How much of Visual Studio (min. req.) does Tensorflow require to run in Windows?

Question

I'm attempting to install Tensorflow (GPU) in Windows 10 64-bit.

This is the page I'm following to install CUDA: http://docs.nvidia.com/cuda/cuda-quick-start-guide/index.html#windows (Network install)

Prior to the CUDA installation I received a message that said Visual Studio was not detected and that it was necessary for certain things to function properly, so I went ahead with a minimal install (~500-600 MB) of the 2017 Community Edition and CUDA installation was completed. Continuing from step 7 in the page mentioned above, I tried to build the nbody simulation sample, but that requires a C++ toolkit that is a further 5+ GB install!

So my questions, essentially, are:

• Are steps 7-10 simply to test/verify whether CUDA was installed correctly?
• And before I proceed any further, can I ignore these steps/the C++ toolkit without it adversely affecting Tensorflow?

I'd be happy to provide any other info you may need about my config.

Answer 1

Answering my own question: No, I did not have to download the nearly 6 GB C++ toolkit to run Tensorflow with CUDA support. Tensorflow installation completed successfully.