Windows Server 2008 System Requirements

Currently, this version of windows is intended for evaluation and deployment planning purposes only. Therefore, If you plan to install the software on your primary machine, it is recommended that you back up your existing data prior to installation.

At the moment, this windows is called Windows Server 2008 Release Candidate. To use it, you will need :

Processor
• Minimum: 1GHz (x86 processor) or 1.4GHz (x64 processor)• Recommended: 2GHz or fasterNote: An Intel Itanium 2 processor is required for Windows Server 2008 for Itanium-based Systems

Memory
• Minimum: 512MB RAM• Recommended: 2GB RAM or greater• Maximum (32-bit systems): 4GB (Standard) or 64GB (Enterprise and Datacenter)• Maximum (64-bit systems): 32GB (Standard) or 2TB (Enterprise, Datacenter and Itanium-based Systems)

Available Disk Space
• Minimum: 10GB• Recommended: 40GB or greaterNote: Computers with more than 16GB of RAM will require more disk space for paging, hibernation, and dump files

Drive
DVD-ROM drive

Display and Peripherals
• Super VGA (800 x 600) or higher-resolution monitor• Keyboard• Microsoft Mouse or compatible pointing device

And again, the above specification is for minimum requirement only. Actual requirements will vary based on your system configuration and the applications and features you choose to install. Processor performance is dependent upon not only the clock frequency of the processor, but the number of cores and the size of the processor cache. Disk space requirements for the system partition are approximate. Itanium-based and x64-based operating systems will vary from these disk size estimates. Additional available hard-disk space may be required if you are installing over a network. For more information, please see Windows Server 2008 product site.

Note:This product requires a valid product key for activation—you may install the product without activation, but if you do not enter a valid product key and activate within 30 days of installation, the software will cease to function. During installation you will be asked to select the edition of Windows Server 2008 you wish to install. You must ensure you choose the edition of Windows Server 2008 for which you have obtained a product key or you will not be able to activate the product.

Expiration:This time-limited release of Windows Server 2008 Release Candidate will expire on April 7, 2008. After this time, you will need to uninstall the software or upgrade to a later release or a fully licensed version of Windows Server 2008.