System Requirements to Run Windows Vista

When a new operating system is released, it always comes with a 'minimum' set of hardware system requirements. For example you have a CPU that is ...GHz, and you have ...GB of RAM, etc.

Minimum system requirements generally only enough to basically allow the OS to boot. If you want the system to be usable, then you will need more hardware. For example, minimum system hardware requirements to run the basic version of Windows Vista are:

• 800MHz or faster CPU
• 512MB of RAM or more
• Your graphics card needs to support DirectX v9.

If you want to run Aero, which is part of the Windows Vista's Premium version. Then the minimum system requirements are different:

• 1GHz or faster CPU [32-bit (x86) or 64-bit (x64)]
  
• 1GB of RAM or more
• DirectX v9 capable 3D graphics card, with 128MB of graphics memory.
• 15GB free space on your hard drive.
• DVD-ROM Drive

If you don't know what Aero is, it's the new Windows Vista subsystem that offers an extra graphic rich environment, such as transparent menus and 3D looking graphical elements.

Personally I would recommend the following hardware requirements to get the best experience from Windows Vista:

• 3GHz or faster 64-bit CPU
  
• 2GB of RAM or more
• DirectX v9 capable 3D graphics card, with 256MB or more of graphics memory.
• 30GB free space on your hard drive.
• DVD-ROM Drive
• Broadband Internet access.
• Sound card w/speakers