System Requirements |
 
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System Requirements |
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The following versions of Windows are supported:
•Windows 10 (64 bit)
•Windows 11 (64 bit)
•Windows Server 2016 (64 bit)
•Windows Server 2019 (64 bit)
Note also that while other Windows operating systems are not officially supported (i.e. they are not included in the standard test plan implemented by Wood prior to each new release), the software may also be compatible with such systems.
The following general guidelines outline minimum recommended requirements for your machine in order to successfully run Flexcom.
•Microsoft Windows operating system.
•4 Core CPU. Various components of the user interface perform different operations simultaneously in the background while the program is running, so having more than one processing unit will improve the overall responsiveness of the program.
•Good performance processor. The analysis engine of Flexcom is computationally intensive and performs best on CPUs with strong floating point maths performance. Generally speaking, the higher the processor speed, the faster the program will run.
•Hard disk with at least 20 GB free space. The program installation itself only requires about 350 MB, but once you begin working with the software, the size of results database files may quickly become significant.
•4 GB of RAM. Flexcom is not a particularly memory intensive application, but available amounts lower than 4 GB are not recommended.
•Internet Explorer is recommended for viewing the context-sensitive help within Flexcom (accessed via F1 key), given that Internet Explorer can open CHM files directly. This functionality is generally not present in newer browsers, but some browser extensions, like "Chumium" for Chrome, can provide CHM viewing functionality. Regardless, all Flexcom documentation is fully available online, and this may be accessed by any modern browser, just without the convenience of the F1 key instantly opening a specific article.
•Any Microsoft DirectX 9.0 compatible graphics card. This is mandatory in order for the Model View to work correctly.
•To use the Excel Add-in, either the 32-bit or 64-bit version of Microsoft Excel 2007 or later must be installed.
The above guidelines represent the very minimum specification for a machine which is running Flexcom. If you are considering purchasing a new machine, you should ideally aim for specifications such as the following:
•8 or 16 Core CPU. The more CPUs and or cores you have available to you, the more simulations you can perform in parallel. The standard Flexcom license is currently 8 core, but many organisations have 16 core licenses. If you are unsure about your current license agreement, please contact us for clarification. Note also that one core is generally reserved for Flexcom’s user interface.
•16 GB of RAM. To ensure that Flexcom runs smoothly and allows you to simultaneously use other applications we recommend having plenty of RAM.
•Fast speed processor with higher amounts of cache. We recommend an Intel Core-i7 / AMD Ryzen 7 or above. This will ensure that Flexcom simulations run as quickly as possible.
•Fast SSD drive. On a machine with a powerful CPU and high amounts of RAM, the disk becomes a bottleneck that limits the performance. In Flexcom, some types of simulations require intensive disk access and having an SSD will make sure those simulations run faster, utilizing the full potential of the CPU and RAM on the machine.
•1 TB hard drive. Disk space tends to fill up quite quickly if you are a power user. Although relatively inexpensive (in case of HDD) to purchase from the outset, additional disk storage can be difficult to retrofit later if required. You can always purchase an external hard drive subsequently if required, but access speeds will be lower than with a local drive.
•Windows 10 (64-bit), or later operating system.
Note also that Flexcom can be accessed directly from the cloud. With this model, the Flexcom software license, plus associated computational power and storage facilities, is delivered as a single coherent package via the internet. This is an alternative model which reduces dependency on local hardware. Refer to Flexcom-on-the-Cloud for further details on the potential benefits of adopting this approach.