We’ve spoken to Microsoft to clarify exactly what the requirements are and we can help walk you through how to check whether your laptop or desktop will be able to run Windows 11.
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The basic hardware requirements don’t rule out any modern system. You must have at least a dual-core 1GHz 64-bit processor, 4GB of RAM and at least a 64GB hard drive. Your display must be at least 9-inches with a 720p or higher resolution. Your graphics card will need to be compatible with DirectX 12 or later with WDDM 2.0 driver. It’s that Trusted Platform Module (TPM) 2.0 requirement that is causing all of the confusion. This has been a requirement in Windows systems since 2016, so if your Windows laptop was released more recently than late 2016 you will have TPM 2.0, this is more of a concern for desktop users that tend to update less frequently. The good news is that you don’t need to comb through your specs or try to remember exactly when you purchased your laptop to figure this out, Microsoft has released a handy app that will quickly run a check to verify whether your system meets all of the necessary requirements. Just download and install the PC Health Check app (opens in new tab) directly from Microsoft. Select to run the app immediately and at the top, you will see a banner that reads “Introducing Windows 11.” Click the “Check Now” button and it will verify whether your laptop or desktop is ready to run Windows 11. If your system fails to pass the check and you know that it meets or exceeds the basic hardware requirements, the TPM requirement has typically been the culprit. Andrew Freedman from Tom’s Hardware found that his gaming desktop initially failed the test, but passed once he enabled firmware TPM in BIOS, despite his desktop not having a TPM 2.0 chip. The TPM 2.0 requirement can also be met with a firmware-based TPM, which Intel and AMD have integrated into their processors. Again this will primarily be an issue for desktop users, but if you need to check you will find it under AMD CPU fTPM or as the Intel Platform Trust Technology (IPTT), ensure this is enabled in BIOS. To check whether TPM or IPTT are enabled on your system simply hold down F2 during boot and then navigate to the Security tab. Find the listing for either TPM or IPTT and verify that they are toggled to “Enabled.” If you did have to toggle this on then try running the check again. If you want to read more about what’s new in Windows 11 you can find all of our coverage below:
Windows 11 revealed — all the changes coming to Microsoft’s next-gen Windows OS Windows 11 Taskbar and Start Menu get a modern remake — Here’s how they workWindows 11 Search Bar: What changed and what didn’tWindows 11 gets revamped UI — see how the design changed from Windows 10Windows 11 promises longer battery life for laptops, 40% smaller updatesWindows 11: Your guide to Microsoft’s next Windows OSMicrosoft Teams to be integrated into Windows 11 — What that meansWindows 11 makes multitasking a breeze — how it worksWindows 11 revamped the touch keyboard — and it operates just like your phoneWindows 11 new widget design is cleaner and comes with drag and drop simplicityWindows 11 will be a free upgrade from Windows 10Windows 11 includes a new Microsoft Store — this could be bigWindows 11 release date — when is Microsoft’s new OS arriving?Windows 11 new startup sound got leaked — and it sounds like Minecraft music Android apps will run natively on Windows 11 — What that means for you Windows 11 will greatly improve PC gaming with auto-HDR and direct storage Windows 11 File Explorer will fix notoriously cluttered and dated icons
