Hardware
Please see the Machine Requirements page for Operating System specifics.
Hardware is all of the physical things in your computer case. Most of this is changeable, but if you don't know what hardware is, then you shouldn't try to change anything.
There are 5 of main pieces of hardware in your computer:
The Motherboard
The motherboard is the main circuit board in your computer. This is what everything else connects to. On it, there is the Processor Socket, the RAM Slots, and the Expansion Slots. This board has all of the main circuits into which the computer actually runs. There are certain extras that can be found built into the motherboard. This is the main component, which every computer has.
The Processor
The processor is the other main component in your computer. It does all the thinking for the computer. This is one of the main things that can affect how fast your computer runs. It all depends on how fast your processor is. The faster it is, the more things it can think about at once, faster. Most of the ones from around 2-4 years that can be found in mid-grade computers are around 1.8 to 3.2 Gigahertz. Newer ones, the "Dual-Core" that you hear about, are literally two processors in one. They go really fast, around 4.8Ghz (gigahertz). The faster your processor, the faster GoodBlox will run. Each brick takes a certain amount of processor time to check it's location, speed, movement, and other things. The more bricks, the more processing power is needed, especially if the bricks are loose.
The RAM (Random Access Memory)
RAM is the amount of memory the computer has to work with at the moment. Think of it as your memory that you think with. This memory is used to store all the files that the current programs are using, such as the map you are playing in GoodBlox, or a numbers, like how many bricks are in the map. The more memory that is available, the less the computer has to look up files on the hard drive, which is a LOT slower than the memory. GoodBlox runs decently at around 256MB, recommended at 512MB or more. One gig of RAM is perfect for running GoodBlox. Anything less than 256, get your parents to buy more, and then install it. If you or your parents don't feel comfortable installing more things into your computer, then get someone at the store, like BestBuy, or CompUSA to install it for you. You can find good deals on RAM at NewEgg.
The Hard Drive
The Hard Drive (also referred to as the HDD) is what all of the computer's stuff is stored permanently. Think of it as long term memory for the computer. This is where the programs (like GoodBlox) are installed, and the pictures you have, and the music, everything that is there when you turn your computer off. Normally, these have a very large capacity, around 80-200 gigabytes. For size reference, a three minute song takes up about 0.0014 megabytes. Unfortunately, the HDD is very slow to get this information out to the processor. That is what the RAM is for.
The Video Card
This is another one of the main things that can affect performance in GoodBlox. The video card thinks about how to render, or draw each brick, so the more bricks, the more time it takes to draw them. Since the human eye has a period in which it goes off for a millisecond, the more frames per second that you have the smoother animation, until you get to about 50 FPS (frames per second). For smooth animation, you need at least 24 frames per second, anything lower and it starts to look like a slideshow, rather than a game. If there are alot of bricks that you are looking at, the longer time the graphics processor has to work to draw all of them, so the slower the FPS.
You can see your current FPSby pressing Control+F1(Press it again to remove). Generally, the better the video card you have, the better the FPS you will get. The same thing applies to every game you play, and any other programs that use the video. GoodBlox has been able to play on onboard graphics card decently. Onboard means that it is built into the motherboard. This is considered the worst possible configuration for your any type of gaming. It will do fine for a powerpoint, but anything that really demands anything more than what your desktop needs, needs a better video card. Again, you need to make sure your computer can fit a new video card, and you can get a good one a Newegg. It is recommended that you get a good range video card, however you don't have to spend a fortune for one. An NVidia 6200 will do fine.
The Internet
This is what will really count as well. This is how fast the information of your character's position, as well as information on other player's characters move across the world. The faster the internet service you have, the better GoodBlox experience you will have.The faster your map will download, and the less lag everyone you meet will have. Although GoodBlox will technically work on any internet, even Dial-up, it is recommended to have at least DSL. Cable or Fiber-Optic is best. Keep in mind that if you formerly had good and fast internet connection, then your internet may have been damaged, due to time or other circumstances. Here's how to fix it:
1. Open the Start menu.
2. Go to Control Panel.
3. Open Network Connections.
4. Right-click the connection that has the status of being Connected.
5. In the right-click menu, select Repair.
A small window will open, showing the status of it's repair. After it's complete, then the connection should function at it's best potential again. Also turning off Firewalls help a whole lot, especially when your connection is wireless. But note that your pc becomes vulnerable when the Firewall is off.
Cleaning up your PC
There are several ways to clean up your PC:
- You could run the Disk Defragmenter, which organizes your files on the HDD and makes it faster.
- Your pc may just be slow because of it's low memory. Try uninstalling a few programs to help it out.
