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Half-Life 2 software:
- CM version 1 & 2: Half-Life 2 installed and unlocked*
- CM version 3 & 4: Half-Life 2 + Episode 1 installed and unlocked
- CM version 5 and later: Half-Life 2 + Episode 1 & 2 installed and unlocked
- Fully installed and updated Steam client
* 'Unlocked' means you already started this game, so the game folders etc are already created.
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Operation System:
- CM version 1 to 4: Windows XP / Vista x86 (32bit)
- CM version 5 and later: Windows XP / Vista x64 (64bit)
'Version 9 and later features basic versions without additional HD textures, which may run on 32 bit Windows, but this is untested.
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Hardware:
The latest versions require a fast pc, with:
- a DX9 capable graphics hardware with minimum 512 MB VRAM. (1024 MB recommended)
- at least 3 GB RAM
- a fast dual-core processor (or better)
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Conclusion:
The later Cinematic Mod versions need a 64 Bit Windows OS, because the Source-Engine was never designed for >2GB data in a 32 Bit environment, failing (= crashing) on the 2 GB per application limit on such systems. They also need the full Orange Box pack (HL2 + EP1 + EP2) installed and unlocked, because they use stuff from all episodes.