Windows 11 beta testing will give 7th Gen Intel processors a chance to prove themselves

Windows 11 is a breath of fresh air in the otherwise stale ecosystem of Microsoft’s PC OS. It looks new, has lots of under-the-hood upgrades, and gets new features. The only spanner in this otherwise seemingly perfect Windows update is its compatibility. Windows 11 is limited to very recent PCs initially and old-time Windows fanboys are cross. Microsoft, however, wants to make some amends.

Based on a recent blog post from Microsoft, Windows 11 might be observing performance on the 7th Gen Intel processors and AMD Zen 1 processors. Microsoft does not list the 6th Gen processors and older on the sheet, thereby suggesting that all those running 3-4 years old PCs can look to upgrade soon for the Windows 11 experience.

Windows 11 might be considerate to 7th Gen Intel PCs

“As we release to Windows Insiders and partner with our OEMs, we will test to identify devices running on Intel 7th generation and AMD Zen 1 that may meet our principles,” says Microsoft in its latest blog.

“…we are confident that devices running on Intel 8th generation processors and AMD Zen 2 as well as Qualcomm 7 and 8 Series will meet our principles around security and reliability and minimum system requirements for Windows 11,” adds the blog.

This means that Windows 11 is going to follow an update pattern more similar to Google’s Android. With Windows 10, Microsoft delivered the update for free to users who ran Windows 7 and newer operating system versions. Windows 10 did not have any complex security requirements that older PCs and systems had to comply in order to run the OS.

This can spell trouble for owners of older Windows PCs who want to keep using their system for a long time. Windows 10 won’t be getting any support after 2025 and that leaves 3-year-old PC users just four more years to upgrade to a new system. This is despite Windows 11 being a free upgrade for most users.

Microsoft assures that new and older yet compatible PCs can have a lag-free experience with Windows 11. The initial leaked version has already shown some notable improvements to CPU performance when compared to Windows 10. Hence, things are looking positive for the Windows ecosystem.