AMD SSE4A


stefmimi

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12:24 AM
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Windows 10
Hello,
I've browsed several forums/discussions and there's always some doubt about compatibility with certain types of processors.
I have an AMD Phenom II X4 965, which doesn't have the SSE4.2 instruction, but SSE4A includes the required POPCNT functionality.
Do you know if it's possible to migrate to Windows 11 25H2 using a tool like Rufus, or if the SSE4.2 instruction is essential?
Have any of you tried this before?
Thanks for your help.
 

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Hello @stefmimi and welcome to ElevenForum. :-)

Here's a list of supported AMD processors and the 965 is not on there.

Check this out as well...

Of course the safest option would be to make a full backup of Win 10 with 3rd party backup software, first.








Here's some other things that you may find useful...



 
Last edited:

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    AMD Athlon 64 X2 5000+ (OC'd @ 3.2Ghz)
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And here is Google AI's response...

No, you cannot officially install Windows 11 25H2 on an AMD Phenom II X4 965 because it's not a supported CPU
(needs Ryzen 2000+), but you can bypass Microsoft's checks using tools like Rufus or scripts to create a bootable USB, though you risk instability, lack of updates, and potential malfunctions as it's unsupported hardware


Short version...
Make a full backup of Win 10 (and the backup software's bootable media), and give it a shot.

With the bootable media, you can access your backups even if Windows won't boot.
 
Last edited:

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    Win 11 Home ♦♦♦26200.8737 ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦25H2AMD Ryzen 7 3700XG.Skill (F4-3200C14D-16GTZKW)EVGA RTX 2070 (08G-P4-2171-KR)
    OS
    Win 11 Home ♦♦♦26200.8737 ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦25H2
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Built by Ghot® [May 2020]
    CPU
    AMD Ryzen 7 3700X
    Motherboard
    Asus Pro WS X570-ACE (BIOS 5302)
    Memory
    G.Skill (F4-3200C14D-16GTZKW)
    Graphics Card(s)
    EVGA RTX 2070 (08G-P4-2171-KR)
    Sound Card
    Realtek ALC1220P / ALC S1220A
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Dell U3011 30"
    Screen Resolution
    2560 x 1600
    Hard Drives
    2x Samsung 860 EVO 500GB,
    WD 4TB Black FZBX - SATA III,
    WD 8TB Black FZBX - SATA III,
    DRW-24B1ST CD/DVD Burner
    PSU
    PC Power & Cooling 750W Quad EPS12V
    Case
    Cooler Master ATCS 840 Tower
    Cooling
    CM Hyper 212 EVO (push/pull)
    Keyboard
    Ducky DK9008 Shine II Blue LED
    Mouse
    Logitech Optical M-100
    Internet Speed
    300/300
    Browser
    Firefox (latest)
    Antivirus
    Bitdefender Total Security
    Other Info
    Speakers: Klipsch Pro Media 2.1
  • At a glance

    Windows XP Pro 32bit w/SP3AMD Athlon 64 X2 5000+ (OC'd @ 3.2Ghz)TWIN2X2048-6400C4DHX (2 x 1GB, DDR2 800)EVGA 256-P2-N758-TR GeForce 8600GT SSC
    Operating System
    Windows XP Pro 32bit w/SP3
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Built by Ghot® (not in use)
    CPU
    AMD Athlon 64 X2 5000+ (OC'd @ 3.2Ghz)
    Motherboard
    ASUS M2N32-SLI Deluxe Wireless Edition
    Memory
    TWIN2X2048-6400C4DHX (2 x 1GB, DDR2 800)
    Graphics card(s)
    EVGA 256-P2-N758-TR GeForce 8600GT SSC
    Sound Card
    Onboard
    Monitor(s) Displays
    ViewSonic G90FB Black 19" Professional (CRT)
    Screen Resolution
    up to 2048 x 1536
    Hard Drives
    WD 36GB 10,000rpm Raptor SATA
    Seagate 80GB 7200rpm SATA
    Lite-On LTR-52246S CD/RW
    Lite-On LH-18A1P CD/DVD Burner
    PSU
    PC Power & Cooling Silencer 750 Quad EPS12V
    Case
    Generic Beige case, 80mm fans
    Cooling
    ZALMAN 9500A 92mm CPU Cooler
    Keyboard
    Logitech Classic Keybooard 200
    Mouse
    Logitech Optical M-BT96a
    Internet Speed
    300/300
    Browser
    Firefox 3.x ??
    Antivirus
    Symantec (Norton)
    Other Info
    Still assembled, still runs. Haven't turned it on for 15 years?
Windows 11 24H2 (and later) requires a CPU with PopCnt and SSE4.2. These features became standard on Intel CPUs around 2008–2009 and on AMD CPUs around 2011. This hardware requirement cannot be bypassed.

This PC doesn't currently meet Windows 11 system requirements.webp

ChatGPT:

edit: Does the AMD Phenom II X4 965 meet the Windows 11 24H2/25H2 system requirements, specifically support for POPCNT and SSE4.2?

No — the AMD Phenom II X4 965 does not meet the official Windows 11 24H2/25H2 CPU requirements.

Here’s why:

  • The Phenom II X4 965 supports:
    • SSE up to SSE4a (an AMD-specific subset of SSE4) and POPCNT (population count) instruction. valid.x86.fr+1
  • It does NOT support the full SSE4.2 instruction set, which is required by Windows 11 24H2/25H2. TECHCOMMUNITY.MICROSOFT.COM+1

  • Microsoft’s recent updates to Windows 11 strictly require CPUs to support SSE4.2 (which includes POPCNT). Without SSE4.2, the OS will not boot or install normally on the system. TECHCOMMUNITY.MICROSOFT.COM+1

  • SSE4a is an AMD-specific instruction extension found on older processors like the Phenom II line, but it does not include the full instruction set of SSE4.2 that Windows 11 enforces. Wikipedia
  • POPCNT may exist on these CPUs, but having POPCNT alone isn’t sufficient — the full SSE4.2 set must be present.
 
Last edited:

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    Lenovo Legion Pro 7i Gen 10 16"
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    Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX
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    64GB (2x 32GB) DDR5-6400
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    NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 16GB GDDR7 Laptop GPU
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    2x 1TB M.2 NVMe SSD (SK Hynix)
ChatGPT:

edit: Does the AMD Phenom II X4 965 meet the Windows 11 24H2/25H2 system requirements, specifically support for POPCNT and SSE4.2?

ChatGPT telling the OP what they already knew.

I have an AMD Phenom II X4 965, which doesn't have the SSE4.2 instruction, but SSE4A includes the required POPCNT functionality.
 

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    Windows 11 Pro 25H2 Build 26200.8655
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    I’m on a horse.
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    Windows 11 Pro 25H2 Build 26200.8655 (Wifes)13th Generation Intel® Core™ i5-1340P Process...16GB LPDDR5-52001x Intel® Iris® Xe Graphics
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    Computer type
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    LENOVO Yoga 7 14IRL8 - Type 82YL
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  • Windows 11 Pro 25H2 Build 26200.8655 (Wifes)

    Yoga 7 2-in-1 14IML9 - Type 83DJ

    Processor: Intel® Core™ Ultra 7 155H Processor(Core™ Ultra 7 155H)

    Memory: 32GB LPD5X-7467

    Hard Drive: 1 TB SSD PCIe

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    Ports: 1 x HDMI 2.1 TMDS; 1 x Novo Button; 1 x Combo Audio Jack
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    1 x USB-A 3.2 Gen 1

    Camera: 1080P FHD IR Hybrid with Dual Microphone

    Graphics: Intel® Arc™ Graphics

    Monitor: 14" 2.8K

    ...Where's my horse?
ChatGPT telling the OP what they already knew.

ChatGPT also stated the following (which the OP was unaware of):

"Microsoft’s recent updates to Windows 11 strictly require CPUs to support SSE4.2 (which includes POPCNT). Without SSE4.2, the OS will not boot or install normally on the system."
 

My Computers My Computers

  • At a glance

    Windows 11 ProAMD Ryzen 9 9950X3DKingston FURY Beast 64GB (2x32GB) DDR5 6000MT/sASUS TUF Gaming Radeon RX 9070 OC Edition 16G...
    OS
    Windows 11 Pro
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    CPU
    AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D
    Motherboard
    ASRock B650E Taichi Lite
    Memory
    Kingston FURY Beast 64GB (2x32GB) DDR5 6000MT/s
    Graphics Card(s)
    ASUS TUF Gaming Radeon RX 9070 OC Edition 16GB GDDR6
    Hard Drives
    Solidigm P44 Pro 2TB M.2 NVMe SSD
  • At a glance

    Windows 11 HomeIntel Core Ultra 9 275HX64GB (2x 32GB) DDR5-6400NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 16GB GDDR7 Laptop GPU
    Operating System
    Windows 11 Home
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Lenovo Legion Pro 7i Gen 10 16"
    CPU
    Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX
    Memory
    64GB (2x 32GB) DDR5-6400
    Graphics card(s)
    NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 16GB GDDR7 Laptop GPU
    Hard Drives
    2x 1TB M.2 NVMe SSD (SK Hynix)
Thank you for your replies; this confirms my impression. I will therefore opt for extended support while waiting for another solution: a processor replacement or a complete PC upgrade.
 

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