For Vista/Windows 7:

For more details about the system requirements for SolidWorks 2010 and a list of certified graphics cards and drivers, visit www.solidworks.com.

Some older systems that run Windows XP Professional may not be compatible with Vista. Any hardware that runs Vista and most hardware that runs Windows XP should be able to work with Windows 7. For the latest information on system compatibility with Microsoft operating systems, visit www.microsoft.com. At this time, SolidWorks does not run on any non-Windows operating systems such as OS X, Linux, or Google Chrome OS.

Realistically, you will never be satisfied with minimum requirements. If you are using PhotoWorks, PhotoView 360, or any simulation (Finite Element Analysis, or FEA) software, multiple processors or multiple cores are advantageous. Multi-body modeling makes use of multiple cores but also takes advantage of higher processor clock speeds. Maximum clock speeds are usually higher for a lower number of cores, so higher speeds take precedence over number of cores for general solid modeling. You may get better performance per dollar with dual core processors than with quad core processors for functionality other than rendering and FEA.

You can only take advantage of more RAM up to the limit needed by your data sets. You can check your Windows Task Manager to see how much memory your largest or most complex models consume. For example, if your largest models use 3GB of RAM, you should have at least 4GB of RAM, but will probably not see a benefit from 16GB. You should use 64-bit operating systems if you intend to use more than 3GB of RAM.

All hardware produced in the last several years is 64-bit capable, but in order to take advantage of it, you have to have a 64-bit operating system installed. XP, Vista, and Windows 7 all have 64-bit versions, but you need to have installed the 64-bit version to take advantage of the huge memory advantages of 64 bit. 32-bit systems can handle a little over 3GB of RAM. To handle more than that you need a 64-bit operating system.

Some software has 32- and 64-bit versions, and some does not. SolidWorks has both versions, and you need to make sure you have disks or downloaded data for the correct installation type. Data files are interchangeable between 32 and 64 bit, so the files on the CD will work with either.

As of SolidWorks 2010, SolidWorks files from the 2010 version are not compatible with older versions. So, if you have a version of SolidWorks older than 2010, you will have difficulty reading most of the files on the accompanying CD. You may find some files that came from older versions on the CD, but this only happens where the text has not been updated for new versions. If you have old version software, the only thing you can do to get files you can read is to contact the author or Wiley technical support to access files in SolidWorks 2007 format, which was the earliest version of the software for which this book was written. You cannot get (because they do not exist), and the author will not create files in earlier versions.

The author is not responsible for Dassault Systemmes SolidWorks Corporation's choices in this matter of policy, and there is nothing the author can do to circumvent it. Your best bet if you have difficulties with this policy of version non-compatibility (sometimes referred to as backward compatibility) is to contact SolidWorks directly and voice your concerns.

This book was written using the SolidWorks 2010 version software, and while some of it may be applicable to previous versions, some of it may not due to annual changes that happen in the course of software development. Earlier versions of the book do exist (2009 and 2007) and are still available, which may benefit you if you have SolidWorks software in one of those versions.