It's best to always check VMware's compatibility lists when installing their products. This applies to both hardware and software.
If you're looking to build a test lab, use nested virtualization: create one or more ESXi servers with VMware Workstation and then for everything you need (vCenter, storage etc.) create VMs on top of ESXi.
Of course, for vCenter use 64bit Windows Server 2K8 or 2K12, as André suggested.