qubes-doc/user/hardware/system-requirements.md

---
lang: en
layout: doc
permalink: /doc/system-requirements/
redirect_from:
- /system-requirements/
- /en/doc/system-requirements/
- /doc/SystemRequirements/
- /wiki/SystemRequirements/
ref: 142
title: System requirements
---

<div class="alert alert-warning" role="alert">
  <i class="fa fa-exclamation-triangle"></i>
  <b>Notice:</b> The system requirements on this page are <em>necessary, but
  not sufficient,</em> for Qubes compatibility at a minimal or recommended
  level. In other words, just because a computer satisfies these requirements
  doesn't mean that Qubes will successfully install and run on it. We strongly
  recommend consulting the <a href="#choosing-hardware">resources below</a>
  when selecting hardware for Qubes.
</div>

## Minimum

- **CPU:** 64-bit Intel or AMD processor (also known as `x86_64`, `x64`, and `AMD64`)
  - [Intel VT-x](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/X86_virtualization#Intel_virtualization_.28VT-x.29) with [EPT](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Second_Level_Address_Translation#Extended_Page_Tables) or [AMD-V](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/X86_virtualization#AMD_virtualization_.28AMD-V.29) with [RVI](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Second_Level_Address_Translation#Rapid_Virtualization_Indexing)
  - [Intel VT-d](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/X86_virtualization#Intel-VT-d) or [AMD-Vi (also known as AMD IOMMU)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/X86_virtualization#I.2FO_MMU_virtualization_.28AMD-Vi_and_Intel_VT-d.29)

- **Memory:** 6 GB RAM

- **Storage:** 32 GB free space

## Recommended

- **CPU:** 64-bit Intel processor (also known as `x86_64`, `x64`, and `Intel 64`)
  - [Intel VT-x](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/X86_virtualization#Intel_virtualization_.28VT-x.29) with [EPT](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Second_Level_Address_Translation#Extended_Page_Tables)
  - [Intel VT-d](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/X86_virtualization#Intel-VT-d)
  - For security, we recommend processors that are recent enough to still be
    receiving microcode updates (see [below](#important-updates) for details).
  - AMD processors are not recommended due to inconsistent security support on
    client platforms (see [below](#important-updates) for details).

- **Memory:** 16 GB RAM

- **Storage:** 128 GB free space
  - High-speed solid-state drive strongly recommended

- **Graphics:** Intel integrated graphics processor (IGP) strongly recommended
  - Nvidia GPUs may require significant
    [troubleshooting](/doc/install-nvidia-driver/).
  - AMD GPUs have not been formally tested, but Radeons (especially RX580 and
    earlier) generally work well.

- **Peripherals:** A non-USB keyboard or multiple USB controllers

- **TPM:** Trusted Platform Module (TPM) with proper BIOS support (required for
  [Anti Evil Maid](/doc/anti-evil-maid/))

### Qubes-certified hardware

The following are *required* for [Qubes-certified hardware
devices](/doc/certified-hardware/) but *merely recommended* for *non-certified*
hardware (see the [hardware certification
requirements](/doc/certified-hardware/#hardware-certification-requirements) for
details).

- Open-source boot firmware (e.g., [coreboot](https://www.coreboot.org/))

- Hardware switches for all built-in USB-connected microphones (if any)

- Either support for non-USB input devices (e.g., via PS/2, which most laptops
  already use internally) or a separate USB controller only for input devices

## Choosing Hardware

We recommend consulting these resources when selecting hardware for Qubes OS:

- [Certified hardware](/doc/certified-hardware/) --- Qubes developer certified,
  officially recommended
- [Community-recommended hardware](https://forum.qubes-os.org/t/5560)
  --- list curated and maintained by the community, unofficially recommended
- [Hardware compatibility list (HCL)](/hcl/) --- community test results,
  neither recommended nor disrecommended

## Important Notes

- **Installing Qubes in a virtual machine is not recommended, as it uses its
  own bare-metal hypervisor (Xen).**

- There is a class of security vulnerabilities that can be fixed only by
  microcode updates. If your computer or the CPU in it no longer receives
  microcode updates (e.g., because it is too old), it may not be possible for
  some of these vulnerabilities to be mitigated on your system, leaving you
  vulnerable. For this reason, we recommend using Qubes OS on systems that are
  still receiving microcode updates. Nonetheless, Qubes OS **can** run on
  systems that no longer receive microcode updates, and such systems will still
  offer significant security advantages over conventional operating systems on
  the same hardware.

  Intel maintains a
  [list](https://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/support/articles/000022396/processors.html)
  of end-of-support dates for its processors. However, this list seems to
  include only processors that are no longer supported or will soon no longer
  be supported. Many newer Intel processors are missing from this list. To our
  knowledge, Intel does not announce end-of-support dates for its newer
  processors in advance, nor does it have a public policy governing how long
  support will last.

- Intel and AMD handle microcode updates differently, which has significant
  security implications. On Intel platforms, microcode updates can typically be
  loaded from the operating system. This allows the Qubes security team to
  respond rapidly to new vulnerabilities by shipping microcode updates alongside
  other security updates directly to users. By contrast, on AMD client (as
  opposed to server) platforms, microcode updates are typically shipped only as
  part of system firmware and generally cannot be loaded from the operating
  system. This means that AMD users typically must wait for:
  
  1. AMD to distribute microcode updates to original equipment manufacturers
  (OEMs), original design manufacturers (ODMs), and motherboard manufacturers
  (MB); and
  2. The user's OEM, ODM, or MB to provide a suitable BIOS or (U)EFI update for
  the user's system.
  
  Historically, AMD has often been slow to complete step (1), at least for its
  client (as opposed to server) platforms. In some cases, AMD has made fixes
  available for its server platforms very shortly after a security embargo was
  lifted, but it did not make fixes available for client platforms facing the
  same vulnerability until weeks or months later. (A "security embargo" is the
  practice of avoiding public disclosure of a security vulnerability prior to a
  designated date.) By contrast, Intel has consistently made fixes available for
  new CPU vulnerabilities across its supported platforms very shortly after
  security embargoes have been lifted.

  Step (2) varies by vendor. Many vendors fail to complete step (2) at all,
  while some others take a very long time to complete it.
  
  The bottom line is that Qubes OS **can** run on AMD systems, and the Qubes and
  Xen security teams do their best to provide security support for AMD systems.
  However, without the ability to ship microcode updates, there is only so much
  they can do.

- Qubes **can** be installed on many systems that do not meet the recommended
  requirements. Such systems will still offer significant security improvements
  over traditional operating systems, since things like GUI isolation and
  kernel protection do not require special hardware.

- Qubes **can** be installed on a USB flash drive or external disk, and testing
  has shown that this works very well. A fast USB 3.0 flash drive is
  recommended for this. (As a reminder, its capacity must be at least 32 GiB.)
  Simply plug the flash drive into the computer before booting into the Qubes
  installer from a separate installation medium, choose the flash drive as the
  target installation disk, and proceed with the installation normally. After
  Qubes has been installed on the flash drive, it can then be plugged into
  other computers in order to boot into Qubes. In addition to the convenience
  of having a portable copy of Qubes, this allows users to test for hardware
  compatibility on multiple machines (e.g., at a brick-and-mortar computer
  store) before deciding on which computer to purchase. (See [generating and
  submitting HCL
  reports](/doc/how-to-use-the-hcl/#generating-and-submitting-new-reports) for
  advice on hardware compatibility testing.) Remember to change the devices
  assigned to your NetVM and USB VM if you move between different machines.

- You can check whether an Intel processor has VT-x and VT-d on
  [ark.intel.com](https://ark.intel.com/content/www/us/en/ark.html#@Processors).