It is now more than 5 years since Microsoft® released Windows XP™ and the next generation, Windows Vista™ is due for release in November 2006 for business users and
early 2007 for the home market. Windows Vista™ redefines the way we search, view and manage files but not suprisely it needs alot more horsepower and if you want to experience
the brand new Aero interface, which provides spectacular visual effects, then you will need to look at the Home Premium or Business versions.
If you are planning to install Vista™ then you will need to determine whether you have enough memory and you will also need to consider the additional memory requirements
if you intend to also use the new 'Aero' features, which provide an enhanced visual experience.
How much memory will I need ?
Microsoft® will be releasing two main versions for the Home Market (Vista Home Basic™ and Vista Home Premium™) and two main versions for the business market
(Vista™ Business and Vista™ Ultimate). The main difference between the two home versions is the Aero interface, which is only included in the Premium version and
enhances the user experience by adding features such as glass-like interface elements that you can see through.
The minimum requirements provided for Windows XP™ were really inadequate and Microsoft® have provided minimum requirements for Windows Vista™ that are more realistic.
For Vista Home Basic™, the minimum requirement is 512MB and for the other versions 1GB. Therefore if you want to take advantage of the 'Aero' features you will need at
least 1GB. Our research and experience though has shown that 512MB for Vista Home Basic™ and 1GB for the other versions is really not enough and you should really consider
1GB and 2GB respectively for optimal performance. Also remember that this minimum requirement does not consider any other applications you are using, therefore for example if you
are using desktop publishing type software then you will need to take into account the memory utilised by this software in order to identify your total memory requirements.
Buying a new PC with Windows Vista™
If you are buying a new PC then it is almost certainly more expensive to buy additional memory from the manufacturer than OFFTEK. If the amount of standard memory is not
adequate then we recommend checking our memory configurator and then comparing the price with the PC manufacturer. You will almost certainly save money and depending on the amount
of additional memory required, the amount saved can be significant.
Is my PC Vista™ Ready?
Use the information below to determine if you PC is capable of running Windows Vista or whether you need to upgrade.
Microsoft® recommends
these hardware requirements: a CPU of 800MHz or faster; 512MB of system
memory; a DirectX 9-capable graphics processor; and a 20GB hard drive with
15GB free space.
Microsoft® recommends
these hardware requirements: which includes the Aero capability,
Microsoft® recommends this minimum system configuration: a 1GHz or
faster 32-bit (x86) or 64-bit (x64) CPU; 1GB of system memory; a dedicated
graphics card with at least 128MB of graphics memory; a 40GB hard drive
with 15GB free space; and a DVD-ROM drive.
Microsoft® recommends
these hardware requirements: which includes the Aero capability,
Microsoft® recommends this minimum system configuration: a 1GHz or
faster 32-bit (x86) or 64-bit (x64) CPU; 1GB of system memory; a dedicated
graphics card with at least 128MB of graphics memory; a 40GB hard drive
with 15GB free space; and a DVD-ROM drive.
Microsoft® recommends
these hardware requirements: which includes the Aero capability,
Microsoft® recommends this minimum system configuration: a 1GHz or
faster 32-bit (x86) or 64-bit (x64) CPU; 1GB of system memory; a dedicated
graphics card with at least 128MB of graphics memory; a 40GB hard drive
with 15GB free space; and a DVD-ROM drive.
Will My PC Be Able to Run Windows® Vista™?
Home Basic
Home Premium
Business
Ultimate
Processor
800Mhz
1GHz
1GHz
1GHz
System Memory
512MB
1GB
1GB
1GB
GPU
Direct X 9 Capable
Direct X 9 capable*
Direct X 9 capable*
Direct X 9 capable*
Graphics Memory
32MB
128MB
128MB
128MB
HDD
20GB
40GB
40GB
40GB
HDD Free Space
15GB
15GB
15GB
15GB
Optical Drive
CDROM
DVDROM
DVDROM
DVDROM
*Direct X 9 capable GPU with Hardware Pixel Shader v2.0 and WDDM Driver support
