By DPA
Washington : With Microsoft’s Windows Vista operating system now on store shelves around the world, lots of PC users are wondering whether their machines are up to the task of running it.
One way to find out is to read the “minimum requirements” notes on the side of the Windows Vista box. But few take these seriously. So what do you really need in your computer to be a happy Windows Vista user?
Microsoft says that your PC should have at least a 1 gigahertz (GHz) processor, 512 megabytes of system memory (RAM) for Home Basic and 1 gigabyte (GB) for other editions, at least 15 GB of free hard drive space, and a graphics card that supports DirectX 9 and has 128 MB of onboard RAM.
Few who have used Vista for any length of time, however, would consider running it for long on such a bare-bones machine. The result would be intolerable delays, constant disk swapping (resulting in more delays), and a virtual inability to do any serious multitasking.
Here’s a quick rundown of the major system components that an ideal Windows Vista system should contain.
— The memory
You can get by with 1 gigabyte (GB) of memory (RAM) in Vista, but if you do much multitasking at all, you’ll want 2 GB. RAM is so inexpensive these days that there’s little reason not to start out right away with 2 GB of RAM, unless you’re working on a machine that won’t accept 2 GB.
But beware. The 32-bit version of Vista, which most of us will want to run, can “see” only up to 4 GB of memory. Even machines with 4 GB of RAM will not have the full 4 GB available for programs because Vista reserves some memory for system processes.
If you want more than 4 GB of RAM, you’ll need to install the 64-bit version of Vista, which comes standard along with the 32-bit version in many editions of the operating system. Just remember that you’ll run into more issues with compatibility with the 64-bit version, as not all applications and drivers have been updated to work with 64-bit Vista.
— The processor
Vista runs well on virtually every processor commonly sold in desktop and notebook computer today. That includes single, dual, and quad-core chips.
All editions of Vista support multiple core processors, but only Vista Business, Ultimate, and Enterprise editions have built-in support for more than one physical processor in the same machine.
Remember that multiple core processors sandwich two or more processors on one chip. But there are computers available that employ two separate processing chips, regardless of whether they’re single, dual, or quad core. Only Vista Business, Ultimate, and Enterprise support the latter systems.
When it comes to which processor to buy for Vista, the faster the better.
— The hard drive
Vista thrives on machines with speedy hard drives. That’s why you need to ensure that the hard drive you have in your Vista machine spins at a minimum of 7,200 revolutions per minute (rpm).
On the horizon are hybrid hard drives that incorporate large amounts of flash memory. These drives can significantly lower boot times and other disk-intensive activities that serve to slow a Vista computer.
— Graphics card
You’ll want to be sure any graphics card you have in a computer designed to run Vista has at least 128 MB of video RAM. Without that amount, you’ll likely not be able to run the Aero interface – the slick, semi-transparent look that is appealing to many. Beyond the minimum video RAM requirement, look for graphics cards outfitted with recent chipsets.
Be aware that many graphics cards are outfitted with small fans to keep the high-powered chipset cool. Those tiny fans can be the loudest component in your system. There are, however, fanless graphics cards out there that do not compromise much on performance.
Being happy with Vista means giving it the hardware that it craves. Spend the time – and money – on quality hardware up front, and you’ll spend many happy hours with Microsoft’s latest iteration of Windows.