Microsoft has listed the following requirements for what they call a Vista Premium Ready PC. A PC that meets or exceeds these requirements will be able to use the new Aero technologies.[6]

• a 1 GHz 32-bit (x86) or 64-bit (x64) Pemproses
• 1 GB of system memory
• a DirectX 9 compatible graphics processor with a Windows Display Driver Model (WDDM) driver and a minimum of 128 MB of Video RAM
• 40 GB hard drive with 15 GB free space
• DVD-ROM Drive
• audio output and Internet access

The minimum requirements for graphics cards from the major vendors include the Radeon 9500 from ATI Technologies, the GeForce FX series from NVIDIA, and even the Intel GMA 950. Though the last driver from NVIDIA to support the GeForce FX series on Vista was 96.85 [7], Microsoft's WDDM drivers for NVIDIA graphics continue to support the GeForce FX series[8]; NVIDIA's current WDDM drivers support the GeForce 6 and later series. Though some of XGI Technology's Volari GPUs supported DirectX 9, no Microsoft WDDM drivers shipped with Vista and XGI has exited the graphics card business, so Volari cards apparently will not work with Windows Aero.

Note that though Microsoft has listed 128 MB of Video RAM as a requirement for "Premium Ready" PCs, it does not mean a 128 MB integrated graphics processor is required to run the Aero glass theme. A 64 MB integrated graphics processor, combined with at least 1 GB of system memory, will be able to run Aero at certain resolutions.[9] However, a Vista-specific WDDM driver for any given graphics processor is also required to run the Aero glass theme[10]; these drivers may or may not be available. Users who believe their hardware meets Aero's minimum graphics requirements are encouraged to check their graphics processor manufacturer's website for a Vista-specific driver if they are unable to run the theme.