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There’s been a bit of a fuss with Windows 11 installations stating compatible PCs and laptops actually aren’t compatible. The real question is, how do you know if it’s compatible or not if you don’t know the system requirements? Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered right here:
Windows 11 Hardware Requirements
| Processor | 1 gigahertz (GHz) or faster with 2 or more cores on a compatible 64-bit processor or System on a Chip (SoC). |
| RAM | 4GB |
| Storage | 64GB or larger storage device |
| System Firmware (BIOS) | UEFI, Secure Boot capable. |
| TPM | Trusted Platform Module (TPM) version 2.0. |
| Graphics Card | Compatible with DirectX 12 or later with WDDM 2.0 driver. |
| Display | High definition (720p) display that is greater than 9” diagonally, 8 bits per color channel. |
| Internet Connection / Microsoft Account | Windows 11 Home edition requires internet connectivity and a Microsoft account. Switching a device out of Windows 11 Home in S mode also requires internet connectivity. For all Windows 11 editions, internet access is required to perform updates and to download and take advantage of some features. A Microsoft account is required for some features. |
Feature Specific Windows 11 Hardware Requirements
| 5G support | Requires 5G capable modem where available. |
| Auto HDR | Requires an HDR monitor. |
| BitLocker to Go | Requires a USB flash drive (available in Windows Pro and above editions). |
| Client Hyper-V | Requires a processor with second-level address translation (SLAT) capabilities (available in Windows Pro and above editions). |
| Cortana | Requires a microphone and speaker and is currently available on Windows 11 for Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Spain, United Kingdom, and the United States. |
| DirectStorage | Requires 1 TB or greater NVMe SSD to store and run games that use the “Standard NVM Express Controller” driver and a DirectX 12 Ultimate GPU. |
| DirectX 12 Ultimate | Available with supported games and graphics chips. |
| Presence | Requires sensor that can detect human distance from device or intent to interact with device. |
| Intelligent Video Conferencing | Requires video camera, microphone, and speaker (audio output). |
| Multiple Voice Assistant (MVA) | Requires a microphone and speaker. |
| Snap | Three-column layouts requires a screen that is 1920 effective pixels or greater in width. |
| Mute/Unmute from Taskbar | Requires video camera, microphone, and speaker (audio output). App must be compatible with features to enable global mute/unmute. |
| Spatial Sound | Requires supporting hardware and software. |
| Microsoft Teams | Requires video camera, microphone, and speaker (audio output). |
| Touch | Requires a screen or monitor that supports multi-touch. |
| Two-factor Authentication | Requires use of PIN, biometric (fingerprint reader or illuminated infrared camera), or a phone with WiFi or Bluetooth capabilities. |
| Voice Typing | Requires a PC with a microphone. |
| Wake on Voice | Requires Modern Standby power model and microphone. |
| WiFi 6E | Requires new WLAN IHV hardware and driver and a WiFi 6E capable AP/router. |
| Windows Hello | Requires a camera configured for near-infrared (IR) imaging or fingerprint reader for biometric authentication. Devices without biometric sensors can use Windows Hello with a PIN or a portable Microsoft compatible security key. |
| Windows Projection | Requires a display adapter that supports Windows Display Driver Model (WDDM) 2.0 and a WiFi adapter that supports WiFi Direct. |
| Xbox (app) | Requires an Xbox Live account |
For all things Windows 11, make sure to keep an eye on (and bookmark) our Windows 11 Hub