How to Find Out If Your Computer Can Run Windows 11

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Check your PC’s specs to see if it’s compatible with the latest Windows

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Last Updated: December 18, 2025

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Using PC Health Check

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Manually Checking Requirements

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Frequently Asked Questions

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As of October 14, 2025, Microsoft has officially ended security updates, bug fixes, and technical support for Windows 10. This puts pressure on Windows 10 users to upgrade to Windows 11. However, Windows 11 may not work on some older PCs. If you are wondering if your PC or laptop is compatible with Windows 11, look no further. In this article, we’ll explain how to check if your computer has the required specs.

Windows 11 Required Specs

Windows 11 requires a 1 Ghz processor with two cores or greater and a 64-bit architecture. It also requires 4 GB of RAM, and 64 GB of storage space minimum. Additionally, Windows 11 requires a graphics card that supports DirectX 12 with WDDM 2.0, and a motherboard that supports TMP 2.0.

Section 1 of 3:

Using PC Health Check

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The PC Health Check application is an official Microsoft app that is designed to check the health of your computer’s hardware. It can also check if your computer is compatible with Windows 11. You can download PC Health Check for free from here.
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Run the PC Health Check app. The PC Health Check app should download automatically when you visit the download website. Double-click the WindowsPCHealthCheckSetup file in your download folder, or click the Windows Start menu and type “PC Health.” Click the PC Health Check application.

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Click Check Now. You’ll see this option at the top below “Introducing Windows 11”. This will run a scan of your computer. When the scan is done, you’ll see a message telling you if it meets the minimum requirements to run Windows 11.
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Click Show all results to see any missing requirements. If your computer does not meet the requirements for Windows 11, you can click Show all results to see which specifications your computer is missing.^{[1]
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Section 2 of 3:

Manually Checking Requirements

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1
Open About PC. You can check most of your computer’s specifications in the Windows About Your PC section in Windows Settings. Use the following steps to open it.
- Click the Window Start button.
- Type “About PC.”
- Click About your PC
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Check your processor speed. Windows 11 requires a 1 Gigahertz processor or faster with 2 or more cores.^{[2]
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- The Gigahertz (GHz) speed should be listed in “About your PC” next to “Processor.” You may need to check the manufacturer’s specifications online to find out how many cores it has.
- For Copilot + features, you will need a NPU (neural processing unit) processor capable of performing 40 TOPS. These include AMD Ryzen AI 300 Series, Intel Core Ultra 200V series, and Snapdragon X series.
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Check your computer’s architecture. Windows 11 requires a 64-bit architecture. If your computer has a 32-bit processor, it is not compatible with Windows 11. Check next to “System type” in About your PC to see what type of architecture your computer has.
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Check how much RAM you have. Windows 11 requires 4 GB of RAM (Random Access Memory). Check how much RAM your computer has next to “Installed RAM” in About your PC.
- Your PC will need 16 GB of RAM to support Copilot + features.
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Make sure you have 64 GB of storage space. Windows 11 requires at least 64 GB of storage space. To check how much storage space your current internal storage drive has, press Win + E to open File Explorer and click This PC in the menu to the left. Check how much space you have free and how much space you have in total on your main hard drive (C: drive).
- Your PC will need 256 GB of storage space to support Copilot + features.
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Check your computer’s display resolution. Windows 11 requires an HD display of 720p or greater and a monitor that is at least 9 inches diagonally. To check your display resolution, right-click your desktop and click Display Settings. Check your current resolution. Make sure the recommended resolution is greater than 720p.
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Make sure you have a graphics card that supports DirectX 12. You may need to check the manufacturer’s specifications to find out if your graphics card supports DirectX 12. It also needs to support Windows Display Driver Module (WDDM) 2.0.
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Make sure your computer supports TPM 2.0. This is crucial. Windows 11 requires Trusted Platform Module (TPM) 2.0. To check if your PC meets this requirement, open the Windows Settings menu and click Update & Security > Windows Security > Device Security. Select Security Processor Details under “Security Processor.” Make sure it says “2.0” or greater next to “Specification version.”^{[3]
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- If you do not see a “Security Processor” section, TMP may be disabled. You will need to boot into your BIOS menu and ensure TMP is enabled and supports 2.0.

Section 3 of 3:

Frequently Asked Questions

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1
What features does Windows 11 have? Windows 11 isn’t too different from Windows 10. It does have a few unique features. It has enhanced AI and Copilot features, a revamped user interface, Snap assist to open multiple apps at once and multitask, customizable desktops, a new snipping tool for taking screenshots and recordings, enhanced security features, and enhanced Phone Link, which now supports iPhone as well as Android.^{[4]
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What is Copilot +? Copilot Plus PCs are a specific class of PC that have neural processing units. This allows for AI processes to be done locally on your computer. Copilot + PCs have enhanced AI features, such as enhanced Windows search, image generation and cocreation in Microsoft Paint, resolution enhancement of photos and games, and more.
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Do I need to upgrade to Windows 11? You can continue to use Windows 10 if you can’t or won’t upgrade. However, it will no longer receive updates, including security updates. Continuing to use Windows 10 long after its life cycle ends may put your data at risk.
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Does it cost money to upgrade to Windows 11? If you already have an activated version of Windows 10 and your PC meets all the requirements, it does not cost any money to upgrade to Windows 11.
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What if I can’t upgrade to Windows 11? If your PC does not meet the minimum requirements to run Windows 11, you can continue to use Windows 10, or upgrade your computer’s hardware so that it meets the minimum requirements. Another option is to upgrade using a free tool called Rufus. Rufus has the ability to bypass many of Windows 11’s requirements. However, this is not the recommended way to upgrade to Windows 11.