Can a PC run Windows 11? One of the metrics that Microsoft uses to determine that is the processors of the system. If it is too old or does not support certain features, it may not support Windows 11 officially or even unofficially.
Up until now, you could head over to the list of supported processors to find out if a specific chip is supported. You simply had to know the processor's name, which you can look up in Settings and some other places, and check if it is listed by Microsoft.
However, this is no longer the case, at least not for PCs with Intel hardware. Microsoft is listing processor series now instead of individual processors. Means, if you want to find out if your Intel Core i5-10400 CPU is supported, you need to know that it is a tenth generation processor.
The links that Microsoft added point to Intel, but there are not particularly helpful, as Intel lists all processors of a series on its website, not only those that are compatible with Windows 11. Take the Intel Celeron Processor 3000 Series as an example. It supports Windows 11 according to Microsoft, but at least some of the processors listed on Intel's website do not support Windows 11 officially due to missing requirements. Actually, only one of the processors listed by Intel on its website is compatible officially.
The main problem is that Microsoft's new list is too broad. Customers who look at it would rightfully assume that their CPU is compatible, if its series is listed on the page. As pointed out before, this is apparently not always the case and could lead to quite a few issues and wasted hours, trying to get Windows 11 to install on an unsupported PC.
Our colleagues over at Neowin point out another example. The only supported Kaby Lake processor is the Intel Core i7-7820HQ, which Microsoft uses in its own Surface Studio 2 device. The problem is, Microsoft does not list the entire processor family on its supported processors website. Is it no longer supported? Turns out, it is supported, but no longer listed.
Microsoft has updated the Intel processor listing only at this point. The AMD and ARM chip listing still display individual processors and not processor families.
Closing Words
The new listing is problematic, as it makes it look as if processors that are not officially supported are supported by Windows 11. Microsoft probably wanted to trim the list to make it easier to digest, but it has achieved the opposite. Here is a suggestion, why not add both information to the page? Display processor series, state that not all processors of a particular series may be supported, and link to your own page below that lists all supported ones.
Now it is your turn. Do you check the official documentation before installing or upgrading operating systems? What do you think of Microsoft's updated Intel processor listing? Feel free to leave a comment down below.
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