Windows 7 system requirements

With the release of the Windows 7 release candidate, Microsoft announced the system requirements for the new operating system.
The good news is that Windows Vista users will not have to upgrade their computers to Windows 7.
According to the developers, Windows 7 outperforms Windows Vista when used on the same hardware.

Windows 7 system requirements:
CPU: 1GHz or better, 32-bit (x86) or 64-bit (x64)
RAM: At least 1Gb when using the 32-bit version and at least 2Gb when using the 64-bit version
HDD: At least 16 Gb of free hard disk space when using the 32-bit version and at least 20 Gb when using the 64-bit version
Video card: DirectX 9 and Windows Display Driver Model 1.0 support

Microsoft emphasizes that these are the minimum system requirements for Windows 7. For best performance, the hardware specifications of the computer must be higher.
It is also important to note that the system requirements for Windows 7 RC and Windows 7 will not differ.