220-1002 · Question #111
A user who is running Windows XP calls a technician to upgrade the computer to a newer Windows OS. The user states the computer has only 1GB of RAM and 16GB of hard drive space with a 1,7GHz…
The correct answer is A. Windows 7. Windows 7 is the best fit for the described hardware because it meets minimum requirements and is optimized to perform better than later Windows versions on low-specification machines.
Question
A user who is running Windows XP calls a technician to upgrade the computer to a newer Windows OS. The user states the computer has only 1GB of RAM and 16GB of hard drive space with a 1,7GHz processor. Which of the following OSs should the technician recommended to ensure the BEST performance on this computer?
Options
- AWindows 7
- BWindows 8
- CWindows 8.1
- DWindows 10
How the community answered
(42 responses)- A90% (38)
- B2% (1)
- C5% (2)
- D2% (1)
Why each option
Windows 7 is the best fit for the described hardware because it meets minimum requirements and is optimized to perform better than later Windows versions on low-specification machines.
Windows 7 (32-bit) requires a minimum of 1 GHz processor, 1 GB RAM, and 16 GB disk space, exactly matching the computer's specifications, and it has lower overhead and better driver support for older hardware than Windows 8, 8.1, or 10, resulting in the best real-world performance on this configuration.
Windows 8 has similar minimum requirements but introduces a heavier UI layer and is less optimized for low-end hardware than Windows 7, resulting in worse performance.
Windows 8.1 requires the same resources as Windows 8 and adds further overhead compared to Windows 7, making it a poorer choice for this hardware.
Windows 10 has higher practical resource demands and its background services and telemetry consume more CPU and RAM than Windows 7, leading to noticeably degraded performance on 1 GB RAM systems.
Concept tested: Windows OS minimum hardware requirements selection
Source: https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/windows-7-system-requirements-df0900f2-3513-a851-13a4-43e5e7f6c5c2
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