[an error occurred while processing this directive]
Node:<a name="Reasonable%20hardware">Reasonable hardware</a>,
Next:<a rel=next href="faq3_9.html">Config</a>,
Previous:<a rel=previous href="faq3_7.html">Optimal hardware</a>,
Up:<a rel=up href="faq3.html">Requirements</a>
<br>

<h2>3.8 Machine most of us will <em>actually</em> buy <small>...</small></h2>

<p><em><strong>Q</strong>: OK, I don't have this much money.  What is the <strong>reasonable</strong>
configuration?</em>

<br><p>
<p><strong>A</strong>:  If you have the following machine, you should be able to stop
worrying about memory and compilation performance:

<ul>
<li>CPU: P133 with 256 KB off-chip cache;
<li>RAM: 32 MByte;
<li>Disk: 12 ms IDE with VLB controller, or SCSI;
<li>4 MByte RAM disk;
<li>8 MByte disk cache;
</ul>

<p>This will leave you with about 19 MBytes of free extended RAM.  Note
that the RAM disk must be at least 4 MBytes to hold the output of the
preprocessor for some exceedingly large source files (notably, some GCC
source files).  If you don't have that much RAM to spare and still want
to compile <em>very</em> large source files, either reduce the disk cache
so you can give more to RAM disk, or point <code>TMPDIR</code> to your hard
disk and make the disk cache larger, if you can.

<p><hr>
[an error occurred while processing this directive]