main channel. Anaconda might modify these requirements to align with industry standards and enable performance improvements. Changes will be communicated in advance through this page and our official communication channels.
Current CPU baseline
- Minimum requirement baseline
- The CPU instruction set that Anaconda packages are compiled to support today. Packages built for a given baseline will run on any processor that supports that instruction set or later, but might not function on older processors that lack the required instructions.
- Win-64 CPU nuances
- For
win-64packages, the Visual Studio compiler defaults to SSE2 (similar to x86-64-v1) when packages don’t specify otherwise, but Anaconda does not set a baseline at the compiler level. Individual packages specify higher requirements; some already require SSE4.2 or other x86-64-v2 instructions based on their upstream build configurations. Anaconda recommends using a system with x86-64-v2 support for reliable compatibility with packages and because Windows 11 version 24H2 and later require x86-64-v2 to run. - Win-arm64 CPU nuances
- For
win-arm64packages, Anaconda does not set a CPU baseline at the compiler level on Windows; individual packages specify their own requirements based on upstream build configurations. Anaconda buildswin-arm64packages for Arm64 processors supported by Windows 11 Client, including Arm-based Azure virtual machines running Windows Client. Windows IoT Enterprise on Arm supports additional lower-power processors that Anaconda does not target or test.
Planned CPU baseline updates
- New Minimum Requirement Baseline
- The CPU instruction set that Anaconda will transition new package builds to support.
- Effective Date
- The date when Anaconda begins transitioning packages to the specified baseline. Individual packages will move to the new baseline as they are rebuilt after this date. Packages built before this date remain available and continue to work on older hardware.
What minimum CPU baselines mean
- For new packages (built after effective date)
- Packages might include optimizations that require the specified instruction sets. These packages will not function on processors that lack the required instructions. Attempting to run incompatible packages will result in “illegal instruction” errors.
- For existing packages (built before effective date)
- All previously published packages remain available and continue to work on older hardware. No packages are removed or modified via this policy.
The minimum requirement baseline represents Anaconda’s default compiler target. Individual packages might include optimizations beyond the baseline due to upstream build configurations or runtime CPU detection. While the vast majority of packages conform to the stated baseline, Anaconda cannot guarantee that every package will run on hardware that only meets the minimum requirement. If you run into an issue, please post on the Anaconda forum or file a support ticket and we will investigate.