Here’s the short version: if your PC was built in 2018 or later, it almost certainly runs Windows 11. If it’s older, the thing that blocks you usually isn’t speed or memory — it’s two specific checkboxes called TPM 2.0 and the CPU support list. And a surprising number of “failed” PCs actually pass. The hardware is there, sitting in the BIOS, switched off.
This guide walks through the official Windows 11 requirements, shows you how to check your machine in about two minutes, and — because we sell license keys, not computers — gives you honest options for both outcomes. Including the one where your PC genuinely can’t make the jump.
[image: PC Health Check app showing the “This PC meets Windows 11 requirements” result screen]
The official Windows 11 requirements, translated
Microsoft’s list looks long. In practice, only two lines on it do the rejecting.
| Requirement | Microsoft’s minimum | Does it actually block people? |
|---|---|---|
| Processor | 1 GHz, 2 or more cores, 64-bit, on the supported CPU list | Yes — gatekeeper number one |
| RAM | 4 GB | Rarely |
| Storage | 64 GB | Rarely |
| Firmware | UEFI, Secure Boot capable | Sometimes — often just disabled |
| TPM | Version 2.0 | Yes — gatekeeper number two, and usually just disabled |
| Graphics | DirectX 12 compatible, WDDM 2.0 driver | Rarely |
| Display | 720p, larger than 9 inches | Almost never |
| Internet | Required during setup on Home edition | Not a hardware issue |
The CPU list is the strict one. Roughly speaking: Intel 8th-generation Core chips (2017) and newer, AMD Ryzen 2000 series (2018) and newer, plus recent Snapdragon processors. A 7th-gen Intel i7 that still flies through everyday work gets rejected while a slower, newer i3 sails through. Nobody said it was fair.
Check your PC in two minutes
- Press the Windows key, type “PC Health Check”, and open it. Not there? It’s a free download from Microsoft, and Windows Update has quietly installed it on most machines already.
- Click “Check now”. You’ll either get a clear pass or a list of exactly what failed.
- If TPM 2.0 is what failed: press Windows + R, type tpm.msc, and hit Enter. If the window says a compatible TPM cannot be found, don’t write the PC off yet. Read the next section first.
The TPM “failure” that usually isn’t one
This is the part that saves people money. Most PCs and motherboards made after about 2016 have TPM 2.0 built into the processor itself — Intel calls it PTT, AMD calls it fTPM — and plenty of manufacturers shipped it switched off at the factory.
Restart the PC and tap the BIOS key while it boots (usually Del, F2 or F10 — the boot screen tells you which). Look under Security or Advanced for “Intel PTT”, “AMD fTPM” or plain “TPM” and set it to Enabled. While you’re in there, find Secure Boot and enable that too. Save, restart, run the health check again. A machine that “failed” ten minutes ago now passes. Same hardware.
[image: BIOS security settings screen with the AMD fTPM option highlighted and set to Enabled]
If your PC genuinely can’t run Windows 11
Sometimes the answer really is no — almost always because the CPU is pre-2018. Your realistic options, honestly ranked:
- Stay on Windows 10 — but do it properly. Regular Windows 10 support ended in October 2025, and the consumer Extended Security Updates program only runs to October 2026, which is now around the corner. For a machine you plan to keep for years, the smarter route is Windows 10 IoT Enterprise LTSC 2021 — the long-life edition Microsoft keeps patching into 2032. It also skips the bundled apps you never asked for, so it runs lighter on older hardware.
- The registry bypass — with eyes open. Yes, there’s a well-known workaround that installs Windows 11 on unsupported CPUs, and yes, it works today. But Microsoft explicitly doesn’t support it and makes no promise that future updates will keep arriving on those machines. For a spare test box, fine. For the computer you actually rely on, we don’t recommend it.
- A newer PC — and it doesn’t have to be new-new. Even a modest refurbished desktop from 2019 or 2020 clears every requirement. Pair it with a Windows 11 Pro key and you’re running in minutes.
Your PC passes — what should you actually buy?
Maybe nothing. If you’re upgrading a PC that already runs activated Windows 10, the move to Windows 11 is free: Windows Update offers it and your license carries over. No new key needed.
You do need a license when you’re building a new PC, doing a clean install on a machine that never had one, or setting up a computer that arrived without Windows. In that case the real decision is edition, and we’ve written a whole comparison on it: Windows 11 Home vs Pro. Short version — Home covers most households, Pro adds BitLocker, Remote Desktop and group policy for work machines. Once the key arrives, activation takes about five minutes with our step-by-step activation guide.
Which route fits you
Building or buying a new PC
Every current part passes the requirements without thinking about it. Grab a Windows 11 Pro license, activate, done.
Home or office PC from 2018 or later
Run the health check. If TPM is the only complaint, flip it on in the BIOS and take the free upgrade. Total cost: one restart.
Pre-2018 laptop that still does its job
Don’t force Windows 11 onto it. Put Windows 10 IoT LTSC on it and get security updates into the next decade, on an OS that asks less of the hardware.
Small business with a mixed fleet
Check each machine — you’ll likely end up upgrading some and replacing a few. For the ones staying, Pro is worth it for BitLocker and remote management alone; the Home vs Pro breakdown covers exactly which features matter for business use.
Windows 11 requirements — quick FAQ
Can I install Windows 11 without TPM 2.0?
Technically yes, through the unsupported workaround — but check your BIOS first, because in most “no TPM” cases the module exists and is simply disabled. Enabling it takes two minutes and keeps you fully supported.
Will Windows 11 feel slower than Windows 10 on the same PC?
On supported hardware, no — performance is comparable and some things (window management, newer scheduler behavior) are better. The 4 GB RAM minimum is survival, not comfort; 8 GB is where it feels normal.
Do I need to buy a new license to upgrade from Windows 10?
No. An activated Windows 10 machine upgrades to Windows 11 free, and the digital license follows the hardware. You only buy a key for new builds, clean installs, or PCs sold without Windows — our Windows keys cover every edition, delivered by email in minutes.
My CPU isn’t on the supported list but it’s fast. Will Microsoft add it?
History says no. The list has barely moved since launch, because the cutoff is about security features baked into the silicon, not speed. Plan around the list as it stands.
