System Requirements

System Requirements and File Compatibility

File Compatibility

FCS Express can read listmode (FCS) data files from all manufacturers. FCS Express currently supports FCS Version 1 to FCS Version 3.2*.

FCS Express can read data files that were acquired on a Macintosh or Windows operating system. Simply transfer the files to the computer on which you are running FCS Express (either via the network, cloud storage, flash drive, CD, or any other method) and FCS Express will be able to load the data.

In addition to being able to load the raw listmode data from any instrument, FCS Express can also import the analysis/acquisition settings (gates, plots, markers, quadrants, etc) from the BD FACSDiva™ and the BD Accuri C6™ flow cytometers.

*Please note that FCS 3.2 compatibility will be found in FCS Express 7.18.0021 or higher.

To learn more, expand a section below to learn the requirements for each component.

System Requirements

Operating System

Windows: FCS Express 7 can run on Windows 10/Windows 11.
- 32-bit FCS Express will run in a 32-bit or 64-bit environment.
- 64-bit FCS Express will run in a 64-bit environment.
- Why choose 64-bit over 32-bit?
  - Computers running 64-bit applications generally have more resources, such as power or memory, that are available to them, compared to their 32-bit counterparts.
  - If you are analyzing large data files, or large datasets, and your computer is running a 64-bit operating system, a 64-bit application is recommended.
Mac:
- If using FCS Express 7:
  - macOS 13.3 (Ventura) or greater is compatible with FCS Express v7.18.0015 or greater.
  - macOS 13.1 & 13.2 (Ventura) are supported thru FCS Express v7.16.0046.
    - Stage Manager, a new feature introduced in macOS Ventura, is properly supported in FCS Express 7.20.0020 or higher.
  - macOS 10.13 (High Sierra) through macOS 13.2.x (Ventura) is supported from 7.12.0009 thru 7.16.0046.
  - If using macOS Monterey 12.3. and more recent Monterey releases, FCS Express 7 v7.12.0009 or higher is compatible.
  - macOS 12.2.1 (Monterey) is supported with FCS Express versions 7.12.0005, 7.12.0007, and higher.
  - ARM-based Macs (M1 & M2 Apple Silicon) are supported with FCS Express 7.10.0007 and later when used with macOS 11.6 or higher.
  - Updates can be downloaded from here.
- macOS is not compatible with our Network license.
- FCS Express Version 6 is not compatible with macOS Catalina (10.15) or higher.

Processor

There is no minimum processor requirement.
However, the "better" the processor, the more responsive FCS Express will become. This is important to consider, especially if your analysis will consist of:
- large datasets
- spectral data
- high dimensional data reduction tools, such as tSNE, FlowSOM, UMAP, etc.
For starters, a "better" processor will consist of:
- more cores,
- more logical processor capability,
- an increased clock speed, or frequency, of the CPU. Many of the modern processors on the market will have a frequency measured in gigahertz or GHz.
Please note that a higher spec'd CPU will be advantageous if the live updating feature is enabled.
FCS Express takes advantage of many features that are available in higher-end Intel Chips. For optimum performance, use the newest generation processors. For example, an i7 will significantly outperform an i5 even if the number of cores and clock speed of the processors are equivalent. Also, a Desktop processor can perform better than a Laptop processor.
FCS Express can take advantage of all cores in the computer. While not required, a multi-core computer will be significantly faster than a single-core computer for many functions.

Memory

FCS Express itself requires very little memory. The amount of memory you need is determined primarily by the size and number of data files that you are going to be analyzing at the same time. As a general rule, we suggest as much memory as possible.
FCS Express (32-bit) (PC Only) can use up to 3 GB of memory on a 32-bit Windows system, and 4 GB of memory on a 64-bit Windows system.
FCS Express (64-bit) (PC and Mac) can use up to 128 GB on 64-bit machine.
Please visit our detailed memory requirements page for details on out of memory messages and details on how to allocate more memory.