Windows 11 is crafted to bring you closer to what you love, launching at a time when PCs are more central than ever to how we connect, create, and play. In setting the minimum system requirements for Windows 11, we focused on three guiding principles to ensure a great user experience:
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Reliability
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Security
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Compatibility
For a deeper understanding of our minimum system requirements and how these principles influenced our decisions, please check out this detailed blog post.
Note: This article outlines the minimum system requirements for running Windows 11 on a PC. These requirements are designed to ensure a great computing experience across a variety of devices, both now and in the future. Specific features, apps, and hardware you add to your PC may exceed these minimum requirements. For more information on feature-specific requirements, visit the Windows 11 specifications page. For additional details on requirements for your apps or hardware, please check with the specific publisher or manufacturer.
Minimum System Requirements for running Windows 11
These are the minimum system requirements your PC must meet:
1 Ghz or faster with 2 or more cores and appearing on our list of approved CPUs. The processor in your PC will be a main determining factor for running Windows 11. The clock speed (the 1 Ghz or faster requirement) and number of cores (2 or more) are inherent to the processor design as it was manufactured and are not considered upgradable components.
4 GB. If your PC has less than 4GB of memory, there are sometimes options for upgrading to get additional RAM. You may 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.
64 GB or larger storage device. If your PC does not have a large enough storage drive, there are sometimes options for upgrading the drive. You may 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.
UEFI (for Unified Extensible Firmware Interface, a modern version of the PC BIOS) and Secure Boot capable. If your device does not meet the minimum requirements because it is not Secure Boot capable, you may want to read this article to see if there are steps you can take to enable this. Secure Boot can only be enabled with UEFI and this article helps you understand potential options to change settings to make this possible.
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 article to see if there are steps you can take to remediate this.
Compatible with DirectX 12 or later with WDDM 2.0 driver.
High definition (720p) display that is greater than 9” diagonally, 8 bits per color channel. If your screen size is less than 9”, the intended user interface of Windows may not be fully visible.
Windows 11 Home edition requires internet connectivity and a Microsoft Account to complete device setup on first use.
Your device must be running Windows 10, version 2004 or later, to upgrade through Windows Update. Free updates are available through Windows Update in Settings > Update and Security.
Upgrade to Windows 11 when in S mode
Note: For Windows 10 Pro, Windows Education, and Windows 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 S mode without needing to switch out of S mode.
Before upgrading to Windows 11, please follow these instructions to switch out of S Mode:
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On your PC running Windows 10 in S mode, open Settings > Update & Security > Activation.
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Find the Switch to Windows 10 Home or Switch to Windows 10 Pro section, then select the Go to the Store link.
Important: Don't select the link under Upgrade your edition of Windows. That's a different process that will keep you in S mode.
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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.
Windows 11 upgrade eligibility
We know that some customers will want an easy-to-use process for determining if their PC meets the minimum system requirements for Windows 11 and is eligible for the upgrade. To help with this, we are providing the PC Health Check app for Windows 10 PCs. In addition to diagnostic checks, there is a push-button simple way to check upgrade eligibility for Windows 11.
Windows Update also offer a way to assess upgrade eligibility from Settings > Update & Security > Windows Update.
Note: These options are designed for customer PCs that 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:
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With any of these scenarios where you are making changes to your PC to make it eligible to upgrade, we recommend you wait to upgrade until Windows Update lets you know that Windows 11 is ready for your device.
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For those who are unable to upgrade their existing PC to Windows 11 due to device ineligibility and are not ready to transition to a new device, Windows 10 remains a solid choice. Windows 10 will continue to be supported through October 14, 2025
