Hardware limits of 64-bits Windows Seven?

[pointertovoid]

Hello everybody!

I'd like to know the hardware limitations of various flavours of Windows Seven in 64-bits variant. Links to Microsoft or elsewhere would be just fine.

Especially:

- Is Seven limited to 2TB disks? Does it offer Mpt partitions? Can it boot on an Mpt partition?

- What are the maximum Ram sizes? (No theoretical answer please)

- What are the maximum numbers of processor packages? Is there any restriction on core numbers?

- Can it handle mobos with several Core i7 packages, each having its own Ram with exclusive access?

Thanks!

[spacesurfer]

I'm not an expert on hardware but I believe the RAM limitations is based on your motherboard and not the OS. For example, my MOBO handles 16 gb max RAM. So you can only obtain a theoretical answer based on the OS and a definite answer based on hardware limitations of the motherboard.

As far as the processor, again, it depends on you motherboard, not the os. OS is pretty much processor-agnostic. It don't care what processor is there as long as mobo can handle it. So it doesn't matter how many cores either.

Not sure about HDD capacity, though, i think windows 7 should be able to handle more than 2 tb.

[IcemanND]

I have not read that there were any changes to NTFS in Windows 7 from Vista as far as volume sizes go.

Here are the upper RAM limits for the different editions of Windows 7:

* Starter: 8GB

* Home Basic: 8GB

* Home Premium: 16GB

* Professional: 192GB

* Enterprise: 192GB

* Ultimate: 192GB

I can't find proof of it but I would expect that it will support 1-2 processor sockets depending upon version like Vista does. Vista Home Basic and Home Premium support one socketed processor, Business and Ultimate support two. Doesn't matter how many cores in those processors, though there is likely a limit doubt we will reach it anytime soon.

[cluberti]

I can't find proof of it but I would expect that it will support 1-2 processor sockets depending upon version like Vista does. Vista Home Basic and Home Premium support one socketed processor, Business and Ultimate support two. Doesn't matter how many cores in those processors, though there is likely a limit doubt we will reach it anytime soon.

64bit versions of Windows support a max of 64 processors (32 cores on one socket someday??? ), 32bit would support a max of 32 processors - again, theoretical. But you are correct in the socket support - 1 for the home versions, 2 for the professional/business/ultimate versions.

[Octopuss]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Windows_7_editions

some info as well

[pointertovoid]

Thank you guys!

Yes, I had stumbled on Wiki meanwhile and they give the same Ram limits as given by IcemanND.

Each edition (and even each service pack) of Window puts different limits on the size of the Ram and the number of processors, in addition to hardware limitations. Some limits are natural (4GB total, 4GB per task and 64GB total, or 16EB total) but most aren't, meaning that Microsoft have developed costly extra software to limit the editions of their Win according to the licence you paid for. Such things make me angry.

Maximum disk: it's not a matter of Ntfs, which would limit the volume size to a still huge value, but of partition. Mbr-type partitions code all sector positions on 32 bits, which limits the disk's size to 2TB. Over that size, you need an Mpt-type partition. Whether an edition of Windows handles Mpt-type partitions isn't easy to guess and isn't related to 32- or 64-bits versions; and some can even access them but not boot on them - how simple. It may even depend on the processor (Server 2003 and Itanium).

32 cores on a socket won't take that long to arrive. Double the number of cores in 18 months, and you have 32 cores in 4.5 years.

Any link at Microsoft for the maximum number of sockets and the maximum number of cores per socket?

And for the Ram linked to individual sockets? I think Microsoft call it "symmetric memory" approximately.

[cluberti]

Any link at Microsoft for the maximum number of sockets and the maximum number of cores per socket?

http://www.microsoft.com/windowsserver2008...pare-specs.aspx

Also, it's worth noting that Windows Server 2008 R2 will support up to 256 logical processors on the higher-end versions, up from 64 for x64 2008 server.