How to read and write system requirements

Question

Hi,I have been trying to figure out how to read and write the following system requirements.System requirements:Pentium 4 1.6GHZ / Athlon XP1600+ 512 MB of RAM memory 256 MB 100% DIRECTX 9.0 compatible Graphic Card 2X Dvd-rom Drive3 GB hard disk spaceHere is my try, what do you think?Pentium 4 1.6GHZ / Athlon XP1600+=&gt;  Pentium four one point six gigahertz or Athlon XP one thousand six hundred plus512 MB of RAM memory =&gt; five hundred twelve megabytes of RAM memory256 MB 100% DIRECTX 9.0 compatible Graphic Card =&gt; a two-hundred-fifty-six-megabyte one hundred per cent directx nine point zero compatible graphic card=&gt; a two hundred fifty-six megabyte one hundred per cent directx nine point zero compatible graphic card (can I write it without hyphens?)2X Dvd-rom Drive=&gt; two times the speed of a Dvd-rom Drive=&gt; a two-time-fast Dvd-rom drive (I think this is wrong, but I just would like to say it shortly: two times fast...etc.)3 GB hard disk space=&gt; three-gigabyte hard disk space=&gt; three gigabyte hard disk space (can I write it without hyphens?)=&gt; three gigabytes [of] hard disk space (can the 'of" be omitted here informally?)The use of hyphens confuses me a lot and I am not sure whether to use or not.I would be glad to hear your take on hyphens.Thanks

AlpheccaStars · Accepted Answer

I m curious as to why you want to write this out long hand. The description as written is the usual way requirements are written. The short hand description is much clearer and more concise.

EagerSeeker · Answer

AlpheccaStars I m curious as to why you want to write this out long hand. The description as written is the usual way requirements are written. The short hand description is much clearer and more concise.

Yeah, I know it's the usual way and actually I just wanted to know how it is read by writing it down. In addition, by writing I would like to see the 'real way of writing' as some styles of writing and speech have their own special grammar rules, often because of the need to save space or time (for example. small ads and instructions often leave out articles, subject or object pronouns, forms of be and prepositions). And that, of course, confuses a lot, when you try to understand these special grammar rules against well-known rules.
So if I have the text "3 GB hard disk space" do I see that the "of" preposition is omitted here and it should be read "three gigabytes of hard disk space" or write (alternatively) "3 GBs of hard disk space". Or can I read or write "three gigabytes hard disk space" without "of" if this is also an accepted way (perhaps informal etc.) Or should it be just read and write "three gigabyte hard disk space" (I've seen also this kind of writing styles when we are talking about the units and the tens but it's clear that it's not a convenient way, especially, with the hundreds etc.) or "three-gigabyte hard disk space" (with hyphens).

EagerSeeker · Answer

What comes to the use of hyphens, I just read the following thing from my grammar book:

"Hyphens are becoming less common in modern English, and (except with very common short combinations like bathroom) it is usually acceptable to write the two words separately."

So I guess it is just a matter of taste if I want to write it, for example, in the following way

three gigabyte hard disk space
two hundred fifty-six megabyte graphics card
etc.

AlpheccaStars · Answer

When writing numbers, I would follow the rules when I write a personal bank check:
The last two digits are always hyphenated. Fifty-six, twenty-five. The "and" is before the cents:
Three hundred seventy-two dollars and thirty-nine cents.
For example I would say
A two hundred fifty-six megabyte Direct-X two-point-zero compatible graphics card.
The hyphens are glue that puts the numbers and words together in phrases, Direct-X, two-point-zero.
a one-point-six gigahertz Pentium four processor
an Athlon XP processor model one thousand six hundred or later

I would always use "of", for clarity. Some people don't
The program requires at least three gigabytes of hard disk space.
2X DVD-ROM Drive is best spoken as a "double-speed DVD-ROM drive".

EagerSeeker · Answer

Thank you AlpheccaStars for your comments. I agree that the last two digits are always hyphenated.

I see hyphens also as a way to fix a complicated sentence when changing a plural form to singular one: You can't say "I am a 22 years old guy" but with the help of hyphens it's possible "I am a 22-year-old guy".

Merry Christmas!

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