Hardware Requirements

OpenGL puts a heavy load on the computer when it draws images. In order for OpenGL to do animations, it must draw and redraw the image many times per second. For this reason, your computer and video card are crucial when you are working with larger caves.

CPU and Memory. As a minimum, I recommend a Pentium class computer with at least 64 Meg of memory. On a 90 MHz Pentium, you should be able to get acceptable results with caves up to about 10 miles in length. For caves in the 50 mile range, you will need a 500 MHz Pentium with at least 128-megabytes of memory. Caves in the 100-mile range require CPUs in 1.5 to 3.0 gigahertz range.

Note: Even if you have a slower processor, you still may be able to display larger caves. The main problem will be that the display may be unacceptably slow.

Video Cards. Displaying large, 3D graphic images require a tremendous amount processing power. To solve this problem, modern video cards have built-in graphic processors (GPU’s) that perform all the necessary operation at tremendous speed. For this reason, upgrading your video card can make a huge difference in the way a cave is displayed in CaveX.

Top of the line Video cards typically sell for around $200 to $400, but you don’t need the most expensive card to make are real difference. A $100 card from ATI or Nvidia will do a very nice job of display even the largest caves.  Try to get a card with lots of memory. The more memory, the more the card can do without interacting with the CPU and thus slowing down the display.