FIRST STEP
Before you start HYDRA for the first time, check that your PC meets these requirements: supported hardware, Windows, BIOS settings and drivers.
Windows 10 · 11 x64
Hardware desktop PCs only
Updated 30 Oct 2026
Supported hardware
HYDRA supports desktop hardware only. Laptop processors and laptop graphics are not supported.
| Part | Supported | Not supported |
|---|---|---|
| Processor | AMD Ryzen desktop processors and APUs on Zen 3, Zen 4 and Zen 5 | Laptop processors; Zen 2 and older |
| NVIDIA graphics | Desktop GeForce RTX 2000 series and newer: RTX 2000, 3000, 4000, 5000 | Laptop GPUs; GTX and older |
| AMD graphics | Desktop Radeon RX 6000 series and newer: RX 6000, 7000, 9000 | Laptop GPUs; RX 5000 and older |
| Memory | DDR4 and DDR5 desktop modules | Laptop modules (SO-DIMM) |
NoteSome features need a newer generation, for example NVIDIA XOC UNLOCK or NVIDIA TENSOR UNLOCK. Each page says which cards it supports.
Windows
- Windows 10 or Windows 11, 64-bit.
- Run HYDRA as administrator.
- Keep all CPU cores and SMT (simultaneous multithreading) enabled.
- Install the latest Microsoft Visual C++ Redistributable (x64). Without it, monitoring and HYDRA's own processes do not work.
BIOS / UEFI
- Enable CPPC, CPPC Preferred Cores, Core Performance Boost and Cool & Quiet. HYDRA uses CPPC to rank the cores.
- Leave CPU LLC (Load-Line Calibration) on Auto.
- The BIOS, chipset driver and graphics driver versions do not matter, but newer versions are recommended.
Graphics driver
Install the graphics driver cleanly: remove the old one with Display Driver Uninstaller, then install the new one.
Before a SCAN
- Make sure your memory is stable before you run a CPU diagnostic.
- Do not work, watch videos or play games while a diagnostic runs.
- Close third-party monitoring tools. They can change the sensor readings HYDRA relies on.
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