Microsoft Windows Vista Upgrade Center

Windows Vista Memory Requirements

Windows Vista edition	Minimum Requirements	Silicon Mountain Recommends
Vista Home Basic	512 MB	1 GB
Vista Home Premium	1 GB	2 GB
Vista Enterprise	1 GB	2 GB
Vista Business	1 GB	2 GB
Vista Ultimate	1 GB	2 GB

Whether you’re a business professional interested improving efficiency, security and mobility in the workplace, or a home user and digital enthusiast searching for the ultimate multi-media experience, you might need some help making sense of the numerous upgrade choices ahead. The memory professionals at Silicon Mountain have put together this upgrade center to help you make the best decision for your particular situation.

Ready to start shopping? Use the Memory MatchMaker tool to find guaranteed compatible memory for your specific needs or see our full line of Desktops.

Making An Old Computer Ready for Vista

There’s nothing more frustrating than buying new software only to find that your computer can’t handle it. The sophistication level of software today—from operating systems, to games, to digital editing programs—is staggering and can be equally staggering to your old computer. The reality is that most of us have computers that are a few years old and while they may not seem out-dated, they just aren't equipped to run today’s power-hungry software. Such is the case with Vista.

With a host of features such as enhanced multi-media capabilities, impressive visual effects, improved integrated search functionality, and robust security protection, Vista is not a lightweight addition to your computer. In fact, even the Home Basic version of Vista is a hardware hog; it’s a complex OS and requires powerful hardware to deliver the best experience. To deliver on the promise of this feature-packed OS, boost your system with a hefty memory upgrade before installing Vista.

Get Ready for Vista with A Memory Upgrade

A Silicon Mountain memory upgrade is the easiest, least expensive way to get your system ready for Vista. If your old (or new) computer has between 512 MB and 1 GB of RAM, you’re likely to see a big improvement after a memory upgrade. And at Silicon Mountain, we put our money where our mouth is. When you order memory upgrades through our online Memory MatchMaker tool and pay with a credit card you’re instantly covered by our exclusive TotalProtection Package—not only guaranteeing OEM quality and 100% compatibility, but also guaranteeing a visible performance boost. It just doesn’t get better than that.

Not sure what kind of memory you need? Silicon Mountain makes finding the right memory upgrade for your system easy with our Memory MatchMaker tool. Simply tell us what kind of computer you have, and we’ll give you a list of guaranteed-compatible memory upgrades. We offer over 80,000 memory solutions for over 10,000 systems including the most popular Dell, HP/Compaq, Gateway, Apple, Cisco, and IBM machines.

Ready for a memory upgrade? Visit the Memory MatchMaker tool to get started.

Choosing the Right Version of Vista and the Right Amount of Memory

Microsoft® Windows® Vista™ comes in five unique versions. You’ll need to carefully choose the right option for your needs. The more sophisticated the features, the steeper the hardware requirements and the more likely you are to need a memory upgrade.

Use this handy information to help you choose the right version of Vista and the right amount of memory for you.

Windows Vista Home Basic
Just as the name suggests, this is the most basic home version of Vista featuring much of the bare-bones functionality you are familiar with from previous home versions. If you use your PC to surf the Internet and create simple documents, you’ll benefit from increased search functionality, enhanced security features, and some parental control. Keep in mind that many of the more advanced features are not available in this version.
Minimum supported system requirements: 512 MB
Silicon Mountain recommends: 1 GB

Windows Vista Home Premium
Recommended for the home with advanced computing needs, in addition to the features of Home Basic, this version caters to the multi-media enthusiast and provides new ways to interact with photos, video, TV, movies, music, games, and more. With a lot more bells and whistles than Home Basic, this version really packs a punch for your home PC.
Minimum supported system requirements: 1 GB
Silicon Mountain recommends: 2 GB

Windows Vista Business
A beefed up Windows® XP® Professional, this version is aimed at small to mid-size businesses. Featuring advances in efficiency, stability, and mobility without the multi-media extras, this version is sure to be a hit with your overworked IT manager.
Minimum supported system requirements: 1 GB
Silicon Mountain recommends: 2 GB

Windows Vista Enterprise
For large organizations with complex IT infrastructures, the Enterprise edition boasts sophisticated data encryption, multi-language support, and advanced compatibility features.
Minimum supported system requirements: 1 GB
Silicon Mountain recommends: 2 GB

Windows Vista Ultimate
As the name implies this version of Vista blends the best of Vista Business and Vista Home Premium meaning you can use your PC as a sophisticated business tool and a powerful media center too.
Minimum supported system requirements: 1 GB
Silicon Mountain recommends: 2 GB

Upgrading your Office to Vista?

We're here to help.

As an IT professional you understand the benefits of Vista but you also know just how much work will go into upgrading your company to the new OS. You’re probably already being hassled by co-workers who want to try it for themselves and you might even be feeling the heat from management itching to take advantage of some of the business efficiency and safety features Vista offers. But let’s face it, upgrading to a new OS in a business environment is a big deal. Whether you do it in stages or as a massive upgrade, it’s an expensive, time consuming, detail-heavy project.

At Silicon Mountain we know that upgrading to Vista is a hefty undertaking for your business. We also know that the preparation for this hardware-hungry OS will probably be a project in of itself and we’re here to help.

Hardware Inventory and Hardware Upgrades

Vista is being called a hardware hog, and you’ll encounter that first hand as you begin your hardware inventory process. Even the minimum system requirements for Vista are hefty compared to previous operating systems. Unless you’re working with systems purchased within the last year, you can count on some hardware upgrades.

As an IT professional, you know all to well that minimum requirements are just that: bare minimums. To save yourself the time and effort involved in maintaining a sub-par machine, you should future-proof your Vista systems with more than the minimum hardware suggested. It’s just common sense.

Microsoft created two designations for Vista-ready systems. A Windows Vista Capable system has the minimum hardware required to deliver the core Vista experience. A Windows Vista Premium Ready system is capable of delivering the premium Vista experiences, including the Windows Aero desktop interface. You’ll want to analyze how each system is used in your office to determine which set of requirements is appropriate.

A Windows Vista Capable system includes, at minimum, includes:
800MHz 32-bit (x86) or 64-bit (x64) processor
512 MB RAM
Direct 9 Capable (WDDM Driver Support recommended) GPU

A Windows Vista Premium Ready system, at minimum includes:
1 GHz 32-bit (x86) or 64-bit (x64) processor
1 GB RAM
WindowsAero Capable DirectX 9-class GPU (supports a WDDM driver, pixel shader 2.0 in hardware, 32 bits per pixel, and adequate graphics memory)
128 MB graphics memory
40 GB HDD
15 GB HDD free space
DVD-ROM optical drive

Once you identify the gaps between your existing systems’ capabilities and Vista’s needs, you’ll probably have some hardware upgrades to complete. It’s then a matter of deciding whether you begin the upgrade process now, or simply integrate upgrade plans into your current lifecycle management program. Bottom line: It’s time to get your Vista hardware upgrade plans on the books.

Choosing the Right Version of Vista and the Right Amount of Memory

Although there are five versions of Vista available, most business users will only need to concentrate on two: Windows Vista Business and Windows Vista Enterprise.

Windows Vista Business is a beefed up Windows® XP® Professional, this version is aimed at small to mid-size businesses. Featuring advances in efficiency, stability, and mobility without the multi-media extras, this version is sure to be a hit with your overworked IT manager. The minimum supported system memory requirement for Windows Vista Business is 1 GB, we recommend 2 GB.

Windows Vista Enterprise is for large organizations with complex IT infrastructures and boasts sophisticated data encryption, multi-language support, and advanced compatibility features. The minimum supported system memory requirement for Windows Vista Enterprise is 1 GB, and again we suggest 2 GB. Why bother with an OS that packs a punch if your PC will only crumble upon installation?

Another consideration for larger organizations is that Windows Vista Enterprise will only be available to Enterprise Agreement (EA) and Software Assurance (SA) customers. If you are not an EA or SA customer and aren’t interested in volume purchasing you might consider yet another Vista edition: Windows Vista Ultimate. As the name implies this version of Vista blends the best of Vista Business and Vista Home Premium meaning you can use your PC as a sophisticated business tool and a powerful media center too. And Vista Ultimate does not come with a volume-licensing stipulation.

Why Your Business Should Buy RAM From Silicon Mountain

Getting prepared for Vista is a big task; the last thing you need to worry about is hassling with a memory vendor to get the quality memory upgrades you need, when you need them, at the right price. At Silicon Mountain, we understand the mission-critical environment you work in, and we appreciate the unique purchasing needs of your business. It’s our goal to provide a superior, guaranteed product at a competitive price, along with the technical expertise and personalized service you deserve. For nearly a decade many of the biggest names in the Fortune 500 have relied on Silicon Mountain for desktop, laptop, and server memory upgrades—you can too.

Why would you choose to buy your memory from Silicon Mountain? Simple. We go the extra mile to meet the unique needs of business and enterprise customers of all sizes.

Quality
Backed by a limited lifetime warranty, our modules pass seven levels of rigorous testing and validation to assure both quality and compatibility. When you order memory upgrades through our online Memory MatchMaker tool and pay with a credit card you’re instantly covered by our exclusive TotalProtection Package–not only guaranteeing OEM quality and 100% compatibility, but also guaranteeing a visible performance boost or your money back.

Direct Savings
Stretch your IT budget further by avoiding overpriced original equipment manufacturer (OEM) brands and by eliminating layers of additional costs from distributors, resellers, and other middlemen. Our memory ships directly from the line to your worldwide destinations. You can save even more with quantity discounts on volume orders.

Premium Service
Intensive, ongoing training provides our representatives with a superior grasp of RAM technology and enables your personal account manager to provide the highest level of service, quality, and value. We communicate with your throughout the entire ordering process and friendly, customer-focused technical, shipping, and administrative support teams are just a phone call or e-mail away. Until you are completely satisfied, our job is not finished.

Purchasing Made Easy
We make ordering memory easy for businesses with flexible, custom-purchase plans, Net 30 terms, and various payment options to fit your needs. You can fax, phone or e-mail your purchase orders to us—we’ll even ship multiple purchase orders to multiple addresses because we know that’s how you do business.

Selection
We offer over 80,000 memory solutions for over 10,000 systems including the most popular Dell, HP/Compaq, Gateway, Apple, Cisco, and IBM machines. Whether your buying two modules, or one hundred for your desktops, laptops or servers, Silicon Mountain is the choice for your IT needs.

Ready to get started? Visit the Memory MatchMaker tool to find guaranteed compatible memory for your specific needs.

If you prefer to speak to a sales representative, you can reach us by phone at 888-745-6866, Monday through Friday, 7am – 6pm CST.