What Hardware to do you Need to Allow Vista to Operate Efficiently
More RAM memory or a new video card might be nice
What do you really need to make vista run
To make Vista’s new bells and whistles work properly requires more powerful hardware for your computer.
Microsoft’s previous versions of Windows limited the user’s ability to adjust OS (operating system) performance in any useful way, Windows Vista takes care of this by analyzing the components on your computer and automatically turning off features your computer doesn’t have the ability to handle efficiently. Don’t let this improved flexibility in control fool you, it’s still a good idea to know what sort of performance you can expect before you buy and install Vista, so Microsoft has published two types of system requirements for Vista: Windows Vista Capable and Windows Vista Premium Ready. Vista ready is a lower tier of requirements necessary for Vista to operate efficiently, just not the advanced features like Aero Interface’s 3D graphics which require a more robust system. Windows Vista Premium Ready is the higher set of computer specifications necessary to run Vista’s premium features.
Because of this you won’t need the newest video card or the fastest processor just to run Vista, but you may not be able to use all its new features unless your computer meets the rather hefty Vista Premium Ready system requirements. In this hub well cover Vista’s two tiers of system requirements and demonstrate how to test if your computer can run Vista efficiently.
When a program lists both system requirements and recommendations, it’s a safe bet that you need to meet the recommended specifications if you want to use the software effectively. If a computer meets the system requirements of Vista Premium Ready – no matter which edition you may choose – Vista should run correctly, and you should get to experience the full capabilities of the Aero interface (such as real-time thumbnail previews in the Taskbar). Microsoft defines a Vista Premium Ready computer as having at least a 1GHz processor (32- or 64-bit); 1GB of RAM memory; a DirectX 9-capable graphics card with 128MB of onboard memory and a WDDM (Windows Display Driver Model) driver, as well as support for Pixel Shader 2.0 and 32 bits per pixel color depth; a 40GB hard drive with 15GB of free space; a DVD-ROM drive; and Internet access. If a computer doesn’t have at least 512MB of memory and 15GB of space, Vista won’t even install. In addition, Vista comes on a DVD instead of a traditional CD, so if you don’t have a DVD-ROM drive you will have to seek alternate routes, fortunately, you can order CD’s from Microsoft online at www.microsoft.com/windows/products/windows/vista/buyorupgrade/ordercd.mspx. We recommend that if you invest in the Vista Business, Vista Home Premium, or Vista Ultimate editions you should consider Vista Premium Ready system requirements as the base capability your system will need to adequately run Vista.
The best part of the Vista experience is the Aero interface, but a computer that only just reaches the Vista Capable tier will only display the standard interface, which may look similar to the Aero interface but without any of the neat effects. If your computer meets the Vista Capable requirements it’s a good candidate for either Vista Home Basic edition, which doesn’t include the Aero interface or other hardware-intensive features, or to be upgraded for use with more powerful versions of Vista. If your unsure whether you’re PC can handle Vista or which version suits your current hardware, we suggest you download and install the Windows Vista Upgrade Advisor from www.microsoft.com/windows/products/windowsvista/buyorupgrade/upgradeadvisor.mspx and then click the Download Windows Vista Upgrade Advisor link.
Things to do before you decide to migrate over to Vista
The Windows Vista Upgrade Advisor scans a PC to see if it can handle Vista’s system requirements, determine which Vista edition is best for your computer, and provide hardware upgrade recommendations. Note the Upgrade Advisor doesn’t work on computers that run versions of Windows older than Windows XP Service Pack 2. When you head over to the link above select your connection type using the Download Size drop-down menu and then click the Download button and select Run. Once the tool finishes downloading, the Windows Vista Upgrade wizard will appear to lead you through the installation process, if Advisor doesn’t launch following installation, click the Start button, select All Programs, and click Windows Vista Upgrade Advisor, then click the Start Scan button (which should be your only option). It took about three minutes for the Advisor to load when we tried it, once it’s finished, click the See Details button to see how your system stacked up.
The very top of the screen will indicate if your computer can load and run Vista and which version the Advisor recommends for your system to run Vista efficiently. If the Advisor reports your system as being inadequate, examine the results under System Requirements to determine what components are holding you back from Vista heaven, the Advisor will point out specific problems with your systems hardware in the Action Required column. Once finished with the Upgrade Advisor we suggest you delete the program from your computer, by clicking the Start button, selecting Control Panel, and choose Add Or Remove Programs. Then select the Windows Vista Upgrade Advisor from the list and click the remove button to remove from your computer.
Well that’s it for another hub on Microsoft’s newest baby Vista for now. Join us next hub as we will discuss a few ways to tweak the OS to help it run more efficiently. Until next time, happy hubbing!
