How to Check If Your PC Can Run Windows 11 (PC Health Check)

Windows 11 has stricter hardware requirements than Windows 10. Microsoft provides a free tool called PC Health Check to tell you exactly whether your system qualifies. **How to Use PC Health Check** 1. Download the PC Health Check app from Microsoft's official website (search "PC Health Check Microsoft download") 2. Run the installer and open the app 3. Click "Check now" under the "Introducing Windows 11" section 4. The tool will instantly tell you if your PC can run Windows 11, and if not, exactly why it cannot **Windows 11 Minimum Requirements** - CPU: 1 GHz or faster with 2 or more cores on a compatible 64-bit processor - RAM: 4 GB minimum (8 GB recommended for gaming) - Storage: 64 GB minimum - TPM: TPM 2.0 (this is the most common blocker) - Secure Boot: Must be capable of Secure Boot - GPU: DirectX 12 compatible with WDDM 2.0 driver - Display: 720p, 9" or larger **The Most Common Blockers** TPM 2.0 is the biggest reason PCs fail the check. Many older motherboards have TPM 2.0 hardware but it is disabled in BIOS by default. To enable it: enter BIOS (usually Delete or F2 at startup), find the Security or Advanced section, and enable TPM or fTPM (AMD) / PTT (Intel). Then re-run PC Health Check. **CPU Compatibility** Intel 7th generation (Kaby Lake) and older CPUs are not officially supported, even if they meet other requirements. AMD Ryzen 1000 series is also unsupported. Officially supported starts at Intel 8th gen (Coffee Lake) and AMD Ryzen 2000 series. **What If Your PC Fails?** - If TPM is disabled: enable it in BIOS and try again - If your CPU is unsupported: you can still upgrade to Windows 11 via a workaround (registry edit) but you won't receive official support and may miss future updates - If your CPU is very old: it may be time to consider an upgrade — see our best budget CPU guides **Is Windows 11 Worth Upgrading To?** For gaming, Windows 11 offers DirectStorage, Auto HDR, and minor performance improvements in some titles. See our dedicated guide: Is Windows 11 Better for Gaming than 10?