Choosing a computer

What computer should I buy for Second Life?

This is an excellent question which understandably keeps coming up — after all, without a good system, you can't have an enjoyable inworld experience.

Important: This page presents some sweeping generalizations for the sake of accessibility, and is for purely informational purposes. Location-based aspects like price and availability may vary greatly, and the very nature of this info means details are likely to go stale soon. Please keep this page updated and add "See also" links to further resources, along with dates for context.

The good news is there's plenty of information already out there, with some special considerations for Second Life. A well-equipped general computer will also likely run the Second Life Viewer well. However, so many specs and numbers may be confusing, especially if you don't consider yourself a technical maven. Thus, here are some simple things to keep in mind:

• Clearly state your budget and intent - A system should be well-balanced: having a powerful CPU but lame graphics card sucks. As the saying goes, "A chain is only as strong as its weakest link". Be sure if you're talking to a brilliant geek, that they understand that the SuperDuperMegaPower system that barely meets their demands may be overkill for you. Don't be intimidated by tech talk; it's alright to ask "Why would you pick X over Y?" Someone who gives helpful advice can demystify the technobabble into simple language.
• There are many differing but valid opinions - Don't get caught in "fanboi" wars. Take your time to do research and don't buy based on emotion nor benchmarks alone.
• The market changes rapidly - You may have heard the old jokes about a computer being obsolete before you buy it. What realistically counts though, is rather than being fixated on specific parts and models, to be aware of guidelines and principles for picking good combinations.
• Certain product generations have easy-pick "superstars" - For example, quad-core processors used to be ludicrously expensive until Intel's Q6600 had a massive price drop and brought quad-core into the mainstream. Graphics cards enthusiasts keep pining for the next "8800GT" (the NVIDIA GeForce 8800GT was lauded for a superb price/performance ratio). And so on. You can't always count on these, but a product garnering stellar reviews from different reputable publications and many customers has plenty of experience to back it up.

SL-specific considerations

The Second Life Viewer is a unique hybrid of uses. For example, many games (like first-person shooters) take over your full screen and it's intended you won't be flipping between multiple apps. But with SL, running in windowed mode is popular, since you may need to view an external web browser, create textures in Photoshop and upload them into SL, and soforth. Furthermore, individual workflows can vary a lot, so when receiving advice from others, always present your intended uses, and consider what is specifically right for you.

Can I get a computer that runs Second Life well for under US$1,000?

This used to be somewhat of a challenge to beat, but now, it's pretty easy to assemble a powerful computer that far exceeds the System Recommendations for less than US$1,000. You should also shop on deals sites like SlickDeals because promos, bundles and other discount can result in steep savings. For example, if you're building your own system, a new well-placed NewEgg combos and rebates at checkout can result in an easy $100-200 savings.

Trying different combinations of parts, be it from a prebuilt shop or if you intend to build it yourself (which can save even more money), can be a fun game. A good place to ask is EggXpert, which many NewEgg regulars hang out at. Incidentally, on 2010-07-12, Torley Linden asked for recommendations with a budget of $1,100.

Also keep in mind other factors, like the quality of your network connection and Linden Lab's own servers, determine Second Life's overall performance. In other words, if you have a rockin' computer but your ISP is crap, don't count on a smooth time.

Is Second Life compatible with [thing that isn't on the System Requirements]?

If it isn't on the System Requirements, Linden Lab can't guarantee compatibility. Our Quality Assurance testing may be incomplete and still in-progress. We're also not able to test every possible combination of parts out there (of which there are billions) and we'd rather set expectations so you're not disappointed. Thus, a good move may be to wait awhile after some hot new part comes out, then ask other Residents who are "early adopters".

For example, the Viewer runs well on Windows 7 for many Residents. It, however, hasn't appeared on the System Requirements yet, so while actual experiences show a higher probability of performing well with Windows 7, we don't give it our blessing yet.

What about laptops? Macs? Etc.

Add what you know here!

Laptops tend to be less powerful, although there are "gamer" laptops with mobile versions of powerful graphics cards which can perform capably.

Anecdotally, the Viewer appears to perform noticeably slower on a Mac running Mac OS X rather than in Boot Camp with Windows. This can be tested on any modern Intel Mac, as Torley has done. If you have comprehensive benchmarks, post them here.

See also

Resident experiences

• 2010-07-17 - Help me choose a new PC suitable for SL please