Before upgrading or installing Windows 11, ensure your PC meets the minimum specifications. You can use the PC Health Check app to check your PC's compatibility. If your PC doesn't meet the requirements, you may not be able to upgrade or install Windows 11.
For a better Windows 11 experience, consider the following:
To officially run Windows 11, your PC must meet these base requirements: Windows 11 System Requirements - Microsoft Support pc specs windows 11
To run Windows 11 smoothly, your PC should meet the following specifications:
To run demanding games, video editing, or virtual machines on Windows 11: Before upgrading or installing Windows 11, ensure your
Microsoft requires modern hardware (roughly 2018 or newer), specifically Intel 8th Gen/AMD Ryzen 2000+ processors, TPM 2.0, and Secure Boot. Minimum Requirement Recommended for 2026 1 GHz, 2+ cores 2+ GHz, 4+ cores (i5/Ryzen 5) RAM 16 GB (8 GB minimum) Storage 256 GB+ SSD (NVMe preferred) Graphics DirectX 12, WDDM 2.0 Dedicated GPU (for gaming/creative) 3. Specialized Use Cases Windows 11 Specs and System Requirements
| Component | Requirement | | :--- | :--- | | | 1 GHz or faster with 2+ cores on a compatible 64-bit processor or SoC. Must be on Microsoft's approved list (Intel 8th Gen+, AMD Ryzen 2000+, Qualcomm 7/8 Series). | | RAM | 4 GB | | Storage | 64 GB or larger | | System Firmware | UEFI (Unified Extensible Firmware Interface) | | TPM | TPM 2.0 (Trusted Platform Module) – non-negotiable | | Graphics Card (GPU) | DirectX 12 compatible with WDDM 2.0 driver | | Display | >9" diagonal, HD resolution (720p), 8 bits per color channel | | Internet | Microsoft account and internet required for Windows 11 Home setup | For a better Windows 11 experience, consider the
| Feature | Additional Requirement | | :--- | :--- | | | NVMe SSD + NVIDIA RTX 2000+ / AMD RX 6000+ GPU | | Auto HDR | HDR‑compatible display | | BitLocker | TPM 2.0 + UEFI | | Windows Studio Effects | Neural Processing Unit (NPU) – Intel Core Ultra or Snapdragon X series | | Android Subsystem | 8 GB RAM (minimum) + virtualization enabled |
April 14, 2026 Subject: Minimum, Recommended, and Optimal hardware for running Windows 11
For typical office work, web browsing, and media: