Processor: 64-bit architecture at 1 GHz or faster Intel: eight-generation or newer ( details) AMD Ryzen 3 or better ( details) Qualcomm Snapdragon 7c or higher ( details).

But when the official release goes out later this year, those machines will no longer be able to upgrade to newer Windows 11 versions.

At present, Microsoft has relaxed those restrictions, so that out-of-compliance PCs can run Windows 11 within the Insider Program. I’ll walk you through the system requirements as they stand now, as well as how to use the PC Health Check app and two alternative tools to check a PC’s Windows 11 upgrade readiness.Īccording to Microsoft’s Windows 11 overview page, the following items delineate the basic requirements a PC must meet for Windows 11 to install properly on that machine. To partially make up for the loss of the PC Health Check app, Microsoft published more detailed minimum system requirements for Windows 11, but it also noted that those requirements might change after the company factored in feedback from testers in its Windows Insider program.Īs of August 27, the PC Health Check tool is back, and there’s no shortage of third-party options available to those who’d like a report on a PCs’ compliance with - or violation of - the minimum system requirements for Windows 11, which will begin rolling out on October 5. Just four days later, however, Microsoft withdrew the tool from circulation, citing issues with its “level of detail or accuracy.” In other words, it was telling many users that their hardware couldn’t run Windows 11, but it wasn’t telling them why.

In late June, Microsoft announced Windows 11, noted that the upcoming OS would have more stringent hardware requirements than Windows 10, and released a utility named PC Health Check to permit users to assess the upgrade readiness of their PCs.

Windows 11 compatibility check online