Microsoft released Windows 11 in the last quarter of 2021. Since then, Microsoft has gradually rolled it out as an upgrade to more and more users.
Before upgrading to any new platform, you should first check its system requirements. The latest version is no exception, as its system requirements aren't exactly the same as its predecessor.
If you want to know more, read on to learn how Windows 11 and Windows 10 system requirements compare.
Microsoft provides minimum system and specific feature requirements for Windows 11 on its website.
Minimum system requirements are the minimum computer specifications that your PC must meet in order to install the latest version on it.
As for the requirements here, they are:
Microsoft released Windows 10 in July 2015, which was a while ago. The system requirements for this platform are approximately the same as those specified for Windows 8.
As for the requirements, here they are:
So, with Microsoft releasing Windows 10 over five years ago, it's no surprise that the latest operating system has some significant system requirements differences. All minimum system requirements specified above have changed for Windows 11.
The first thing to pay attention to is the processor requirements. Windows 11 does not have a 32-bit version, which means it does not support 32-bit CPUs.
If you use such a processor, upgrading to the latest version is impossible. Additionally, if you use Intel and Zen or higher AMD CPUs, your PC's processor must be 8th generation or higher.
It is possible to bypass these CPU requirements and to learn more, we recommend reading our How to install Windows 11 on an unsupported processor tutorial.
Windows 11 has 2 GB more RAM (random access memory) system requirements than Windows 10.
For the latest desktop operating systems, your PC must have at least 4 GB of RAM. If not, you can expand your PC's memory by adding new RAM modules.
The minimum storage system requirement for Windows 11 has been increased from 20 GB to 64 GB. This means your PC must have at least 64 GB of free storage space.
It is not a specification of overall hard drive size. Therefore, make sure you have approximately 70 GB of free space on your C: drive so that you can install future updates and necessary software.
Visual display unit system requirements primarily specify the minimum resolution. Your PC needs to have standard HD 1,280 x 720 resolution for Windows 11.
The system requirements also specify an 8-bit color channel, which is fully supported by most monitors, even older monitors.
While Windows 10 only requires graphics cards that support the earliest DirectX 9 API, this does not apply to Microsoft's new desktop platform.
Your PC must have a DirectX 12 capable GPU. If your PC graphics card is older than 2014, it may not support DirectX 12.
Windows 11’s TPM requirements prevent many users from upgrading. Some users are shocked by this PC can’t run Windows 11 error even if their PC meets the above system specifications. These users are still unable to upgrade due to TPM 2.0 system requirements.
TPM 2.0 (also known as Trusted Platform for Modules) is a security chip for Windows PCs. You need to make sure your PC supports the latest security features and better protects your data.
If your PC is less than five years old, it may be able to run TPM 2.0. However, TPM 2.0 may not be enabled by default. To learn more about this feature, visit our Windows 11 TPM tutorial for more information.
You can check the TPM details through the Microsoft Management Console by doing the following:
Please remember that if you do not get the same results, you need to enable TPM 2.0 in the BIOS and try again.
There are multiple versions of this feature available, if you are not on version 2.0 you may have issues upgrading. To understand the differences between the two, read our TPM 1.2 vs. TPM 2.0 tutorial.
Even if your computer does not support this feature, you can still install Windows 11 without the TPM tutorial.
Now you will note down all the PC specifications that you need to check to see if it meets the minimum system requirements for Windows 11.
If your PC meets all the requirements, you should be ready to upgrade. Unless, of course, your PC doesn’t have TPM 2.0 enabled!
If your PC doesn't meet certain requirements, you may be able to upgrade it. Desktop users can add RAM, a new graphics card, or even a CPU if needed. However, laptop upgradeability is more limited.
Microsoft has also released the PC Health Check app, which you can use to check if your PC meets the system requirements for Windows 11.
The application includes a "Check Now" option that tells your PC if it meets all the minimum requirements at the time of selection. It also includes some additional system maintenance tools.
Our Download PC Health Check tutorial provides more details on how to download, install, and check that your PC meets the Windows 11 minimum system requirements for this app .
Yes, virtualization (virtual machine) software enables users to try out different platforms in Windows 10. We recommend reading our tutorial on how to run Windows 11 on a virtual machine for more information.
VMware Workstation and VirtualBox are two of the best free virtualization applications. Don’t hesitate to check out our best virtual machine software for Windows 11 article for more details.
Overall, Windows 11 is a big improvement over its predecessor in terms of system requirements. It requires more RAM, processing power, and storage space to launch.
Many PCs that are more than five years old may not meet the minimum requirements for all new platforms.
If your PC does meet all the minimum system requirements, another question is whether it's worth upgrading to Windows 11.
To learn more about the differences between the two, our Windows 11 vs. Windows 10 tutorial has all the information you need.
Windows 11 has some nice new features and many visual design changes. To help you decide, just check out our Windows 11 review.
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