512 MBWith GPU
Bare minimum
What bare minimum means: the live image boots, you get a desktop, and light tools are usable when a graphics card can handle compositing and video decode. It is not a comfortable creative workstation. Expect swapping, slow launches on a spinning disk, and no serious Blender, Kdenlive, OBS, Ardour, or Krita sessions. Without GPU acceleration, treat this tier as unrealistic and move up.
| Item | Requirement |
|---|
| RAM | About 512 MB proven with a working GPU (tight) |
| CPU | Genuine 64-bit x86_64; 2 cores strongly preferred |
| Storage | Mechanical (HDD) drive acceptable; patience required |
| Disk space | ~13 GB in use including 8 GB swap on a normal install; more headroom strongly preferred |
| Graphics | Working GPU required at this RAM floor (Intel / typical AMD) |
| Good for | Desktop shell, FeatherPad, light browsing, Writer/Calc in moderation, htop, careful media playback |
| Not for | Heavy creative apps, multitrack DAW, streaming, 3D rendering, VMs with no 3D |
1–2 GBEveryday
Recommended minimum
What recommended minimum means: a real everyday desktop. Panel, file manager, a few apps, and light browsing stay pleasant because Snipe apps exit cleanly and reclaim memory. Aim for 1 GB or more with a GPU; budget roughly 1–2 GB without GPU acceleration (old netbooks, VirtualBox with no 3D, or software-only decode). Full HD in Snipe Browser is much heavier when the CPU must decode every frame.
| Item | Requirement |
|---|
| RAM | 1 GB+ with GPU; about 1–2 GB without GPU acceleration |
| CPU | 2 cores OK; dual-core or better recommended |
| Storage | SSD preferred; HDD still works with less snap |
| Disk space | 20 GB or more free on the target disk (safe Calamares + update headroom) |
| Graphics | Integrated GPU fine; software path needs the higher RAM budget |
| Good for | Snipe Browser, SnipeOffice, Thunderbird, GIMP, Inkscape (lighter work), Audacity, VLC, Craft office apps in moderation |
| Stretch | Light Kdenlive/Shotcut with proxies; avoid stacking heavy Craft and browser tabs |
4 GB stack
Recommended
What recommended means: the creative floor on SnipeOS 13D. Blender, CADCraft, Kdenlive (with proxies), OBS local recording, Ardour, SoundCraft, Krita, Darktable, DesignCraft, and PdfCraft become practical rather than theoretical. An SSD matters as much as the RAM here; RAW libraries and video caches benefit more from solid state than from any other single upgrade.
| Item | Requirement |
|---|
| RAM | 4 GB or more |
| CPU | 4 cores recommended for video, 3D, and streaming |
| Storage | SSD strongly recommended |
| Disk space | 20 GB+ free beyond the install for projects and temp files |
| Graphics | Integrated OK for many tasks; discrete GPU nicer for Blender viewport / Cycles |
| Good for | Full creative stack: Blender, CADCraft, Kdenlive, OBS, Ardour, Krita, Darktable, Scribus, DesignCraft, PdfCraft |
| Validated | Tested on Legacy BIOS and UEFI (including Secure Boot install path on Build 26–27) |
8 GB stack
Power user
What power user means: headroom to run serious sessions without living on the edge of swap. Multitrack Ardour, heavier Kdenlive timelines, OBS streaming with x264, larger Darktable libraries, and Blender scenes with more geometry stay workable. Close apps when you are done and the OS still reclaims memory, but you start each job with far more breathing room. Plan on a 256 GB drive so the install and swap leave room for project files, video, Craft work, and games.
| Item | Requirement |
|---|
| RAM | 8 GB or more |
| CPU | 4+ cores; more helps renders and live encodes |
| Storage | 256 GB SSD recommended (NVMe ideal) |
| Disk space | Treat the drive as mostly yours: media libraries, renders, Wine codecs, and Steam catalogues fill space fast |
| Graphics | Discrete GPU preferred for 3D and CUDA (NVIDIA proprietary driver post-install when needed) |
| Good for | Streaming, larger DAW sessions, heavier 3D, batch RAW, comfortable multi-app days |
Snipe