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System Requirements for Different Windows


Windows 8 (Metro) system requirements

Windows 8 Release Preview works great on the same hardware that powers Windows 7:
  • Processor: 1 gigahertz (GHz) or faster
  • RAM: 1 gigabyte (GB) (32-bit) or 2 GB (64-bit)
  • Hard disk space: 16 GB (32-bit) or 20 GB (64-bit)
  • Graphics card: Microsoft DirectX 9 graphics device with WDDM driver
Additional requirements to use certain features:
  • To use touch, you need a tablet or a monitor that supports multitouch.
  • To access the Windows Store and to download and run apps, you need an active Internet connection and a screen resolution of at least 1024 x 768.
  • To snap apps, you need a screen resolution of at least 1366 x 768.
  • Internet access (ISP fees might apply)

Windows 7 system requirements

If you want to run Windows 7 on your PC, here's what it takes:
  • 1 gigahertz (GHz) or faster 32-bit (x86) or 64-bit (x64) processor
  • 1 gigabyte (GB) RAM (32-bit) or 2 GB RAM (64-bit)
  • 16 GB available hard disk space (32-bit) or 20 GB (64-bit)
  • DirectX 9 graphics device with WDDM 1.0 or higher driver
Additional requirements to use certain features:
  • Internet access (fees may apply)
  • Depending on resolution, video playback may require additional memory and advanced graphics hardware
  • Some games and programs might require a graphics card compatible withDirectX 10 or higher for optimal performance
  • For some Windows Media Center functionality a TV tuner and additional hardware may be required
  • Windows Touch and Tablet PCs require specific hardware
  • HomeGroup requires a network and PCs running Windows 7
  • DVD/CD authoring requires a compatible optical drive
  • BitLocker requires Trusted Platform Module (TPM) 1.2
  • BitLocker To Go requires a USB flash drive
  • Windows XP Mode requires an additional 1 GB of RAM and an additional 15 GB of available hard disk space.
  • Music and sound require audio output

Windows XP system requirements


These are the minimum requirements for basic functionality. Actual requirements vary, depending on the system configuration and the programs and features that you choose to install. If you are installing Windows XP over a network, you may need additional available hard-disk space.

The minimum hardware requirements for Windows XP Home Edition are:
  • Pentium 233-megahertz (MHz) processor or faster (300 MHz is recommended)
  • At least 64 megabytes (MB) of RAM (128 MB is recommended)
  • At least 1.5 gigabytes (GB) of available space on the hard disk
  • CD-ROM or DVD-ROM drive
  • Keyboard and a Microsoft Mouse or some other compatible pointing device
  • Video adapter and monitor with Super VGA (800 x 600)or higher resolution
  • Sound card
  • Speakers or headphones

The minimum hardware requirements for Windows XP Professional include:
  • Pentium 233-megahertz (MHz) processor or faster (300 MHz is recommended)
  • At least 64 megabytes (MB) of RAM (128 MB is recommended)
  • At least 1.5 gigabytes (GB) of available space on the hard disk
  • CD-ROM or DVD-ROM drive
  • Keyboard and a Microsoft Mouse or some other compatible pointing device
  • Video adapter and monitor with Super VGA (800 x 600) or higher resolution
  • Sound card
  • Speakers or headphones

Windows Vista system requirements

If you want to run Windows Vista on your PC, here's what it takes:
  • 1 gigahertz (GHz) 32-bit (x86) or 64-bit (x64) processor
  • 1 gigabyte (GB) of system memory (512 megabytes (MB) for Home Basic)
  • 40 GB hard drive with at least 15 GB of available space (20 GB for Home Basic)
  • Support for DirectX 9 graphics with WDDM and 128 MB of graphics memory (32 MB for Home Basic)
  • DVD-ROM drive
  • Audio Output
  • Internet access (fees may apply)
Additional requirements:
Actual requirements and product functionality may vary based on your system configuration.
While all editions of Windows Vista can support multiple core CPUs, only Windows VistaBusiness, Ultimate, and Enterprise can support dual processors.
Minimum requirements:
  • 800 megahertz (MHz) processor and 512 MB of system memory
  • 20 GB hard drive with at least 15 GB of available space
  • Support for Super VGA graphics
  • CD-ROM drive
Product functionality and graphics may vary based on your system configuration. Some features may require advanced or additional hardware.