Microsoft has released the latest Windows 11 operating system and it will be offered as a free upgrade for Windows 10 users. However, not all devices running Windows 10 will be compatible with Windows 11. Microsoft has raised the Windows 11 minimum system requirements for PC hardware, and the biggest surprise is the CPU requirements. Windows 11 will only officially support 8th generation Intel Core processors and later, and Apollo Lake generation Pentium and Celeron processors and later.
As a result, millions of current Windows 10 devices will potentially be unable to upgrade to Windows 11. This also includes Microsoft’s $3,500 Surface Studio 2 devices. In addition, Windows 11 will only officially support AMD Ryzen 2000 and newer processors and 2nd generation or newer EPYC chips. You can find a complete list of supported processors on the Microsoft website , but we’ll cover the basics:
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Windows 11 System Requirements
Bringing many software and hardware innovations, Windows 11 is the first Windows version that focuses on gaming. However, while users with old computers have high expectations for the new operating system, we see that moves are made that may upset many users.
Making a 64-bit processor mandatory with Windows 11, Microsoft stops offering a 32-bit operating system version with this move. So what are the system requirements of Windows 11?
| Processor: | 1 gigahertz (GHz) or faster, 2 or more cores, compatible 64-bit processor or System-on-Chip (SoC) |
| RAM: | 4 gigabytes (GB) |
| Storage: | 64GB or larger storage device |
| System firmware: | UEFI with Secure Boot |
| TPM: | Trusted Platform Module (TPM) version 2.0 |
| Graphics card: | Compatible with DirectX 12 or higher with WDDM 2.0 driver |
| Screen: | High resolution (720p) display larger than 9 inches diagonally, 8 bits per color channel |
| Internet connection and Microsoft accounts: | In Windows 11 Home edition, internet connection and a Microsoft account are required to complete device setup on first use. An internet connection is also required to wake a device out of S mode in Windows 11 Home. All versions of Windows 11 require an internet connection to perform updates and to download and enjoy some features. |
Windows 11 will support the following Intel processors
- Intel 8th Generation (Coffee Lake)
- Intel 9th ​​Generation (Coffee Lake Refresh)
- 10th Gen Intel (Comet Lake)
- Intel 10th Generation (Ice Lake)
- 11th Gen Intel (Rocket Lake)
- 11th Gen Intel (Tiger Lake)
- Intel Xeon Skylake-SP
- Intel Xeon Cascade Lake-SP
- Intel Xeon Cooper Lake-SP
- Intel Xeon Ice Lake-SP
Windows 11 will support the following AMD processors
- AMD Ryzen 2000
- AMD Ryzen 3000
- AMD Ryzen 4000
- AMD Ryzen 5000
- AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2000
- AMD Ryzen Threadripper 3000
- AMD Ryzen Threadripper Pro 3000
- AMD EPYC Gen 2
- AMD EPYC Gen 3
Microsoft says that these system requirements are “soft limits” for the Windows 11 installer. This means that Windows 11 can be installed on devices with older processors, but a warning will appear, and the company does not guarantee its support in the long term.
In addition to the above requirements, which are more or less understandable, the new operating system will need three other, much more specific requirements that, unfortunately, many computers do not have.
- UEFI . These new BIOSes allow much more control over the hardware components of the PC at startup and, in addition, allow the use of new security measures necessary to be able to install Windows 11.
- SecureBoot. The safe boot of the computer guarantees us that only signed code can be started in the system boot, protecting us from different computer attacks.
- TPM 2.0 . The most controversial requirement. Trusted Platform Module (TPM) 2.0 will allow the operating system to boot securely, make use of encryption features (such as Bitlocker) and authentication systems such as Windows Hello. Any computer less than 5 years old should have this feature.
Windows 11 system requirements seem to cause a lot of controversy, as the TPM 2.0 requirement and the lack of Zen architecture are a problem for most users. Even Microsoft’s own 7th Gen PCs were deprived of Windows 11 support. Let’s see if Microsoft will take a step back.
Windows 11 features specific requirements
- 5G support requires a 5G-capable modem.
- Auto HDR requires an HDR monitor.
- Bit Locker to Go requires a USB flash drive (available on Windows Pro and higher).
- Client Hyper-V requires a processor with second-level address translation (SLAT) capabilities (available on Windows Pro and higher).
- Cortana requires a microphone and speaker. This service is available with the Windows 11 operating system in Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Spain, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
- DirectStorage requires a 1TB or higher NVMe SSD and DirectX 12 Ultimate GPU using the “Standard NVM Express Controller” driver to store and run games.
- DirectX 12 Ultimate can be used with supported games and graphics chips.
- Presence requires a sensor that can detect people’s distance from or intent to interact with the device.
- Smart Video Conferencing requires a video camera, microphone, and speaker (audio output).
- Multi-Voice Assistant (MVA) requires microphone and speaker.
- Three-column layouts with docking require a screen with a minimum width of 1920 effective pixels.
- Mute/Unmute from Taskbar requires a video camera, microphone and speaker (audio output). The app must be compatible with the feature that enables system-wide mute/unmute.
- Spatial Audio requires supporting hardware and software.
- Teams require a camera, microphone, and speaker (audio output).
- Touch requires a screen or monitor that supports multi-touch.
- Two-Factor Authentication requires a PIN, biometric (fingerprint reader or illuminated infrared camera), or a phone with Wi-Fi or Bluetooth.
- Voice Typing requires a computer with a microphone.
- Voice Wake requires a Modern Standby power model and microphone.
- Wi-Fi 6E requires new WLAN IHV hardware and driver and a Wi-Fi 6E enabled AP/router.
- Windows Hello requires a camera configured for near infrared (IR) imaging or a fingerprint reader for biometric authentication. Devices without a biometric sensor can use Windows Hello with a PIN or a portable Microsoft compatible security key.
- Windows Mirroring requires a display adapter that supports Windows Display Driver Model (WDDM) 2.0 and a Wi-Fi adapter that supports Wi-Fi Direct.
- Xbox (app) requires an Xbox Live account (not available in all regions).
Check if my PC can run Windows 11
Given the controversial requirements of this new operating system, Microsoft has created an application thanks to which we can check if our PC is compatible with Windows 11 or, if not, we won’t be able to update. This program, called Windows PC Health Check , will let us know if our PC can run Microsoft’s new OS and, if not, let us know what’s wrong.
Users who already have a Genuine Windows 10 key, regardless of whether it is Home, Pro, or any business edition, both OEM and Retail, will be able to upgrade to the new Windows 11 completely free of charge.
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