Windows 8 is currently the last operating system (OS) released by Microsoft. It is installed on modern computers that meet the hardware requirements stated by the developers. To install this OS, the computer must meet the above criteria - only in this case the system will function correctly.
System requirements
Windows 8 has requirements that can be compared to the requirements of the previous version of the system - Windows 7. Thus, if you are installing Windows 8 on a computer on which version 7 was installed, you can be sure that the installation will be successful and you can take advantage of all the features offered by Microsoft in the new OS.
To work comfortably in Windows 8, you need a processor that runs at a minimum frequency of 1 GHz or higher. The amount of RAM in the computer must be at least 1 GB if you are installing a 32-bit version of the OS, and at least 2 GB when loading a 64-bit system. Most modern computers support 64-bit Windows, which has better performance. However, it should be noted that if your computer has less than 4 GB of RAM, using a 32-bit system is unjustified and will not affect the speed of Windows in any way.
For faster system functioning, it is desirable to have two cores in the processor.
Before installing the system, you should have about 16 GB of free space on your hard disk. In case you are installing a 64-bit system, it will take 20 GB to unpack the installation files. The requirements for the graphics adapter to work with the system are not high - it is enough for the video card to be compatible with DirectX 9, i.e. almost any card issued in the last 6-8 years will do.
Additional system requirements
However, to successfully run the latest games, you may need a newer video card that is compatible with versions of DirectX 10 and 11. You can find information on the support of your video card for the required technologies in the documentation for your computer or on the website of the adapter manufacturer. To access the system functions, it is also important to have certain parameters. So, the screen resolution of the device on which the OS is installed must be at least 1024x768 pixels for comfortable work with the Metro interface.
To date, the most current version of Windows 8 is Windows 8.1.
You can check the compliance of your computer with the stated Microsoft requirements using a special utility created by the company. To do this, go to the official Windows website in the section "Help" - "Installation" - "Can my computer work under windows 8.1?" From the list of options, select Upgrade Assistant and download the required files. Run the downloaded executable file. Using the intuitive interface of the utility, check your system for compliance with the requirements of Windows 8.
