Datasheet

Chapter 1
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Installing Windows 7
12
Hardware Requirements
Before you can insert the Windows 7 DVD and install the operating sys-
tem, you first must make sure that the machine’s hardware can handle
the Windows 7 operating system.
To install Windows 7 successfully, your system must meet or exceed
certain hardware requirements. Table 1.2 lists the requirements for a
Windows 7–compatible PC.
Table 1.2: Hardware Requirements
Component Requirements
CPU (processor) 1 GHz 32-bit or 64-bit processor
Memory (RAM) 1 GB of system memory
Hard disk 16 GB of available disk space
Video adapter Support for DirectX 9 graphics with 128 MB
of memory (to enable the Aero theme)
Optional drive DVD-R/W drive
Network device Compatible network interface card
NOTE The hardware requirements listed in Table 1.2 were
those specified as of this writing. Always check Microsoft’s
website at
www.microsoft.com/windows7 for the most current
information.
The Windows 7–compatible PC must meet or exceed the basic
requirements to deliver the core functionality of the Windows 7 operat-
ing system. These requirements assume that you’re installing only the
operating system without any premium functionality. For example,
you may be able to get by with the minimum requirements if you’re
installing the operating system just to learn the basics of the software.
Remember, the better the hardware, the better the performance.
Besides the basic hardware requirements that are needed to install
Windows 7, the requirements for the graphic card depend on the resolu-
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