Is an upgrade really needed for Windows 11?

We’re going to focus on the basics in this post and try to avoid being too technical or specific. This article is a compact and general approach to the topic, rather than a very long technical article so there will be some glossing over or general points made as I want this article to focus on a business approach, rather than a technical one.

Apart from some compatibility issues in the early days of the operating system release, Windows 10 has been an all round solid product by Microsoft. On October 14, 2025, and after 10 long years in service, we will be saying goodbye to Windows 10. This is where our problem begins…

After October 14, 2025, Microsoft will no longer provide free software updates or security fixes for non-enterprise versions of Windows 10. This means that newly discovered security vulnerabilities will not be fixed, leaving you and your business potentially wide open to a breach or system infection.

This is the sticking point that we have right now. Hardware that is working just fine but is older and needs to be replaced.

Let’s quickly break down what is driving this required hardware upgrade.

• TPM 2.0 and Secure Boot Requirements
• Processor Compatibility
• Memory and Storage

The Trusted Platform Module (TPM) version 2.0 is a hardware-based security chip inside your computer. This chip is required by Windows 11 for advanced encryption and device integrity. Older systems either do not have a TPM chip or have an outdated version (TPM v1.2 was the predecessor to TPM v2.0).

Secure Boot ensures that only signed and trusted software runs during the computer start up. Many older system boards either lack this feature or have limited compatibility.

The Central Processing Unit, known as the CPU or Processor, is like the ‘brain’ of the computer and executes instructions and performs the calculations your computer needs to complete its tasks.

Windows 11 only supports certain processors from Intel (8th-generation or newer) and AMD (Zen 2 or newer). We’re going to focus on the Intel processors (sorry AMD users!) because that is the majority of our client base. The minimum cut-off for Windows 11 is 8th generation processors.

Intel 8th generation processors, that are the minimum supported processor for Windows 11, were originally released in mid-to-late 2017, at the time of writing this article, that is about eight years ago. The Intel 7th generation processors, that are not supported by Windows 11, were released in 2016. This means that if you do not have a compatible processor then your computer is approximately at least eight years old and is probably due for an update.

The standard lifespan of a typical business computer is roughly three to five years, however, there are a lot of factors that going into planning for a computer lifecycle refresh; performance based requirements, high or low use etc. We like to install higher quality systems so our clients have that five or even seven year lifecycle as this gives a better return on your investment. In saying that though, if your computer doesn’t meet the Windows 11 specification, then you are hitting that eight year age on your computer and really need to consider upgrading.

Windows 11 uses more resources than Windows 10. Microsoft states that only 4GB of RAM and 64GB of drive storage are required for Windows 11 but this is more like some kind of dark humor from Microsoft.

Will Windows 11 work with such low hardware specs, yes it will but, will it work well?

• Memory – 4GB of memory is an awful recommendation. We are finding clients with 8GB of memory that are having performance limitations, obviously this depends on what applications are running on the system and how it is being utilized. Some clients are running Windows 11 with 8GB of memory and it is acceptable. Our recommended default system build is 16GB of memory to ensure you are covered for performance now and in the future.
• Storage – The 64GB minimum specs also seem to be very small and restrictive. The default Windows 11 installation is roughly 25GB, in all likelihood on a modern system you’ll have more like 40-50GB of used space once you consider the base Windows operating system, hibernation file, virtual memory, the reserved space for Windows Updates, and the basic drivers for your system. This doesn’t leave much space for anything else.

So there you have it, those are the primary topics why hardware needs to be replaced. There’s always more to discuss though.

Technically, yes, you can bend the rules to make it work. Microsoft even put out an article on how to do this, which is odd behavior because they are a major player pushing this change in the first place.

However, there are pros and cons by doing this and you are opening yourself up to further complications.

Meeting compliance requirements and dealing with insurance companies is probably the biggest challenge when it comes to reusing old and unsupported hardware. In Microsoft’s own words, they even warn you about not receiving updates if you take this route. You also need to consider what you will do if Microsoft decides to completely disable the operating system functionality due to incompatible hardware.

Insurance companies have a staggering amount of fine print and by working with unsupported hardware, this will be the easiest way for the insurance policy underwriter to not pay out on your policy claim in the event of an incident.

HIPAA. While HIPAA doesn’t explicitly state which operating systems are compliant, the HIPAA Security Rule mandates that covered entities must take measures to protect PHI, which includes using up-to-date and supported software. After October 14, 2025 this means using Windows 10 will make you non-compliant and using Windows 11 and not receiving or installing updates will also mean you are non-compliant.

Microsoft will offer paid Extended Security Updates (ESUs) from October 2025 through October 2028. This is an annual program and the cost increases each year. This is a great option for business that have older systems that do not require a lot of processing power.

The following Windows editions are eligible for ESU:

• Windows 10 Enterprise
• Windows 10 Education
• Windows 10 IoT Enterprise

Pro editions (including Pro for Workstations) are excluded from ESU eligibility.

So, there you have it. A basic overview of your options when it comes to upgrading to Windows 11. If you are using hardware that is not compatible with Windows 11, then you have old hardware and the best thing to do is plan for upgrading to newer supported technology to keep your business and staff as productive as possible.

Feel free to reach out and we can walk you through the process to make sure your business is secure and compliant.