01At a glance
- Floor
- AVX2 instruction support, no fallback
- Guidance
- 6+ cores; clocks beat extra cores
- Check
- Launcher CPU probe lists AVX2 present
- Scope
- Required before any rating run
02Why AVX2 is load-bearing
The translation layer emits AVX2 across hot paths — physics, audio mixing, and command-buffer building. There is no scalar fallback, so a CPU without AVX2 cannot boot titles regardless of clocks.
Check support in the launcher CPU probe before anything else. The full envelope is in Minimum and recommended hardware.
03What actually scales
- Six modern cores at good clocks clear the Stable bar for most titles.
- Past six cores, single-thread clocks matter more than additional cores.
- Close browsers, Discord overlays, and recorders during verification — stolen cycles read as emulator defects.
Free build at Download Meridian. Own your library; CPU checks cost nothing.
04Questions
Q.01Can I disable AVX2 to support an old CPU?
No. AVX2 is required with no fallback. Older CPUs cannot run Meridian.
Q.02Do more cores raise ratings?
Only to a point. Past six cores, clocks dominate. Ratings follow the reference rig anyway.
Q.03Why does my fast CPU still dip?
Background load or thermal throttling. Verify clean idle clocks, then re-run with nothing else open.