What’s An Adequate PC For Windows 7?

It has been reported that Windows 7 will run on a box with a single core 1GHz processor. Should you run the upcoming OS on something that slow? No. Heck, even people with XP wouldn’t want that.

Many of you out there will be upgrading to Windows 7 once released and I will be one of them. You may be wondering if you have to upgrade your hardware.

Basically put, if you’re still running a single core, you should upgrade to dual or more. Your video card should be at least 512MB and the RAM a minimum 2GB.

Is it expensive to buy a box like this? Not in the slightest.

If you go to Dell Outlet Store, sort by price (where the lowest is listed first) then go forward a few pages, you’ll see a multi-core box with 2GB RAM can be had for under $300 easily. Sometimes you’ll even find a quad-core in there under the $300 mark. Yes, it will come with Vista, but you’ll be ready when Windows 7 is released.

With building your own, Newegg’s CPU & Motherboard combos take a lot of the guesswork out of whether a particular processor will work with a particular motherboard. You buy a combo, get your board and proc and know they will work. Prices vary quite a bit. You can go as low as $130 or go over $1000. All the offerings I could see were for multi-core CPUs.

To note, you don’t have to go with a combo. You can still purchase individually. You might find your own combo that does the job and shaves off some cost compared to the predefined combos.

After you add in the RAM, video card, hard drive and other parts and accessories, you can still stay under $300 relatively easily.

Currently, that’s what you’ll spend on a new box that will run Win 7 easily, not including monitor. When I did the math, both building and buying resulted in roughly the same cost. You can shave off some more cost by swapping parts out of your existing PC into the new one, but if you’re going to go new you might as well do it all the way.

Doing it the Dell way is for those that don’t feel like building a box. Doing it the build way gives you many more options for hardware.

No matter which you choose to go with, I do advise to at least start thinking about putting a new box together now for when Windows 7 is released.

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http://kkomp.com Sharron Field
In a few cases it is possible to stay with the same motherboard and yet upgrade the processor from single to dual-core. See here for an example.
In most cases, however, and due to aging hardware, it would probably be better to build or buy a new box.
Dave
I’m running win7 64 bit beta on an older MB in a 25GB partition with 1GB PC3200 ram and an AMD 64bit single core proc. I had to run my wireless dongle in “signed drivers disabled” and in xp32 compatibility mode. I found a small program that runs the wireless usb adapter dll in test mode which by-passes the need to disable signed drivers every time I boot. I have live desktop running and nothing else tweeked and it runs fine the way I usually use a PC (not too many windows open at once). I like it and may even buy it when it comes out in August (also, when the beta expires). I am planning an upgrade though because new components are now less expensive than legacy.
http://missvirtualreality.blogspot.com Miss Virtual Reality
Thats nice to know, thanks for sharing. I love the fact that Dell has some low priced laptops!
Joseph Villines
Here is my new build for Window 7, I am currently beta testing the 32-bit versus. Runs great
Bill Shoff
I’m running the 32bit version of Windows7 RC on a Foxconn MB, Pentium 4 3.0gb, and 1.5 gb of 333mhz memory with no problems except that it cannot maintain a steady wireless connection to my Belkin54g router. I only use a pc for email and net surfing so I’ll stick with a single core cpu.
http://kkomp.com Sharron Field
It’s interesting to note that Windows Seven runs well on some hardware up to 5 years old: The problem here is that such hardware, at least with regard to a processor of that age, is that it will probably only be 32-bit capable and therefore you’ll only be able to run a 32-bit version.
What’s wrong with that? Absolutely nothing; except that you’ll be limited with regard to the amount of RAM that you can use with it. The computer that I’m writing this on has a dual-core processor, runs 32-bit XP, and has 2GB DDR2 RAM. That’s great for what I use this particular computer for, namely office work, and also watching the odd DVD occasionally via the 512MB graphics card.
If I wanted to run RAM-hungry apps, then the most RAM I’d be able to get this machine to see is <4GB. 32-bit operating systems cannot see more than that. If more were needed I fortunately have my Windows Seven RC box on standby running 64-bit Win 7 with 8GB DDR2 300MHz RAM. I could install a virtually unlimited (6.4 exabytes) amount of RAM on it if I could afford to do so and if I had a motherboard the size of a football-field.
In the future, as time goes by, I think that <4gb RAM won’t be enough to run all the desired apps of some users. (Maybe it’ll do for laptops and netbooks; but desktops probably not.) Therefore I suggest that those of us that have 64-bit-capable hardware bite the bullet and install 64-bit Windows Seven – Therefore hopefully sounding the death-knell to 32-bit operating systems.
In fact Windows and some old Linux distros are the only reason why 32-bit operating systems are still around today. Mac hardware is all 64-bit these days without exception. Most new Linux distros are 64-bit or have a 64-bit version. It’s Windows that clings to 32-bit the most. – And while there’s a 32-bit version of the latest Windows version available; guess what retailers are going to pre-install onto new 64-bit capable machines? Yes; the 32-bit version. This is seriously limiting the machine; although I do see it from the retailers’ perspective: If they pre-install 32-bit and you want or need 64-bit at any time in the future then there’s a sales opportunity opens up that they can hopefully take advantage of. – However, like I said, this severely limits the machine.
I’m hoping that Windows Seven’s successor is only made available in a 64-bit version: Then, apart from a few old Linux distros on the surviving few 32-bit-only capable machines, 32-bit operating systems will be all but dead and buried. – And not before time either.
franz
well here in the philippines you can buy generic pc’s buy hardware one by one and assemble them it is more cheaper than to buy a branded PC… i have a standard specs of pc it is 50% Cheaper.
http://kkomp.com Sharron Field
Just one more thing: I’m now a proud owner of Windows 7 Home Premium and I’m running the 64-bit version on my box that was previously running the RC.
I quote Rich here: “Your video card should be at least 512MB and the RAM a minimum 2GB.”.
Well I’ve been running a cheapo nVidia 256MB graphics card (7200 SE) with both the RC and now with the RTM. Whilst it’s probably at the very base-level of the minimum specs required for Win 7, it nevertheless manages the aero glass effect without any problems. I do know that it works with a 256MB 6200 TC also, but I wouldn’t expect much performance from anything less.
2GB RAM should be enough to run the 32-bit version with, and the 64-bit version will start with 2GB. – While 2 GB should be OK for most 32-bit general users, I’d recommend at least 3GBs, hopefully more like 4GBs, if running the 64-bit version.