With each Windows operating system update, the minimum hardware requirements necessary to provide a satisfactory user experience have increased . This has been done in accordance with the technical evolution of devices, allowing, in most cases, the use of older hardware to run the latest software.
The technical requirements for Windows 10 were a pleasant surprise, as they were remarkably affordable. All that was needed was a computer with a 32-bit processor, 1 GHz clock speed, 1 GB of RAM, a graphics card compatible with DirectX 9, and 15 GB of internal storage. The next system update will require an improvement in these specifications, most notably the RAM, which will increase from 1 GB to a minimum of 2 GB.
The next major Windows 10 update, scheduled for July 29th and dubbed Anniversary Update, promises to raise the minimum system requirements for smooth operation on home computers. While the system will still allow installation, these requirements must be met for a proper user experience. This change will particularly affect hardware manufacturers (especially laptop manufacturers), who will need to update their devices to accommodate the upcoming upgrade.
Specifically, starting with the next update, Windows 10 will require 2 GB of RAM to function correctly . In addition, security features will be incorporated, focusing on the new Trusted Platform Module (TPM) 2.0 security platform , designed for cryptographic purposes and disk encryption. While versions 1.2 and 2.0 of this platform are currently supported, with the new update only version 2.0 will be fully functional in Windows 10.
Another change that will also take effect is related to device screen size . Until now, Windows 10 Mobile could run on phones and tablets with screens up to 7,9 inches, and the desktop version on screens 8 inches and larger. From now on, the mobile version will support screens up to 9 inches, and the desktop version will support screens at least 7 inches in size.
Finally, Microsoft updated Windows Mobile to support the Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 chip, but only with 32-bit architecture. This excluded devices running on 64-bit ARM processors. However, company representatives indicated that a 64-bit ARM compiler was currently under development , so support for these processors is expected by the end of the year.