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The basic hardware requirements for Windows Vista are as follows:
Processor (CPU)
As a
general guideline, any mid-range and better
processor from Intel or AMD will provide optimal user experience when
running Windows Vista. Both Intel and
AMD are starting to ship dual-core processors - excellent choices
for Windows Vista. The current x64 CPUs from Intel and AMD are also
great choices for Windows Vista because they will run 32-bit and 64-bit
Windows
Vista equally well, and we anticipate a move to 64-bit by the time
Windows Vista
ships.
Memory
Windows
Vista will run on a minimum 512 MB of RAM, although more advanced users
will want
1 GB of memory. Opt for dual-channel configurations, i.e.
2x512MB (same brand & speed) instead of 1x1024MB, and leave
memory slots for future upgrades.
Graphics
Windows
Vista requires support for Windows Display Driver Model (WDDM) to take
full advantage of the new eye candy, such as
the AERO Glass look; you can turn-off the eye candy and gracefully
throttle down to the current Windows XP UI. Still, you should only
consider a GPU that supports DirectX 9, has AT LEAST 64
MB memory, and includes a separate PCI Express or AGP slot to ensure
sufficient
bandwidth to support the enhanced graphics of Windows Vista.
If
integrated graphics is unavoidable, look for chipsets that support WDDM, e.g. Intel's
945G or ATI's RS400 or RS480 chipsets. Consider dual channel UMA solutions and 1 GB of system
memory.
When choosing a notebook,
you may have to trade-off better graphics for thin and
light portables. Exactly which mobile chipsets will be fully supported
is still uncertain. The best you can do now is to get a notebook with a
dedicated graphics card and supports WDDM.
Storage
Windows Vista will feature new capabilities for digital
image processing, and those capabilities will require an even larger
hard disk. So while a large hard disk is a good idea, the ability to add additional hard disks later is even more important.
Because the hard disk is
generally the slowest core element in your PC, you can get improved
performance by upgrading to new technologies, e.g. SATA drives with
8 MB cache and Native Command Queuing (NCQ) over 7200 RPM and 2 MB
cache EIDE drives.
For more information, please read Windows Vista Capable & Premium Ready PCs.
Back to: Windows Vista FAQs
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