Windows Vista will bring some high requirements, especially compared to Windows XP. Exactly how high isn’t certain yet, but now Microsoft has at least started with aiding the consumers with finding a PC capable of running the next generation operating system. It has namely released a document that reveals what a Windows Vista capable PC really is. The specifications are rather shallow though and the only security you get as a consumer that the PC really is Windows Vista Capable is a logotype and then, worst case scenario, it can only handle the basic version of Vista. The minimum requirements for a Windows Vista Capable PC are as follows;
:: Be able to competently run Windows XP
:: A modern CPU
:: A minimum of 512MB of RAM
:: A DirectX 9 class graphics processor
:: Optionally support Windows Display Driver Model (WDDM) to take advantage of Vista’s improved graphics
That is the recommended system for those who want “good” performance, but for those who wants “better” this is what you need;
:: DirectX 9 class graphics hardware that supports WDDM and Pixel Shader 2.0
:: A minimum of 32 bits per pixel
:: Appropriate graphics memory for specified monitor resolutions expressed as total pixels (X dimension multiplied by Y dimension)
:: Graphics memory bandwidth, as assessed by Windows Vista’s built in system assessment tool WinSAT.EXE, of at least 1,800MB/s at 1,310,720 pixels on a desktop and at the native resolution on a mobile PC
Microsoft has not finalized the specifications for Vista but the final recommendations will be tuned the coming months. Although, now regular users will be able to get some help with chosing a Vista capable PC.
Source: Microsoft
Via: Ars Technica
