Windows 10 System Specs

[GoodBytes]

The general rule is if your computer is Windows 8 ready, you are good for Windows 10. If you have Windows 7, you may want to do a quick check to ensure the best Windows 10 experience, but you should be good nonetheless, especially if you bought your computer in Windows 8 release window, and decided to put Windows 7.

But in the case you wonder, Microsoft shared today the system specification to operate Windows 10:

Processor: 1 gigahertz (GHz) or faster processor or SoC

RAM: 1 gigabyte (GB) for 32-bit or 2 GB for 64-bit

Hard disk space: 16 GB for 32-bit OS 20 GB for 64-bit OS

Graphics card: DirectX 9 or later with WDDM 1.0 driver

Display: 1024x600

I say operate, as we obviously are talking about minimum specs to get the OS running OK.

As we can see, Windows 10 requirement specs are low, which is great for low powered devices like low end Windows powered tablets and laptops, and old systems.

Now the above is just the basics requirement. This is the rest:

• Cortana is only currently available on Windows 10 for the United States, United Kingdom, China, France, Italy, Germany, and Spain.
• Speech recognition will vary by device microphone. For better speech experience you will need a:
  • High fidelity microphone array
  • Hardware driver with Microphone array geometry exposed
• Windows Hello requires specialized illuminated infrared camera for facial recognition or iris detection or a finger print reader which supports the Window Biometric Framework.
• Continuum is available on all Windows 10 editions by manually turning “tablet mode” on and off through the Action Center. Tablets and 2-in-1’s with GPIO indicators or those that have a laptop and slate indicator will be able to be configured to enter “tablet mode” automatically.
• Music and Video stream through the Xbox Music or Xbox video available in certain regions. For the most up to date list of regions, please go to Xbox on Windows website.
• Two factor authentication requires the use of a PIN, Biometric (finger print reader or illuminated infrared camera), or a phone with WiFi or Bluetooth capabilities.
• Device Guard requires:
  • UEFI Secure Boot with 3rd party UEFI CA removed from the UEFI database
  • TPM 2.0
  • Virtualization Support configured on by default in the System Firmware (BIOS)

    Virtualization extensions (e.g. Intel VT-x, AMD RVI)

    Second Level Address Translation (e.g. Intel EPT, AMD RVI)

    IOMMU (e.g. Intel VT-d, AMD-Vi)

  • UEFI BIOS configured to prevent unauthorized user from disabling Device Guard hardware security features
  • Kernel mode drivers need to be Microsoft signed and compatible with hypervisor enforced code integrity
  • Only available on Windows 10 Enterprise
• The number of applications that can be snapped will depend upon the minimum resolution for the application.
• To use touch, you need a tablet or a monitor that supports multi-touch (more info)
• Microsoft account required for some features
• Internet access (ISP fees might apply)
• Secure boot requires firmware that supports UEFI v2.3.1 Errata B and has the Microsoft Windows Certification Authority in the UEFI signature database
• Some IT administrators may enable Secure Logon (Ctrl + Alt + Del) before bringing you to the log in screen. On tablets without a keyboard, a tablet with the Windows button maybe required as the key combination on a tablet is Windows button + Power button.
• Some games and programs might require a graphics card compatible with DirectX 10 or higher for optimal performance
• BitLocker To Go requires a USB flash drive (Windows 10 Pro only)
• BitLocker requires either Trusted Platform Module (TPM) 1.2, TPM 2.0 or a USB flash drive (Windows 10 Pro and Windows 10 Enterprise only)
• Client Hyper-V requires a 64-bit system with second level address translation (SLAT) capabilities and additional 2 GB of RAM (Windows 10 Pro and Windows 10 Enterprise only)
• Miracast requires a display adapter which supports Windows Display Driver Model (WDDM) 1.3, and a Wi-Fi adapter that supports Wi-Fi Direct
• Wi-Fi Direct Printing requires a Wi-Fi adapter that supports Wi-Fi Direct and a device that supports Wi-Fi
• Direct Printing

  To install a 64-bit OS on a 64-bit PC, your processor needs to support CMPXCHG16b, PrefetchW, and LAHF/SAHF

  InstantGo works only with computers designed for Connected Standby

  Device encryption requires a PC with InstantGo and TPM 2.0.

Source: http://www.neowin.net/news/windows-10-here-are-the-system-requirements

[terrytek]

It's surprisingly lenient specs wise, but what the features require are actually pretty advanced. my q6600 doesn't have some of those features. darn.

[AlexGoesHigh]

i hate how region locked cortana will be on launch, i hope they expand that list soon and fast

[terrytek]

i hate how region locked cortana will be on launch, i hope they expand that list soon and fast

well, it takes time for Cortana to speak and hear some of these languages, so it's not exactly easy per se.

[RatedBlam]

well, it takes time for Cortana to speak and hear some of these languages, so it's not exactly easy per se.

I guess that's a thing too but I live in a country where English is an obligatory subject in an obligatory school.

So why not just have in available in English for everyone.

[Bouzoo]

The general rule is if your computer is Windows 8 ready, you are good for Windows 10. If you have Windows 7, you may want to do a quick check to ensure the best Windows 10 experience, but you should be good nonetheless, especially if you bought your computer in Windows 8 release window, and decided to put Windows 7.

 

 

Erm... isn't 8 (8.1) less demanding than 7?

[AlexGoesHigh]

well, it takes time for Cortana to speak and hear some of these languages, so it's not exactly easy per se.

then label speech on beta or something, you can do everything by typing it which is how i use it

[GoodBytes]

Erm... isn't 8 (8.1) less demanding than 7?

Yes. But drivers. And if you have Windows 7 system with Starter edition or something, or installed it on an old system already... might be a problem. Remember that GPU power is important in Windows 10, as even more things are GPU rendered. (Basically Start menu, notification panel, nearly all Windows programs (Music, Video, Calculator, etc). So if you have a GeForce 6600GT 128MB say... well you might have driver issues under Windows 10, and possibly, maybe, performance issues. So you want to do a quick check on that.

[DeScruff]

I guess that's a thing too but I live in a country where English is an obligatory subject in an obligatory school.

So why not just have in available in English for everyone.

My guess would be accents? Specially since certain accents put emphasis on different syllables creating a completely new sound.

[RatedBlam]

My guess would be accents? Specially since certain accents put emphasis on different syllables creating a completely new sound.

I guess it might make testing and things easier for Microsoft to allow the easier to understand accents. 

But I'm still a bit salty on this as I had to change my Lumia phone to USA everything to get Cortana, but it understands my accent just fine.

[Doobeedoo]

Basic requirements are pretty good! But the rest ones, wow

[Warcony]

Sucks that Cortana isn't available in Canada. I know you can get it working by changing the region to US but as far as I know, most of the localization features don't work.

[bcredeur97]

All my systems are way over the required specs. CPU specs are interesting because you could get away with a modern cpu clocked under 1GHz but you can't get away with an old CPU clocked under 1GHz. They should word that better, maybe put in instructions or something because old CPUs dont support AVX(for example)

[Techhog]

All my systems are way over the required specs. CPU specs are interesting because you could get away with a modern cpu clocked under 1GHz but you can't get away with an old CPU clocked under 1GHz. They should word that better, maybe put in instructions or something because old CPUs dont support AVX(for example)

Yeah, especially since Core M exists. This makes it look like most Core M computers can't run Windows 10, while most Atom-based computers can. (Yes, I know about turbo)

[Eniqmatic]

I guess that's a thing too but I live in a country where English is an obligatory subject in an obligatory school.

So why not just have in available in English for everyone.

In the beta I believe it was locked to US, however changing your location to US fixed it, I guess you could do this. I can't see it would have that much of a negative affect on anything else?

[RatedBlam]

In the beta I believe it was locked to US, however changing your location to US fixed it, I guess you could do this. I can't see it would have that much of a negative affect on anything else?

I did that on my phone. The thing is now it defaults some things unchangeably to US things(Damn US spell checking). And some apps, like the one from my bank doesn't work if my location is USA.

[elfensky]

I'm just really sad that the integrated face recognition will require a special spatial camera, I hoped for across the board support, like KeyLemon does.

 

Let me not get started on the regional-locking of Cortana... I WOULDN'T WANT A DUTCH CORTANA ANYWAY! If I ever use it I'll be talking English to it... *sigh* And if I change my region, some apps don't work well anymore, like @RatedBlam mentioned... So sad

[Sidiox]

Well fuck the cortana thing then....

Just give me the English version I DO NOT want the Dutch version. It will be less functional when and if released and I simply don't like to use my computer in Dutch.

I can understand that it doesn't work in Dutch yet but just give me the option to use the English version....

[elfensky]

Well fuck the cortana thing then....

Just give me the English version I DO NOT want the Dutch version. It will be less functional when and if released and I simply don't like to use my computer in Dutch.

I can understand that it doesn't work in Dutch yet but just give me the option to use the English version....

 

Man I understand you so well... While I do understand MS from a certain point of view - the dutch version will probably have local support, like searching dutch tv stations and whatnot, I still want to talk to it in English.

I had similar problems with Google Now, just a lot less severe.

[RedRound2]

What the hell Microsoft?

 

I was looking forward to ask cortana to do stuff while I'm on the bed, but NO you have to region lock it. Apple and Google never seemed to have this problem with their personal assistants. Sure I get that it doesn't have many languages supported, but at least make the available languages available in every damn part of the world!!

 

I was also looking forward to Windows hello facial recognition but derp I need an infrared camera now

[elfensky]

What the hell Microsoft?

 

I was looking forward to ask cortana to do stuff while I'm on the bed, but NO you have to region lock it. Apple and Google never seemed to have this problem with their personal assistants. Sure I get that it doesn't have many languages supported, but at least make the available languages available in every damn part of the world!!

 

I was also looking forward to Windows hello facial recognition but derp I need an infrared camera now

 

Will just any IR camera work? I thought it had to be that specific Intel one... Cuz if so, I could use Sony's PlayStation Eye, it has infrared as far as I remember... Now if I can only find those fan-made drivers for it I back-up-ed back in the day...

[razor767]

Still takes up a quite lot of storage then.

[Guest]

Will just any IR camera work? I thought it had to be that specific Intel one... Cuz if so, I could use Sony's PlayStation Eye, it has infrared as far as I remember... Now if I can only find those fan-made drivers for it I back-up-ed back in the day...

 

I am also curious about the infrared camera. The PS Eye does have infrared, but I believe you need to modify/remove a filter in order to make it only infrared.

[RH00D]

Still takes up a quite lot of storage then.

 

Depends how you configure your installation and how much space you want to have free afterwards. The actual OS itself takes around 7.8 GB I believe. But then you will have the Page File which is typically set to 1.5x the amount of RAM you have. So the more RAM you have the less free available space you'll end up with, unless you manually change this setting to be lower or off. Windows also no longer requires a separate recovery image either so that frees up a bit. You can read the details here: http://blogs.windows.com/bloggingwindows/2015/03/16/how-windows-10-achieves-its-compact-footprint/

 

I think they just say 20 GB for a buffer and because if you installed with a drive smaller than that Windows would fit, but you'd have next to no free space left over for files and apps so what good is that lol.

 

But yeah if you were ever curious, you can create a virtual machine with a 10 GB hard drive, then install Windows to it. I remember I tried that with Windows 7, installed it to a VM with 10 GB hard drive and had like 2.3 GB free space after install.

[razor767]

Depends how you configure your installation and how much space you want to have free afterwards. The actual OS itself takes around 7.8 GB I believe. But then you will have the Page File which is typically set to 1.5x the amount of RAM you have. So the more RAM you have the less free available space you'll end up with, unless you manually change this setting to be lower or off. Windows also no longer requires a separate recovery image either so that frees up a bit. You can read the details here: http://blogs.windows.com/bloggingwindows/2015/03/16/how-windows-10-achieves-its-compact-footprint/

 

I think they just say 20 GB for a buffer and because if you installed with a drive smaller than that Windows would fit, but you'd have next to no free space left over for files and apps so what good is that lol.

 

But yeah if you were ever curious, you can create a virtual machine with a 10 GB hard drive, then install Windows to it. I remember I tried that with Windows 7, installed it to a VM with 10 GB hard drive and had like 2.3 GB free space after install.

Good to know, thanks.