find the Trainz folder expanding rapidly as new items are added from the Download Station. Other simulators are similar, except nowhere near as demanding.

Graphics. Graphics are at the heart of train sims. Early DOS-based sims got by with simple graphics. But more recent sims require DirectX or OpenGL capability, which translates to separate graphics (video) cards with plenty of onboard RAM. Watch out for integrated graphics. Look for graphics cards, such as those by nVidia and ATI, that reside in an AGP slot; or look for a PC/graphic card combination that uses the new PCI Express standard. Buy one with as much RAM as you can afford.

Sound. Most of the time you can get by without worrying about sound; but there may come a time – and it did for me – when the built-in sound of my machine was inadequate for a given sim. I had trouble in particular with BVE4 and didn’t solve the problem until I added a separate sound card to my PC.

Planning Ahead. Have a look at the following table. In just 7 years the minimum Pentium chip speed for some popular train sims went from 133 MHz to 1500 MHz. Buying a used or outdated computer, even if it just meets current requirements, may turn out to be shortsighted. You’re probably better off buying at the high end and holding onto your computer longer, than buying at the low end and only getting a year or two out of it. You don’t have to go to the highest end, but something in the upper middle range makes sense to me. (Others may dispute this.)

Some popular train sims and minimum Pentium chip speed requirements:

Upgrading. Upgrading your PC to accommodate software requirements is a natural thing to want to do and is often the best approach, but there are some things to bear in mind when upgrading.

Power Supply. Lots of the new high performance graphics cards need high wattage power supplies, 350 watts and more. If you are purchasing an advanced graphics card, be sure to check on the box for the wattage requirements. You may have to upgrade your power supply to accommodate the new graphics card.

FSB (Front Side Bus). Think of this as a river for your data, the faster the speed of the FSB the wider the river, and the ability to move more data faster. A 500 MHz FSB is good, an 800 MHz FSB is better.

Hard Disk Speed. The higher the disk speed, the faster your PC can access written data. Most desktop PC hard drives have a speed of 5400 RPM or 7200 RPM. Choose the 7200 RPM if you can. Laptops tend to have lower speeds, many at 4200 RPM. A year ago, I could only find a few high-end models from Dell with a speed of 7200 RPM. I expect matters to have improved by now.

Recommendation

If you’re on a budget and not ready for a new computer, check the label on any software you’re about to buy – especially train sim software. You may be better off buying the older version. On the other hand, if you’re getting ready to buy a new computer, and expect to be involved with train sims for the foreseeable future, don’t skimp. Doing so will only hasten the day when you have to upgrade again.

Al