Update on Windows 11 minimum system requirements and PC Health Check app


  • Staff

 Windows Blogs:

Today’s blog post provides two updates. First, an update on Windows 11 minimum system requirements based, in part, on feedback from the Windows Insider community. Second, information on the updated PC Health Check app that is now available to Windows Insiders.

Since the introduction of Windows 11, we have received valuable feedback from the Windows Insider community, our fans, customers and partners. Thank you for being a part of the release of Windows 11, coming at a time when the PC is playing a more central role in the way we connect, work, learn, create and play.

In June, we heard your questions about how we set the Windows 11 minimum system requirements and shared more information on the established principles that guided us in setting them. And as a team, we committed to exploring through Windows Insider testing and with OEMs whether there were devices running on Intel 7th Generation and AMD Zen 1 processors that met our principles.

Following the results of our testing, we are making a small number of additions to the compatible processor list (explained further below), but otherwise will maintain the minimum system requirements as originally set. We have concluded that the compatible 64-bit processors selected, 4GB of memory, 64GB of storage, UEFI secure boot, graphics requirements and TPM 2.0 are the right minimum system requirements to deliver on the principles we established to best support you.

We did identify a set of PC models that meet the principles while running on Intel 7th Gen processors that we did not originally include in our minimum system requirements. Based on those findings, we have expanded the list of compatible 64-bit processors to include the following:
After carefully analyzing the first generation of AMD Zen processors in partnership with AMD, together we concluded that there are no additions to the supported CPU list. We will be updating the PC Health Check app to identify the correct systems with the newly added Intel CPUs in the coming weeks before the tool is released for general availability. Additionally, we will have more to share on the tools and reports IT Pros can use to understand their organization’s hardware eligibility at scale as we get closer to Windows 11 general availability later this year.

We have included more details below on our principles that guided us in establishing Windows 11 minimum system requirements. Here are some insights from the data we gathered over the last couple months that affirmed our decision.
  • Reliability: Devices that do not meet the minimum system requirements had 52% more kernel mode crashes. Devices that do meet the minimum system requirements had a 99.8% crash free experience.
  • Security: Windows 11 raises the baseline of Windows security by improving the security default configuration to combat increasing cyber-attacks. These requirements were informed based on trillions of signals from Microsoft’s threat intelligence as well as input from leading security experts like the NSA, UK National Cyber Security Center and Canadian Centre for Cyber Security. Additional details on the background and value of Windows 11 baseline are below.
  • Compatibility: People continue to increasingly use their PCs for video conferencing, productivity and gaming. To ensure all Windows 11 devices can run a core set of applications to meet those needs, we set the minimum system requirements to align with some of the most commonly used apps.
Following our announcement in June, we acknowledged that we missed an opportunity to provide clarity and accuracy through the PC Health Check app. Today, we are releasing an updated preview version of the PC Health Check app to Windows Insiders. This updated version expands the eligibility check functionality with more complete and improved messaging on eligibility and links to relevant support articles that include potential remediation steps – the screenshot below illustrates this. After a feedback period with Windows Insiders and with the additional updates for the newly added processors, we plan to re-release the PC Health Check app for general availability in the coming weeks. Today, we are also simultaneously releasing versions that support 64-bit Windows, 32-bit Windows, Windows on Arm and Windows 10 in S mode PCs to Windows Insiders. Windows Insiders can provide feedback on the PC Health Check app by going to Feedback Hub > Apps > PC Health Check.


pc-health-check-update.png

The eligibility check functionality in the PC Health Check app includes improved messaging on eligibility and links to relevant support articles that include potential remediation steps.

As our unprecedented number of Windows Insiders have shown, most people with eligible devices will choose to move to Windows 11 to experience all the new innovations across connection, productivity, creativity and play that it has to offer. For those who are using a PC that won’t upgrade, and who aren’t ready to transition to a new device, Windows 10 is the right choice. We will support Windows 10 through October 14, 2025 and we recently announced that the next feature update to Windows 10 is coming later this year. Whatever you decide, we are committed to supporting you and offering choice in your computing journey. If you want to see the full Windows 11 minimum system requirements, you can visit this page.

Here is some additional detail on the principles that guided Windows 11 minimum system requirements:
  • Reliability. Maintaining reliability over time is highly correlated with OEM and IHV driver support. The processors supported on Windows 11 are within OEM and IHV support and use modern (DCH) drivers. The move to modern drivers enables drivers and associated software to be installed and serviced in a coordinated manner through Windows Update and provides better mechanisms for tracking driver health. The result of this coordination is that system drivers are properly installed and functional after updates, providing a reliable experience when upgraded to Windows 11. From Windows Insider machines, those that did not meet the minimum system requirements had 52% more kernel mode crashes (blue screens) than those that did meet the requirements. Machines that met the requirements provided a 99.8% crash-free experience that is effectively managed by OEMs and IHVs through modern driver update management. Additionally, on unsupported hardware app hangs are 17% more likely and for first-party apps we see 43% more crashes.
  • Security: Windows 11 has raised the security baseline to make it the most secure version of Windows ever. We have used the more than 8.2 trillion signals from Microsoft’s threat intelligence, reverse engineering on attacks as well as input from leading experts like the NSA, UK National Cyber Security Center and Canadian Centre for Cyber Security to design a security baseline in Windows 11 that addresses increasing threats that software alone cannot tackle. We have carefully designed the hardware requirements and default security features based on an analysis of the most effective defenses. This analysis was based on the Microsoft data set of blocked attacks in 2020 which included 30 billion email threats, six billion threats to endpoint devices and 30 billion authentications. In addition to benefitting from these intelligence sources, Windows 11 enables proven security controls based on industry wide recommendations from global experts like the NSA and NCSC.
    • The Trusted Platform Module(TPM) requirement enables Windows 11 to be a true Passwordless operating system, addressing phishing and other password-based attacks that are easier for attackers to execute when the TPM is not present. In the FY20 Microsoft digital defense report, Microsoft identified 67% fewer compromises of organizations that disabled legacy authentication and moved towards Multi-factor Authentication (MFA)- or Passwordless-based systems like Windows Hello. With Hello, the TPM works together with a PIN or biometric camera/fingerprint reader to securely store a secret in hardware that replaces a user’s password during authentication and is much harder to steal or spoof. The TPM is also used for numerous other Windows 11 features such as Bitlocker and Device Encryption, which leverages the TPM to store disk encryption keys. Research from Forrester showed that the loss or theft of assets like smartphones and laptops were involved in 20% of the breaches reported by global security decision-makers in 2020. Bitlocker full disk encryption in Windows 11 limits the possibility of sensitive data loss from lost or stolen devices. The TPM is also used to “bind” web-based credentials securely to a machine, preventing extraction and theft of credential types seen in many recent breaches. Windows 11 requires TPM 2.0 vs 1.2 because of the security advantages it provides, particularly support for newer and stronger cryptographic algorithms.

    • The UEFI Secure Boot requirement ensures that a system boots with only code signed by either the device builder, the silicon vendor, or Microsoft. It does this by ensuring all code is signed by specific entities and by recording cryptographic hashes in hardware that can also be sent to the cloud to verify integrity. If a system can be compromised prior to the operating system boot, then all kernel, user and endpoint security tools can be completely undermined. The “NotPetya” attack, which cost hundreds of millions in damages, leveraged legacy bios to inject ransomware code before boot, which can now be mitigated by Secure Boot. The value and best practices of Secure Boot have also been validated by the U.S. National Security Agency. We have been requiring OEMs to ship using UEFI Secure Boot enabled since June 26, 2013 and want all Windows 11 devices to be able to provide that customer benefit.

    • In addition to increased reliability, the supported processors increase security capabilities at the chip level. These processors provide virtualization extensions and virtualization performance improvements. Windows 11 supports virtualization-based security (VBS) which enables several security capabilities, including memory integrity, also known as hypervisor-protected code integrity (HVCI). HVCI disables dynamic code injection into the Windows kernel. HVCI also provides driver control and ensures that all drivers loaded meet a policy of allowed drivers set by Microsoft and the user. VBS also enables credential protection for common enterprise credential types (such as NTLM) an attack technique seen in “pass-the-hash” style attacks, and is the basis for System Guard Runtime attestation, a zero-trust capability that provides tamper proof hardware-based health statements to the cloud as part of a chip-to-cloud zero trust approach. The United States Department of Defense (DoD) requires virtualization-based security on Windows 10 for their devices. While we are not requiring VBS when upgrading to Windows 11, we believe the security benefits it offers are so important that we wanted the minimum system requirements to ensure that every PC running Windows 11 can meet the same security the DoD relies on. In partnership with our OEM and silicon partners, we will be enabling VBS and HVCI on most new PCs over this next year. And we will continue to seek opportunities to expand VBS across more systems over time.
  • Compatibility. Windows 11 continues our strong commitment to compatibility. This means that devices can upgrade to Windows 11 and critical apps and devices will simply work. Raising the Windows 11 minimum system requirements enables us to better support apps and hardware for drivers and devices. Feedback also shows us that unsupported hardware is more likely to have older drivers that are incompatible with new OS features such as VBS. Supported hardware also comes with modern drivers, which helps ensure not only the reliability we mentioned earlier, but also great hardware compatibility. In addition, the new minimum system requirements establish a new baseline that aligns with the hardware needs of many of the most commonly used apps customers rely on today for teleconferencing, browsing, productivity and entertainment. Of course, certain features, apps, games and peripherals may have their own requirements that exceed our minimum system requirements so we encourage people who are buying new PCs to verify the requirements with the manufacturer of the specific products they will want to use.


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My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Intel NUC
    CPU
    i3 8109U
    Motherboard
    Intel
    Memory
    16GB DDR4 @2400
    Graphics Card(s)
    Intel Iris Plus Graphics 655
    Sound Card
    Intel / Realtek HD Audio
    Monitor(s) Displays
    LG-32ML600M
    Screen Resolution
    1920x1080
    Hard Drives
    Intel SSD 250GB + Samsung QVO SSD 1TB
    PSU
    Adapter
    Cooling
    The usual NUC airflow
    Keyboard
    Logitech Orion G610
    Mouse
    SteelSeries Rival 100 Red
    Internet Speed
    Good enough
    Browser
    Chromium, Edge, Firefox
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender
  • Operating System
    CentOS 9 Stream / Alma / Rocky / Fedora
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    TOSHIBA
    CPU
    Intel i7 4800MQ
    Motherboard
    TOSHIBA
    Memory
    32GB DDR3 @1600
    Graphics card(s)
    NVIDIA Quadro K2100M
    Sound Card
    Realtek HD Audio
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Built-in
    Screen Resolution
    1920x1080
Microsoft release a new version 3.0.2109.14001 but my CPU 7820HK is still not supported, strange as it is the same as 7820HQ except faster.


Any way I had no issues updating to Dev Build 22458 or Beta Build 22000.194 with my 7820HK, please note that I have met all other requirements.





but here the blocked CPUs in the windows upgrade setup cpufms.ini:

Code:
[BlockARM]
ARMv81ProcessorSupport=FALSE

[BlockIntel]
CpuFamily=6
CpuModelLessThanOrEqual=95
CpuModelException=85

[BlockIntelKabyLake1]
CpuFamily=6
CpuStepping=9
CpuModel=142
PlatformIDException=0x00000010

[BlockIntelKabyLake2]
CpuFamily=6
CpuStepping=9
CpuModel=158
PlatformIDException=0x00000008

[BlockAMD]
CpuFamilyLessThanOrEqual=22

[BlockAMDRaven]
CpuFamily=23
CpuModel=17

[BlockAMDSummitRidge]
CpuFamily=23
CpuModel=1

My CPU in the list (Family 6 Setpping 9 Model 158) but I am hoping it is also in that the excetion platform ID 8!!!!
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 11 vmware
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    MSI GT83VR 7RF Titan SLI
    CPU
    i7 7820HK
    Memory
    64GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    NVIDIA 1080 2x SLI
    Sound Card
    Realtek Nahimic 3
Hi,
Last I looked intel 99..x series wasn't listed but 10...x and 79..x was lol
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Win-7-10-11Pro's
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Acer 17" Nitro 7840sn/ 2x16gb 5600c40/ 4060/ stock 1tb-os/ 4tb sn850x
    CPU
    10900k & 9940x & 5930k
    Motherboard
    z490-Apex & x299-Apex & x99-Sabertooth
    Memory
    Trident-Z Royal 4000c16 2x16gb & Trident-Z 3600c16 4x8gb & 3200c14 4x8gb
    Graphics Card(s)
    Titan Xp & 1080ti FTW3 & evga 980ti gaming
    Sound Card
    Onboard Realtek x3
    Monitor(s) Displays
    1-AOC G2460PG 24"G-Sync 144Hz/ 2nd 1-ASUS VG248QE 24"/ 3rd LG 43" series
    Screen Resolution
    1920-1080 not sure what the t.v is besides 43" class scales from 1920-1080 perfectly
    Hard Drives
    2-WD-sn850x 4tb/ 970evo+500gb/ 980 pro 2tb.
    PSU
    1000p2 & 1200p2 & 850p2
    Case
    D450 x2 & 1 Test bench in cherry Entertainment center
    Cooling
    Custom water loops x3 with 2x mora 360mm rads only 980ti gaming air cooled
    Keyboard
    G710+x3
    Mouse
    Redragon x3
    Internet Speed
    xfinity gigabyte
    Browser
    Firefox
    Antivirus
    mbam pro
Microsoft release a new version 3.0.2109.14001 but my CPU 7820HK is still not supported, strange as it is the same as 7820HQ except faster.


Any way I had no issues updating to Dev Build 22458 or Beta Build 22000.194 with my 7820HK, please note that I have met all other requirements.





but here the blocked CPUs in the windows upgrade setup cpufms.ini:

Code:
[BlockARM]
ARMv81ProcessorSupport=FALSE

[BlockIntel]
CpuFamily=6
CpuModelLessThanOrEqual=95
CpuModelException=85

[BlockIntelKabyLake1]
CpuFamily=6
CpuStepping=9
CpuModel=142
PlatformIDException=0x00000010

[BlockIntelKabyLake2]
CpuFamily=6
CpuStepping=9
CpuModel=158
PlatformIDException=0x00000008

[BlockAMD]
CpuFamilyLessThanOrEqual=22

[BlockAMDRaven]
CpuFamily=23
CpuModel=17

[BlockAMDSummitRidge]
CpuFamily=23
CpuModel=1

My CPU in the list (Family 6 Setpping 9 Model 185) but I am hoping it is also in that the excetion platform ID 8!!!!

If you compare the specs the "HK" variant lacks "Intel vPro® Platform Eligibility" and "Intel® Trusted Execution Technology".
 
Last edited by a moderator:

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11 PRO
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Home Built
    CPU
    i7-12700K
    Motherboard
    MSI Z690-A WIFI
    Memory
    64GB - 2 x32B DDR5 5600MHz
    Graphics Card(s)
    Nvidia RTX 4060Ti
    Hard Drives
    1 x 1TB Samsung 980 PRO SSD; 1 x 2TB Samsung 860 EVO SSD; 1 x 2TB Samsung 870 EVO SSD; 1 x 4TB Samsung 870 EVO SSD; 1x 2TB WD Black SN850X SSD
    Internet Speed
    260Mb/s down; 26Mb/s up
    Browser
    Firefox
    Antivirus
    Bitdefender
  • Operating System
    Windows 11 PRO (Dev Channel)
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Home Built
    CPU
    i7-9700K
    Motherboard
    MSI Z390 A-PRO
    Memory
    4x 8Gb DDR4 3000Mhz
    Graphics card(s)
    Nvidia GTX1070Ti
    Hard Drives
    1x 500 GB Samsung 970 Evo Plus SSD; 1x 1TB ST1000DX001-1CM162 SSHD
    Internet Speed
    260Mb/s down; 26Mb/s up
    Browser
    Firefox
my CPU 7820HK is still not supported, strange as it is the same as 7820HQ except faster
Note that the entry in the 'supported' list for the 7820HQ has a footnote referrence next to it...

Intel®Core™i7-7820HQ[1]
[1] Only select devices that shipped with modern drivers based on Declarative, Componentized, Hardware Support Apps (DCH) design principles.
Basically that means the 7820HQ is only supported when used in three specific machines: Dell Precision 5520, Lenovo ThinkPad T470p, and Surface Studio 2.
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11 Home
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Acer Aspire 3 A315-23
    CPU
    AMD Athlon Silver 3050U
    Memory
    8GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    Radeon Graphics
    Monitor(s) Displays
    laptop screen
    Screen Resolution
    1366x768 native resolution, up to 2560x1440 with Radeon Virtual Super Resolution
    Hard Drives
    1TB Samsung EVO 870 SSD
    Internet Speed
    50 Mbps
    Browser
    Edge, Firefox
    Antivirus
    Defender
    Other Info
    fully 'Windows 11 ready' laptop. Windows 10 C: partition migrated from my old unsupported 'main machine' then upgraded to 11. A test migration ran Insider builds for 2 months. When 11 was released on 5th October it was re-imaged back to 10 and was offered the upgrade in Windows Update on 20th October. Windows Update offered the 22H2 Feature Update on 20th September 2022. It got the 23H2 Feature Update on 4th November 2023 through Windows Update.

    My SYSTEM THREE is a Dell Latitude 5410, i7-10610U, 32GB RAM, 512GB ssd, supported device running Windows 11 Pro (and all my Hyper-V VMs).

    My SYSTEM FOUR is a 2-in-1 convertible Lenovo Yoga 11e 20DA, Celeron N2930, 4GB RAM, 256GB ssd. Unsupported device: currently running Win10 Pro, plus Win11 Pro RTM and Insider Beta as native boot vhdx.

    My SYSTEM FIVE is a Dell Latitude 3190 2-in-1, Pentium Silver N5030, 4GB RAM, 512GB NVMe ssd, supported device running Windows 11 Pro, plus the Insider Beta, Dev, and Canary builds as a native boot .vhdx.
  • Operating System
    Windows 11 Pro
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Dell Lattitude E4310
    CPU
    Intel® Core™ i5-520M
    Motherboard
    0T6M8G
    Memory
    8GB
    Graphics card(s)
    (integrated graphics) Intel HD Graphics
    Screen Resolution
    1366x768
    Hard Drives
    500GB Crucial MX500 SSD
    Browser
    Firefox, Edge
    Antivirus
    Defender
    Other Info
    unsupported machine: Legacy bios, MBR, TPM 1.2, upgraded from W10 to W11 using W10/W11 hybrid install media workaround. In-place upgrade to 22H2 using ISO and a workaround. Feature Update to 23H2 by manually installing the Enablement Package.

    My SYSTEM THREE is a Dell Latitude 5410, i7-10610U, 32GB RAM, 512GB ssd, supported device running Windows 11 Pro (and all my Hyper-V VMs).

    My SYSTEM FOUR is a 2-in-1 convertible Lenovo Yoga 11e 20DA, Celeron N2930, 4GB RAM, 256GB ssd. Unsupported device: currently running Win10 Pro, plus Win11 Pro RTM and Insider Beta as native boot vhdx.

    My SYSTEM FIVE is a Dell Latitude 3190 2-in-1, Pentium Silver N5030, 4GB RAM, 512GB NVMe ssd, supported device running Windows 11 Pro, plus the Insider Beta, Dev, and Canary builds as a native boot .vhdx.
If you compare the specs the "HK" variant lacks "Intel vPro® Platform Eligibility" and "Intel® Trusted Execution Technology".

All "K" models, up to the 11th gen, miss these features. These features for corporations. On the other hand the "k" models support overclocking while the other models don't. Simply the "K"' model is for gaming and designing or hard calculation tasks, doesn't require these features.

If you want take a look at the 11th i9 11900K Intel® Core™ i9-11900KB Processor (24M Cache, up to 4.90 GHz) - Product Specifications | Intel
or the mobile version i9 11980HK Intel® Core™ i9-11980HK Processor (24M Cache, up to 5.00 GHz) - Product Specifications | Intel

Note that the entry in the 'supported' list for the 7820HQ has a footnote referrence next to it...


Basically that means the 7820HQ is only supported when used in three specific machines: Dell Precision 5520, Lenovo ThinkPad T470p, and Surface Studio 2.

I have read this note, but PC health check or the setup, don't check for the used device, and the 7820x has the same arch but without notes (except the x has more the 512 instructions)
 
Last edited:

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 11 vmware
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    MSI GT83VR 7RF Titan SLI
    CPU
    i7 7820HK
    Memory
    64GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    NVIDIA 1080 2x SLI
    Sound Card
    Realtek Nahimic 3

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    windows 10 ltsc
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro for Workstations
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Custom self build
    CPU
    Intel i7-8700K 5 GHz
    Motherboard
    ASUS ROG Maximus XI Formula Z390
    Memory
    64 GB (4x16GB) G.SKILL TridentZ RGB DDR4 3600 MHz (F4-3600C18D-32GTZR)
    Graphics Card(s)
    ASUS ROG-STRIX-GTX1080TI-O11G-GAMING (11GB GDDR5X)
    Sound Card
    Integrated Digital Audio (S/PDIF)
    Monitor(s) Displays
    2 x Samsung Odyssey G75 27"
    Screen Resolution
    2560x1440
    Hard Drives
    1TB Samsung 990 PRO M.2,
    4TB Samsung 990 PRO M.2,
    8TB WD MyCloudEX2Ultra NAS
    PSU
    Seasonic Prime Titanium 850W
    Case
    Thermaltake Core P3 wall mounted
    Cooling
    Corsair Hydro H115i
    Keyboard
    Logitech wireless K800
    Mouse
    Logitech MX Master 3
    Internet Speed
    1 Gbps Download and 35 Mbps Upload
    Browser
    Google Chrome
    Antivirus
    Microsoft Defender and Malwarebytes Premium
    Other Info
    Logitech Z625 speaker system,
    Logitech BRIO 4K Pro webcam,
    HP Color LaserJet Pro MFP M477fdn,
    APC SMART-UPS RT 1000 XL - SURT1000XLI,
    Galaxy S23 Plus phone
  • Operating System
    Windows 11 Pro
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    HP Spectre x360 2in1 14-eu0098nr (2024)
    CPU
    Intel Core Ultra 7 155H 4.8 GHz
    Memory
    16 GB LPDDR5x-7467 MHz
    Graphics card(s)
    Integrated Intel Arc
    Sound Card
    Poly Studio
    Monitor(s) Displays
    14" 2.8K OLED multitouch
    Screen Resolution
    2880 x 1800
    Hard Drives
    2 TB PCIe NVMe M.2 SSD
    Internet Speed
    Intel Wi-Fi 7 BE200 (2x2) and Bluetooth 5.4
    Browser
    Chrome and Edge
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender and Malwarebytes Premium

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 10
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    HP
    CPU
    Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-4800MQ CPU @ 2.70GHz
    Motherboard
    Product : 190A Version : KBC Version 94.56
    Memory
    16 GB Total: Manufacturer : Samsung MemoryType : DDR3 FormFactor : SODIMM Capacity : 8GB Speed : 1600
    Graphics Card(s)
    NVIDIA Quadro K3100M; Intel(R) HD Graphics 4600
    Sound Card
    IDT High Definition Audio CODEC; PNP Device ID HDAUDIO\FUNC_01&VEN_111D&DEV_76E0
    Hard Drives
    Model Hitachi HTS727575A9E364
    Antivirus
    Microsoft Defender
    Other Info
    Mobile Workstation

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