Windows 11 System Requirements - Microsoft Support (2024)

Published August 2021

Note: This article explains theminimum system requirementsfor running Windows 11 on a PC. Minimum system requirements are designed to provideagreatcomputing experienceacross a variety of devices, nowand into the future.Specific features plus apps and hardware that you add to your PC may exceed these minimum requirements. Windows providesadditional informationon some feature-specificrequirements on theWindows 11 specifications page. Formoredetails onadditional requirements foryour appsorhardware, you should check with the specific publisher or manufacturer.

Windows 11 is designed to bring you closer to what you love andis releasingat a time when thePC is playing an even more central role in the way we connect, create and play.When we made the decision on where to set the minimum system requirements for Window 11, we focused on three principles to guideour thinking to help ensure a great user experience:

• Reliability

• Security

• Compatibility

If you are interested in understandingmore about our minimum system requirements and how theseprinciples helped guide our decision-making, please seethis blogthat provides a more detailed explanation of our approach.

Minimum System Requirements and your PC

These are the minimum system requirements your PC must meet to help enable a great computing experience:

• Processors/CPUs (Central Processing Units):1Ghzor faster with 2 or more cores and appearing onourlist of approved CPUs.Theprocessorin your PCwill be a main determining factor for running Windows 11. Theclock speed(the 1Ghzor faster requirement)and number of cores (2 or more) are inherent to the processor design as it was manufactured and are not considered upgradablecomponents.

• RAM:4 GB.If your PChas less than 4GB of memory, there are sometimes options for upgradingto get additional RAM.Youmay want to consult your PC manufacturer’s website or with a retailer to see if there are easy and affordable options to meet the minimum requirements for Windows 11.

  Storage:64 GB or larger storage device. If your PC does not have a large enough storage drive, there are sometimes options for upgrading thedrive.Youmay want to consult your PC manufacturer’s website or with a retailer to see if thereare easy and affordable options to meet the minimum requirements for Windows 11.

  System Firmware: UEFI(for Unified Extensible Firmware Interface,amodernversion ofthe PCBIOS)and Secure Boot capable. If your device does not meet the minimum requirements because it is not Secure Boot capable, you may wanttoread this articleto see if there are steps you can take to enable this.Secure Boot can only be enabled withUEFIandthisarticlehelps you understandpotential options to change settings to make this possible.

  TPM:Trusted Platform Module(TPM) version 2.0. If your device does not meet the minimum requirements because of TPM, you may want to read this articleto see if there are steps you can take toremediate this.

  Graphics Card:Compatible with DirectX 12 or later with WDDM 2.0 driver.

  Display:High definition (720p) display that is greater than 9” diagonally, 8 bits per color channel. If your screen size is less than 9”, theintendeduser interface of Windowsmay not be fullyvisible.

  See Also

  ARM vs. Intel Processors: What's the Difference?

  Internet Connectivity and Microsoft Accounts:Windows 11 Home edition requires internet connectivity and a MicrosoftAccount to complete device setup on first use.

• Windows Version for Upgrade: Your device must be running Windows 10, version 2004 or later, to upgrade through Windows Update.Freeupdates are available through Windows Update in Settings >Update and Security.

Upgrade Specific Requirements for S Mode

For Windows 10 Pro, Education, and Enterprise, S mode is no longer available in Windows 11. Users who want to upgrade to Windows 11 will need to switch out of S mode and will not have an option to switch back again. Windows 10 Home can upgrade to Windows 11 Home in Smode without needing to switch out of S mode.

Instructions for switching out of S mode (to be completed before attempting to upgrade):

1. On your PC running Windows 10 in S mode, openSettings>Update &Security>Activation.

2. Find the Switch to Windows 10 Home or Switch to Windows 10 Pro section, then select the Go to the Store link.

   Note:Don't select the link under Upgrade your edition of Windows. That's a different process that will keep you in S mode.

3. On the page that appears in the Microsoft Store (Switch out of S mode or a similar page), select the Get button. After you confirm this action, you'll be able to install apps from outside the Microsoft Store.

Assessing Upgrade Eligibility

We know that some customers will want aneasy-to-useprocess for determining if theirPCmeets the minimum system requirements for Windows 11 and is eligible for the upgrade.To helpwith this, we are providing thePC Health Check appfor Windows 10PCs.In addition to diagnostic checks, there is a push-button simpleway to check upgrade eligibilityfor Windows 11.Once Windows 11 is released, WindowsUpdate will alsooffera way to assessupgrade eligibility.You will be able to access this fromSettings>Update & Security.These options are designed for customerPCsthat are not managed by an IT administrator. If your PC is managed by an IT administrator, you should check with them on options for assessing eligibility and upgrading to Windows 11.

Important:With any of these scenarios where you are making changes to your PC to make it eligible to upgrade, werecommend you wait to upgrade until Windows Updatelets you know that Windows 11 is ready for your device.

For those who ultimately are not able to upgrade their existing PCto Windows 11due to deviceineligibility and are not ready to transition to a new device, Windows 10 remains the right choice. Windows 10 will still be supported through October 14, 2025,and we recently announced that the next feature update to Windows 10 is coming later this year.