Question

Difficulty: HardWindows OS Editions and Basic Features

A systems engineer is deploying a high-performance computer designed for processing massive scientific data sets. The hardware configuration includes 4 physical CPU sockets, 4 TB of installed system RAM, and persistent memory modules (NVDIMM-N) for real-time caching. When installing the OS, the technician notices that Windows 11 Pro only recognizes 2 physical CPUs and 2 TB of RAM. Which Windows edition is required to natively support all 4 physical CPUs, 4 TB of RAM, and persistent memory features?

  1. A
    Windows 11 Enterprise
  2. Windows 11 Pro for WorkstationsAnswer
  3. C
    Windows 11 Home
  4. D
    Windows 11 Education

Answer

Windows 11 Pro for Workstations is required because it natively supports up to 4 physical CPU sockets, up to 6 TB of RAM, and high-end hardware capabilities such as NVDIMM-N persistent memory and ReFS.
Windows 11 Pro for Workstations is specifically designed for high-end hardware setups. It supports up to 4 physical CPU sockets, up to 6 TB of RAM, non-volatile memory modules (NVDIMM-N), SMB Direct, and the Resilient File System (ReFS).

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the hardware requirements in the scenario.
The target system requires support for 4 physical CPU sockets, 4 TB of RAM, and NVDIMM-N persistent memory.
Identifying specific hardware ceilings helps narrow down the minimum qualifying Windows edition.
2
Evaluate the CPU socket and RAM limits of standard Windows 11 editions.
Windows 11 Home supports 1 CPU / 128 GB RAM; Windows 11 Pro supports 2 CPUs / 2 TB RAM; Windows 11 Enterprise supports 2 CPUs / 6 TB RAM.
Standard business and enterprise editions cap physical CPU sockets at 2.
3
Select the edition designed specifically for multi-socket, high-memory workstation hardware.
Windows 11 Pro for Workstations supports up to 4 physical CPUs, 6 TB RAM, and non-volatile memory (NVDIMM-N).
This edition is built for resource-intensive workloads requiring server-grade computer hardware capabilities.

Key Concept

Windows OS Edition Hardware Limits and Advanced Workstation Features
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