[davidmanze]

Well Dave, although this software is a game changer when it comes to noise, if your computer isn't fast  enough, it's a pain to use: expect  time anywhere between 5 minutes and as long as 20 minutes maybe more per photo, not really practical if you have many photos unless you don't mind leaving your computer editing overnight...

My computer is fairly reasonable ...... SSD ... processor  windows score 7.1 ........ 1 Gb graphics card 7.8 ... 16Gbs of RAM  7.8 ....... processor 7.6 ......  3.6 Ghz ...... the only hang up is the USB 3 sockets corrupt ..... apparently Gigabite motherboard had a FW update that stopped them from working ... Gigabite offered a corrective FW that never appeared !

  you guys know more about computer speeds than I ...... does it sound fast enough ??

No idea anymore with Windows 7 systems. Microsoft stopped with those statistics after Win 7.

Of course, processors have advanced quite a bit since then too.

Personally I am running a big workstation, with Windows 10 Workstation Pro, which was built to my own specs, to last a long time and absolutely never overheat, with the best parts available, about 2 years ago. It was faster than anything I had ever used before, but there is nothing that becomes the norm as quickly as computer speed. Officially, I could overclock it without problems by a factor 2 almost, but I prefer for it to last the 5 years I need for my tax write-off .

The biggest advantage is that I can run 4 4K screens if I want to (my 3 screens of which 1 is 4K is good enough for me right now), many applications simultaneously, which is really useful, especially with 3 screens, without it breaking out a sweat.

I had a Win 7/Win 8/Linux machine before this one, off-the shelf high speed 7-series processor, while I always had custom-built machines before that (used to build them myself, but gave up on that about 8 or 9 years ago due to lack of time, just do occasional hardware tweaks if and when required). As a result, however, I will never buy another off-the-shelf desktop PC ever again. The parts just don't last . If you're happy to run it until warranty gives out, that's fine, but I use my machine 12 to 24 hours a day, so it was worth the investment.

However, I'd honestly suggest that if your machine is still up-to-date with it comes to drivers for Win 10, do yourself a favour and move on from Win 7. The risk is just not worth it. Just get Classic Start Menu if you want a Win 7 look-and-feel - it is free, and works extremely well. Been using it for years now .

Kind regards, Wim

  One of the things that put me off Windows 10 is it's commercial persona when ever I have used someone else's computer ....... I hated using it !! ....... so if I went 10 I would need that Classic start .....
  
   I bought the computer used with a brand new Samsung 28" TV for 500 euros ..... it's a home assembled gaming computer ..... I add 8 Gb of RAM, it weighs two tons in a huge Kandalf case ....... the guy was obviously into big fin/ liquid cooled video cards, flashing lights and multi fans .......
  Sometime back I knew quite a few computer buffs who would put me on track if I had a problem, which I used to have regularly,  these days I hardly know anyone with a computer, let alone a tower; just a few with ipads ......
 As the computer has never done anything untoward and always works fine I've never had the incentive or desire or need to fiddle with it ....... do you see now how tempting it is to do nothing ?? (I do de-dust it occasionally)
 I think I will live with it as is for the moment and look later to find one that has all I need with working USB 3 ....... and forgo the DXO pure RAW ...... which frankly I don't need as I shoot low ISO anyway.
 
 btw .......  Just to add to your horrors .... apart from service pack 1, I have never had one windows update .......

 ........  so what's changed all of a sudden that I'm risking ??