10-03-2010, 07:12 PM

Hi folks,
I'm actually a re-convert to the fold. I had a Mac back in the late 80s, but economics forced me across the street to windoze. This spring I'd had enough of that and we invested in an iMac... just before the new models came out, but hey, it's a great system and I really enjoy it.

Question for the gurus. What is the minimum system/processor/ram configuration that Snow Leopard will run on? I spotted a used system on craigslist for not too much money. I'm looking used as there simply isn't even a Mini in the budget right now, but a second computer would help out tremendously with 4 users, all addicted to the interweb in the household. (line forms at the door after 5pm)

10-03-2010, 07:29 PM

Snow Leopard requires an Intel CPU and 1 GB of RAM - so basically any Mac released since late 2006 will be fine.

To give it some wriggle room, SL really likes 2GB or more of RAM and a Core2Duo, along with a GPU that's not awful (9400m or better is best) - I run SL on my Core Duo MacBook with a 2Ghz processor and 2GB of RAM, it's fine.

It will not run on any PPC CPU, so avoid a G3, G4 or G5. Also, the very first Core Solo Mac Mini might not be the best option either.

10-04-2010, 01:02 AM

The first single core intel imac (CD) is only 32bit. But the newer dual core imacs (C2D) and the i series are 64 bit (and also 32 bit backwards compatible). For that reason alone I would bet a decent core 2 duo or i series imac.

10-04-2010, 01:08 AM

Originally Posted by Zoolook

To give it some wriggle room, SL really likes 2GB or more of RAM and a Core2Duo, along with a GPU that's not awful (9400m or better is best) - I run SL on my Core Duo MacBook with a 2Ghz processor and 2GB of RAM, it's fine.

Just a note, I have a late-2007 MacBook with an integrated Intel graphics chip (in other words, one of the "awful" ones) running Snow Leopard. I have to say, it runs really well on that machine. It won't do a lot of graphically intense stuff all that well, but it gets the job done for the basic stuff just fine.

Oh, I should mention that I'm also running the system with 4 GB of memory, so I'm sure that helps the performance a lot.

10-04-2010, 09:00 PM

Thanks folks, I'll hold out for a dual core, as I'm a pro photographer and will be doing Some photoshop work on it, but more for surfing, email etc...

10-05-2010, 07:58 AM

Originally Posted by the8thark

The first single core intel imac (CD) is only 32bit.

The Core Duo is not single core. Duo indicates dual - but you're right that it's 32-bit. The Core Solo is single core, but was only ever in the first Intel Mac Mini.

10-05-2010, 08:03 AM

Originally Posted by J.Fo

Just a note, I have a late-2007 MacBook with an integrated Intel graphics chip (in other words, one of the "awful" ones) running Snow Leopard. I have to say, it runs really well on that machine. It won't do a lot of graphically intense stuff all that well, but it gets the job done for the basic stuff just fine.

My MacBook has a 950M, the singularly most awful one (believe me, the ironic quotation marks are definitely not needed). You probably have the x3100 graphics. So sure, it runs well as long as you don't try to run Photoshop CS5, or use exposé with more than 8 or 9 windows, or play a game, or run Hulu Desktop in high resolution or want hardware support for Flash, or anything else that actually makes use of the GPU.

Additionally, as more applications use CUDA, which Snow Leopard supports, you'll notice a difference between Macs that have integrated Intel and one's that have a real GPU.

But you're absolutely right, the OS itself will run beautifully.