Free Conventional RAM Requirements
IBM PC MS-DOS games require a certain amount of free conventional RAM in order to execute. Free conventional RAM can also be referred to as low memory, DOS RAM or base RAM, of which there is 640K or 655,360 bytes available. However, MS-DOS and device drivers consume some conventional RAM.
The amount of free conventional RAM available can be checked via the CHKDSK command in MS-DOS.
Available conventional RAM can be increased aka "freed up" by disabling Terminate and Stay Resident programs (TSRs) from config.sys and autoexec.bat. Else, "boot disks" can be employed or the PC can be otherwise clean-booted, thereby bypassing the loading of TSRs.
An IBM PC MS-DOS system that does not meet the free conventional RAM requirement of a computer game will not be able to run that computer game regardless of how much other RAM it has.
The amount of RAM a game requires depends on its display mode (CGA, EGA, VGA), its audio playback quality (PC Speaker sound effects or digitized sound effects and speech), and various game settings, such as draw detail or distance. For example, a game running in 16K-vRAM CGA may require 384K of RAM whereas the same game running in 256K-vRAM VGA may require 512K of RAM.
The 640K barrier was overcome first by memory managers that allowed for high memory allocation (EMS RAM and XMS RAM) and then by DOS Extenders such as Rational Systems' DOS/4GW Protected Mode run-time.
Format is: Computer Game / Developer / Year / Free conventional RAM requirement. Note that I don't count requirements that disable sound. And if a game displays in CGA, EGA or VGA, I count only the VGA requirement.
- 7th Guest IBM PC MS-DOS MS-DOS Trilobyte 1993: 583,680 bytes
- Abuse IBM PC MS-DOS Crack Dot Com 1996: 400 kbytes
- Al-Qadim IBM PC MS-DOS Cyberlore Studios 1994: 540,000 bytes
- Alien Breed Amiga Team 17 1991: 588,000 bytes
- Alone in the Dark IBM PC MS-DOS Infogrames 1992: 580,000 bytes
- Beneath a Steel Sky IBM PC MS-DOS Revolution 1990: 550 kbytes
- Betrayal at Krondor IBM PC MS-DOS Dynamix 1993: 590,000 bytes
- BloodNet IBM PC MS-DOS Microprose 1993: 560 kbytes
- Buck Rogers Countdown to Doomsday Strategic Simulations Inc 1991: 560 kbytes
- Buck Rogers Matrix Cubed Strategic Simulations Inc 1993: 560 kbytes
- Caesar IBM PC MS-DOS Impressions Games 1992: 590 kbytes
- Champions of Krynn IBM PC MS-DOS Strategic Simulations 1990: 512 kbytes
- Commander Keen Original Version IBM PC MS-DOS 1990: 520 kbytes
- Command and Conquer IBM PC MS-DOS Westwood 1995: 560 kbytes
- Dark Sun Shattered Lands IBM PC MS-DOS SSI 1993: 620,000 bytes
- Dark Sun Wake of the Ravager IBM PC MS-DOS SSI: 620,000 bytes
- Darklands IBM PC MS-DOS MicroProse 1992: 595,000 bytes
- Dark Queen of Krynn IBM PC MS-DOS MicroMagic 1992: 570 kbytes
- Descent IBM PC MS-DOS Parallax Software 1995: 598 kbytes
- Drakkhen IBM PC MS-DOS Infogrames 1989: 563,000 bytes
- Dune 2 IBM PC MS-DOS Westwood 1992: 602 kbytes
- Dungeon Hack IBM PC MS-DOS Dreamforge 1993: 575,000 bytes
- Elder Scrolls: Arena IBM PC MS-DOS Bethesda 1994: 603 kbytes
- Eye of the Beholder IBM PC MS-DOS Westwood 1991: 565,000 bytes
- Eye of the Beholder 2 IBM PC MS-DOS Westwood 1991: 570 kbytes
- Eye of the Beholder 3 IBM PC MS-DOS SSI 1993: 575,000 bytes
- F-15 Strike Eagle 3 IBM PC MS-DOS 1992 MPS Labs: 588 kbytes
- Falcon 3.0 IBM PC MS-DOS Sphere Inc. 1991: 602 kbytes
- Frontier Elite 2 IBM PC MS-DOS David Braben 1993: 580 kbytes
- Hired Guns IBM PC MS-DOS DMA Design 1993: 540 kbytes
- Joe and Mac Caveman IBM PC MS-DOS Ninja Elite Systems 1992: 512 kbytes
- Lands of Lore Westwood Studios 1993: 585,728 bytes
- Laser Squad IBM PC MS-DOS Mythos Games 1992: 512 kbytes
- Lords of the Realm IBM PC MS-DOS Impressions Games 1994: 585 kbytes
- Master of Magic IBM PC MS-DOS Simtex 1994: 583 kbytes
- M1 Tank Platoon IBM PC MS-DOS MPS Labs 1989: 512 kbytes
- Master of Orion IBM PC MS-DOS Simtex 1993: 588,800 bytes
- Menzoberranzan IBM PC MS-DOS DreamForge 1994: 540,000 bytes
- Microsoft Flight Simulator 3.0 IBM PC MS-DOS subLOGIC 1988: 256 kbytes
- Operation Wolf IBM PC MS-DOS Banana Development 1989: 530 kbytes
- Panzer General IBM PC MS-DOS Strategic Simulations Inc 1994: 430 kbytes
- Ravenloft Strahd's Possession IBM PC MS-DOS DreamForge 1994: 525,000 bytes
- Ravenloft Stone Prophet IBM PC MS-DOS DreamForge 1995: 340,000 bytes
- Red Storm Rising IBM PC MS-DOS MPS Labs 1989: 384 kbytes
- Seek and Destroy IBM PC MS-DOS Vision Software 1996: 550 kbytes
- Sid Meier's Colonization IBM PC MS-DOS MPS Labs 1994: 575,000 bytes
- Space Hulk IBM PC MS-DOS Electronic Arts 1993: 580 kbytes
- Star Trek: 25th Anniversary IBM PC MS-DOS Interplay 1992: 550 kbytes
- Star Wars X-Wing IBM PC MS-DOS Totally Games 1993: 550 kbytes
- Star Wars TIE Fighter IBM PC MS-DOS Totally Games 1994: 582 kbytes
- System Shock IBM PC MS-DOS Looking Glass 1994: 530 kbytes
- Strike Commander IBM PC MS-DOS Origin Systems 1993: 600,000 bytes
- Ultima Underworld IBM PC MS-DOS Blue Sky Productions 1992: 557 kbytes
- Ultima 7 Black Gate IBM PC MS-DOS Origin Systems 1992: 561,144 bytes
- Warlords 2 IBM PC MS-DOS SSG 1993: 580 kbytes
- Wing Commander IBM PC MS-DOS Origin Systems 1990: 580,000 bytes
- Wing Commander 2 IBM PC MS-DOS Origin Systems 1991: 583 kbytes
- Wing Commander: Academy IBM PC MS-DOS Origin Systems 1993: 586 kbytes
- Wing Commander 3 IBM PC MS-DOS Origin Systems 1994: 500 kbytes
- X-COM Apocalypse IBM PC MS-DOS Mythos Games 1997: 400 kbytes
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