Windows 11 system requirements: How accurate is it to upgrade?
What are the Windows 11 system requirements? We explain at least what hardware your computer should have in order for the system to run smoothly
System requirements for Windows 11 are basically not particularly high. With a fairly modern PC, the operating system will run comfortably on your computer. Still, there are a few things you should know before installing Microsoft’s new operating system.
First, we come to the official minimum requirements that your system must meet if you want to upgrade to Windows 11. It is stated below;
Windows 11 system requirements
- Processor : At least 1 gigahertz with at least two cores
- RAM : 4GB
- Memory : 64GB< /font>
- Graphics card : Compatible with DirectX 12 or higher with WDDM 2.0 driver
- TPM : Trusted Platform Module (TPM) version 2.0
- Internet Connection : Windows 11 Home requires an Internet connection and a Microsoft account to set up the system
- Operating system : Windows 10 version 2004 or higher
A suitable TPM module is mandatory
An important point is the TPM security module in version 2.0. It is available on many computers, but may not be active yet. This can often be easily changed. AMD processors generally have a TPM 2.0 since 2014, and Intel has had the module extensively in desktop CPUs since 2015.
CPU limitations
As for the processor, it is not compatible with all models that meet the official Windows 11 system requirements. For Intel CPUs, it must be at least an 8th generation device, from AMD’s Ryzen 2000 series or newer. Microsoft has created a list of compatible processors for both manufacturers:
The lack of official support for popular models of the not-so-old days, such as the Core i7 7700K or Ryzen 7 1800X, has sparked controversy. In a blog entry, Microsoft explains in more detail why it stays that way. The decisive factors are therefore safety, reliability and compatibility.
Windows 11: This Might Be The Reason To Make You Switch
Installation without TPM module and supported CPU
The fuss about TPM and CPU requirements has at least led Microsoft to explain how installation works with hardware that is not actually supported. To do this you need to create a working registry entry like this:
- Open the registry by typing regedit in the search box in the start menu.
- HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\Setup\MoSetup. You may need to manually create the MoSetup folder.
- AllowUpgradesWithUnsupportedTPMOrCPU in the right part of the window and give it a value of 1.
Go to
Now add a new DWORD key called
You can then install Windows 11 from the existing operating system using the official wizard or by starting the installation via Windows Update.
Windows 11 with forbidden hardware: We actually tried Windows 11 ourselves with an unsupported CPU and found no issues. However, Microsoft does not recommend this procedure and it cannot be ruled out that it will cause problems in the future.
This is how you can check if your computer is suitable for Windows 11
If you still think you meet the requirements: Great! You can still play it safe again by running Microsoft’s Windows 11 integrity check, though. This will tell you right away if you can install Windows 11 without any problems.
If you’ve installed Windows 11 without meeting the system requirements as described above, Microsoft may soon annoy you with an annoying measure.
