XMS RAM Requirements
Some IBM PC MS-DOS games require a certain amount of XMS RAM in order to execute. XMS stands for eXtended Memory Specification. XMS is only applicable to i80286 CPUs and greater; that is, Intel CPUs that can address 1 meg of RAM or greater, which i808x CPUs by default cannot.
XMS can be used to increase free conventional RAM and emulate EMS RAM.
XMS 2.0 supported up to 64 megs of RAM in 1988 whereas XMS 3.0 of 1991 supported up to 4 gigs of RAM.
The amount of XMS RAM available can be checked via Microsoft Diagnostics (msd) or the chkdsk and mem commands.
In some DOS games XMS removes sound stuttering and increases framerates and overall game performance.
The HIMEM.SYS DOS device driver is an example of an XMS memory manager (XMM).
XMS RAM requirements for each game are given below.
Format is: Computer Game / Developer / Year / XMS RAM requirement.
- 7th Guest IBM PC MS-DOS MS-DOS Trilobyte 1993: 2 megs
- Al-Qadim IBM PC MS-DOS Cyberlore Studios 1994: 2,250,000 bytes
- Beneath a Steel Sky IBM PC MS-DOS Revolution 1990: 2 megs
- Command and Conquer IBM PC MS-DOS Westwood 1995: 6 megs
- Dark Sun Shattered Lands IBM PC MS-DOS SSI 1993: 1 meg
- Dark Sun Wake of the Ravager IBM PC MS-DOS SSI 1994: 2 megs
- Dune 2 IBM PC MS-DOS Westwood 1992: 1 meg
- Dungeon Hack IBM PC MS-DOS Dreamforge 1993: 1,048,576 bytes
- Elder Scrolls: Arena IBM PC MS-DOS Bethesda 1994: 2 megs
- Flying Tigers IBM PC MS-DOS Jay Kramer 1995: 4 megs
- Jagged Alliance IBM PC MS-DOS MadLab 1995: 3.5 megs
- Lands of Lore Westwood Studios 1993: 911,360 bytes
- Master of Orion IBM PC MS-DOS Simtex 1993: 700 kbytes
- Menzoberranzan IBM PC MS-DOS DreamForge 1994: 2,700,000 bytes
- Panzer General IBM PC MS-DOS Strategic Simulations Inc 1994: 2,734 kbytes
- Ravenloft Strahd's Possession IBM PC MS-DOS DreamForge 1994: 2,720,000 bytes
- Ravenloft Stone Prophet IBM PC MS-DOS DreamForge 1995: 2,700,000 bytes
- Strike Commander IBM PC MS-DOS Origin Systems 1993: 2,765,000 bytes
- System Shock IBM PC MS-DOS Looking Glass 1994: 3,072 kbytes
- Ultima 7 Black Gate IBM PC MS-DOS Origin Systems 1992: 1 meg
- Wing Commander Privateer IBM PC MS-DOS Origin Systems 1993: 4 megs
- Wing Commander 3 IBM PC MS-DOS Origin Systems 1994: 15 megs
- X-COM Apocalypse IBM PC MS-DOS Mythos Games 1997: 6,573 kbytes
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