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- AXCEL216's MAX Speeed
- Windows 9x/NT/2000/ME Required + Recommended Hardware
-
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- 1. Bare minimum hardware requirements for Windows 95 (per Microsoft
- guidelines):
-
- - 386DX/33 (questionable)
- - 4 MB RAM (questionable)
- - 540 MB IDE hard disk (questionable)
- - 1 MB DRAM 32-bit ISA video card (way too slow)
- - VGA 14 inch monitor (way too small)...
-
- ... NOT!
-
-
- 2. Average minimum recommended hardware to run Windows 95:
-
- - 486DX2/66 (minimum Pentium 75MHz recommended)
- - 8 MB RAM (16 MB minimum recommended)
- - 850 MB IDE hard disk (1 GB minimum hard disk recommended)
- - double-speed CD-ROM with at least 300 KB/sec transfer rate (quad-speed
- CD-ROM with 600 KB/sec transfer rate recommended)
- - 16-bit FM stereo sound card, Sound Blaster compatible (16-bit wavetable
- stereo sound card, Sound Blaster compatible recommended)
- - 14,400 bps modem/fax (28,800 bps modem/fax recommended)
- - 1 MB DRAM 64-bit video card (2 MB VRAM/SDRAM 64-bit video card
- recommended)
- - 15 inch 1024x768 SVGA monitor (17 inch 1280x1024 monitor recommended).
-
- ... But such a system won't cut it for running today's demanding DirectX,
- Direct3D, OpenGL and 3D Video/Multimedia applications/games!
- On the other hand, if you use your computer strictly to access the Internet,
- handle e-mail, and/or work in MS Office (write documents, spreadsheets etc),
- a low end "cheapo" Pentium PC clone or similar is probably OK, and you don't
- need to read this "disertation" any further. :)
-
- ... And now for all you "speeed freaks"... Hold on to your hats! ;-)
-
-
- 3. This is my idea of THE IDEAL computer system optimally tuned to run Windows
- 9x/NT/2000/Millennium/etc [... and maybe Trillennium :)], or ANY other OS
- [BeOS anyone?!] for that matter [to date], if money is not an obstacle. :-)
- When it comes to the amount of RAM, hard disk capacity/speed, 2D/3D video
- accelerator performance, CD-ROM/DVD drive speed, Internet access performance,
- sound card high fidelity, and most importantly CPU class and speed, NOTHING
- IS TOO MUCH for running today's 32-bit [and tomorrow's 64-bit] demanding
- 3D/OpenGL/DirectX graphics/animation/multimedia applications and games:
-
- - Quad SMP Intel Pentium III Xeon MMX 1 GHz CISC 2 MB L2 cache CPUs, or
- better: get quad SMP DEC Alpha 1 GHz RISC CPUs, server full size tower case
- (10 external open bays) with 1 MB 4 nanosec SRAM on-chip Level 2 pipeline
- sync burst cache for each CPU, and 1 MB (or more) 4 ns Level 3 off-chip SRAM
- cache;
- - make sure your motherboard chipset supports at least 100, 133, 166 and 200
- MHz external bus (FSB) 64-bit data path speeds;
- - Intel AGP-4x (Accelerated Graphics Port version 4 at 360 MHz and 266 MB/sec
- bandwidth using Fast Writes and Side Banding) video controller interface;
- - 2 GB of parity 4 ns 198pin DIMM RDRAM (Rambus), CAS 1, 180 MHz 128-bit data
- path, with enhanced error correction (ECC), 0 wait state memory chips;
- - And if you want a true multitasking/multithreading, [almost 100% :)] safe,
- true 32-bit Operating System, then get MS Windows 2000 Server [finally say NO
- to DOS, that is unless you don't still play "fancy" 3D/SVGA DOS games :)], or
- go for the new BeOS 5.0 Free Edition, SMP, Intel X86 compatible, machine
- independent [wow!], or for one of the free Linux releases;
- - dual PCI PI/O Mode 6 Ultra ATA/100 Bus Master EIDE motherboard controller
- (100 MB/sec transfer rate);
- - 8 32-bit PCI 2.2 standard open expansion card slots, 6 16-bit ISA open
- card slots;
- - and throw in a couple of 64-bit open card slots (for future upgrades);
- - 8 open 5 1/4 inch external drive bays, 4 open 3 1/2 inch external drive
- bays, 8 open 5 1/4 inch internal drive bays, 4 open 3 1/2 inch internal drive
- bays;
- - 3 button, 4000 dpi, 2400 mm/sec, 150 MHz internal CPU, USB, optical laser
- pro FM wireless mouse, with no moving parts, high resolution for professional
- graphics apps;
- - 124 digital keys, touch-soft pro, wireless, ergonomic keyboard, with extra
- multimedia (audio, video, cd-rom/dvd) control buttons built-in (wrist pad
- included) and don't forget that "life-saving" keyboard skin protector;
- - high resolution (8000 dpi or better), wireless pen drawing tablet;
- - SCSI-4 Ultra Fast Wide 100 MB/sec RAID-0 burst transfer rate device
- controller card, for up to 24 chained devices capable, with fast 150 MHz RISC
- CPU, built-in Flash ROM BIOS and 4 MB read-ahead buffer;
- - 100 GB Ultra Fast SCSI Wide, A/V, Fast Mode 4, 4 ms random access time,
- 12,000 rpm hard disk with 4 MB read-ahead buffer;
- - 75x (or faster) SCSI-2 CD-ROM drive with 24 MB/sec transfer rate, 20 msec
- random access time and 2 MB read ahead buffer;
- - 16x (or faster) SCSI-2 DVD-RAM internal recordable/rewritable drive with 12
- MB/sec transfer rate, 30 msec random access time and 4 MB read ahead buffer;
- - 16x16 (or faster) SCSI-2 CD-RW internal recordable/rewritable drive with
- PnP CD mastering software for "burning" those MP3s;
- - 20-bit PnP wavetable PCI stereo HI-FI DSP sound card General Midi, Roland,
- Yamaha, MPU401 and Sound Blaster compatible with: 48 MB ROM real sounds and
- MIDI samples, 512 midi channels, 1024 note poliphony, reverb, chorus, 3D true
- spatial surround stereo on 6 channels (AC-3/Dolby digital, THX, DSSPL and A3D
- capable), 2000 instruments, with dynamic directional, highly sensitive, high
- resolution digital microphone, DSVD full duplex, digital voice capable;
- - external 8 octave (full size piano keyboards), 1000 instruments, 300
- rhythms, 300 special effects MIDI PC compatible electronic keyboards, Roland,
- Yamaha and MPU401 compatible;
- - external Dolby Digital/AC-3/THX/Dolby Surround Sound Pro Logic (DSSPL) 6
- channels 300 W per channel HI-FI stereo sound studio grade amplifier + 3-way
- 300 W front speakers + 200 W 3-way center speaker + 200 W 3-way rear speakers
- + 400 W super/deep bass subwoofer;
- - 1.5 Mbps compression error free (or better), PnP PCI digital voice full
- duplex VDSL modem/fax/video/phone, with high-fidelity background noise-free
- earphones, with integrated dynamic directional, highly sensitive, high
- resolution digital microphone;
- - 128 MB DDR SDRAM AGP-4 256-bit Dx3D-2 GX2 AC-3/Dolby Digital compatible
- 400 MHz RAMDAC video accelerator, featuring: accelerated hardware full screen
- DVD/MPEG1/MPEG2 capable (MPEG record/play-back encoder/decoder included),
- with accelerated VESA VBE 2.0/3.0 standards built-in, integrated multimedia
- 3D rendering RISC chip, Z-3D (or T) buffering, Full Screen Anti-Aliasing
- (FSAA), hardware T&L (Transform & Lighting), OpenGL, Heidi, DirectX, 3D-2 GX2
- compatible, accelerated for professional CAD/imaging/3D animation; [keep
- dreaming... :)]
- - 16 GB 8 msec SCSI-3 magneto-optical, rewritable, removable cartridge disk
- drive for fast backups;
- - 8 GB SCSI-3 internal cartridge backup drive 7 msec random seek time;
- - 1800x1400 true color PAL/SECAM/NTSC1/NTSC2 accelerated video capture,
- record, playback card with digital FM radio HI-FI stereo MTS DSP receiver
- built-in, cable and satellite ready 240 TV channels, digital HDTV capable
- tuner, with high resolution S-VHS/BETA-CAM digital color video camera for
- video conferencing;
- - high luminance factor, 24x zooming lenses, UV coating, with integrated
- high resolution microphone, Beta-CAM/S-VHS capable, PAL/SECAM/NTSC1/NTSC2
- professional digital camcorder; [yeah, right... :)]
- - 8 auto-detection heads, S-VHS/Beta-CAM capable, PAL/SECAM/NTSC1/NTSC2, 4
- speeds, DSSPL/AC-3/THX, HI-FI MTS stereo, VCR+ built-in, professional
- editing, digital Dolby A/B/C (DBS) video cassette recorder;
- - high speed 16750AN UART buffered serial ports, 450,000 bps transfer rate;
- - 32 inch 0.20 dot pitch, PnP, USB, pure flat screen, plasma or LCD active
- matrix, 2400x1800, HDTV capable, on-screen controls, infrared remote
- control, DPMS, EPA, ACPI compliant multiscan SVGA/XVGA digital monitor,
- DNB1/DNB2/DNB-AB compatible; [in your dreams... :)]
- - dual EPP/ECP, buffered, high speed parallel ports;
- - dual accelerated Universal Serial Bus (USB) 2.0 ports built into the
- motherboard, for up to 127 chained devices;
- - long range dual accelerated IrDa port high frequency infrared remote
- control interface for external peripheral devices;
- - IEEE 1394 FireWire dual accelerated port;
- - 1800x1800 dpi 16 million color match, photo-like quality, 128 MB RAM, 48
- pages/min high speed laser printer/copier/fax;
- - 6400x6400 dpi enhanced, single pass, flat-bed, fluorescent lamp, sheet
- feeder, one-touch 40-bit true color scanner;
- - 16 buttons digital joystick, castle and hat, USB, fully EPROM
- programmable, spatial 3D (free movement) and analog compatible with force
- feed-back flight-stick professional;
- ... And whatever other hardware contraption you've always wanted for your
- next generation computer/workstation... keep dreaming!
-
-
- ... And now wake up and get back to the REAL [computing] world... :-)