Can Your Desktop Run Windows 7?

You might be running Windows XP or Vista right now, but you want to run Windows 7 when it appears later this year. You think you're running a decent system right now, but will it run Windows 7?


If your desktop is running Microsoft Windows Vista OS, particularly Home Premium (which most consumer desktops that shipped beginning in January 2007 do), it already most likely meets the current requirements of Windows 7. If the desktop runs Vista Home Premium, it will run Windows 7.


For non-Vista systems you can download the Upgrade Advisor to see if your PC qualifies. To give you a little more detail, to run Windows 7 your laptop must have the following:

A processor rated at 1 Gigahertz or faster
Even low-powered cheap desktop PCs will have at least a 1.6GHz processor these days, and likely have 2.0GHz or faster CPUs. Unless it's one of those specialized low-powered PCs that are made to work in ATMs or Kiosks, just about any desktop PC you're still using has a 1GHz or faster processor. If it's got a dual core or quad core processor, you're all set.


1GB of RAM (2GB for 64-bit Windows 7)
If you bought your system in 2008 or later, you're almost guaranteed to have at least 1GB of RAM. Even in 2006 and 2007, only the cheapest PCs had 512MB or less. Just to be safe however, dropping in a $40 1GB DIMM or two will help if you like to keep a lot of windows open.

At least 16GB of storage space (20GB for 64-bit Windows 7)
If you have a desktop bought since 2001, you'll have at least a 20GB hard drive. If your desktop has less than 20GB total space at this point, it's time to recycle it. If you have a system with less than 20GB of free drive space, consider buying a new drive, installing Windows 7 on the new drive, and of course backup your old drive.


A DX9-compatible graphics card, with the WDDM 1.0 driver
A desktop with an ATI or nVidia chipset is a really good sign that it'll run Windows 7, but make sure you have the latest graphics driver handy. Better yet, look for the words "HD" or "PureVideo" somewhere on the packaging or cardmaker's Website. You want better graphics mainly for Web video, rather than games. If your desktop has an empty AGP graphics card slot, consider a new PC.

The majority of desktop PCs bought since 2006 should be able to run Windows 7 fine, particularly if you bought with future-proofing in mind. If your PC is older than 2004, then you should run the Upgrade Advisor to test your system. Microsoft's tool will let you know if you need a minor upgrade (more hard drive space, more memory, discrete graphics), or if it's a lost cause (too slow processor, older integrated graphics with no upgrade slot). Remember, there's no shame if you keep XP running or maybe try out Linux to freshen up that old system.