The cheapest computers around are always able to run Windows 10 conveniently but that is about to change with the upcoming Anniversary Update. Since Windows Vista, the minimum requirements to run Windows have remained the same and it’s almost ten years already now.
When Windows Vista stepped up the requirements in 2006, 1GB RAM, 1GHz processor, DirectX 9 graphics and at least 15GB free disk space were the minimum requirements and these have remained the same through Windows 7, Windows 8 and Windows 10 except for the slight increase in minimum free disk space that went up to 16GB.
With the Windows 10 anniversary update which may likely be released in the next couple of months, the minimum RAM required has gone up to 2GB for the 32-bit version as reported by WinBeta, bringing it to the same level as the 64-bit installation that has stayed at 2GB since Windows 7. Although the installation will still run on computers with less than 2GB RAM, there’s a great chance that the experience will not be anything near good.
Apart from this, Windows 10 anniversary update requires Trusted Platform Module (TPM) 2.0 on systems shipped after July 28. TPM stores encryption keys and it’s used for other cryptographic purposes. Before now, manufactures could choose between TPM 1.2 or TPM 2.0 but the latter offers better encryption.
There has also been a change in the screen size allowed. For desktop Windows 10, the minimum screen size was 8 inches but the OS should now run fine on any device with 7 inches and above. For Windows 10 mobile, the maximum screen size allowed has gone up from 7.9 inches to 9.0.