Is the specs checking accurate?

[uberknight72]

Hello, im a brand new user and plan on sticking with this community for a while since I really find Game debate a really informative and useful website so hey everyone.

But on to matters

I have been checking around the site, checking out games that I would like to play's specs to see if I can play them. And I even checked a few games that I already have to make sure that the website was fairly accurate since I found some disappointing results about a few future games I would love to play. Fallout 3 was among those games I checked that I already had and it came up as a grey X? I can play that game on medium to HIGH settings, usually getting a most preferable frame rate right inbetween medium-high? I even have fallout: New Vegas and can play it at acceptably high levels (medium to medium-high).

So I want to know if its just a mix up with the spec calculations or what. Im kinda hoping so because im DIEING to play Anno 2070 and while my vidoe card came up green and my ram came up grey (but easily upgradable, certainly cheaper than processor.) My CPU came out as a big red X with like 200% something negative, which I assume is very bad. Im hoping that the calculating system is just strict when it comes to processors because things that this website said I would have trouble playing processor wise if I could play it at all I have NO trouble playing what-so ever, even with a little power left over to put the settings up a little above medium. Is it just calculating maximum sys requirements? Because that will explain alot.

Here are my specs:

Windows XP SP3

Pentium 4 3.00GHz CPU (apparently EXTREMELY out of date, being is has a green check mark for oblivion, which I also have, but is a big fat red X for fallout 3.)

Radeon HD 4670 1 gig
3 gigs ram
Directx 9

[reaper15058832]

The system requirements are not made up by gamedebate. It is the developers that make these up. They usually make it higher than necessary just to cover their @sses from being sued. So Felix, usually modifies them to make sure they are more accurate for us. I am not sure about that game. Only giving you the reason for the system requirements. Also note, some system requirements are predicted, not thumb sucked but predicted with a specific calculation. Just ask felix how that works.

[jmaster18]

Reaper is right. GD just uses the system requirments that game companies release.You can never be sure if you can play a game especially when your system is oout of date.If system requirments where all accurate there will be no need for a forum like this.

[zephir]

Geez, you have an old system. You're looking at a system that's on the brink of obsolescence. it can run Fallout 3 most likely because of XP being that much better than Vista / 7 with system resources. also its hte game developers that say the system requirements, its always set so that 100% guaranteed that any system that meets those specs will be able to run the game. your system may not meet those req's, so that that means its a hit or miss getting the game to run. In other worlds, your system is not supported, if it doesn't run on your computer its not the game maker's problem.

you can upgrade that CPU if its lga 478 or 775, socket 478 being harder to find. check out craigslist or eBay, more or less someone will have a spare compatible cpu, it'll be cheap and its really a drop-in type upgrade.

I've already done similar with my old computer (a 2002 Dell Dimension 4500), swapped the orginal socket 478 MoBo for a used Intel LGA 775 MoBo, and dropped in a Intel D 805 cpu i got off craigslist. Swapped the orginal PSU for a slightly more beefier one also made by Dell. whole upgrade was only about 40 bucks. actually the CPU & fan was 40 bucks, I got the motherboard and power supply for free because a local school was tossing out their systems and I asked about it, got a free computer.