aero minimum requirments

hi there
i keep seeing different info regarding the minimum system requirements to run windows aero.
some say it's 64mb of graphics card memory, others claims it's 128, and even seen a 32mb requirment.
what is the right one for the test?

thanks

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Shaye

Also regarding the upgrade from windows 2000 to vista, it's so confusing.
I know you are eligible for an upgrade copy, but can u do a direct upgrade or not? Microsoft's website says u must perform a clean install or upgrade to windows xp first and then to vista.

really need to confirm these....

macdude

A quick google search will turn up this site:

http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windows-vista/get/system-requirements.aspx

Shaye

On that site it says u need at least 128mb of graphics memory for aero to work (e.g Home Premium / Business / Ultimate), on the other hand - on microsoft official course books it says u need 64mb.
see why i am being confused here?

Mishra

Shaye wrote:

On that site it says u need at least 128mb of graphics memory for aero to work (e.g Home Premium / Business / Ultimate), on the other hand - on microsoft official course books it says u need 64mb.
see why i am being confused here?

I looked up the book
"MCTS Self-Paced Training Kit (Exam 70-620): Configuring Windows Vista Client
by Ian McLean and Orin Thomas "
on books24x7 and found

"DirectX-capable graphics card with a Windows Display Driver Model (WDDM) driver, Hardware Pixel Shader 2.0 support, and a minimum of 128 MB of graphics memory. Graphics cards with lower specifications might work, but it will not be possible to use Windows Aero."

What book are you using and what page are you seeing that on?

Shaye

I am using Microsoft Official Course - 5115A - Installing and configuring the windows vista operating system. Page 3-6, inside the table.

Mishra

Shaye wrote:

I am using Microsoft Official Course - 5115A - Installing and configuring the windows vista operating system. Page 3-6, inside the table.

Just stick with 128mb.

Shaye

And are you 100% sure that this is the answer?
Even if you look up the tech notes of techexams:
http://www.techexams.net/technotes/70-620-vista/windows-aero.shtml
you will see that the minimum is now 64mb

Another essential requirement is the amount of graphics memory. Although some systems with 32MB may be able to run Aero, officially you need:
- 64 MB for a single monitor at a resolution lower than 1,310,720 pixels (1280x1024 and lower)
- 128 MB for a single monitor at resolutions from 1,310,720 to 2,304,000 pixels
- 256 MB for a single monitor at a resolution higher than 2,304,000 pixels

Anyone done this test lately and can confirm this?

skrpune

even if someone did get this question on the test, they wouldn't know what answer is right (you're not told what you get right/wrong) and technically they'd be violating the NDA by telling you about a specific test question...

Anywho, I busted out my notes & the MS Press book, and here's what I found:
- page 4, Identifying Hardware Requirements, Graphics Card: "...a minimum of 128 MB graphics memory"
- page 129, Configuring & Troubleshooting Windows Aero: "Minimum of 64 MB graphics memory Although Aero displays on a computer with 64 MB of graphics memory, it can display only low resolutions. "

SO, the absolute minimum is 64 MB, but the recommended minimum is 128 MB or more so you can get better resolution.

Mishra

"Graphics Card

Windows Vista has two graphics interfaces: the basic interface and the more advanced Windows Aero interface. Windows Aero is more aesthetically pleasing, but Windows Vista is still fully functional if using only the basic interface. The minimum requirement to run the basic interface is a graphics adapter that is DirectX 9 capable. You can find information on whether a graphics adapter is DirectX 9 capable on the vendor’s website or on the product packaging. To run Windows Aero, a graphics adapter needs:

DirectX 9 capacity

A WDDM Driver

Hardware Pixel Shader 2.0

32 bits per pixel

A minimum of 128 MB graphics memory"

This is in the most latest book AND on the Microsoft website itself. Maybe they have changed it at some point but I really think it is 128mb.

dynamik

Shaye, that information is from here: http://windowshelp.microsoft.com/Windows/en-us/help/c33fe91a-9e6f-41f4-ae82-3ed2d5fa2fbf1033.mspx

Microsoft wrote:

Check that your computer meets the minimum hardware requirements for running Aero:

1-gigahertz (GHz) 32-bit (x86) or 64-bit (x64) processor

1 gigabyte (GB) of random access memory (RAM)

128-megabyte (MB) graphics card

Aero also requires a DirectX 9 class graphics processor that supports a Windows Display Driver Model Driver, Pixel Shader 2.0 in hardware, and 32 bits per pixel.

For best results, you might also want to follow these graphics processor recommendations:

64 MB of graphics memory to support a single monitor with a resolution that is less than 1,310,720 pixels (for example, a 17–inch flat panel LCD monitor that has a 1280 × 1024 resolution)

128 MB of graphics memory to support a single monitor with a resolution from 1,310,720 to 2,304,000 pixels (for example, a 21.1–inch flat panel LCD monitor that has up to a 1600 × 1200 resolution)

256 MB of graphics memory to support a single monitor with a resolution greater than 2,304,000 pixels (for example, a 30–inch wide-screen flat panel LCD monitor that has up to a 2560 × 1600 resolution)

If I were you, I'd learn the information I bolded in the quote above. I don't think they're going to delve into the differences between resolutions. However, now that we've talked about it this much, you should already have it down pat, right?

Mishra

Microsoft's site

http://windowshelp.microsoft.com/Windows/en-US/Help/c33fe91a-9e6f-41f4-ae82-3ed2d5fa2fbf1033.mspx

Check that your computer meets the minimum hardware requirements for running Aero:
•
1-gigahertz (GHz) 32-bit (x86) or 64-bit (x64) processor
•
1 gigabyte (GB) of random access memory (RAM)
•
128-megabyte (MB) graphics card

Aero also requires a DirectX 9 class graphics processor that supports a Windows Display Driver Model Driver, Pixel Shader 2.0 in hardware, and 32 bits per pixel.

For best results, you might also want to follow these graphics processor recommendations:
•
64 MB of graphics memory to support a single monitor with a resolution that is less than 1,310,720 pixels (for example, a 17–inch flat panel LCD monitor that has a 1280 × 1024 resolution)
•
128 MB of graphics memory to support a single monitor with a resolution from 1,310,720 to 2,304,000 pixels (for example, a 21.1–inch flat panel LCD monitor that has up to a 1600 × 1200 resolution)
•
256 MB of graphics memory to support a single monitor with a resolution greater than 2,304,000 pixels (for example, a 30–inch wide-screen flat panel LCD monitor that has up to a 2560 × 1600 resolution)

j938

on the test it will be minimum is 128 MB for aero