Windows8 Minimum System Requirements

To run Windows 8, Microsoft recommends using a computer or device that has at least:

▪    1 GHz or faster processor

▪    1 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 10 or higher driver

However, this is the bare minimum required for Windows 8 to run, and there are a few caveats you need to be aware of:

▪    Windows 8 apps have a minimum 1024 × 768 screen resolution. If you attempt to run the new Windows 8 apps with less than this resolution (e.g., 800 × 600, 1024 × 600), you’ll receive an error message.

▪    To use the snap feature with the new Windows 8 apps, you must have a minimum resolution of 1366 × 768. Therefore, it is best to use Windows 8 on a display that has at least this level of resolution. The higher the maximum supported resolution, the

better.

▪    Using Windows 8 on a single-core processor running at 1 GHz is possible but won’t be a great experience. Using at least a dual-core processor running at 1 GHz (proces- sors that were sold from 2006 onward) is recommended. Windows 8 is optimized

to work better than Windows 7 with modern processors. Therefore, the newer the processor, the smoother the experience.

▪    Using the 32-bit version of Windows 8 on a system with 1 GB of RAM will work, but the experience won’t be great. For a smooth experience, using at least 2 GB of RAM,

regardless of the Windows 8 version you are using, is recommended.

▪    The 16 GB or 20 GB (depending on the version) of space you must have available on your hard disk is the bare minimum for installing and using Windows 8. If you plan to install many apps and games, having at least 25 GB or more for the partition on

which Windows 8 is installed is recommended.

▪    Using Windows 8 on solid state disks (SSDs) instead of traditional hard drives will provide a huge performance increase. You will enjoy the fastest start procedure ever experienced with a Windows operating system. Also, the apps and games will launch

much faster than with traditional hard disk drives.

If you plan to install Windows 8 by yourself, read Appendix C, “Installing and Upgrading to Windows 8.” It provides clear, step-by-step instructions for installing and upgrading to Windows 8.