System Requirements | Introducing Microsoft Windows Server(TM) 2003

To ensure adequate performance, make sure computers on which you install Windows Server 2003 meet the following requirements:

One or more processors with a recommended minimum speed of 550 MHz. (The minimum supported speed is 133 MHz.) Processors from the Intel Pentium/Celeron family or AMD K6/Athlon/Duron family or compatible processors are recommended. See Chapter 1 , "Product Family," to learn how many processors each edition of Windows Server 2003 supports.
256 MB of RAM recommended minimum. (128 MB is the minimum supported.) See Chapter 1 , "Product Family," to learn the maximum amount of memory that each edition of Windows Server 2003 supports. For computers with more than 4 GB of RAM, be sure to check the hardware compatibility information in the Windows Catalog at http://www.microsoft.com/windows/catalog/.

Note

For Windows Server 2003, Enterprise Edition, running on Itanium-based computers, the requirements are slightly different: one or more processors with a minimum speed of 733 MHz (a maximum of eight processors per computer is supported) and 1 GB of RAM minimum.
A hard disk partition or volume with enough free space to accommodate the setup process. To ensure that you have flexibility in your later use of the operating system, it is recommended that you allow considerably more space than the minimum required for running Setup, which is approximately 1.25 GB to 2 GB on an x86-based computer and 3 GB to 4 GB on an Itanium-based computer. The larger amount of space is required if you are running Setup across a network instead of from a CD-ROM or if you are installing on a FAT or FAT32 partition. (NTFS is the recommended file system.)

After Setup is finished, actual hard disk space used for the operating system will be more than the free space required for Setup because of space needed for the paging file, for any optional components you install, and (on domain controllers) for user accounts and other Active Directory information. The usual size for the paging file is 1.5 times the size of the RAM. For information about the paging file, optional components, user accounts, and information stored in Active Directory, see Help and Support Center. To open Help and Support Center, after completing Setup, click Start, and then click Help And Support.
VGA or higher-resolution monitor (Super VGA 800x600 or higher recommended), keyboard, and ( optionally ) a mouse or other pointing device.

As an alternative, for operation without a monitor or keyboard, you can choose a remote diagnostic and support processor that is designed for products in the Windows Server 2003 family. See the hardware compatibility information in the Windows Catalog at http://www.microsoft.com/windows/catalog/ for more information.
For CD installation, a CD-ROM or DVD drive.
For network installation, one or more network adapters and related cables that are designed for products in the Windows Server 2003 family. Also a requirement is a server from which to offer network access for the Setup files.
Appropriate hardware for the functionality you require. For example, if you plan to support network clients, the servers and clients must have appropriate network adapters and cables. As another example, if you require a server cluster, the entire cluster solution must be listed as compatible with Windows Server 2003. For more details about your hardware, see the hardware compatibility information in the Windows Catalog at http://www.microsoft.com/windows/catalog/.

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