For the first time in years, Microsoft Windows will demand more memory
Those with older or low-end PCs might need to upgrade to run the upcoming Windows Anniversary Update.
- Shankland covered the tech industry for more than 25 years and was a science writer for five years before that. He has deep expertise in microprocessors, digital photography, computer hardware and software, internet standards, web technology, and more.
Even super cheap laptops like the 2015 HP Stream have 2GB of RAM nowadays.
That Windows 7 PC you got back in 2009 is powerful enough to handle Microsoft's latest operating system -- but that could change, because Microsoft is increasing its minimum system requirements.
The upcoming Windows 10 Anniversary Update will need a minimum of 2GB of memory, according to a Microsoft developer page. That was the minimum already required for 64-bit versions of the operating system, but Microsoft previously required only 1GB of memory for the 32-bit version.
As with the requirements for Windows 7 and later, the software also requires a processor running at a speed of at least 1GHz; a graphics system supporting Microsoft's DirectX 9 interface; and 16GB of spare storage for the 32-bit version and 20GB free for the 64-bit version.
The new Windows 10 version, aka Build 1607, is expected to arrive on July 29, a year after Windows 10 debuted. Changes include improvements to the Cortana voice assistant and the Hello login feature, an emphasis on stylus support through a feature called Windows Ink, and the addition of the All Apps category to the Start menu. Windows is a rarity on mobile devices, but it remains a strong force on personal computers.