Windows 11 was officially presented yesterday, and you can try out an early version for yourself next week as part of the Windows Insider Program. But is your system designed for Windows 11 at all? We take a look at the system requirements.
By and large, the minimum hardware requirements are moderate, as expected. No wonder, after all, Microsoft should be keen to attract as many users as possible to the new operating system.
Windows 11 system requirements at a glance
- CPU: Processor with two cores and a clock frequency of one gigahertz
- RAM: 4.0 GB of RAM
- Memory (HDD / SSD): 64,0 GByte
- System Firmware: UEFI, Secure Boot capable
- Security: Trusted Platform Module (TPM) Version 2.0
- GPU: DirectX-12-fähig, WDDM 2.x (Windows Display Driver Model)
There are lists of supported processors for both AMD and Intel processors. In the case of AMD, it should be at least an Athlon Gold 3150C or a Ryzen 2000 processor; in the case of Intel, the 8th generation Core i processors are currently the lower limit (including the corresponding Atom and Celeron CPUs).
The real crux of the system requirements is the Trusted Platform Module, or TPM for short. This is a special chip with extended security functions, for example relating to license management and data protection.
Windows 11 in its current form requires an activated TPM version 2.0. The standard was introduced in 2014, which is why a suitable chip should be installed on most circuit boards.
You can check whether your system meets the requirements with the so-called PC Health Check from Microsoft. At the moment, however, the tool is spitting out the message “Windows 11 cannot be run on this PC” very quickly. But don’t let this confuse you, the solution is very simple in many cases.
According to the previous system requirements, a reasonably modern computer is already sufficient to run Windows 11. And even if your CPU or other component does not meet the minimum requirements, you shouldn’t worry too much about it.
The final version of Windows 11 should appear at the end of the year, but experience has shown that a lot can still happen before then.