minnekrav

Minnekrav is a term used in Norwegian and Swedish to denote the minimum amount of random-access memory (RAM) that a computer system must have to run a particular software program, game, or operating system. It is commonly listed in official system requirements and is often presented alongside recommended memory and other hardware needs. While it foregrounds memory, minnekrav is distinct from storage space or disk requirements.

In practice, minnekrav describes the volatile memory needs during regular operation, including the memory used by the operating system and background processes. It is typically specified in gigabytes (GB) or megabytes (MB). The stated requirement can vary with workload, display settings, and enabled features, so real-world needs may differ based on usage.

Determining minnekrav involves benchmarking or analyzing typical usage scenarios. Software publishers may publish both minimum and recommended memory levels to ensure a baseline level of performance. Applications with higher demands, such as modern games, virtual machines, or intensive multimedia software, tend to have higher memory requirements.

If a system meets only the minimum, performance may be suboptimal, with longer load times or stuttering. Upgrading RAM or reducing background processes can mitigate these issues. Virtual memory, or swap space, can help when physical RAM is limited, but it is generally slower and cannot fully substitute for sufficient real memory.

See also: memory requirements, RAM, system requirements, swap, virtual memory.