Current recommendations for *basic* desktop machine

[Porthos]

And on my current old HP rig here, a measly i5-34870 which is a 3rd gen...running Win11 since back in June or July....back when one of the early Insider Previews came out. Never did the registry trick to bypass.

The insider version did not have the requirements the RTM does.

 

[Markverhyden]

And you'd propose having a Windows 11 system that is not likely to get updates? I don't think so (and I mean I don't think you think so).

Certainly not for a customer. Just ran the serial number on a refurb laptop we just received that's from 2019 and it's processor isn't supported either, i7 6600u. It's a HP Probook 640 G2 which probably went for something like 1200-1400 new. Makes me wonder how many more surprises there'll be.

Almost all our customers are businesses with various LoB apps. So we won't see demand anytime soon from them wanting W11.

 

[Porthos]

Just ran the serial number on a refurb laptop we just received that's from 2019 and it's processor isn't supported either, i7 6600u.

I have seen several affordable 6th gen refurbs hit the sellers lately.

 

[Porthos]

I have also seen eBay sellers sell incompatible machines with Win 11 on them, obviously using a bypass to install 11.

 

[nlinecomputers]

Windows 11 will install on any CPU if you are doing a fresh install. I suspect that they will get updates and do just fine but for now I would not risk selling one to a client. My test i5 6th gen was offered the cumulative update for Windows 11.

 

[Porthos]

My test i5 6th gen was offered the cumulative update for Windows 11.

But the question is how long and will it continue after the first feature update or after later feature updates. Not worth the chance to me or my clients. My 11 is in a VM.

 

[nlinecomputers]

But the question is how long and will it continue after the first feature update or after later feature updates. Not worth the chance to me or my clients. My 11 is in a VM.

Honestly, the real test is if Microsoft allows tech news websites, ZDNet, CNet, to publish how-to articles. If Microsoft legal doesn't prevent it then it is obvious that it will be permitted just like Windows 10 free upgrades were permitted.

 

[SAFCasper]

But the question is how long and will it continue after the first feature update or after later feature updates. Not worth the chance to me or my clients. My 11 is in a VM.

+1 for this.

You also have to consider other parties. If Microsoft won't support a CPU on Windows 11 are Intel/Nvidia/AMD going to continue developing drivers for it? Sure, W10 and W11 are very similar right now so it's easy to have a driver for both. But they will diverge more and more as time goes on. Could eventually be seen as wasted development time to release drivers for an unsupported configuration.

I remember many of the Radeon HD cards had driver issues with W10. AMD basically rushed out a driver to claim W10 support then neglected it ever since. Still hasn't been updated since 2015. Similar kind of thing with Intel. There was uproar when they refused to support HD Graphics 2000/3000 on Windows 10 even though those CPU's (2nd gen) were barely over 4yrs old at the time.

Fair enough running an unsupported configuration for your own personal use. Too much risk to sell one to a client. Stick to a supported config and save yourself the potential troubles.

 

[Porthos]

Fair enough running an unsupported configuration for your own personal use. Too much risk to sell one to a client. Stick to a supported config and save yourself the potential troubles.

My thoughts exactly. But personally, I will not do it on my main production computer either. I will wait until I get a new compatible main computer to go 11. Plenty of time to do that(2025)

 

[nlinecomputers]

+1 for this.

You also have to consider other parties. If Microsoft won't support a CPU on Windows 11 are Intel/Nvidia/AMD going to continue developing drivers for it? Sure, W10 and W11 are very similar right now so it's easy to have a driver for both. But they will diverge more and more as time goes on. Could eventually be seen as wasted development time to release drivers for an unsupported configuration.

I remember many of the Radeon HD cards had driver issues with W10. AMD basically rushed out a driver to claim W10 support then neglected it ever since. Still hasn't been updated since 2015. Similar kind of thing with Intel. There was uproar when they refused to support HD Graphics 2000/3000 on Windows 10 even though those CPU's (2nd gen) were barely over 4yrs old at the time.

Fair enough running an unsupported configuration for your own personal use. Too much risk to sell one to a client. Stick to a supported config and save yourself the potential troubles.

For that to occur a significant change in the structure of windows would need to occur. Which really hasn't been changed since Windows 8.

 

[YeOldeStonecat]

The insider version did not have the requirements the RTM does.

Aware of that, hence why it worked. Not that I'm losing sleep over it at all, just curious how long it will continue running..and updating. Most of a curiosity without a cause, since I'm tossing this rig in a few months.

 

[fincoder]

The first cumulative update for Windows 11 installs happily on unsupported machines, as most of us suspected it would.

Unsupported Windows 11 PCs Are Getting Updates After All | Digital Trends

After weeks of Microsoft suggesting otherwise, we were able to download the first Windows 11 update on an unsupported PC -- and you can, too.

www.digitaltrends.com

The next test will be the first feature update.

Microsoft have also published a way to bypass the TPM 2.0 and CPU check to allow in-place upgrades to Windows 11. Apparently it still requires TPM 1.2 though.

Microsoft shares Windows 11 TPM check bypass for unsupported PCs

Microsoft has published a new support webpage where they provide an official method to bypass the TPM 2.0 and CPU checks (TPM 1.2 is still required) and have Windows 11 installed on unsupported systems.

www.bleepingcomputer.com

And I believe clean installs don't check the strict CPU list and only require TPM 1.2.

 

[britechguy]

I doubt that there is a single participant on this topic who does not know that, at the moment, Windows 11 is being lax about enforcement of hardware requirements. But that's not the point, really.

I started it asking specifically about hardware that would be compatible with Windows 11 because a client is involved. At this point, unless one had a very sophisticated client that can understand the ramifications of going with "old hardware," I'd never even consider recommending anything not known to be Windows 11 compatible at this juncture. We're almost at 2022, and 3 years is going to fly by. Most clients will be mightily POed were they to buy a computer today that could not upgrade when Windows 10 hits EOL. I'd be absolutely livid were someone to advise me to buy anything that doesn't have full hardware compatibility with Windows 11 at this point in time.

 

[Markverhyden]

I just ran through the Microcenter web order list and they don't have a single refurb that's even close to being a gen 8. I'm guessing that'll be the situation with most of those who sell business class refurbs.

 

[Porthos]

I just ran through the Microcenter web order list and they don't have a single refurb that's even close to being a gen 8. I'm guessing that'll be the situation with most of those who sell business class refurbs.

Seeing the same from all of my suppliers. And of course, no supplier will state that the computer is not compliant. They want to rid themselves of those machines while they "can get away with it"

 

[Sky-Knight]

And on my current old HP rig here, a measly i5-34870 which is a 3rd gen...running Win11 since back in June or July....back when one of the early Insider Previews came out. Never did the registry trick to bypass.

Wonder how much longer it'll run on this rig...we'll be getting new rigs in a month or so anyways, going to get some Lenovo Tiny Workstations..with those built in Quadro cards with the quad mini DP outs.

If your rig is like Jim's you're already missing several monthly update rollups. And Jim was running Win11 on a gen 8 rig... now his install was buggered up and he had to get a BIOS update to enable the fTPM in the CPU, then smack something else to get secure boot working correctly, and yet something else to get it out of UEFI CSM boot and into UEFI pure boot... AFTER all that was done, he magically had windows updates he didn't have before.

So yes, I have a sample of a machine that is already missing critical updates, because of an unsupported configuration.

 

[Markverhyden]

Seeing the same from all of my suppliers. And of course, no supplier will state that the computer is not compliant. They want to rid themselves of those machines while they "can get away with it"

Absolutely. And to be honest I don't think it's that big of an issue in many cases as long the customer is aware of the limitation. Mainstream for W10 goes away in 2025 so it's safe to say they'll be thinking about upgrading then. By that time the refurb pipeline should be full of compatible models.

 

[Sky-Knight]

Absolutely. And to be honest I don't think it's that big of an issue in many cases as long the customer is aware of the limitation. Mainstream for W10 goes away in 2025 so it's safe to say they'll be thinking about upgrading then. By that time the refurb pipeline should be full of compatible models.

Windows 10 Home and Pro - Microsoft Lifecycle

Windows 10 Home and Pro follows the Modern Lifecycle Policy.

docs.microsoft.com

It is not MAINSTREAM that dies Oct 14, 2025. The OS is RETIRED on that date. NO MORE UPDATES, IT'S DEAD JIM!

In historical terms, that's the end of EXTENDED support.

But yeah, it's far enough out plenty of people should be OK with a replacement by then.

 

[britechguy]

But yeah, it's far enough out plenty of people should be OK with a replacement by then.

About which I can't disagree. But we have to deal with "the transitional phase" that's going on now and I wouldn't recommend incompatible hardware except in the rarest of exceptions right not.

Windows 10 EOL is well before hardware EOL for stuff virtually anyone would buy today unless they have unusually intensive needs.

 

[Sky-Knight]

@britechguy Yes, it's going to be an awkward 12-18 months. After that the 8th gens will start showing up on the secondary market and while more expensive than we want, will start to be come close enough that sales ramp back up where we're used to.

Just for Microsoft to do this to us again presumably in 2026.