According to a page on the Microsoft Web site, "there is no reason to wait till Microsoft launches Windows Vista before you deploy PCs." The company then lays out the following guidelines for what constitutes a Vista capable PC:
- A "modern" Intel, AMD, or Via CPU.
- 512 MB of RAM or more.
- A DirectX 9-class 3D graphics card.
Such a system will provide what Microsoft calls a "good" experience with Windows Vista, though it may not provide you with the high-end Aero Glass user interface. For a better experience, the company recommends a graphics processor that supports the new WDDM (Windows Display Driver Model) technology. Such systems will enjoy "enhanced graphics stability, multi-application performance and monitor hot-plugging" when compared to Windows XP, Microsoft says. For the best experience, Microsoft recommends DirectX 9-class graphics hardware that supports WDDM and Pixel Shader 2.0 technologies, and 64-256 MB of dedicated video RAM, depending on screen resolution (64 MB of video RAM is appropriate for 1280 x 1024 or less, 128 MB is fine for 1920 x 1200 or less, while 256 MB is required for higher resolution displays).
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