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588

answers:

2

How do you decide what the minimum system requirements are for a Windows application? (OS, RAM, HD, CPU). I usually go with my gut, but I'd like to be able to back that up with something.

+1  A: 

Your minimum system requirements are the highest requirements of the set of system requirements of your dependencies.

GWLlosa
Doesn't that assume that my app basically doesn't do anything?
Jon B
@Jon, not if you have requirements that say "the system shall do X in Y seconds".
Paul Tomblin
If you have performance-based requirements, you're going to need to do performance testing. If "minimum requirements" means "the app will successfully load and run, eventually" then what I said tends to be a pretty good rough estimate.
GWLlosa
+1  A: 

On the same note, are there tools available to artifically limit CPU speed and RAM? I'd like to be able to slow a test computer down, rather than acquire a system with an antequated CPU.

The second part of your question is answered in great detail here.

George Stocker
Perfect, thanks. I'm just going to delete that second part, since I would have closed as dupe if that was the only questions.
Jon B
It isn't the only question -- so it's not really a dupe, but I'd maintain the two questions and simply edit your question to say, "Hey, the second part was answered here")
George Stocker