Microsoft’s Windows 10 operating system gets a refresh today with the launch of the Fall Creators Update.
There are plenty of reasons to download it, including Fluent Design, which features attractive interface translucency and new animations, mobile device integration, My People contact pinning, and OneDrive Files On-Demand.
It’s also free if you already have Windows 10. (If you’re upgrading from Windows 7 or 8, you’ll pay $119 for Windows 10 Home or $199 for Pro.) But another question looms large. Will Fall Creators Update run on your PC?
Basic Requirements
Let’s take a look at the hardware needed. There are five key requirements that a system must meet in order to support this update of Windows 10, and those are the processor, RAM, hard disk space, graphics support, and minimum display resolution.
- Processor: 1 gigahertz (GHz) or faster processor or SoC
- RAM: 1GB for 32-bit and 2GB for 64-bit
- Hard disk space: 16GB for 32-bit OS or 20GB for 64-bit OS
- Graphics card: DirectX 9 or later with WDDM 1.0 driver
- Display: 800-by-600 resolution
Windows 10 Fall Creators Update also adds support for Mixed Reality Headsets. If you want to take advantage of this feature, download the Windows Mixed Reality PC Check to see if your system can handle it.
If you’re thinking that these basic requirements don’t seem that demanding, you’re right. Aside from up-to-date software and drivers, these are pretty much what you get with every Windows PC sold in the last decade. As a result, unless you’re stuck on some really old hardware, any PC you own should be compatible.
For processing, Windows 10 requires a CPU with a minimum speed of 1GHz. This is a very low bar to clear, as even Intel’s low-powered Atom and Celeron processors have been above the 1GHz mark for several years. If you’re running an AMD processor or Intel Core processor from this decade, you’ll have no problems.
You’ll also want to look up whether or not your processor supports a 64-bit operating system. If not, you’ll be limited to the 32-bit version, but many inexpensive systems that are currently running the 32-bit version of Windows are capable of 64-bit support.
This processor will need to be paired with 1GB of RAM for 32-bit and 2GB for 64-bit. (Naturally, 4GB or more is where you’ll get the best performance.)
There are also basic requirements for storage, with a minimum 16GB of hard disk space for the 32-bit version of the OS and 20GB for the 64-bit version.
You’ll need graphics support for DirectX 9 or higher, but seeing as this standard is more than a decade old, very few systems will have issues with this, and there’s no need for a discrete graphics card. You will, however, want to make sure that you’ve got an up-to-date Windows Display Driver Model (WDDM), which you can get by simply updating your graphics drivers.
Last, but not least, there is also a minimum requirement for screen size and resolution. The bare minimum is a 7-inch screen (it used to be 8 inches before the Anniversary edition) with 800-by-600 resolution, which is well below the resolution offered by virtually all desktop and laptop PCs and most tablet PCs. There are reports of weirdness with Windows 10 if you have a monitor (say on an all-in-one PC) with a non-standard resolution (like 1,600 by 900) making the change, so look for updated display drivers before you upgrade.
Almost any current desktop PC, from the revved up MSI Aegis Ti3 gaming rig to the unbelievably small Intel Compute Stick will run the Fall Creators Update without any trouble.
What about laptops and tablets? Again, most laptops will upgrade without a hitch, whether it’s the ultra-affordable Acer Aspire E 15, the potent Acer Predator 21. The same is true for 2-in-1 convertible and detachable tablets; be it the entry-level Lenovo IdeaPad Miix 320D or Microsoft’s own Surface Pro 4, you should be good to go.
The majority of your applications and settings should smoothly handle the update. We still recommend backing up all of your important files before installing it, though (you should be backing up regularly anyway). If there are any issues with incompatibility, the process will alert you and you’ll have the opportunity to either remove the troublesome application or keep it.
While most manufacturers have taken great pains to ensure that their current products are all Windows 10-compatible and hence should also be able to handle this update, you may need specific guidance for each device. As you consider updating your operating system and walking through the steps of installing it, remember to check out the support your manufacturer offers.