Please be kind. I know much less about computers than I should - most of my gaming involves older games so it doesn't matter much.

I was hoping to play the Witcher 2, but sadly a quick check at "can you run it?" .com tells me that I cannot.

Inspired to start thinking about getting a new PC I set off - but realize I cannot even answer the question that started me down this path.

Witcher 2 requires CPU Speed min: Intel Core 2 Duo 2.2 GHz or AMD Athlon 64 X2 5000+

I am running: Pentium(R) Dual-Core CPU E5200 @ 2.50GHz

2.5GHz seems higher than 2.2GHz. Yet it says I need an upgrade. So, help a newbie start down the path... what am I missing?

Other specs on my computer: You Have: 3.0 GB
HIS H467QT512P Radeon HD 4670 IceQ Turbo HDMI Dual DL-DVI HDCP 512MB 128bit GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 X16 Video Card

First off, forget you ever saw "Can you run it". That site is so bogus it pegs the bogometer.

You have what is a bare minimum system for the game. The CPU is OK, though the "Pentium Dual-Core" is short on cache compared to "Core 2 Duo" CPUs. The graphics card will hold you back, though. The 4670 is sort of an entry-level gaming card, and it will be good for low settings on a small display.

I've had success on a setup in the same class as yours: AMD 64x2 2.6 GHz, AMD 5570 GPU. The 5570 is the direct successor to the 4670 (the 5670 is faster, with GDDR5). This setup plays fluently at low settings, 1280x720 windowed on a 1280x1024 monitor.

"Core 2 Duo" as stated in the requirements properly refers to a Conroe, Kentsfield, Yorkfield, or a full-cache Wolfdale or Penryn. Not those cache-short Wolfdale-3M's. They are Celerons in everything but name and shouldn't be considered equal to a same-clocked Conroe.

It's still an adequate CPU. But it is not the equal of a 2.2 GHz Conroe.

Thanks for the help!

It's given me something more to search on, and cjrgreen seems to be the majority consensus - that the Dual Core is not quite as good as the Core 2 Duo.

Which makes me concerned that I cannot in fact run it (low settings are fine) - but I think what everyone is saying is that since my Dual Core is not the super low end kind - it might meet the min specs of the 2.2 Core 2 Duo?

And that my main concern should really be my Video Card - but it does in fact just barely pass muster.

Minimum requirements aren't something you should be aiming for.

They're just enough to run the game, but usually it won't be playable or enjoyable.

And the game uses Havok Physics, which requires a decent CPU.

You could probably get away with your CPU on low settings, but your video card isn't great for gaming.

Actually, a system like that is quite playable -- just don't try it on a high-resolution display. And don't try it with a system that is less than that.

(I have the luxury of having a number of computers that are a few years old and somewhere around minimum spec to try the game on. And the Athlon 64x2 or "Pentium Dual Core" with a 4670 or 5570 is definitely in the range of playable. Just keep the resolution down to 1280x720 or 800.)

You may find you want a better system, to see the game in its full glory. And that's fine. But you don't have to run out and buy one just to get started.