- Windows 11 25H2 maintains the same minimum requirements as Windows 11 24H2, including a 1GHz dual-core CPU, 4GB of RAM, 64GB of storage, TPM 2.0, and Secure Boot.
- Copilot+ PCs require newer chips, such as Snapdragon X Elite, AMD Ryzen AI 300, or Intel Core Ultra 200V, along with 16GB of RAM, a 256GB SSD, and a 40+ TOPS NPU for enhanced AI features.
- Supported processors include Intel 8th Gen or newer, AMD Ryzen 2000 or newer, and select Qualcomm Snapdragon models.
On Windows 11 25H2 (2025 Update), Microsoft is maintaining the same main hardware requirements as version 24H2 since both operating systems share the same file system. This means that if your computer is already running Windows 11 24H2 or an earlier release, it’ll be compatible with version 25H2.
On the other hand, if you plan to upgrade a Windows 10 computer, the hardware must meet the minimum requirements, including a 64-bit dual-core processor, 4GB of RAM, 64GB of storage, a Trusted Platform Module (TPM) version 2.0, and Secure Boot.
In this guide, I’ll outline the new hardware requirements for installing the Windows 11 2025 Update.
- Windows 11 25H2 hardware requirements
- Copilot+ PC system requirements for version 25H2
- Windows 11 25H2 supported processors
Windows 11 25H2 hardware requirements
If you want to install Windows 11 25H2, your computer should meet the basic system requirements:
- Processor: 1 GHz or faster with 2 or more cores on a compatible 64-bit processor or System on a Chip (SoC).
- RAM: 4 GB.
- Storage: 64 GB or larger hard drive.
- System Firmware: UEFI with Secure Boot capability.
- TPM: Trusted Platform Module (TPM) version 2.0.
- Graphics Card: Compatible with DirectX 12 or later with WDDM 2.0 driver.
- Display: 720p HD display (or greater) that is larger than 9 inches diagonally.
- Connectivity: Internet connection and a Microsoft account for setup.
Secure Boot isn’t technically a requirement, but it’s highly recommended to have it. You can install Windows 11 without Secure Boot, but it may be required in certain scenarios, such as playing modern games that also require the anti-cheat system.
On the other hand, if you want to set up a dual-boot system with Linux, it’s best to disable Secure Boot.
Copilot+ PC system requirements for version 25H2
These are the minimum hardware requirements to be considered a Copilot+ PC:
- Processor: Snapdragon X, AMD Ryzen AI 300 series, or Intel Core Ultra 200V series.
- NPU: 40+ TOPS (Trillion Operations Per Second).
- RAM: 16 GB or greater.
- Storage: 256 GB SSD or larger.
- System Firmware: UEFI with Secure Boot enabled.
- TPM: Trusted Platform Module (TPM) version 2.0.
- Graphics Card: DirectX 12 compatible with WDDM 2.0 driver.
- Display: HD 720p resolution or greater, on a display larger than 9 inches diagonally.
- Connectivity: Internet connection and a Microsoft account are required for setup.
These system requirements are necessary to access the new AI features.
Windows 11 25H2 supported processors
The Windows 11 2025 Update is compatible only with specific processors from Intel, AMD, and Qualcomm.
Intel
For example, on the Intel side, the operating system supports Core 8th Gen and higher processors, as well as select Pentium, Atom, Celeron, and Xeon chips.
Furthermore, the 7th Gen Intel processors are also supported for installing Windows 11 in general, but only the 7820HQ chip is specifically supported. Additionally, Intel’s Core X and Xeon W processors are supported, provided the device comes with Declarative, Componentized Hardware Support Apps (DCH) drivers.
AMD
On the AMD side, the operating system only supports second-generation Ryzen (including Threadripper) and newer processors, as well as some EPYC and Athlon chips.
ARM
As for ARM support, the latest version supports the Qualcomm Snapdragon 850, 7c, 8c, and 8cx first and second generations, as well as the Snapdragon X Elite (and Plus), and the Microsoft SQ1 and SQ2.
Unsupported
On unsupported devices, you may still be able to upgrade (at your own risk) from the ISO file or USB bootable media. However, the computer will still need a 64-bit processor with the “POPCNT” instruction, at least two cores, 4GB of RAM, 64GB of storage, and an enabled TPM 1.2 chip and Secure Boot.
On Windows 11 24H2 and higher releases, it’s important to have the “POPCNT” (Population Count) instruction requirement, as the computer won’t boot if this feature is missing. Although most devices with unsupported hardware will continue to be able to upgrade, this hardware requirement will affect processors released before 2007, as they don’t include the “POPCNT” instruction.
Additionally, the CPU must support SSE4.2 (Intel) or SSE4A (AMD). These instruction sets are designed for x86 processors, specifically to enhance their multimedia processing capabilities. They are part of the Streaming SIMD Extensions (SSE) family, which provides instructions for performing operations on multiple data elements simultaneously.
For version 25H2 to install and boot correctly, the process must have the following features:
- 64-bit processor with two or more cores.
- 1 GHz or faster.
- Intel, AMD, or ARM.
- SSE4.2 instruction set support.
- “POPCNT” (Population Count) instruction.
It’s worth clarifying that “POPCNT” is an instruction part of the “SSE4.2” instruction set. Originally, the POPCNT was the only requirement to boot the system. However, the processor must now include all the instructions from SSE4.2 to support version 24H2 or 25H2.
The SSE4.2 set of instructions has been around for many years, meaning that the requirement should not affect devices already running an older version of Windows 11 or Windows 10 (in most cases). This is likely only to affect a very small set of users trying to install the operating system on an (extremely) old system.
You can always confirm whether the processor includes the required set of instructions by using the CPU-Z app and checking the “Instructions” section in the “CPU” tab.
Supported processors for version 25H2
Here’s the list of the supported processors from Intel, AMD, and Qualcomm.
Intel supported processors
- 8th Gen (Coffee Lake).
- 9th Gen (Coffee Lake Refresh).
- 10th Gen (Comet Lake and Ice Lake).
- 11th Gen (Rocket Lake and Tiger Lake).
- 12th Gen (Alder Lake).
- 13th Gen (Raptor Lake).
- 14th Gen (Raptor Lake).
- Intel Core Ultra 1st Gen (Meteor Lake).
- Intel Core Ultra 2nd Gen (Arrow Lake).
- Pentium – Gold and Silver.
- Xeon – Skylake-SP, Cascade Lake-SP, Cooper Lake-SP, Ice Lake-SP
- All supported Intel processors.
AMD supported processors
- Ryzen 2000, 3000, 4000, 5000, 6000, 7000, 8000, 9000.
- Ryzen Threadripper Pro 59xxWX.
- Ryzen Embedded V25xx and V27xx.
- EPYC 2nd, 3rd, and 4th Gen.
- Athlon – Gold, Silver, 3xxx, 300x, 7000.
- All supported AMD processors.
Qualcomm supported processors
- Snapdragon X Elite.
- Snapdragon X Plus.
- Snapdragon 850.
- Snapdragon 7c.
- Snapdragon 8c.
- Snapdragon 8cx.
- Snapdragon 8cx (Gen2).
- Microsoft SQ1.
- Microsoft SQ2.
- All supported Qualcomm processors.
This information is based on existing requirements for installing the current version of the operating system, considering that versions 24H2 and 25H2 are identical operating systems.
Mauro Huculak is a Windows How-To Expert and founder of Pureinfotech in 2010. With over 22 years as a technology writer and IT Specialist, Mauro specializes in Windows, software, and cross-platform systems such as Linux, Android, and macOS.
Certifications: Microsoft Certified Solutions Associate (MCSA), Cisco Certified Network Professional (CCNP), VMware Certified Professional (VCP), and CompTIA A+ and Network+.
Mauro is a recognized Microsoft MVP and has also been a long-time contributor to Windows Central.
You can follow him on YouTube, Threads, BlueSky, X (Twitter), LinkedIn and About.me. Email him at [email protected].