14 DAY TRIAL // BioWare is one of those few game developers that keeps hammering its fans with nothing but brilliant releases. Maybe it's because it sticks to one genre and has learned what the fans like or maybe because it's using some Jedi mind trick. The outcome is the same, and the fact that every RPG that was released by the company turned out to be an additive game does not change. Its latest release, Dragon Age: Origins, proved just how loyal and how many the BioWare fans were, so there will be a lot of people interested in the news regarding its upcoming title, Mass Effect 2.
The developer has released the system requirements for the PC version of ME2 and, just like the ones of the previous installment in the series proved, they're a little bit hard to swallow. The minimum requirements aren't that much of a sour dish, but the recommended ones might leave the casual gamers disappointed. The exact system requirements and general comparability issues are listed bellow.
PC MINIMUM System Requirements: OS = Windows XP SP3 / Windows Vista SP1 / Windows 7; Processor = 1.8GHz Intel Core 2 Duo or equivalent AMD CPU; Memory = 1 GB RAM for Windows XP / 2 GB RAM for Windows Vista and Windows 7; Hard Drive = 15 GB; DVD ROM = 1x Speed; Sound Card = DirectX 9.0c compatible; Direct X = DirectX 9.0c August 2008 (included); Input = Keyboard / Mouse; Video Card = 256 MB (with Pixel Shader 3.0 support). Supported Chipsets: NVIDIA GeForce 6800 or greater; ATI Radeon X1600 Pro or greater. Please note that NVIDIA GeForce 7300, 8100, 8200, 8300, 8400, and 9300; ATI Radeon HD3200, and HD4350 are below minimum system requirements. Updates to your video and sound card drivers may be required. Intel and S3 video cards are not officially supported in Mass Effect 2.
PC RECOMMENDED System Requirements: Windows XP SP3 / Windows Vista SP1 / Windows 7; 2.6+ GHz Core 2 Duo Intel or equivalent AMD CPU; 2 GB RAM; ATI Radeon HD 2900 XT, NVIDIA GeForce 8800 GT, or better recommended; 100% DirectX compatible sound card and drivers; DirectX August 2008.
NOTE: For the best results, make sure you have the latest drivers for your video and audio cards. Laptop or mobile versions of the above supported video cards have not had extensive testing and may have driver or other performance issues. As such, they are not officially supported in Mass Effect 2. Intel and S3 video cards are not officially supported in Mass Effect 2.