System Requirements

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Revision as of 06:34, 20 December 2007 by 121.45.229.21 (talk)
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Only requirement is a port of libsdl for your system. DOSBox should compile on every system with a decent C++ compiler like GCC.


The system requirements for smooth gaming vary depending on the system requirements for the original game, the desired gameplay experience, and the hardware being emulated.

Protected mode games are very resource-demanding. Although they will likely run on a 1 GHz machine, it is unlikely they will run quickly or smoothly. Be sure to read the sections on special function keys used by DOSBox, and how to run resource demanding games.

Rough CPU Equivalency Chart

Host Architecture Host CPU Speed Emulated CPU Class Comments
x86 (Pentium II) 400 MHz 2/386-class
x86 (Pentium III) 1.0 GHz 3/486-class DOS games from early '90s should be ok.
x86 (Pentium M) 1.8 GHz high-end 486 Performance adequate for most DOS games. SVGA games will stress it.
x86 (Athlon XP) 1.8 GHz high-end 486 Performance adequate for most DOS games. SVGA games will stress it.
x86 (Athlon 64) 1.8 GHz Pentium-class All DOS games will play adequately.
x86 (Core 2 Duo) (any speed) Pentium-class Excellent performance.
Apple G3 500 MHz 3/486-class Games tested: Leisure Suit Larry 6, Fuzzy's World of Miniature Space Golf. Extrapolated from ~50% CPU usage on a 1GHz G4.
Apple G4 1.0 GHz 486-class Performance adequate for most DOS games. SVGA likely to be too much.