Microsoft may tweak Windows 11 minimum requirements to include Intel 7th-gen and AMD 1st-gen...

Humza

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Bottom line: Following the release of the first Windows 11 Insider Build, Microsoft has now come forward with the guiding principles it says were used to craft the minimum system requirements for Windows 11. While most of the highlights aren't unexpected, there is some good news for older PCs, specifically ones running Intel's Kaby Lake or AMD Zen 1 chips. Oh, and Microsoft's official PC Health Check tool that felt unfinished and caused even more confusion? That's going away temporarily until a better version comes out alongside Windows 11's general release this fall.

Windows 11 has a lot going on for it on the software side: Native Android support with sideloading, a revamped store, better multitasking, new Start button and menus. However, Microsoft's rather stringent hardware requirements for its next-gen OS were arguably more surprising (and confusing) as they left a big chunk of users behind on Windows 10 and older versions, thanks mostly to TPM.

With the first Windows 11 Preview released to Insiders, it now looks like Microsoft could expand the list of officially supported CPUs for Windows 11 by adding another (older) generation of Intel and AMD chips. Currently, that baseline is Intel's 8th-gen Coffee Lake and AMD's Zen 2 chips.

In a blog post highlighting the security, reliability and compatibility principles that led to Windows 11's minimum PC requirements, Microsoft notes that it will "test to identify devices running on Intel 7th generation and AMD Zen 1" with Insiders and OEMs. If these CPUs perform acceptably during the testing phase, expect them to appear on the officially supported h/w list.

Microsoft plans to share the results of its testing over time. Additionally, the company says it's pulling the PC Health Check App after acknowledging that the tool was "not fully prepared to share the level of detail or accuracy" that Windows 10 users were expecting. Hopefully, it'll have something on par with WhyNotWindows11 by the time a revised version of the official app is released alongside Windows 11 later this year.

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I'm now running the insider build as of this morning on my work laptop. Now it's in my work flow you get a real sense of everything that's changed. So far, I like it, definitely haven't dropped the ball like they did with Windows 8.
 
I'm running Win 11 insider build on ASRock J4105-ITX with 4 GB RAM. That is Celeron quad core passively cooled processor with UHD 600 graphics which is supported, so I hope they will extend support to my Ryzen 1600 (with GTX 1660 Super) which is a lot faster.
 
I've installed Windows 10 on Core2 duo/quad machines with 4/8GB RAM and an SSD - it runs PERFECTLY with meager hardware. MS is pushing the hardware sales narrative "you need a new PC" to help their partners generate cash - nothing more.
 
I wouldn't get too excited yet. MS will get a lot of pushback on this one and if I was a betting man I'd bet even money that this TPM 2.0 requirement will be transcended. It just leaves out too many very capable machines that will still be in use. Business owners are going raise cane on this one. Alternatively, MS may need to extend the support life cycle for Windows 10.
 
If these CPUs perform acceptably during the testing phase, expect them to appear on the officially supported h/w list.
:facepalm: That quote from the article makes me think that 11 will be even more bogged down by bloatware than 10 is.

The list that they are still giving is still exceptionally restrictive, IMO.
 
It runs great on a pc with Haswell-E (4th gen). Any blocks seem to be artificially imposed by MS.
 
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Every time a new OS is released it's wise to wait for about 12-24 months for them to fix the bugs. And by that time we're all gonna upgrade our computers, so.... no problems. They will be compatible.
 
I'm running a Skylake 6th generation 6700K. With a good SSD it still sings! It will render 1080P video in less than real time and does everything super fast in Windows 10. I see no reason why MS would lock it out from Windows 11.
 
It boggles my mind that TPM 1.2 has been around for awhile as an option and so they decide to just skip it as a minimum requirement? Most home users are unaware of it's presence to begin with. Additionally, the e-waste that is going to be introduced with an arbitrary obsolescence. Tech companies spewing all the time about being green are just full of (B) (S).

The concern that has been raised about the powers at be knowing EVERYTHING that you're doing is disconcerting. As if the 4th amendment doesn't exist. How about every politician, security agency, and corporate parasite activities being at the ready for us lowly citizens? I need to see and examine EVERYTHING. Sure, that'll put a fly in their mustard. But you know, fair is fair. They looking me, 👀, looking at them.
 
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It boggles my mind that TPM 1.2 has been around for awhile as an option and so they decide to just skip it as a minimum requirement? Most home users are unaware of it's presence to begin with. Additionally, the e-waste that is going to be introduced with an arbitrary obsolescence. Tech companies spewing all the time about being green are just full of (B) (S).

The concern that has been raised about the powers at be knowing EVERYTHING that you're doing is disconcerting. As if the 4th amendment doesn't exist. How about every politician, security agency, and corporate parasite activities being at the ready for us lowly citizens? I need to see and examine EVERYTHING. Sure, that'll put a fly in their mustard. But you know, fair is fair. They looking me, 👀, looking at them.
well thats a possibility. but if you think about it. if your pc doesnt have tpm it likely has the option to add it. if you can add a tpm chip to a header on a mobo why would they not make usb tpm chips?

besides that if your pc thats 5 years old cant run win 11 you can stick with 10 for 4 more years. at that time its 9 year old pc. as we know there will be a way to install what ever you want.

I am a fan of increased security. for 20$ to add a chip. no big deal (if they make an option for those computers without a tpm header)
 
People are focusing on the power comment when I feel the crux is actually on security protocols etc. Non of this is a raw power issue I would imagine given the lowest level zen 2 is probably less powerful than the best zen 1 etc
 
Prohibiting software updates to force hardware updates is borderline vindictive. Forcing people to spend money they don't have on hardware, just to keep their software updated. I've never thought of MS as being part of a mafia until now.
 
Prohibiting software updates to force hardware updates is borderline vindictive. Forcing people to spend money they don't have on hardware, just to keep their software updated. I've never thought of MS as being part of a mafia until now.
There is always Linux...are you saying that a pentium should get updates? There is always ba cliff
 
Prohibiting software updates to force hardware updates is borderline vindictive. Forcing people to spend money they don't have on hardware, just to keep their software updated. I've never thought of MS as being part of a mafia until now.
Although it is restrictive it makes sense at the end of the day I doubt Hardware makers are pushing MS how can they given the Size of MS and that Windows is basically a Monopoly. Its more likely that MS have a grand vision of the future and don't care about people that get left behind
 
There is always Linux...are you saying that a pentium should get updates? There is always ba cliff
Do you think a Pentium is powerful enough to run Windows 11? If so, then yes I do. But then the oldest Pentiums are three times older than the newer ones intentionally being phased out. So when you say Pentium, that is a broad range of years.
 
There's no reason seventh-generation Intel CPUs, and AMD Ryzen 1 processors, won't perform well with Windows 11. I'm running Core i7 7700s in my boxes so my fingers are crossed.

There's no reason any CPU that performs well with Windows 10, wouldn't perform well with Windows 11.

 
It's still arbitrary if you have or can have everything else in the requirements, but Microsoft still won't support the CPU. Still, if Windows 10 support gets extended, much like they did with XP, most people can weather it. It's not as much as disallowing upgrades to 11 as is sunsetting Windows 10 on seventh generation Intel CPUs and AMD 1st generation Ryzen when these CPUs aren't really all that old. 4 years is not really that old when you consider the costs, e-wastes, and the ending of Moore's Law. I digress. Push me to Linux, then. Probably the best case scenario in the long run anyhow.
 
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