This article explains the minimum requirements to run Windows 11 on a PC, tablet, or laptop. Luckily, as far as most of the minimum requirements go, they are very similar to Windows 10’s minimum system requirements.

In fact, the only serious changes to minimum requirements in Windows 11 come down to a few specialized features your CPU and motherboard will need to support.

Windows 11 Basic Minimum System Requirements

You can also see what the feature-specific requirements for Windows 11 are too, like for example what kind of hardware you’ll need to use 5G or BitLocker on Windows 11.

You can use the Microsoft’s PC Health Check app to see if your device is compatible with Windows 11.

However, as far as minimum requirements to run Windows 11 go, they’re very similar to Windows 10 minimum requirements with a few key differences.

  • CPU: 1+ gigahertz processor with two or more cores that’s compatible with 64-bit operating systemsMemory: 4 gigabytes or moreStorage: 64 gigabytes or moreGraphics: DirectX 12 or later compatible GPU with support for Windows Display Driver Model 2.0Display Resolution: 720p or greaterInternet Connection: Required for setup and updates alongside a Microsoft account

New Minimum System Requirements for Windows 11

While most of the minimum system requirements for Windows 11 aren’t much different from Windows 10, there are a few more specialized minimum requirements to run Microsoft’s new operating system: TPM 2.0, UEFI, and Secure Boot.

  • TPM 2.0: The Trusted Platform Module 2.0 (or TPM 2.0) is a chip located on the motherboard supported by specific processors. If you have a supported processor, you will still have to enable TPM (which sometimes goes by PTT) on your motherboard. If you have a relatively modern CPU and motherboard, chances are your device will support TPM 2.0, and you can check, within Windows 10, to see if you have TPM already enabled.
  • UEFI: Older motherboards use a BIOS during the initial stages of booting, while UEFI is the modern alternative to a BIOS most computers already use instead. A BIOS isn’t always wholesale replaced, though, and some motherboards, for example, use some kind of BIOS functionality in conjunction with UEFI support.
  • Secure Boot: Secure Boot is a UEFI feature you can enable before you load into Windows for additional security. While optional in Windows 10, Windows 11 requires Secure Boot. Once again, with a relatively modern device that supports UEFI, Secure Boot is likely already baked in. However, even if your device supports Secure Boot you may have to enable it.

Windows 11 CPU Requirements

To run Windows 11, you’ll need a CPU that runs at least at 1 GHz with two or more cores. Luckily, the overwhelming majority of computing devices in use today meet these specifications.

However, on top of the above requirements, your CPU also must be a compatible 64-bit processor supported by Microsoft. Though, again, the majority of modern processors will meet these specs, make sure to check Microsoft’s supported processor list for Windows 11.

Windows 11 Memory Requirements

Windows 11 requires a minimum of four gigabytes of RAM to run. This is often written as 4GB.

However, 4GB of RAM likely isn’t enough for anyone looking to do more than casual internet browsing. If you’re on a desktop computer and can adjust how much RAM your computer has, make sure you have the right amount for you.

Windows 11 Storage Requirements

Windows 11 requires at least 64GB of free space. However, you’ll likely want more space than that in the modern-day, because games and applications often are quite large.

Additionally, while you’ll be able to run Windows 11 on a traditional hard disk drive if you’d like, it’s strongly recommended to install Windows on a solid-state drive, which offers significant speed and stability improvements.

Windows 11 Graphics Requirements

Windows 11 requires a DirectX 12 and WDDM 2.0 (Windows Display Driver Model) compatible graphics card.

DirectX 12 and WDDM 2.0 were introduced alongside Windows 10 back in 2015, so there has been considerable support for these technologies for over half a decade. If you can run Windows 10, chances are your graphics setup will run Windows 11.

Windows 11 Display Resolution Requirements

Windows 11 requires a minimum resolution of 720p.

The overwhelming majority of modern computing devices and displays support a 720p resolution, so chances are you can do this on the hardware you already have. 720p first became popular beginning back around 2005, so this is not a hefty requirement.

  • How do I install Windows 11?
  • You can download Windows 11 if your system hasn’t automatically updated. If you experience issues getting the OS up and running, use our Windows 11 installation troubleshooting guide. Otherwise, wait until Microsoft rolls out Windows 11 for your machine.
  • How do I upgrade to Windows 11?
  • If you run Windows 10 and your PC meets the system requirements, you can upgrade to Windows 11 from Windows 10 for free when Microsoft releases the update. To upgrade to Windows 11 from Windows 8 or earlier versions of Windows, upgrade to Windows 10 first.
  • What are the minimum hardware requirements to run Microsoft Windows 10?
  • To meet Windows 10 requirements, your PC must have at least a 1GHZ processor and a minimum of 1GB RAM and 16GB storage on the 32-bit version and 2GB RAM and 20GB storage on the 64-bit version.

You can download Windows 11 if your system hasn’t automatically updated. If you experience issues getting the OS up and running, use our Windows 11 installation troubleshooting guide. Otherwise, wait until Microsoft rolls out Windows 11 for your machine.

If you run Windows 10 and your PC meets the system requirements, you can upgrade to Windows 11 from Windows 10 for free when Microsoft releases the update. To upgrade to Windows 11 from Windows 8 or earlier versions of Windows, upgrade to Windows 10 first.

To meet Windows 10 requirements, your PC must have at least a 1GHZ processor and a minimum of 1GB RAM and 16GB storage on the 32-bit version and 2GB RAM and 20GB storage on the 64-bit version.

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