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Simlog's Personal Simulators are real-time 3D applications, so
your PC (Personal Computer) will need to have sufficient computing and
graphics horsepower.
Practically, the requirements vary according to the simulation
software, so if you are planning to use the same PC for
two or more Personal Simulators, be sure to choose a PC that meets the
highest requirements.
In most cases, desktop PCs manufactured in the last year or two
will do just fine. (For older desktop PCs, a new graphics card might be
required.) If instead you plan to use a laptop PC, be sure to
review the extra notes below.
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Personal Simulator Evaluation
Personal Simulator Purchasing
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Operating System
Simlog recommends either Microsoft "Windows XP Professional Edition",
"Windows Vista Business Edition", or "Windows Vista Ultimate Edition".
Graphics Capabilities
Typical graphics chipsets are designed to display "ordinary" visual
content such as Word files, digital photographs, Powerpoint slides with
simple animations, and movie (avi, mpg) files. In such cases, deciding
what to display is handled by your computer's Central Processing
Unit (CPU).
But for real-time simulation applications such as Simlog
software, your CPU cannot do that "deciding" fast enough. For that
reason, your computer also needs to have a dedicated "Graphics Processing
Unit" (GPU) to provide what is called "graphics acceleration". Here
Simlog recommends GPU chipsets from nVidia,
in particular, the
GeForce product family.
Avoid "integrated CPU-graphics systems" because the support for real-time
3D graphics is sometimes limited. In addition, the drivers for Microsoft
Windows Vista may not yet be problem-free. Note also that buying a desktop
PC with a separate graphics card will make future upgrades easier.
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For the new
Wheel Loader Personal Simulator
and
Off-Highway Truck Personal Simulator,
Simlog recommends graphics cards based on the nVidia GeForce 9 Series or
GeForce 200 Series (for desktop PCs) or the nVidia GeForce M Series (for
laptop PCs). These graphics cards should have at least 256MB of onboard
video RAM; however, Simlog recommends 512MB of video RAM for better
performance.
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For all other Personal Simulators, Simlog
recommends graphics cards based on the nVidia GeForce 8 Series or better
(for desktop PCs), or the nVidia GeForce Go 7 Series or better (for
laptop PCs). These graphics cards should have at least 128MB of onboard
video RAM; however, Simlog recommends 256MB of video RAM for better
performance.
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Simlog currently does not recommend graphics cards based on the
nVidia Quadro series GPU chipsets, as some Personal Simulator users
have reported problems.
CPU and Main Memory
Simlog recommends that you look to processors in the Intel Pentium or
Intel Core processor family. For performance reasons, avoid the Intel
Celeron family.
Sound Card and Speakers
Simlog recommends a high fidelity sound chipset for the sounds generated
by the Personal Simulator software, either integrated with the PC
motherboard, or on a separate sound card e.g. from Creative Labs.
Quality speakers will enhance the training experience, especially a
"sub-woofer" to accompany two "tweeters" (typically sold together as a
3-speaker unit). If you have multiple
Simlog stations, then consider using headphones at each station
instead of speakers.
USB Ports
You will need at least two USB ports for connecting your operator controls
(some Personal Simulators require three). If your computer requires a USB
mouse, then these ports are in addition to the one for the mouse.
Hard Disk
About using laptops
If you intend to use a laptop PC for your Personal Simulator, please contact
Simlog because many laptops, even new ones, do not have the high-performance
3D graphics hardware required for Personal Simulators. If you are considering
the purchase of a new laptop, please look for a so-called "multimedia"
or "gaming" model.
When in doubt, contact Simlog with the technical
specifications before you buy!
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