DarkhoIlow:
Yeah, I don't think I need an i7 to run this at maxxed settings. My i5 OC'ed to 4.5Ghz will do just fine.

I'm quite surprised the recommended requirements aren't higher. 4 GB seems an awful small ammount, I would of expected at least 6-8.

It's a 32 bit program I'd guess, 32bit software can only read and use 4GB regardless of how much you have in the computer.

my current system cant handle even the minimum specs, however the system i plan to buy next month and got most of the money for already will outperform recommended by a generation. Good, means i can once again use it for 5 years without trouble and run anything i want.

Xan Krieger:
I fall at the first hurdle, my OS can't handle it.
Minimum System Requirements

OS: Windows Vista with platform update
Using windows XP, fuck

you really want to upgrade from XP if you are using your PC for gaming. Dont get me wrong, i love XP and i still thing it was the best looking OS ever made, but it simply is no longer supported. It cant do DirectX 10-11.1. This is why this game cannot run on XP - it no logner supports the legacy DirectX 9 and runs on a more powerful 11 variant (hence why vista upgrade packet, as pre-upgrade vista can only run 10). and more games are going this way. Most games released from now will no longer support XP i fear so you really should think about upgrading. I suggest 7, takes a while to get used to but its quite comfortable. I dont suggest 8, rather wait for 9 instead as that seems to be "8 except fixed".
Not to mention most hardware manufacturers dropped driver support for XP quite a while ago.

Snowbell:
OS: Windows Vista with platform update
Ok, I'm safe here

CPU: High-performance dual core CPU or quad core CPU
Intel i3? I have no idea what that means

RAM: 4 GB
I have 3GB...

Graphics Card: AMD Radeon 4800 series / Nvidia GTS 250
GeForce GT 240, does that mean I fail?

DirectX: DirectX 10
What even is this?

HDD/SSD: 20 GB
Well I don't have a SSD but at least I have plenty of space to spare!

So, I'm guessing I probably wouldn't be able to play this. And that I have no knowledge whatsoever of computer firmware/hardware, huh.

Ill try to provide some explanation.
i3 is a new like of Intel CPUs that are pretty much controlling the market (well i3/i5/i7). They use different architecture which allows them to actually do more while remaining at same power. i3 is the dualcore variant, i5 is quad-core variant and i7 is 6-8 cores usually. thing to notice about the "i" variant is that they are more pwoerful than regualr cores, meaning for example a i3 with 2 cores would actually work as fast as 3 regular cores, and due to less number of cores its easier to code for. AMD only solution was to increase amount of cores (you can find 16 core CPUs from them), which didnt work that well since noone wanted to program for so many cores. the i generations also offer variuos increase (and problems) but i wont get into that now)
tl;dr you need a powerful CPU for that, preferably intel one.

3 GB of ram likely wont be enough and cause you problems, thought if it is a 32 bit program (can maximum use 3.6 GB due to technical limitation) you may not be in that bad of a shape here.

Sadly yes, that means you fail as far as graphical card requirement goes. But do not despare, requirements are sometimes not precise and the difference isnt that big, so it may just run afterall.

directx is, to put simply, a helper program. You said you are good in OS department so you will have directx 11+ very likely already, which supports diretx 10 programs (the game likely runs both anyway). the people that have to worry about that are people running XP or old Vista versions.

You dont NEED a SSD to run any game. SSD will make game load faster and textures stutter less in some games, but every game is definatelly playable on a HDD.

Strazdas:
my current system cant handle even the minimum specs, however the system i plan to buy next month and got most of the money for already will outperform recommended by a generation. Good, means i can once again use it for 5 years without trouble and run anything i want.

Xan Krieger:
I fall at the first hurdle, my OS can't handle it.
Minimum System Requirements

OS: Windows Vista with platform update
Using windows XP, fuck

you really want to upgrade from XP if you are using your PC for gaming. Dont get me wrong, i love XP and i still thing it was the best looking OS ever made, but it simply is no longer supported. It cant do DirectX 10-11.1. This is why this game cannot run on XP - it no logner supports the legacy DirectX 9 and runs on a more powerful 11 variant (hence why vista upgrade packet, as pre-upgrade vista can only run 10). and more games are going this way. Most games released from now will no longer support XP i fear so you really should think about upgrading. I suggest 7, takes a while to get used to but its quite comfortable. I dont suggest 8, rather wait for 9 instead as that seems to be "8 except fixed".
Not to mention most hardware manufacturers dropped driver support for XP quite a while ago.

Snowbell:
OS: Windows Vista with platform update
Ok, I'm safe here

CPU: High-performance dual core CPU or quad core CPU
Intel i3? I have no idea what that means

RAM: 4 GB
I have 3GB...

Graphics Card: AMD Radeon 4800 series / Nvidia GTS 250
GeForce GT 240, does that mean I fail?

DirectX: DirectX 10
What even is this?

HDD/SSD: 20 GB
Well I don't have a SSD but at least I have plenty of space to spare!

So, I'm guessing I probably wouldn't be able to play this. And that I have no knowledge whatsoever of computer firmware/hardware, huh.

Ill try to provide some explanation.
i3 is a new like of Intel CPUs that are pretty much controlling the market (well i3/i5/i7). They use different architecture which allows them to actually do more while remaining at same power. i3 is the dualcore variant, i5 is quad-core variant and i7 is 6-8 cores usually. thing to notice about the "i" variant is that they are more pwoerful than regualr cores, meaning for example a i3 with 2 cores would actually work as fast as 3 regular cores, and due to less number of cores its easier to code for. AMD only solution was to increase amount of cores (you can find 16 core CPUs from them), which didnt work that well since noone wanted to program for so many cores. the i generations also offer variuos increase (and problems) but i wont get into that now)
tl;dr you need a powerful CPU for that, preferably intel one.

3 GB of ram likely wont be enough and cause you problems, thought if it is a 32 bit program (can maximum use 3.6 GB due to technical limitation) you may not be in that bad of a shape here.

Sadly yes, that means you fail as far as graphical card requirement goes. But do not despare, requirements are sometimes not precise and the difference isnt that big, so it may just run afterall.

directx is, to put simply, a helper program. You said you are good in OS department so you will have directx 11+ very likely already, which supports diretx 10 programs (the game likely runs both anyway). the people that have to worry about that are people running XP or old Vista versions.

You dont NEED a SSD to run any game. SSD will make game load faster and textures stutter less in some games, but every game is definatelly playable on a HDD.

I intend to build a new computer this year, I know I'm behind the times but getting the money to build a new one is hard when you're too disabled to work. It killed me this weekend when I saw both Company of Heroes 2 and Saints Row 4 having a free weekend on steam and I couldn't play either. It's actually why I hope to get Assassins Creed 4 on the xbox 360 for my birthday next month, I'd prefer it for the PC but again I'm using XP so I'm screwed :(

So either this thing runs like garbage to justify these settings or it is eye wateringly beautiful and they've made a game engine that utilizes multicores like a boss.

or they just released random specs for recommended that they think would indicate to PC gamers that this is a graphically intensive game.

I'm going with the last option myself I expect the recommended settings is something someone just threw together rather than test it on a wide range of computers to determine the actual recommended specs to run the game at it's highest settings.

Xan Krieger:
I intend to build a new computer this year, I know I'm behind the times but getting the money to build a new one is hard when you're too disabled to work. It killed me this weekend when I saw both Company of Heroes 2 and Saints Row 4 having a free weekend on steam and I couldn't play either. It's actually why I hope to get Assassins Creed 4 on the xbox 360 for my birthday next month, I'd prefer it for the PC but again I'm using XP so I'm screwed :(

i can understand that. I spent the last 7 months saving for a new PC as well and its going to be bought next month only.
One thing to note is that perhaps you should hold your Xbox purchases if you want to buy a PC, because as you are aware games for PC is cheaper and will make up the difference easily. Unless you know where to buy Xbox games for 10 dollars. Especially considering you know full well you need that upgrade and you prefer it as you say.

synobal:
So either this thing runs like garbage to justify these settings or it is eye wateringly beautiful and they've made a game engine that utilizes multicores like a boss.

or they just released random specs for recommended that they think would indicate to PC gamers that this is a graphically intensive game.

Judging from past events its likely the last option, thought we saw plenty of the first option. As far as the second one goes, crytek are the only ones i saw pull that off.

Well im above reccomended specs, wether or not the game is worth playing or a total pile of action-oriented crap with the name 'Thief' hastily pasted on its steaming body is another matter entirely...