Microsoft just released the Windows Vista Upgrade Advisor Beta tool. This software will check your PC's hardware and tell you what you need to upgrade in order to run Windows Vista.

I downloaded the 3.5MB tool and after the install it asks a couple of questions to determine which Windows Vista version I would need. Of course the result was Windows Vista Ultimate, just because I want to work with some multimedia.

The good news is that the High-end PC I built 2004 can run Windows Vista with the Aero UI. How fast Windows Vista will run on my hardware is an open question, as the times have past, were I was willing to waste hours of my life installing and testing beta releases of OSes.
You can download the Windows Vista Upgrade Advisor here. You can take your time, because there is a rumor that Microsoft might delay Windows Vista once again. In breaking news, Symantec filed a lawsuit against Microsoft, claiming patent infringement on the data storage technology inside Windows Vista. Symantec sues to stop sales of Windows Vista. Hey, sales do not even start for another 6 months anyway.