This is supposed to be a guide as to what hardware and what configuration was common for a given year. This is a work in progress and if you don’t agree with a specific configuration, please let me know. Each year shows an entry, mid- and high-end system configuration. It could be that the hardware listed was released at the beginning or at the end of the given year. So, it is not an exact science!
Low • Mid • High-end configurations from 1990 to 2005
1990
DOS / VGA
Low-End
CPU: 386SX-16
MB: ISA
RAM: 1 MB
GPU: VGA 256 KB
HDD: 15 MBMid-Range
CPU: 386DX-33MB: ISARAM: 2 MBGPU: VGA 512 KB – 1 MBHDD: 25 MBHigh-End
CPU: 486DX-33MB: 486 boardRAM: 4 MBGPU: SVGA 1 MB (Tseng ET4000)HDD: 40 MB1991
DOS / Early Windows
Low-End
CPU: 386DX-25MB: ISARAM: 2 MBGPU: VGA 512 KBHDD: 40 MBMid-Range
CPU: 486SX-25MB: Socket 1RAM: 4 MBGPU: SVGA 1 MBHDD: 80 MBHigh-End
CPU: 486DX-50MB: Socket 2RAM: 5 MBGPU: ATI Mach32 2 MBHDD: 120 MB1992
Win 3.1 / VLB
Low-End
CPU: 486SX-33MB: ISARAM: 4 MBGPU: SVGA 1 MBHDD: 100 MBMid-Range
CPU: 486DX2-50MB: VLBRAM: 5 MBGPU: S3 928 2 MBHDD: 140 MBHigh-End
CPU: 486DX2-66MB: VLBRAM: 8 MBGPU: Tseng Labs ET4000/W32 2 MBHDD: 270 MB1993
Pentium Launch
Low-End
CPU: 486DX2-66MB: VLBRAM: 5 MBGPU: SVGA 1 – 2 MBHDD: 180 MBMid-Range
CPU: Pentium 60 MHzMB: Socket 4RAM: 8 MBGPU: S3 864 2 MBHDD: 270 MBHigh-End
CPU: Pentium 66 MHzMB: Socket 4RAM: 16 MBGPU: ATI Mach32 4 MBHDD: 340 MB1994
PCI & Early 3D
Low-End
CPU: 486DX4-100MB: VLB/PCIRAM: 8 MBGPU: S3 Trio64 2 MBHDD: 540 MBMid-Range
CPU: Pentium 90 MHzMB: Socket 5RAM: 16 MBGPU: S3 Trio64 2 MBHDD: 800 MBHigh-End
CPU: Pentium 100 MHzMB: Socket 5RAM: 24 MBGPU: S3 Vision864/964HDD: 1 GB1995
Windows 95 / PCI
Low-End
CPU: Pentium 75 MHzMB: Socket 5RAM: 12 MBGPU: S3 Trio64 2 MBHDD: 800 MBMid-Range
CPU: Pentium 133 MHzMB: Socket 7RAM: 24 MBGPU: S3 Trio64V+ 2 MBHDD: 1 GBHigh-End
CPU: Pentium 166 MHzMB: Socket 7RAM: 32 MBGPU: Matrox Millennium 4 MBHDD: 2 GB1996
3Dfx Voodoo
Low-End
CPU: Pentium 120 MHzMB: Socket 7RAM: 16 MBGPU: S3 Virge 4 MBHDD: 2 GBMid-Range
CPU: Pentium MMX 166MB: Socket 7RAM: 32 MBGPU: 3Dfx Voodoo 4 MBHDD: 4 GBHigh-End
CPU: Pentium MMX 200MB: Socket 7RAM: 48 MBGPU: 3Dfx Voodoo 6 MBHDD: 6 GB1997
AGP / 3Dfx Voodoo
Low-End
CPU: Pentium MMX 166MB: Socket 7RAM: 32 MBGPU: Riva 128 4 MBHDD: 4 GBMid-Range
CPU: Pentium MMX 200MB: Socket 7RAM: 48 MBGPU: 3Dfx Voodoo 6 MBHDD: 6 GBHigh-End
CPU: Pentium MMX 233MB: Socket 7RAM: 64 MBGPU: 3Dfx Voodoo 8 MBHDD: 8 GB1998
TNT / Voodoo2 SLI
Low-End
CPU: Pentium II 233MB: Slot 1RAM: 48 MBGPU: Riva TNT 16 MBHDD: 6 GBMid-Range
CPU: Pentium II 350MB: 440BXRAM: 64 MBGPU: Voodoo2 12 MBHDD: 8 GBHigh-End
CPU: Pentium II 450MB: 440BXRAM: 96 MBGPU: Voodoo2 SLI or TNT2 UltraHDD: 10 GB1999
GeForce 256
Low-End
CPU: Celeron 300AMB: Slot 1RAM: 64 MBGPU: TNT2 M64 16 MBHDD: 10 GBMid-Range
CPU: MAD K6-III 400MB: Super Socket 7RAM: 96 MBGPU: GeForce 256 SDR 32 MBHDD: 20 GBHigh-End
CPU: Pentium III 600MB: 440BXRAM: 128 MBGPU: GeForce 256 32 MBHDD: 40 GB2000
GeForce2 / Radeon
Low-End
CPU: Celeron 600MB: Socket 370RAM: 64 MBGPU: GeForce2 MX 32 MBHDD: 20 GBMid-Range
CPU: Pentium III 800MB: 440BX/i815RAM: 128 MBGPU: GeForce2 GTS 64 MBHDD: 40 GBHigh-End
CPU: Pentium III 1 GHzMB: 440BX/i815RAM: 256 MBGPU: GeForce2 Ultra 64 MBHDD: 60 GB2001
GeForce3 / Radeon 8500
Low-End
CPU: Duron 800MB: KT133ARAM: 128 MBGPU: GeForce2 MX400 64 MBHDD: 40 GBMid-Range
CPU: Athlon XP 1600+MB: nForce 420RAM: 256 MBGPU: GeForce3 Ti 200 64 MBHDD: 80 GBHigh-End
CPU: Pentium 4 2.0 GHzMB: i850RAM: 512 MBGPU: GeForce3 Ti 500 64 MBHDD: 120 GB2002
Radeon 9700 / GeForce4
Low-End
CPU: Celeron 1.7 GHzMB: i845RAM: 512 MBGPU: GeForce4 MX 64 MBHDD: 80 GBMid-Range
CPU: Athlon XP 2200+MB: nForce2RAM: 1 GBGPU: Radeon 9700 Pro 128 MBHDD: 120 GBHigh-End
CPU: Pentium 4 3.06 GHzMB: i845PE/i850ERAM: 2 GBGPU: GeForce4 Ti 4600 128 MBHDD: 160 GB2003
Athlon 64 / Radeon 9700
Low-End
CPU: Athlon XP 1700+MB: nForce2RAM: 512 MBGPU: Radeon 9600 128 MBHDD: 120 GBMid-Range
CPU: Athlon 64 3200+MB: nForce3RAM: 1 GBGPU: GeForce FX 5900 128 MBHDD: 160 GBHigh-End
CPU: Athlon 64 FX-51MB: nForce3 ProRAM: 2 GBGPU: Radeon 9800 XT 256 MBHDD: 200 GB2004
PCIe / GeForce 6
Low-End
CPU: Pentium 4 2.8 GHzMB: i915RAM: 1 GBGPU: GeForce 6600 256 MBHDD: 160 GBMid-Range
CPU: Athlon 64 3500+MB: nForce4RAM: 2 GBGPU: GeForce 6800 GT 256 MBHDD: 200 GBHigh-End
CPU: Pentium EE 3.46 GHzMB: i925XRAM: 4 GBGPU: GeForce 6800 Ultra 256 MBHDD: 250 GB2005
PCIe & Dual-Core
Low-End
CPU: Pentium 4 3.0 GHzMB: i915/945RAM: 1 GBGPU: GeForce 6600 256 MBHDD: 200 GBMid-Range
CPU: Pentium D 820 / Athlon 64 X2 3800+MB: nForce4 / i975XRAM: 2 GBGPU: GeForce 7800 GT 256 MBHDD: 320 GBHigh-End
CPU: Pentium EE 840 / Athlon 64 FX-57MB: i975X / nForce4 SLIRAM: 4 GBGPU: GeForce 7800 GTX 512 MBHDD: 2×320 GB