System Requirements for Windows Server 2016

System Requirements for Windows Server 2016. If your computer has less than the “minimum” requirements, you will not be able to install this product correctly. These minimum system requirements apply to all installation options (Server Core, Server with Desktop Experience, and Nano Server) and both Standard and Datacenter editions.

Processor

The following are the processor requirements for this product:

Minimum:

• 4 GHz 64-bit processor
• Compatible with x64 instruction set
• Supports NX and DEP
• Supports CMPXCHG16b, LAHF/SAHF, and PrefetchW
• Supports Second Level Address Translation (EPT or NPT)

RAM

The following are the estimated RAM requirements for this product:

Minimum:

• 512 MB (2 GB for Server with Desktop Experience installation option)
• ECC (Error Correcting Code) type or similar technology

For best work you need minimum 4 Gb memory.

Important

If you create a virtual machine with the minimum supported hardware parameters (1 processor core and 512 MB RAM) and then attempt to install this release on the virtual machine, Setup will fail.

To avoid this, do one of the following:

• Allocate more than 800 MB RAM to the virtual machine you intend to install this release on. Once Setup has completed, you can change the allocation to as little as 512 MB RAM, depending on the actual server configuration.
• Interrupt the boot process of this release on the virtual machine with SHIFT+F10. In the command prompt that opens, use Diskpart.exe to create and format an installation partition. Run Wpeutil createpagefile /path=C:\pf.sys (assuming the installation partition you created was C:). Close the command prompt and proceed with Setup.

Storage controller and disk space requirements

Computers that run Windows Server 2016 must include a storage adapter that is compliant with the PCI Express architecture specification. Persistent storage devices on servers classified as hard disk drives must not be PATA. Windows Server 2016 does not allow ATA/PATA/IDE/EIDE for boot, page, or data drives.

The following are the estimated minimum disk space requirements for the system partition.

Minimum: 32 GB

For best work minimum 64 Gb – installation + future updates

The system partition will need extra space for any of the following circumstances:

• If you install the system over a network.
• Computers with more than 16 GB of RAM will require more disk space for paging, hibernation, and dump files.

Network adapter requirements

Network adapters used with this release should include these features:

Minimum:

• An Ethernet adapter capable of at least gigabit throughput
• Compliant with the PCI Express architecture specification.
• Supports Pre-boot Execution Environment (PXE).

A network adapter that supports network debugging (KDNet) is useful, but not a minimum requirement.

Other requirements

The following items are not strictly required, but are necessary for certain features:

• UEFI 2.3.1c-based system and firmware that supports secure boot
• Trusted Platform Module
• Graphics device and monitor capable of Super VGA (1024 x 768) or higher-resolution
• Keyboard and Microsoft® mouse (or other compatible pointing device)
• Internet access (fees may apply)