System recommendations and best upgrades?

[pyremius]

I've been asked to recommend a system for running RealmWorks (LGS is considering dedicating some space for RPGs, and a multi-monitor computer which would support the GM's electronic resources is a possible addition).

Along with the recommended specs, I'd like to know which upgrades would be most useful - is the software more CPU or RAM bound, for instance, would extra cores be more or less useful then onboard cache or clock speed, and of course, how much benefit does a better GPU provide (the plan is for triple-monitor, so that's the primary consideration).

[mirtos]

considering its 32 bit, it can only take so much advantage of extra ram, assuming you have a decent amount.

I actually think GPU makes a significant difference. This is true, of course, for any application that makes use of multiple monitors, but in my personal experience with RW, I have found that GPU does seem to help.

PRocessor speed upgrades also seemed to make a significant difference as well.

(EDIT: Does this belong in discussion instead of feature requests?)

[TheSleeper]

So much of it would depend on how the DM plays, from what I have seen the program should be very non intensive for graphics or CPU. I at one point ran 3 copy’s of the space game EVE online on one computer with 2 monitors (one 1920x1080 other 1600x1200) with a PC that is crappy by today’s standards (Core I7 2.66 GHz, ATI 4870, 12 GB ram) on max setting and did not have problems.

I would say go with larger ram and multi CPU as you mention “electronic resources”. No program really uses extra ram the most I have heard of any regular program using is 4-5 GB, and many less than that, having a larger amount of ram will permit doing many things at once so that those other resources don’t interfere with each other. And the same goes with multi threaded CPU.

The graphic pressure on the GPU will be minor for any reasonable GPU made in the last 2-3 years that same 4870 that was from June 2008 recently came out of my PC but not before I used it with RM while having 30+ tabs open in Chrome with 5-7 of those being on YouTube, roll20 x3-4 plus steam, Skype, Hero Lab, Word, Excel and a few others. I had no problems.

It is more of a question of the other things he wants it to do.

[pyremius]

The System Requirements page is a good start, but even the recommended specs are low enough that a more powerful system is likely, and I'd prefer to have the extra resources concentrated where they will do the most good. For instance, an i3 413T is faster than an i5 4430S, but the i5 has more cores and more L3 cache. The minimum resolution is 800x600 with the recommended being 1366x768 - but the proposed system will likely end up 5940x1080.

Most significantly, there is currently no information about the combined requirements for Hero Lab and Realm Works, which will be an extremely common way to use the software - what's the optimum number of cores when both apps are running (especially if a few PDF rulebooks are open, and/or a VTT), how does memory usage increase when Realm Works launches a second instance of Hero Lab, etc.?