Windows 11 Compatibility Check: Here Are Minimum System Requirements

Finally, Microsoft has unveiled Windows 11, the next iteration of the OS. It plans to release the early build of the OS next week. Windows 11 brings a slew of new features and some already known ones including performance improvements across aspects, support for Android apps, similar updates in the background and an improved Store.

Microsoft is in plans to release Windows 11 by the end of 2021. Also, several laptop and PC brands have announced that they will come up with Windows 11 devices by the end of this year. If you already own laptops and PCs and wonder if these devices are compatible with the new iteration of the OS, then there's good news as most PCs running the recent version of Windows will be compatible with the next iteration as well.

Windows 11 System Requirements

Do keep in mind that your PC or laptop should have these minimum system requirements to be upgraded to Windows 11. Here we have listed the minimum Windows 11 system requirements for compatible devices.

• Processor: 1 gigahertz (GHz) or faster with two or more cores on a compatible 64-bit processor or System on a Chip (SoC).
• RAM: 4GB RAM or above.
• Storage: 64GB or larger storage device.
• Graphics card: Compatible with DirectX 12 or later, with a WDDM 2.0 driver.
• System firmware: UEFI, Secure Boot capable.
• TPM: Trusted Platform Module (TPM) version 2.0.
• Display: High definition (720p) display, 9" or greater monitor, 8 bits per color channel.
• Internet connection: Internet connectivity is necessary to perform updates, and to download and use some features.
• Windows 11 Home edition requires an Internet connection and a Microsoft Account to complete device setup on first use.

Microsoft has also released the list of supported Intel and AMD processors. This shows that even older processors that are compatible with Windows 10 are on this list. However, the Surface Go's Pentium 4415Y is not on the Intel list.

How To Find Out Windows 11 Compatibility

Furthermore, Microsoft has released a tool called PC Health Check, which lets users check if a PC is compatible with the Windows 11 OS. You can download this tool from here. Once you install it, you can run it on your PC or laptop to check if you can upgrade the device to Windows 11. Notably, Microsoft notes that the data used by the app will not shared or stored.

The PC Health Check took shows information about the PC it is run on after startup. It shows the amount of RAM and hard disk space, the name of the PC, and information including Windows Update status, backup and sync status, or the storage capacity. The app notes that the upgrade to Windows 11 will be free. You just have to hit the "check now" button at the top to see if the system can run Windows 11.

If the device is not compatible, then the message "This PC can't run Windows 11" will appear. However, this prompt will not tell you why the system is not compatible with Windows 11 OS.