# Half-Life 2 gone gold?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/half-life-2-gone-gold/261947
**Category:** Cafe Society
**Created:** [August 28, 2004, 2:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/half-life-2-gone-gold/261947 "2004-08-28T14:29:25Z")
**Posts on this page:** 9
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Muad\_Dib](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Muad_Dib)
#### Post date: [August 28, 2004, 2:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/half-life-2-gone-gold/261947/1 "2004-08-28T14:29:25Z")
[Looks like it may finally be time to buy a new video card.](http://games.slashdot.org/games/04/08/28/1319257.shtml?tid=204&tid=206&tid=10)
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### Author:  [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)
#### Post date: [August 28, 2004, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/half-life-2-gone-gold/261947/2 "2004-08-28T14:56:32Z")
Do you know the minimum specs? I promised to help my younger brother look for a new computer next month and I **know** he really really wants this game, so I’d like to keep them in mind. (I know that anything he can afford will need a new video card to go with it)
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### Author:  [@Muad\_Dib](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Muad_Dib)
#### Post date: [August 28, 2004, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/half-life-2-gone-gold/261947/3 "2004-08-28T15:50:43Z")
I have heard that the minimum specs are insanely low. Something like 600 Mhz for the processor.
Whatever you get should be fine.
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### Author:  [@Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tapioca_Dextrin)
#### Post date: [August 28, 2004, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/half-life-2-gone-gold/261947/4 "2004-08-28T17:56:43Z")
> [@elfkin477](#):
>
> Do you know the minimum specs?
From [here](http://www.eurogamer.net/article.php?article_id=56017) which is quoting the boss of Valve software.
> [@](#):
>
> Taking time out to post on HL2Fallout’s forums last week, Newell said that the minimum spec would be a 1.2GHz powered PC with 256MB RAM, Win 98/ME/2000/XP and a DirectX 7 compatible graphics card.
>
> But for those who want to see the game running in all its glory, be prepared to spec up to around a 2.4 GHz machine, with 512MB RAM, Windows 2000/XP and a DirectX 9 capable graphics card.
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### Author:  [@Murcielago](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Murcielago)
#### Post date: [August 28, 2004, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/half-life-2-gone-gold/261947/5 "2004-08-28T18:25:21Z")
Gamespot is reporting that the gold announcement was [a hoax.](http://www.gamespot.com/pc/action/halflife2/news_6106035.html) Supposedly, Gabe Newell’s account password at the forum in question was set simply as “gaben,” allowing someone to easily post under his name. Apparently security continues to be priority #1 at Valve.
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### Author:  [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)
#### Post date: [August 29, 2004, 3:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/half-life-2-gone-gold/261947/6 "2004-08-29T03:08:06Z")
Is there a set release date for this game yet? The Sims 2 release date was given my Maxis late May and it only went gold last week. That article made it seem like there’s no date yet, so it wouldn’t go gold before then, would it?
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### Author:  [@Teelo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Teelo)
#### Post date: [August 29, 2004, 4:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/half-life-2-gone-gold/261947/7 "2004-08-29T04:20:03Z")
What does ‘Going Gold’ mean?
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### Author:  [@Murcielago](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Murcielago)
#### Post date: [August 29, 2004, 4:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/half-life-2-gone-gold/261947/8 "2004-08-29T04:37:35Z")
It simply means the game is complete, finalised, and ready for mass production.
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### Author:  [@Muad\_Dib](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Muad_Dib)
#### Post date: [August 29, 2004, 4:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/half-life-2-gone-gold/261947/9 "2004-08-29T16:34:10Z")
> [@Murcielago](#):
>
> It simply means the game is complete, finalised, and ready for mass production.
I belive that it refers to the old method for making records, where there would be a master copy set in gold that all other records would be cast from.