Build-specific compatibility check
Check your computer
Choose your platform and edition, then enter only the hardware facts you know. These rules were checked against Resolve 21.1 on September 8, 2026.
No scan, diagnostic upload or speed test. The form does not save your answers in a URL or browser storage.
Ready to check
Enter the facts you know, then check the setup.
Unknown facts remain unresolved. A result is not a benchmark.
What the result means
Listed checks met means your answers satisfy the requirements evaluated by this form. It does not mean the computer has been scanned or that a project will play smoothly. More facts need checking means something essential is unknown or outside this rule set. A failed memory or GPU condition tells you what to verify first—not which expensive replacement to buy.
Choose Not sure instead of guessing. A processor label such as “i7” does not establish decoding performance, and system RAM cannot simply be added to a GPU’s VRAM. On a Mac, enter unified memory once; the checker does not ask you to split it into invented RAM and VRAM pools. Changing any answer clears the old report. Changing platform also resets the hardware answers, so a Windows confirmation cannot silently become a Mac confirmation.
Before buying hardware, test representative media and your actual effects. A benchmark can help compare systems, but its entry requirements are not a guarantee for every timeline. For example, Puget Bench publishes requirements for running its own tests; those should not be repackaged as universal comfortable 4K specifications.
Resolve 21.1 platform checks
The table summarizes the desktop baseline in Blackmagic’s Resolve 21.1 release readme, dated September 8, 2026. Studio’s extra feature conditions follow below. Use the readme for the exact build you intend to install rather than applying this table to every historical release.
| Platform | Listed OS / processor | System memory | Graphics check |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mac | Apple Silicon; macOS 15 or newer | 8 GB; 16 GB for Fusion | Apple Silicon graphics; no separate VRAM entry here |
| Windows x86 | 64-bit Windows; Windows 10 Creators Update is the listed release floor | 16 GB; 32 GB for Fusion | Integrated or discrete GPU, 4 GB VRAM, qualifying API and driver |
| Windows Arm | Windows 11 for Arm; generic matrix names Snapdragon X Elite | 16 GB; 32 GB for 4K or Fusion | No separate VRAM floor in this readme’s Arm section |
| Linux | Rocky Linux 8.6 | 32 GB | Discrete GPU, 4 GB VRAM, qualifying API and driver |
Blackmagic’s Windows x86 label means the 64-bit Windows build, not a 32-bit edition. Choose that platform for an Intel/AMD PC with a 64-bit operating system; Windows Arm is a separate build. A 64-bit processor with 32-bit Windows installed is not the same thing.
For Windows x86 and Linux, confirm an OpenCL 1.2 or CUDA 12.8 path for the exact GPU and driver. Windows lists official AMD/Intel drivers or NVIDIA Studio 581.57+; Linux lists official AMD drivers or NVIDIA Studio 580.119.02+. The two NVIDIA numbers are platform-specific, not interchangeable. An integrated Windows GPU is not automatically disqualified, but an advertised shared-memory maximum alone does not prove the whole graphics requirement.
Other Linux distributions and Arm processors receive an unresolved result here. That means the form cannot confirm them from its baseline, not that Resolve can never run on them. For Blackmagic video-hardware monitoring, the readmes also specify Desktop Video 12.9 or later; monitoring hardware is outside this form’s checks.
Studio AI and background rendering need separate checks
The Studio 21.1 readme adds conditions beyond the base application. On Mac, advanced AI calls for at least 16 GB memory; background rendering and analysis call for 32 GB. On Windows x86 and Linux, advanced AI calls for 16 GB VRAM; background rendering calls for 32 GB RAM plus 12 GB VRAM.
Select both feature boxes when both apply: the checker uses the higher applicable floor, not an average. An 8 GB GPU can meet the base graphics line yet miss the listed advanced-AI requirement. Fusion and AI are therefore separate choices. The Arm section does not publish equivalent feature-specific memory lines, so those Studio checks remain unresolved on Arm rather than borrowing the x86 VRAM rules.
What to try next
For a wider explanation of hardware choices, use the system requirements guide, while keeping this tool’s dated build scope in mind. If the machine meets the listed checks but the Edit page struggles, test a proxy workflow. A specific memory error needs the GPU memory troubleshooting guide, not another green compatibility badge. Other browser utilities are in Tools and calculators.
This form does not inspect CPU generation, codec licensing, plugins, sustained storage speed, temperatures or laptop power limits. It also does not identify third-party monitoring hardware. Check those against the project you actually need to finish; a memory total alone cannot settle the purchase.
DaVinci Resolve PC checker FAQ
Does this checker scan my computer?
No. It evaluates the answers you select in this page. It does not inspect hardware, request a diagnostic file, run a benchmark or save the form answers in a URL or browser storage. That is not a claim that the rest of the website has no analytics.
Does passing the checker guarantee smooth 4K playback?
No. Listed checks met means the selected answers satisfy this form’s rules. CPU, media, codec support, effects, plugins, storage and power limits remain untested. Try a representative project before relying on a machine for delivery.
Can DaVinci Resolve 21.1 run on an Intel Mac?
The 21.1 Mac readme requires Apple Silicon and macOS 15 or newer. An Intel Mac does not meet that listed baseline. Check the readme of an older compatible build separately; this checker does not certify older releases.
Can DaVinci Resolve use integrated graphics?
The Windows x86 readme permits integrated or discrete graphics when the memory, API and driver conditions are met. Linux requires a discrete GPU. Do not add system RAM to VRAM or treat a shared-memory maximum as proof of complete GPU compatibility.
Why does the checker ask about GPU drivers and API support?
VRAM is only one condition. Windows x86 and Linux also need the listed OpenCL or CUDA path and manufacturer driver. Not sure leaves that condition unresolved instead of inventing a pass.
What if the checks pass but playback is slow?
A listed minimum is not a performance measurement. Test the actual codec and effects, try proxies for editing, inspect the specific error if one appears, and compare representative benchmarks before deciding which component needs an upgrade.
Do Studio AI tools have higher requirements?
Yes. The 21.1 Studio readme lists 16 GB memory for advanced AI on Mac and 16 GB VRAM on Windows x86 and Linux. Background work has separate requirements. The checker applies the higher relevant floor when both are selected; the Arm-specific feature checks remain unresolved.
Why did my result disappear after I changed a setting?
A result belongs to the answers used to create it. Editing any value clears the previous verdict; run the check again. Changing platform resets hardware answers to Not sure, and Reset restores the starting form without a verdict.
