09-01-2020, 14:16 PM
The ideal specifications for a Display PC depend heavily on your experimental paradigms. For example, gaze-contingent studies require more computing power and higher-end video hardware than simple cognitive paradigms. Similarly, experiments with high-resolution video and audio may require faster hard drives.
The following are our general recommendations for a Display PC configuration that can handle most experimental requirements.
Core System Requirements
macOS Compatibility Limitations: While recent versions of macOS (>10.12) can be used to develop and debug experiments, inconsistent stimulus presentation timing has been observed. Therefore, macOS is not recommended for data collection when display timing is critical.
The following are our general recommendations for a Display PC configuration that can handle most experimental requirements.
Core System Requirements
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Operating System:
- Windows 10/11 64-bit
Note: Windows on ARM is not recommended due to driver compatibility issues with USB license keys and optional ASIO sound cards.
- macOS 10.6.8 - 10.12 (see macOS Compatibility Limitations below).
- Windows 10/11 64-bit
- CPU: A recent multi-core processor (Intel CPU is recommended).
- RAM: At least 8 GB, but more is recommended for demanding tasks.
- Hard Drive: 250 GB or larger. For graphics-intensive tasks, consider a fast solid-state drive (SSD) or a 7,200+ RPM hard drive.
- Graphics Card: For graphics-intensive tasks or high screen refresh rates, consider a recent discrete graphics card with 1 GB or more of dedicated video memory.
- A dedicated Ethernet port (or USB-to-Ethernet adapter) to connect to the Host PC.
- At least one free USB port (for the HASP license key).
- Network Access: A secondary Ethernet card or Wi-Fi adapter for internet/network access. (We recommend disabling this while running experiments if not strictly required).
- Precise Audio (Windows): An ASIO-compatible sound card for precise audio playback timing and recording capabilities. For more information see this post.
- Device Synchronization: A parallel port for sending or receiving TTL synchronization pulses to/from EEG, MEG, or other third-party devices.
- Display Monitor: A high-refresh-rate, low-latency monitor, which is especially useful for gaze-contingent studies. Please click here for a list of monitors we have tested and found to have good timing.
macOS Compatibility Limitations: While recent versions of macOS (>10.12) can be used to develop and debug experiments, inconsistent stimulus presentation timing has been observed. Therefore, macOS is not recommended for data collection when display timing is critical.