System Requirements

ARC is an efficient application that can run on lower-end PCs running Microsoft Windows 10. However, efficiency does not imply that low-spec hardware is recommended for complex or advanced robots—such projects often require more CPU, memory, and GPU resources than minimal systems provide.

Synthiam does not support operating systems that Microsoft has discontinued. For mainstream support, Microsoft has designated Windows 10 as the primary Windows release; consequently, Synthiam’s support and testing target Windows 10 as the baseline platform for ARC.

Performance

Recommended minimum hardware: an Intel i5 (or equivalent) CPU, 4 GB of RAM, and Windows 10 or later. The ARC 3D designer and the 3D instruction interface will use GPU hardware acceleration when available, which improves responsiveness and rendering performance.

The most significant CPU load typically comes from video processing features. High-resolution video streams and multiple simultaneous tracking algorithms are the largest contributors to video-processing CPU usage. Consider these demands when selecting a PC for robotics work.

For guidance on selecting a PC, see the Getting Started guide.

Compatibility: Does ARC work on Windows 8?

Windows 8 reached the end of mainstream support from Microsoft on January 9, 2019. Because discontinued operating systems no longer receive updates or fixes from their vendor, many ARC features may not function correctly on Windows 8 or other unsupported versions of Windows.

If your computer is running an older version of Windows, we recommend upgrading to Windows 10. Windows 10 was launched on July 29, 2015, and has been the primary version supported for mainstream updates. Microsoft has offered upgrade paths from earlier Windows versions to Windows 10.

  • New features: ARC relies on modern operating system features for capabilities such as speech recognition, speech synthesis, and machine learning. These features are available or optimized only in newer Windows releases.
  • Bug fixes: Ongoing updates include fixes that improve system and application stability. ARC’s reliability depends on running with current public updates that Synthiam tests against.
  • Security updates: Staying on a supported Windows version ensures you continue to receive security patches that protect your system from vulnerabilities.