UPDATED 10/21: The Windows 10 minimum system requirements has changed since version 1903, May 2019 Update. Although the changes aren’t significant, starting with the seventh feature update and higher (including version 1909), the minimum storage requirement increases to 32GB, but this is only for new devices or if you’re trying to perform a clean installation of the 32-bit or 64-bit version of the OS. However, if your computer has less than 32GB, and it’s already running an older version of Windows 10, then it’ll continue to upgrade without issues (if enough space is available for the update).
The reason for the new storage requirement is set to leave space to install apps and keep data on the device. Also, starting with the May 2019 Update, Windows 10 introduces Reserved storage, a new feature that is meant to reserve part of the available storage for updates, temporary files, system cache, and apps.
These are the system requirements to run Windows 10 version 1903 and later (including version 1909) on a desktop, laptop, or tablet:
| Windows 10 version 1903 & 1909 requirements | |
|---|---|
| Processor | 1GHz or faster CPU or System on a Chip (SoC). |
| RAM | 1GB for 32-bit or 2GB for 64-bit . |
| Hard drive space | Existing installations: 16GB for 32-bit or 20GB for 64-bit. Clean install or new PC: 32GB or larger. |
| Graphics | DirectX 9 or later with WDDM 1.0 driver. |
| Display resolution | 800×600. |
| Networking | Wi-Fi or Ethernet adapter. |
In addition, starting with the May 2019 Update and November 2019 Update, Microsoft is slightly updating the processor requirements to support the 10th Generation processor from Intel and AMD Ryzen 3xxx series chips. Also, the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8CX is making its way to the supported list, which happens to be processor, plus some custom modifications, that the company is using for Surface Pro X.
| Windows 10 version 1903 & 1909 processor, storage, display support | |
|---|---|
| Processor features | Compatible with the x86 or x64 instruction set. Support for PAE, NX and SSE2. Support for CMPXCHG16b, LAHF/SAHF, and PrefetchW for 64-bit OS installation. |
| Intel | Up to 10th Generation Intel Processors (Intel Core i3/i5/i7/i9-10xxx). Intel Xeon E-22xx. Intel Atom (J4xxx/J5xxx and N4xxx/N5xxx). Celeron. Pentium. |
| AMD | Up to AMD 7th Generation Processors (A-Series Ax-9xxx & E-Series Ex-9xxx & FX-9xxx). AMD Athlon 2xx processors. AMD Ryzen 3/5/7 up to 3xxx. AMD Opteron. AMD EPYC 7xxx. |
| Qualcomm | Snapdragon 850. Snapdragon 8CX. |
| Storage | Storage controllers must support booting using the Extensible Firmware Interface (EFI) and implement device paths as defined in EDD-3. Storage host controllers and adapters must meet the requirements for the device protocol used and any requirements related to the device storage bus type. Bus-attached controllers must implement the correct class/subclass code as specified in the PCI Codes and Assignments v1.6 specification. |
| Display | Depth of 32 bits on each output simultaneously. Minimum diagonal display size for the primary display of 7-inches or larger. |
This is the second time that Microsoft is updating the main hardware requirements for Windows 10. Previously, the company increased the minimum requirement of memory to 2GB for the 32-bit version with the Anniversary Update.
Update October 21, 2019: This page has been updated to reflect the processor requirements changes of Windows 10.
Mauro Huculak is a Windows How-To Expert who started Pureinfotech in 2010 as an independent online publication. He has also been a Windows Central contributor for nearly a decade. Mauro has over 14 years of experience writing comprehensive guides and creating professional videos about Windows and software, including Android and Linux. Before becoming a technology writer, he was an IT administrator for seven years. In total, Mauro has over 20 years of combined experience in technology. Throughout his career, he achieved different professional certifications from Microsoft (MSCA), Cisco (CCNP), VMware (VCP), and CompTIA (A+ and Network+), and he has been recognized as a Microsoft MVP for many years. You can follow him on X (Twitter), YouTube, LinkedIn and About.me. Email him at [email protected].