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With the launch of Windows 11, many people might be wondering if their PC is able to be upgraded to Microsoft’s newest operating system. The other day I covered the top 10 new features; but here’s the specs your PC needs to run Windows 11.
First, we are going to go over the standard hardware requirements.
- TPM 2.0 Enabled
- CPU Minimum: 64-bit 1 GHz+ CPU with 2 cores
- RAM Minimum: 4GB
- Storage Minimum: 64GB
- Graphics Card Minumum: DX 12 Capable (Every modern GPU since 2012)
- Display Minimum: 720p, 8-bit per color channel, at least 9-inch diagonal
- Internet Connection and Microsoft Account: Windows 11 Home requires an active internet connection and a Microsoft Account to complete initial, first-use setup of the operating system.
Everything here is about what you’d expect from your current Windows 10 machine, with the one exclusion of the TPM 2.0 module enabled.
What Is TPM 2.0?
The only interesting bit of this is the TPM module. For those unfamiliar, TPM stands for Trusted Platform Module; and this one is the 2nd generation of that. This is a standard that the DoD, several other government agencies, numerous businesses, and some colleges already use.
It works as a cryptography chip, which can secure your keys on your system. Something like BitLocker uses this to keep data from prying eyes. TPM 2.0 is generally advantageous for making sure your OS is secure. From Microsoft’s standpoint, this should make their newest OS more secure, and less likely to be hacked.
Does My CPU Have TPM 2.0?
Some modern CPUs have TPM built into them, so it will only require turning it on in the UEFI. The list for AMD and Intel processors are linked. Though for some the CPU can support TPM 2.0 but not include it, in which case you’d need to buy an external one.
What To Do If I Don’t Have TPM 2.0 Included in my CPU?
You can grab a TPM module from Amazon, and each manufacturer uses a different one. It should be noted that it seems like demand has made these things jump up in price. Just make sure to check your motherboard manual, or physically look for the slot to plug it in. Once again, first you need to make sure your CPU is supported.
How To Check If TPM 2.0 Is Already Enabled
While turning on TPM 2.0 is going to be different in every system, it should be somewhere in your UEFI/BIOS. We are going to go over how you can check in Windows if it is currently enabled.
The first step right click on your start menu, and click on Windows PowerShell (Admin). Next type “get-tpm”.
The screen above will then tell you if it is enabled or not, in my case it is not. If you see this, you need to go back and make sure you saved the settings in the bios. The most important things here is it being “Ready, Present, Enabled and Activated.”
The good news if your system doesn’t support it, Microsoft seems to be porting a lot of their new features over to Windows 10, and support won’t end until 2025 for security patches. It seems like many people aren’t all that excited for the new OS as it is, so for many it will seem like no loss for them.
This however will likely push some people who might have been interested away, since needing to upgrade new hardware is the last thing anyone is willing to do with the current chip shortage.
However if you are looking at upgrading, you might want to check out our PC build guides for newbies. Part 1 handles the components, and Part 2 handles the actual building.
