PC Hardware Requirements for Dragon Medical & Professional
Hardware Specifications
For Dragon to run smoothly, it is imperative that the computer(s) Involved meet the minimum hardware specifications. This not only applies to local PC specifications, but also Citrix servers, and remote desktop implementations. Moreover, while not officially supported, Dragon for PC editions often function on a Windows/PC partition of a Mac computer.
Speakeasy Solutions’ specifications exceed the specifications outlined by Nuance, the manufactures of Dragon. Our clients are predominantly medical practitioners, lawyers, professionals, and those with physical limitations. In each of these cases, Dragon must operate above the bare minimums for productive use by the aforementioned individuals.
Hardware updates may be required; In which case a delay in implementing Dragon is for the best.
Dragon PC Specification Recommendations for Speakeasy Solutions Clients
Speakeasy Solutions outlines 3 categories of hardware specifications. As always, if you have specific concerns, do not hesitate to contact us for further discussion.
Speakeasy Solutions suggests the following recommended minimum PC requirements for Dragon® Professional/Legal Individual 15, Dragon® Professional/Legal Group 15. NOTE: Dragon Medical One Requirements differ and can be found on this page.:
Optimal
Optimally and productively using Dragon…
- Windows 10 or 11 Pro 64-bit OS
- Intel i7 quad core CPU (i9 for really future proofing)
- 16+ GB DDR4 2400 RAM
- Solid State Drive
Acceptable
For existing PCs…
- Windows 10 or 11
- Intel i5 CPU
- 8 GB RAM
- 7200 RPM hard drive
Minimum
Dragon functions, albeit slowly and with diminished accuracy…
- Windows 7 32-bit OS
- 4 GB RAM
Computer Classifications
Consumer
Avoid consumer grade computer systems (often found at big box stores). Such systems are seldom created with high-quality components (hence their price point). However, some big box stores do carry high-end computer systems, so do not dismiss these stores entirely. The quality of the PC system will directly affect its performance, and subsequently the efficacy of your speech recognition solution.
Gaming
Once upon a time a “gaming rig” was more powerful than a business-class machine, however, the “gaming rigs” commercially produced (such as Dell’s AlienWare), are quite bloated, and we no longer recommend such machines. Streamlined gaming computers are, however, a viable option.
Custom
A custom built to specification computer is optimal. High quality components will mitigate potential bottlenecks when using more than one demanding application such as Dragon, EMRs, legal applications etc. Pick and choose high quality components or explain to your builder that you wish high quality components. The additional cost is well worthwhile.
Impact of Demanding Applications
If several demanding applications are used simultaneously, increase the processor and RAM for improved performance.
External Articles
- Best RAM 2020: Desktop DDR4 Memory for Gaming and Productivity — notably the section about half way down regarding Quick Shopping Tips.
- Best SSDs 2020: From Budget SATA to Blazing-Fast NVMe — again, see Quick Shopping Tips.
- Best Intel processor: Core i3, i5, i7 and i9 explained.