Window 11 – Compatibility News

Update 1

Original Post

Microsoft released an update on Windows 11 compatibility requirements(link).

The article/blog cites driver compatibility and security technologies for its stringent requirements for Windows 11. What has changed is, there will be an option to install on older hardware by performing a clean/manual install of Windows 11. The listed requirements (which isn’t fully formalised yet) has extended to 7th generation Intel® Core™ X-series, Xeon® W-series. AMD Ryzen 1000 series is still under analysis.

In short, listed requirements will allow you to do inline upgrades – to assist with (hopefully) a graceful in line update. Older hardware will require a manual installation.

You can find detailed system requires for Windows 11 here and compatible CPUs for Intel here, AMD here and Qualcomm Processors here.

Update 1

Microsoft has since updated their findings with AMD on Ryzen 1000 (ZEN 1) CPUs – the CPUs will remain unsupported.

Also worth mentioning, there are reports that speak about manually installed Windows 11 systems (on unsupported hardware), will not be receiving Windows 11 updates. Microsoft did stop updates on the Windows Insider programme for Windows 11 on previously “exempted” systems. No official information/statement has been released (at least that we could find at the up of this update) about the fate of “unsupported” systems/CPU with Windows 11.

Windows 11 is said to drop on 5 October 2021 – We should get a clear idea in the coming weeks, if not, the launch date is near for full testing.