Microsoft is making surprising choices in Windows 11 support for processors for OEM systems. For users, this will have no impact for now.
Microsoft has published the latest Windows 11 support list for OEM systems. Update 24H2 provides official support for new Intel processors such as Lunar Lake and Arrow Lake Core Ultra 200, but noticeably missing are Intel’s older 8th, 9th, and 10th-generation chips. This may be related to Intel’s recent decision to move 7th through 10th-generation integrated GPUs to a legacy support model.
Powerful CPUs no longer supported
Although Windows 11 24H2 has been available for several months, the official CPU support lists have only now been released. Earlier, the exclusion of the 7th generation Kaby Lake processors caused a stir, and now more recent chips have also disappeared from the list. This is interesting since even powerful CPUs such as the Core i9-10900K are omitted, while less powerful models, such as the Celeron 6305, remain supported.
Microsoft did not provide a clear explanation for this change. However, the exclusion aligns with Intel’s recent policy change for older processor graphics. Meanwhile, many AMD processors, including the Ryzen 8000 series, do remain supported. Some Ryzen 9000 and Ryzen AI models are missing from the list, although Microsoft indicates that future chips may still be added.
Changes apply to new systems
There are, incidentally, few changes for consumers. Existing systems with 8th, 9th, or 10th generation Intel processors can still install Windows 11 24H2 and continue to receive updates. The change applies only to OEMs looking to release new systems.
However, Microsoft’s support policy continues to raise questions. For example, it recently removed the official guide for installing Windows 11 without a TPM 2.0 check, even though this method still works. The decision to remove older but still powerful CPUs seems to be a further step in this trend.