Microsoft released Windows 11 in October 2021, but until recently, the DIY PC community still couldn’t buy licenses directly from Microsoft. Microsoft launched some long-awaited Windows 11 pricing plans for DIY and custom PCs.
Microsoft now sells Windows 11 Home for €145. Microsoft charges the same amount for Windows 10 Home on its official site.
Windows 10 Home licenses have been available for some time. The licenses allowed DIY PC builders to obtain Windows 11 by upgrading from Windows 10. A direct installation, however, wasn’t available up until now.
The newly-available licenses save some time by eliminating the extra steps of upgrading Windows 10 to Windows 11. The total OS installation will likely be smaller. If you’re already running Windows 11 on a Windows 10 license, you can download the Windows 11 ISO for a clean install.
Windows 11 grows
Windows 11 has gained traction as Microsoft worked out bugs in recent months. One of the updates increases the effectiveness of uneven cores, which makes top-end Alder Lake CPUs more appealing for desktop builds.
When Intel’s 13th Generation Raptor Lake launches in October, the same will be valid. The first significant feature upgrade to Windows 11, version 22H2, is scheduled for this autumn and, assuming early reports and evaluations are positive, may spark a fresh wave of uptake.