The PC specifications for Bethesda's highly-anticipated shooter game have been released, setting a level of requirements that should be reachable for most PC users, according to a recent TechSpot report.

Baseline specifications

The base specifications for any game are those that are absolutely required for the title to run on a computer. The specifications do not designate standards to run the game at high-performance levels. Specifications do not even ensure stable performance with moderate graphics settings. Instead, they provide the absolute essentials needed for the game to run on a user's system.

In the case of Rage, minimum specifications include an Intel Core 2 Duo processor or AMD equivalent, 2GB of memory and a Radeon HD 4200, GeForce 8800 or equivalent graphics card. The game also requires 25GB of storage space.

According to the news source, these minimum specifications are at a level that most users will be able to reach with few upgrades. However, anybody running a solid state drive as a boot drive may need to invest in a device with plenty of storage space to handle the program, the report said.

Recommended specifications

The recommended specifications give users a better idea of what they need to really enjoy the game. Typically, a computer that just meets recommended specifications will experience smooth performance with at least medium visual settings. However, users looking to run the title on high graphics settings may want to use the recommended specifications as a guide and try to upgrade their computer to go beyond them.

For example, Bethesda recommends users have 4GB of DRAM to run Rage. But the experts at Crucial recommend 8GB or more will take users beyond medium graphics settings and allow them to run the game with high-performance options turned on. Furthermore, the recommended specifications say users need some form of quad-core processor. Investing in a high-quality quad core CPU will also help enable more robust settings. The same goes for the video card, where Bethesda recommends a Radeon HD 5550, GeForce 9800 GTX or higher.

Making the appropriate upgrades

The report points out that these specifications are not particularly high, especially for a game from such a well established company. However, supporting at least 4GB of memory means that users will also need to run a 64-bit operating system, the report said. As a result, any efforts to make hardware upgrades to support Rage and similar titles may also require new software if users are not running an operating system capable of supporting hardware.

PC gaming's trajectory

Currently, the PC gaming market is in something of a rut when it comes to encouraging performance. Because most games are designed for consoles and PCs, they are limited in their core design. Most current consoles have just 512MB of DRAM. As a result, the games are unable to leverage the full potential of PCs. This makes now an ideal time to upgrade a computer. Now, DRAM and video cards are so inexpensive that users who could not previously afford the hardware needed to run games with high settings can now take advantage of the capabilities of their PC hardware.

Rage's specifications are an ideal example of this. Early screenshots and videos shows the game features a fairly solid graphics platform from a technical standpoint. However, those visuals have to work on consoles and the PC. Therefore, PC users running a decent video card and 8GB of DRAM or more can unleash some of the game's highest settings without necessarily having to invest in enthusiast-level equipment.

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For more information on Crucial Performance Memory, you can check out our Ballistix site. Or, watch our Ballistix playlist on YouTube.

The millions of virtual citizens of Blizzard's hugely popular MMORPG, World of Warcraft, celebrated the recent launch of the game's latest expansion pack — World of Warcraft: Cataclysm. Those of the game's 12 million-plus subscribers who meet only the minimum RAM required specifications of the new title, however, might want to look into upgrading their RAM and hard drives in order to maximize their Azeroth experience.

The minimum requirements for Cataclysm are not extreme compared to most games, but they are a jump from the last expansion pack, 2008's Wrath of the Lich King. Cataclysm requires 1GB of RAM, higher than the 512MB minimum by Wrath of the Lich King. However, as many gamers know, meeting only the minimum RAM requirement can lead to a choppy, frustrating gaming experience, especially as systems struggle to keep pace with the game's memory demands in highly populated areas.
 
Memory is not the only issue facing Cataclysm players, however. The game is also a hard drive hog, taking up 25GB of space. In comparison, Wrath of the Lich King used 15GB of hard drive space. For many gamers, the hard drive requirements will be the most difficult requirement to overcome. "There are no real surprises in store — the requirements are really very low, it's just the hard drive that takes a bit of a kicking," wrote Russell Barnes of TotalPCGaming.com when the specifications were announced.
 
If your hard drive is already filled to the brim and you are in need of an upgrade to play Cataclysm, now might be a good time to consider investing in a new SSD. SSDsare faster and more efficient than traditional hard disc drives.
 
An upgrade will be worth it. Reviews of the game have been strong, indicating that it is yet another superb entry in Blizzard's flagship franchise.
 
"Simply put, it is World of Warcraft 2.0. Everything seems to fit in — overhauled graphics, new landscapes, additional quests," GamingXP wrote in its review.
 
If you're a WOW fan, you won't want to miss out on Cataclysm, especially due to a computer that is slow or out of space. The game is sure to be one of the biggest releases of the year and you owe it to yourself to make sure you have the hardware to run it.

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For more information on Crucial Performance Memory, you can check out our Ballistix site. Or, watch our Ballistix playlist on YouTube.

Often, technology publications will dabble at the inexact science of building a barebones gaming PC. In one of the latest attempts at this, a recent ZDNet project created a gaming rig that costs less than $550 and emphasizes the importance of DRAM when building, customizing or upgrading a gaming computer.

The benefits of a barebones PC outline

The idea behind a barebones gaming PC project is to create a computer that is capable of playing contemporary games with relatively moderate graphics settings, quality performance and minimal cost. While ZDNet's experiment clearly shows that gamers can get by with a computer costing less that $550 if they build it themselves, it also provides some deeper insights into a gaming computer's equipment needs.

By establishing the lowest possible spending necessary to still obtain the performance needed to play games, a barebones gaming PC establishes a clear baseline of what a computer needs to function while performing almost any video-intensive tasks.

Beyond displaying the baseline that high-performance computers should start from with any component options, the ZDNet barebones PC also establishes how to prioritize spending on any components when building, customizing or upgrading a computer.

The barebones PC and DRAM

The ZDNet barebones gaming PC featured 8 GB of DDR3 1600 memory. The particular product selected cost just $85. This choice tells us a few important things about PC DRAM for high-performance environments.

The first lesson is that the DRAM needs to be high-capacity. Running the operating system along with games and other applications requires significant DRAM capacity. This project gives users important insight into DRAM capacity needs that cannot be obtained by simply looking at a game's specification requirements.

The ZDNet report recommended 8 GB of DRAM simply because a gaming computer needs that much memory to store the large quantities of short-term data used to run games. However, most game specifications simply tell you what you need to run that game on reasonable settings, and do not typically take maximizing performance into account. For example, Dungeon Siege III, a highly-anticipated action role playing game that released on June 21, claims to require at least 1.5 GB of DRAM, while recommending users have at least 2 GB of memory. The Dungeon Siege III recommendations give users a clear idea of what will let them play the game, while the ZDNet barebones PC gives insight on what will help users get the most out of the game.

The report also goes out of its way to show that DDR3 memory with speeds of at least 1600 Mhz is important for gaming. It may be tempting to skimp on memory and purchase a cheap DDR2 unit with slower speeds, but the report said such speeds are necessary to make the RAM fast and stable enough for quality gaming use.

The DRAM unit's price is also worth noting. Users can purchase high-performance memory that is four-times greater than the recommended requirements of a current game for just $85. In many ways, DRAM is the most cost-efficient upgrade simply because memory has become so inexpensive in nature. The report shows that DRAM is not an area to skimp, even when building a barebones PC, because high-performance memory can be purchased at a relatively low cost.

Conclusion

Gamers need to invest in high-performance and high-capacity DRAM to get the most out of their games, but this barebones PC shows what non-gamers should consider as well. In many cases, current barebones gaming PCs are an image of what average computers and laptops will be in just a year or two. Therefore, every user should take DRAM seriously when building, customizing or upgrading a computer.



If you are looking to equip your computer for high-performance gaming, you will need a lot of DRAM and it will need to run fast. Games are constantly pushing the limits of what hardware can accomplish, and while the extended console lifecycle may be limiting just how far developers push PC graphics, some studios are still exploring the depths of advanced PC hardware.

Therefore, users considering an upgrade or building their own computer should prepare for emerging trends in the gaming industry by equipping their computers with adequate DRAM capacity and high-performance timings.

DRAM capacity needs for a gaming computer

High-performance games require significant amounts of active data at any time, and the DRAM needs to be able to hold all of that information while supporting the operating system, any online gaming programs and other functions that are running simultaneously.

For the most part, gamers can get by with 6 GB of RAM without experiencing performance issues with most games. However, many gamers are beginning to equip their systems with at least 12 GB of memory to maximize performance and take full advantage of the performance features developers put into the game.

DRAM performance needs for a gaming computer

High-performance DRAM with fast timing speeds will help reduce load times and keep the game running smoothly. Each time you run a game, some of its data will be moved from the storage drive to the DRAM so the processor can access those files quickly. The easiest way to think of this process has to do with load screens. When the game stops to load, the computer is deleting unnecessary game content on the DRAM and moving new data from the storage drive to the memory.

Users trying to get the most out of their gaming rig will need DRAM capable of operating at speeds that will not slow down the SSD or processor when transmitting data during load times. Therefore, it is typically best to invest in DDR3 memory with speeds of at least 1333 Mhz. You may be able to get by with DDR2 memory, but DRAM is not an area to sacrifice performance.

DRAM needs in light of emerging trends

Those considering equipping a gaming computer with new components must also take a look into the future and build for needs that will soon arise. A number of new trends are emerging in the video game industry that could fuel more DRAM needs.

DirectX 11, 3D gaming and motion sensing technology could all require more investments in DRAM.

To call DirectX 11 an emerging trend is a bit unfair. The graphics platform has been around for a couple of years, but is still not supported by many graphics cards, games or operating systems. However, anybody working to build or upgrade a current computer needs to take DirectX 11 into account because it is becoming popular and taking a stronger hold on the PC gaming market than DirectX 10 ever did.

Three-dimensional gaming is also a key consideration, as more developers are beginning to dabble in 3D graphics. While the trend may not take hold until 3D monitors become more pervasive, it is gaining steam and should be taken into account when purchasing DRAM.

Motion sensing is a third key trend, as a Microsoft-sponsored Kinect product that works with Windows is likely on its way. Motion sensing could require significant hardware support to function well with high-performance gaming titles.

All of these emerging trends point to the need to invest in high-performance and high-capacity DRAM, and show that memory is one area in which users should not skimp when it comes to upgrading their gaming computer.

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For more information on Crucial Performance Memory, you can check out our Ballistix site. Or, watch our Ballistix playlist on YouTube.