Build-specific compatibility check
Check your computer
Choose your platform and edition, then enter only the hardware facts you know. These rules follow the Resolve 21.1 readmes dated September 8, 2026. I rechecked them on October 5, 2026 against the 21.1.1 readmes for build 10, and the listed requirements haven't changed.
No scan, diagnostic upload or speed test. The form doesn't 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 checks requirements; it doesn't measure speed.
What the result means
Listed checks met means your answers satisfy the requirements this form evaluates. Nobody has scanned the computer, and the result says nothing about whether a project will play smoothly. More facts need checking means a required fact is unknown or falls outside this rule set. A failed memory or GPU condition points to what you should verify first. It won't tell you which expensive replacement to buy.
Choose Not sure when you'd otherwise be guessing. A processor label such as “i7” says little about decoding performance, and system RAM cannot simply be added to a GPU’s VRAM. On a Mac, enter unified memory once; the checker won't 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 turn into a Mac confirmation.
Before buying hardware, test representative media and the effects you actually use. A benchmark can help compare systems, but its entry requirements won't guarantee every timeline. For example, Puget Bench publishes requirements for running its own tests, and those shouldn't 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, and the 21.1.1 readmes repeat it. Studio’s extra feature conditions follow below. Use the readme for the exact build you plan to install, and don't apply 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; Snapdragon X Elite or NVIDIA RTX Spark processor | 16 GB; 32 GB for 4K or Fusion | No separate VRAM floor in this readme’s Arm section; RTX Spark needs NVIDIA Studio 616.0+ |
| 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. There's no 32-bit edition behind it. Choose that platform for an Intel/AMD PC running a 64-bit operating system; Windows Arm is a separate build. A 64-bit processor with 32-bit Windows installed doesn't count.
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 Windows-for-Arm list adds NVIDIA Studio 616.0+ for RTX Spark processors. Each NVIDIA number belongs to its own platform, so you can't swap them. An integrated Windows GPU can still qualify, but an advertised shared-memory maximum alone doesn't prove the whole graphics requirement.
Other Linux distributions, and Arm processors beyond the named Snapdragon X Elite and NVIDIA RTX Spark chips, get an unresolved result here. That only means the form cannot confirm them from its baseline. It doesn't mean Resolve can never run on them. For Blackmagic video-hardware monitoring, the readmes also specify Desktop Video 12.9 or later; monitoring hardware sits outside this form’s checks.
Studio AI and background rendering need separate checks
The Studio 21.1 readme adds conditions beyond the base application, and 21.1.1 keeps them. 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 and never averages the two. An 8 GB GPU can meet the base graphics line yet miss the listed advanced-AI requirement, which is why Fusion and AI are separate choices. The Arm section doesn't publish equivalent feature-specific memory lines, so those Studio checks remain unresolved on Arm. The checker won't borrow the x86 VRAM rules for them.
What to try next
For a wider look at hardware choices, use the system requirements guide, keeping this tool’s dated build scope in mind. If the machine meets the listed checks but the Edit page struggles, try a proxy workflow. A specific memory error needs the GPU memory troubleshooting guide; another green compatibility badge won't fix it. Other browser utilities live in Tools and calculators.
This form doesn't inspect CPU generation, codec licensing, plugins, sustained storage speed, temperatures or laptop power limits. It doesn't identify third-party monitoring hardware either. 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 on this page. It doesn't inspect hardware, request a diagnostic file, run a benchmark or save the form answers in a URL or browser storage. That statement covers the form itself and makes no claim about analytics elsewhere on the website.
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 all stay untested. Try a representative project before you rely 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, and 21.1.1 lists the same. An Intel Mac doesn't meet that listed baseline. Check the readme of an older compatible build separately; this checker doesn't certify older releases.
Can DaVinci Resolve use integrated graphics?
The Windows x86 readme allows integrated or discrete graphics when the memory, API and driver conditions are met. Linux requires a discrete GPU. Don't add system RAM to VRAM, and don't 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, so the checker never invents a pass.
What if the checks pass but playback is slow?
A listed minimum doesn't measure performance. Test the actual codec and effects, try proxies for editing, look at the specific error if one appears, and compare representative benchmarks before you decide 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 its own requirements. When both are selected, the checker applies the higher relevant floor; 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, so run the check again. Changing platform resets hardware answers to Not sure, and Reset restores the starting form with no verdict.
