DONT EVEN THINK ABOUT PUTTING DOOM 3 ON YOUR MACHINE UNTIL YOUVE CHECKED OUT THE CRUCIAL PERFORMANCE LAB HARDWARE RECOMMENDATIONS!
The highly anticipated sci-fi horror PC game Doom 3 is finally here. And while youre ready for the first-person thriller, your PC might lack the power under the hood to take on the Doom 3 challenge. In fact, a recent CNN.com article quoted an analyst with Banc of America Securities as saying that releases of memory-hungry applications like Doom 3 and Half-Life 2 might be responsible for more computer upgrades than any other factor in the past several years. What does that mean to you? You might have to shell out some cash to get your system up to gaming speed. Thats why we challenged the geeks in the Crucial Performance Lab to name the ultimate hardware configuration for Doom 3. We want to arm you with the best hardware so that you can experience the best possible Doom 3 game play. Rising to the challenge (yeah, like we had to twist their arms!), the Crucial Performance Lab techs got knee-deep in creepy sci-fi creatures as they compared performance among platform variances like RAM, graphics cards, and screen resolutions.
Minimum PC Requirements: Barely Playable Doom 3
Before we get into the optimal hardware power you need for a radical game experience, lets talk about minimum system requirements. Often, if your system just meets the minimum requirements suggested on the game box, you can still experience choppy graphics, crashes, and driver hiccups. Compare the minimum requirements on the Doom 3 box to the minimum requirements suggested by the Crucial Performance Lab:
Doom 3 minimum requirements
1.5GHz Intel Pentium 4 processor or AMD Athlon 1500 (or better) 2.2GB of free hard drive space 400MB free for Windows swap file (virtual memory)* 384MB of RAM DirectX 9.0b compatible graphics card
Crucial Performance Lab recommendations
2.0GHz Intel Pentium 4 processor or AMD XP2500 (or better) 2.2GB of free hard drive space 1024MB free for Windows swap file (virtual memory)* 512MB of Ballistix PC3200 DDR Crucial RADEON 9600 XT (Catalyst v. 4.7)
At the Crucial-recommended minimums, Doom 3 plays pretty well and creates a nice, spooky experience, said Crucials Technical Support Manager Mike Sanor. Of course, hard-core gamers know that these recommended minimum specs dont get you the full effect intended from this heart-pounding, jaw-dropping experience!
* Tip: The best defense against virtual memory errors is to set your swap file hard drive space (also called virtual memory or page file size) to twice the amount of physical memory currently installed in your system. For instance, the game box specs recommend a 400MB swap file. If you need 2.2GB of free space and 400MB reserved for the Windows swap file, youre left with a very conservative setting. The basic rule of thumb for swap files is 2 times the amount of physical memory to avoid experiencing adverse game play, locking up your system, or crashing the game to the desktop. We recommend that you stick with the 2 times the physical memory rule.

Game Setup

The techs in the Crucial Performance Lab put together what they considered a typical gaming system to ultimately configure as a high-end gaming system. Of course, actual performance will vary based on your systems configuration, usage, and manufacturing variability.

Platform Standards:

2.4GHz Intel Pentium 2.4c processor ABIT IC7-Max 3 36GB WD Raptor hard drive Windows XP Professional w/SP1 Page file size (also called virtual memory or swap file) set to 3072MB

Platform Variances:

MEMORY: Crucial 512MB Ballistix PC4000 running at Crucials module specification setting of 500MHz (which ran the processor at 3.0GHz) versus 1.5GB PC3200 DDR running at the default board specification setting of 400MHz (which ran the processor at 2.4GHz) GRAPHICS CARDS: Crucial RADEON 9800 Pro 128MB (Catalyst v 4.8 DirectX 9.0) versus Crucial RADEON X800 Pro 256MB (Catalyst v 4.8 DirectX 9.0c) SCREEN RESOLUTIONS: 1024 x 768 versus 800 x 600

Testing

With their systems ready to go, the techs set out to test and document the hardware and settings that would yield the gnarliest game play. They used 2 test methods time demo testing and real-time testing. Because the games Ultra graphic setting requires 500MBs of texture memory, and the Crucial RADEON 9800 Pro runs at 128MB, the techs decided not to attempt the Ultra graphic setting. Instead, they limited their testing to the High setting. For both types of testing, antialiasing was adjusted to 2x.

Setting up the time demo for the first time, the Crucial Performance Lab techs get down to business.
Whats normally a sparse lab filled with semi-constructed systems soon hosted lab techs eager to view Doom 3 for themselves.

Time Demo Testing

The first tests were run using the games internal benchmark utility, a feature that can be accessed by pressing CTRL+ALT+ ~ (tilde). When the console screen drops down, type timedemo demo1 on the command line, and then press the ENTER key. The time demo runs a preset Doom 3 scenario, testing the system at current settings and generating a frames-persecond (FPS) performance score. Running the 512MB at the module spec of 500MHz, with a screen resolution of 800 x 600, graphics on High, and antialiasing set to 2x, the RADEON X800 yielded a 24 percent performance increase over the RADEON 9800 Pro at the same settings. At 1024 x 768, the increase was even better at 26 percent. Running the 1.5GB at the board spec of 400MHz, with a screen resolution of 800 x 600, graphics on High, and antialiasing set to 2x, the RADEON X800 yielded a whopping 31 percent performance increase over the RADEON 9800 Pro at the same settings. At 1024 x 768, the increase was still substantial at 25 percent.
Time Demo Testing Summary
The following graphs show the time demo test results:

TIME DEMO (FPS) 1024X768

50 FRAMES PER SECOND CRUCIAL RADEON X800 PRO CRUCIAL RADEON 9800 PRO 128MB
512MB Ballistix PC4000 @ 500MHz
1.5GB Crucial PC3200 @ 400MHz

TIME DEMO (FPS) 800X600

50 FRAMES PER SECOND 15 10
Watching the time demo for what surely felt like the 100th time, the lead tester is anxious to get to the real-world testing.

CRUCIAL RADEON X800 PRO

CRUCIAL RADEON 9800 PRO 128MB

Real-Time Testing

After the Doom 3 time demo tests were completed, the Crucial Performance Lab techs decided to put their systems to some real-world testing. Using FRAPS v 2.2.5, a benchmarking utility for DirectX and OpenGL games, the Lab geeks were able to calculate the average frames-per-second rate between two designated points. The techs saved a game location and repeatedly ran that scenario (and got to kill a lot of monsters hands-on!). Running the 512MB at the module spec of 500MHz, with a screen resolution of 800 x 600, graphics on High, and antialiasing set to 2x, the RADEON X800 yielded a not-too-shabby 20 percent performance increase over the RADEON 9800 Pro at the same settings. At 1024 x 768, the increase was a whopping 34 percent. Running the 1.5GB at the board spec of 400MHz, with a screen resolution of 800 x 600, graphics on High, and antialiasing set to 2x, the RADEON X800 yielded a 13 percent performance increase over the RADEON 9800 Pro at the same settings. At 1024 x 768, the increase was significant at 25 percent.

Real-Time Testing Summary
The following graphs show the real-time test results:

FRAMES PER SECOND

REAL-TIME FRAPS 1024X768
512MB Ballistix PC4000 @ 500MHz 1.5GB Crucial PC3200 @ 400MHz
FRAMES PER SECOND CRUCIAL RADEON X800 PRO CRUCIAL RADEON 9800 PRO 128MB
Like the Doom 3 game, the test lab environment has some spilled innards of its own.

Overall Conclusions

After they sufficiently recovered from the Doom 3 experience, the Crucial Performance Lab techs reported that overall game experience was great at both 512MB and at 1.5GB. They got equal or similar performance numbers with Ballistix 512MB running at the specified module spec of 500MHz (which ran the processor at 3.0GHz) as with 1.5GB standard Crucial memory running at the board default spec of 400MHz (which ran the processor at 2.4GHz). So that means that you can get similar performance with Ballistix at module speed than you can with 3 times the amount of memory at board spec the same experience for less money! As for antialiasing, the testers couldnt detect much of a visual difference between the 2x antialiasing and the 4X antialiasing, possibly because the game environment is dark, or possibly because they were too busy trying to keep their weapons locked and loaded to take the time to stop and study each pixel.
So whats the final word from Crucials Lab geeks?
If your hardware and your wallet can support running 512MB Ballistix PC4000 DDR dual channel mode at specified module speed of 500MHz with a Crucial RADEON X800 256MB graphics card, go for it! Set your screen resolution to 1024 x 768 with 2x antialiasing on the High graphic setting, and youve got yourself a premium Doom 3 gaming experience. If you dont have the cash for the X800 256MB graphics card, try a RADEON 9800 Pro 128MB graphics card and run 1.5GB PC3200 DDR Crucial memory at default board speed. Set your screen resolution to 800 x 600, with 2x antialiasing on the High graphic setting. Youll still be able to keep up with any and all takers at a LAN party!
Either way, Crucial has the tools you need to meet Doom 3 head-on.
The Crucial Performance Lab techs are enthralled by Doom 3. The image we didn't manage to capture was of their startled squeals and frantic expressions when the flaming zombies and imps showed up.
The benchmark tests using Doom 3 were performed in the Crucial Performance Lab in August 2004. 2004 Micron Technology, Inc. All rights reserved. Information is subject to change without notice. Crucial, Crucial Technology, and Ballistix are trademarks of Micron Technology, Inc. Radeon is used under license and is a registered trademark or trademark of ATI Technologies, Inc. in the United States and other countries. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

id Software Confirms Next DOOM 3 Invasion Set for Week of April 4
SANTA MONICA, Calif., Feb 09, 2005 /PRNewswire-FirstCall via COMTEX/ -- Make a date with death. id Software(TM) and Activision, Inc. (Nasdaq: ATVI) today confirmed the week of April 4 as the worldwide release of never-ending evil, with the arrivals of both DOOM 3(TM) for the Xbox(R) video game system from Microsoft and DOOM 3: Resurrection of Evil(TM), the official PC expansion pack to what critics and gamers have raved is one of the scariest games ever created: DOOM 3(TM). "Brace yourself for a new breed of fear and excitement," said Todd Hollenshead, CEO, id Software. "DOOM 3 for the Xbox brings gripping action, unparalleled graphics and sound, and a truly terrifying experience to the home theater. This is DOOM 3 built for the Xbox, including 480p and wide-screen support, full Xbox Live multiplayer, and the Xbox exclusive 2-player co-op campaign. For fans of DOOM 3 on the PC, Resurrection of Evil takes you to the undiscovered depths of the UAC's Mars base and back to Hell itself for a vicious new battle with the forces of evil and the most ferocious demons imaginable." Rated 10 out of 10 by XBN magazine, DOOM 3 for the Xbox brings the sci-fi horror masterpiece to console gamers everywhere. In addition to the most frightening and immersive single player game ever created, the heart-pounding title features a new co-operative campaign and exciting Xbox Live multiplayer action. The exclusive Limited Collector's Edition also includes full versions of the original Ultimate DOOM(TM) and DOOM II(R) playable in single player, or split-screen co-op or deathmatch with 2-4 players on one Xbox. DOOM 3 for the Xbox is developed by Vicarious Visions and id Software. Co-developed by Nerve Software and id Software, DOOM 3: Resurrection of Evil continues the terrifying and intense action of the top selling, critically acclaimed and instant classic DOOM 3 -- awarded 94% from PC Gamer and five out of five stars from Computer Gaming World -- in an all-new assault on humanity. Resurrection of Evil picks up two years following the events of the original in a once forgotten and remote UAC research facility on Mars. Players wage a brutal war against an army of new demons and zombies including Hell's own Hunters, while utilizing incredible new weapons like the physics defying "grabber" and the return of the classic double-barreled shotgun. Featuring new locations, puzzles and mysterious powers like the ability to slow time, Resurrection of Evil will have players reloading for the bloodiest battle yet. Both titles are rated "M" for Mature (Blood and Gore, Intense Violence) by the ESRB. About id Software id -- Freud's primal part of the human psyche and one of the hottest game shops on Earth -- has been rocking the gaming world from Mesquite, Texas since 1991. As a renowned leader in the industry, id Software forged such frenetic titles as Wolfenstein 3D(R), DOOM(R), DOOM II(R), QUAKE(R) QUAKE II(R), and QUAKE III Arena(R). With intense graphics and mind-blowing action, id's games have helped redefine the modern video game, continually setting industry standards for technology and gameplay. And, in keeping with tradition, id Software has amplified the world of adrenaline pumping 3-D gaming with the release of their latest action titles, Return to Castle Wolfenstein(R), and DOOM 3(TM). id Software's advanced DOOM 3 engine is leading the next revolution in 3-D interactive games. Check out more about id Software at www.idsoftware.com. About Activision, Inc. Headquartered in Santa Monica, California, Activision, Inc. is a leading worldwide developer, publisher and distributor of interactive entertainment and leisure products. Founded in 1979, Activision posted net revenues of $948 million for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2004. Activision maintains operations in the U.S., Canada, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Australia, Scandinavia, Spain and the Netherlands. More information about Activision and its products can be found on the company's World Wide Web site, which is located at www.activision.com. About Xbox Xbox (www.xbox.com) is the video game system from Microsoft that brings people together for the most exhilarating game and entertainment experiences. Xbox delivers an expansive collection of breakthrough games, powerful hardware and the unified Xbox Live online service. The new tagline, "it's good to play together," captures the spirit of Xbox as the social hub of the new digital entertainment lifestyle. Xbox is now available in North America, Asia, Europe and Australia. The statements made in this press release that are not historical facts are "forward-looking statements." These

forward-looking statements are based on current expectations and assumptions that are subject to risks and uncertainties. The Company cautions readers of this press release that a number of important factors could cause Activision's actual future results to differ materially from those expressed in any such forward-looking statements. Such factors include, without limitation, product delays, retail acceptance of our products, industry competition, rapid changes in technology and industry standards, protection of proprietary rights, maintenance of relationships with key personnel, vendors and third-party developers, international economic and political conditions, integration of recently acquired subsidiaries and identification of suitable future acquisition opportunities. These important factors and other factors that potentially could affect the Company's financial results are described in our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including the Company's most recent Annual report on Form 10-K and Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q. Readers of this press release are referred to such filings. The Company may change its intention, belief or expectation, at any time and without notice, based upon any changes in such factors, in the Company's assumptions or otherwise. The Company undertakes no obligation to release publicly any revisions to any forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date hereof or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events. DOOM 3 (C) 2004 Id Software, Inc. All rights reserved. Distributed by Activision Publishing, Inc. under license. DOOM and ID are registered trademarks of Id Software, Inc. in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and/or some other countries. Xbox is a registered trademark of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and/or other countries. SOURCE Activision, Inc. Mike Mantarro, Manager, Corp. Communications of Activision, Inc., +1-310-255-2731, mmantarro@activision.com; or Susan Yin, Account Manager, +1-310-854-8145, syin@rogersandcowan.com, or Wendy Zaas, Vice President, +1-310-854-8148, wzaas@rogersandcowan.com, both of Rogers & Cowan, for id Software http://www.prnewswire.com Copyright (C) 2005 PR Newswire. All rights reserved. News Provided by COMTEX