Word has been going around, thanks to recent headlines, that Microsoft was letting users upgrade their old Windows 10 PCs to Windows 11, which would mean a softening of the hardware requirements. But these claims are disingenuous. To help ensure Windows 11 security and performance, Microsoft has certain Windows 11 system requirements.
Windows 11’s Minimum System Requirements Explained
Some of the installation requirements are: Windows 11 has improve security and performance features. The official requirements include:
Processor: A compatible 64-bit processor2 with 1 GHz clock speed or faster with 2 or more cores on a 64-bit processor.
RAM: A minimum of 4 GB.
Storage: Minimum 64 GB of free space.
System Firmware: UEFI, Secure Boot supported.
TPM: Trusted Platform Module version 2.0
Graphics Card: DirectX 12 compatible with a WDDM 2.0 driver.
This has led many older PCs particularly those without TPM 2.0 or that aren’t running on supported processors to be ineligible for the upgrade not just on paper, but in practice.
Clarifying the Confusion
The confusion is due to reports that Microsoft has relaxed these hardware requirements, meaning more users can upgrade. In fact, despite there being some ways to sidestep certain checks and install Windows 11 on unsupported hardware, Microsoft does not endorse or support these workarounds officially. Because of this, we recommend you never install supported Windows 11 on unsupported devices as it could result in compatibility problems, and users will not receive critical updates, including security patches.
Microsoft’s Official Position
Microsoft has frequentcement again explaining how much demand the minimum specs of Windows 11 are. They form the basis for a stable and secure user experience. Microsoft addresses this by releasing features in phases, and a new update that will be available shortly will hinder Windows 11 functionality on devices that are less than the recommended specs.
Implications for Users
As such, users with older hardware are out of luck, and upgrading to Windows 11 is likely to be impossible unless they swap out the hardware. It’s also technically possible to continue using Windows 10, since Microsoft continues to support the OS with updates and security patches through October 14, 2025.
