Step 2 of 5

Step 2 — Checking your computer before you commit

Every PC game publishes a list of what it needs to run. This step shows you how to find the same four numbers for your own computer, so the comparison takes minutes instead of an afternoon.

The four numbers that decide almost everything

A computer has many parts. For the purpose of running a game, four of them matter, and the rest can be ignored until one of those four turns out to be a problem.

The operating system. Windows, macOS or Linux, and which version. This is not a performance question, it is a compatibility question: a game that has no version for your operating system will not run on it at all, however fast the machine is. Nothing else on this list can compensate.

The processor. Often written as CPU. It is the general-purpose part that does the arithmetic. In a requirements list it appears as a model name and number, such as a particular Intel Core or AMD Ryzen chip.

The memory. Often written as RAM, and measured in gigabytes — commonly 8 GB or 16 GB on machines sold in the last few years. It is the working space the computer uses while a program runs, and it is separate from your storage.

The graphics. The part that draws the picture, written as GPU or graphics card. Some computers have a dedicated card; many laptops and cheaper desktops use graphics built into the processor, called integrated graphics. Games are more sensitive to this part than to any other.

Storage space is a fifth consideration, but it is a simple one: either you have enough free gigabytes or you free some up. It rarely decides anything.

Finding your specifications on Windows

This is a general procedure for current versions of Windows. The exact wording of a menu may differ slightly between versions; the information is in the same place.

1. Click the Start button and type the word system.
2. Choose the result named System or About your PC. A settings page opens.
3. Under the device heading you will find the processor model and the installed memory, written in gigabytes. Write both down exactly as they appear, including the numbers after the model name.
4. Under the Windows heading you will find the edition and version. Write those down too.
5. For the graphics, press the Windows key together with the letter R, type dxdiag and press Enter. A diagnostic window opens; its Display tab names the graphics hardware. If a message asks about checking digital signatures, either answer is fine.
6. For free storage space, open File Explorer, select This PC, and read the free space shown under your main drive.

Five minutes, and you now have a written description of your computer that you can use for the rest of your life, or at least until you replace it.

Finding your specifications on Linux

Linux distributions vary more than Windows does, so treat this as the shape of the task rather than exact instructions.

Most desktop distributions have a settings application with an "About" or "Details" page showing the distribution name and version, the processor and the memory. That page is the quickest route.

If you prefer a terminal, the commands lscpu for the processor, free -h for memory and lspci | grep -i vga for graphics will each print what you need. Your distribution's own documentation is the authority if a command is missing.

One extra consideration applies on Linux: whether the game publishes a native Linux version, or whether players run the Windows version through a compatibility layer. These are different situations with different levels of support, and the vendor's own statement is the only reliable guide to which applies.

If your computer is a Mac

Click the Apple menu at the top left and choose About This Mac. The panel names the model, the chip, the memory and the macOS version.

Record it the same way, and then apply the compatibility rule from the top of this step: if the game you are considering does not list macOS, the rest of the comparison is academic. Many games do list it. The example used in this course does not.

Reading a requirements list without being misled

Published requirements usually come in two columns, labelled minimum and recommended. Both are statements by the publisher, not measurements by anyone independent, and it helps to read them as what they are.

Minimum means the game is expected to start and run on hardware at that level. It does not promise that the experience will be pleasant. In practice, a computer that exactly meets the minimum will be running the game at low visual settings and a modest frame rate — frame rate being the number of images drawn each second, where higher feels smoother.

Recommended describes hardware the publisher considers comfortable. It is still not a guarantee, because it says nothing about what else is running on your machine or how the game may change next year.

Three habits make the comparison honest. Compare like with like: a processor model number is only meaningful against another model number from the same maker and generation, so if you are unsure, search for both models together rather than assuming a larger number is better. Treat the graphics line as the one that matters most. And remember that a laptop part with the same name as a desktop part is usually slower, because laptops have less room to disperse heat.

The household checks the spare-room desktop

The hypothetical Adelaide household from Step 1 sits down at the five-year-old desktop with a notepad.

Start menu, system, and they have the Windows version, the processor model and the memory in two minutes. The dxdiag window gives them the graphics hardware, which turns out to be a dedicated card rather than integrated graphics — a useful thing to know, since they had not been sure.

They write the four numbers on the same sheet of paper they started in the pre-course checklist. Then they open the vendor's own requirements page and put the two side by side. The operating system matches, because the machine runs Windows. The remaining three they compare line by line, searching for any model name they do not recognise.

They have not installed anything yet. They have a sheet of paper that answers the question "will this run?" before anybody spends an hour downloading.

Making the judgement call

Suppose your computer sits between the two columns, which is the most common outcome. That is normal and not a reason to stop. Install, try it, and judge for yourself — the download costs nothing, and you can remove it the same day.

Suppose your computer falls below the minimum on the graphics line. Expect a poor experience, and expect no support from the publisher for problems caused by it. It is not dangerous; it is simply likely to disappoint.

Suppose the operating system is not listed. That is the one genuinely firm answer in this step. Do not install.

And if you are tempted to upgrade hardware specifically so you can play a free game, pause for a week first. Spending several hundred dollars to access something advertised as costing nothing is a decision worth making slowly, and the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission's general guidance on buying is at accc.gov.au.

Before you move on

You should now have a written note of your operating system, processor, memory and graphics, and a view on how they compare with at least one game's published requirements. Step 3 moves from whether you can run a game to whether you should: classification, content and what is on sale inside.