Almost all computer software requires some features to be present on a computer system before it can be used with the computer. These necessary features are known as system requirements, and are often used as a guideline as opposed to an absolute rule. Often two sets of system requirements are given for an item of software: a minimum set of requirements (which must be satisfied for the software to be usable at all) and a recommended set of requirements (for maximum performance).
System requirements for software tend to increase over time, and have done so to a large extent over the last decade.
For instance, while StarCraft(C) (1994) needs:
- Windows(C) 95 or NT or superior
- Pentium(C) processor at 90MHz or higher
- 16MB RAM
- 80MB available in the hard disk
- CD-ROM, 2x or higher
- DirectX(C) 3.0 or higher
- 3D Hardware Accelerator
- Windows(C) 98/2000/NT/XP
- Pentium(C) III processor at 500MHz or higher
- 128MB RAM
- 1.5GB available in the hard disk
- DirectX(C) 8.1