Discussion Microsoft 'doubles down' on their Windows 11 CPU support - only adds ONE specific CPU after re-examination

[alceryes]

Windows 11 officially won't support AMD Zen or most Intel 7th-gen processors

Microsoft confirmed today that it's not going to change the CPU requirements for Windows 11 for AMD Zen, or much for Intel 7th-gen.

www.xda-developers.com

If you recently bought the Surface Studio 2 with the i7-7820HQ you've been given a pass, but that's it. No AMD Zen 1 (and earlier) or any other Intel 7th gen (and earlier) CPUs will be supported.
I found the tidbit about kernal mode crashes interesting. Why would the piece of hardware matter?? Older CPU would just take more time. This is just Microsoft baking a low water mark into the OS. This equates to saying, "The hardware is fine but CPUs older than X are too slow FOR THE OPERATING SYSTEM'S EXPECTATIONS."

 

[alceryes]

A tale of two CPUs - the i7-7700k vs. the i7-7820HQ
Microsoft decided that the i7-7820HQ makes the grade for Windows 11 while the i7-7700k does not.

Specs directly from Intel.
i7-7700k
https://ark.intel.com/content/www/u...-7700k-processor-8m-cache-up-to-4-50-ghz.html

i7-7820HQ
https://ark.intel.com/content/www/u...7820hq-processor-8m-cache-up-to-3-90-ghz.html

The i7-7700k is clearly the faster CPU in EVERY aspect. Which is to be expected since it's designed as a 91W TDP desktop CPU while the i7-7820HQ is designed for the slimline/mobile segment and has a TDP of 45W.

The ONLY obvious reason Windows 11 supports the i7-7820HQ and not the i7-7700k (or any other Intel CPU that surpasses the i7-7820HQ's performance) is because the Microsoft Surface Studio 2 currently uses the i7-7820HQ CPU and is still available for purchase, today.

This kind of blatant unfair favoritism sickens me. Microsoft should be ashamed of themselves.

 

[USAFRet]

And according to The Verge, that only counts for an inplace upgrade from 10 to 11.

A standalone install of 11....not so much
https://www.theverge.com/22644194/m...inimum-system-requirements-processors-changes


Of course, all is in flux. We shall see what actually happens.

 

[alceryes]

And according to The Verge, that only counts for an inplace upgrade from 10 to 11.

A standalone install of 11....not so much
https://www.theverge.com/22644194/m...inimum-system-requirements-processors-changes


Of course, all is in flux. We shall see what actually happens.

Yeah, it seems that Microsoft is much faster at backpedaling than moving forward.

But this still doesn't help those that want 'full support' from Microsoft. If you've got the i7-7820HQ you're good but if you've got the better, faster i7-7700k you're on your own. This doesn't give me a warm, fuzzy feeling, Microsoft.

...and yes, Microsoft has changed support for Windows 11 so much now that another change is inevitable. <sigh>

 

[Colif]

New PC health app but you need to be an insider to use it so far, clearly its being tested too - https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-download/windowsinsiderpreviewpchealth

I assume it matches the newer limited requirements.

 

[Colif]

You still need tpm 1.2 to install it off ISO so its not completely free to everyone. They can't stop you trying.

 

[mdd1963]

It appears all of the 7th gen HEDT CPUs, including the 'much sought after i5-7640X ' with it's 4 omnipotent threads, have been greenlighted for Win11!

 

[alceryes]

It appears all of the 7th gen HEDT CPUs, including the 'much sought after i5-7640X ' with it's 4 omnipotent threads, have been greenlighted for Win11!

Yup. The 7th gen X-series also got the pass. And yet the i7-7700k was still left out in the cold.
Ridiculous.

 

[Colif]

it also depends on what MB you put them in as a lot of the problem isn't the CPU, its the MB

Z270, H270 & B250 don't have PTT support in bios

Intel Core i7-7700K & Core i5-7600K Review

Fast forward to today and we have the official introduction of Intel's 7th-generation desktop processor series. Codenamed 'Kaby Lake', the architecture is said to deliver new levels of performance courtesy of...

www.techspot.com

So if Intel didn't even put it in the chipset its hard for Microsoft to do anything?
only option then is a chip and who explains that to majority of the people with these CPU? Or tells them they have to buy it?

Be a nice little earner for a repair shop

 

[Joseph_138]

Windows 11 officially won't support AMD Zen or most Intel 7th-gen processors

Microsoft confirmed today that it's not going to change the CPU requirements for Windows 11 for AMD Zen, or much for Intel 7th-gen.

www.xda-developers.com

If you recently bought the Surface Studio 2 with the i7-7820HQ you've been given a pass, but that's it. No AMD Zen 1 (and earlier) or any other Intel 7th gen (and earlier) CPUs will be supported.
I found the tidbit about kernal mode crashes interesting. Why would the piece of hardware matter?? Older CPU would just take more time. This is just Microsoft baking a low water mark into the OS. This equates to saying, "The hardware is fine but CPUs older than X are too slow FOR THE OPERATING SYSTEM'S EXPECTATIONS."

There will be hacks. There are probably many people working on this problem at this very moment, just like there are whenever a new version of OS X comes out that drops old hardware.

 

[USAFRet]

There will be hacks. There are probably many people working on this problem at this very moment, just like there are whenever a new version of OS X comes out that drops old hardware.

And a lot of them will be malicious.
Are your skills up to the task of determining good from bad?

By the time Win 10 falls off the supported list, any PC not capable of running Win 11 will be almost a decade old. Time for a new box, and repurpose the old one.

 

[noel_prg_la1979]

Z270, H270 & B250 don't have PTT support in bios

nope. wrong.

some Z270 boards DO have the Intel PTT option in the BIOS

Asus has released some BIOS updates for some of their Z270 boards that provide the PTT option (ex. Asus PRIME Z270-P). it's up to the motherboard maker to provide updated BIOSes or firmware that would add or enable the PTT option for such boards so check with the motherboard manufacturers for any new BIOS updates for them

 

[drea.drechsler]

Windows 11 officially won't support AMD Zen or most Intel 7th-gen processors

Microsoft confirmed today that it's not going to change the CPU requirements for Windows 11 for AMD Zen, or much for Intel 7th-gen.

www.xda-developers.com

....
No AMD Zen 1 (and earlier) or any other Intel 7th gen (and earlier) CPUs will be supported.
I found the tidbit about kernal mode crashes interesting.
...

In the Zen 1 case i find it interesting that AMD was involved in the decision. I wonder if Microsoft would have needed AMD to provide resources and AMD decided not to bother.

 

[USAFRet]

In the Zen 1 case i find it interesting that AMD was involved in the decision. I wonder if Microsoft would have needed AMD to provide resources and AMD decided not to bother.

Exactly.
Microsoft did not, cannot, do this in isolation.

Requires collaboration with Intel and AMD.

 

[drea.drechsler]

....
Requires collaboration with Intel and AMD.

I'm fully confident Ryzen 1000 should be considered "Zen .5" as it seems so rushed and unready compared to the follow-ons. Probably needed to get a market presence with a proper processor even with it's many flaws though. I think AMD wishes it to go away now and this is an easy way to push it into the same oblivion as Bulldozer and Excavator.

 

[alceryes]

...and AMD decided not to bother.

If that is the case, I wonder why.
I'm trying to think about it from a 'money' point of view. The only thing I can think of is if the mid-grade 1st-gen Ryzens (maybe Ryzen 5 1400) and lower just perform so horribly in Windows 11 that AMD doesn't want a re-hash of their performance deficit to give the AMD name a black eye. Especially since they're riding high right now - gotta protect their position.

 

[kerberos_20]

nobody forces people to switch to win11
you still remember winxp or win7? it was used way past its expire time
tho ill upgrade my pc once ddr5 will be fast and stable enough (zen4)

 

[drea.drechsler]

...
I'm trying to think about it from a 'money' point of view..

It's rather obvious there's no money in supporting older products on anybody's part.

 

[Grobe]

nobody forces people to switch to win11

I disagree. If I was running Windows (any version) and there comes this pop up notification saying this version of windows are not supported (and some more text about poor safety in continue to run that version) - that I'll claim that is an attempt to force the user to upgrade.

 

[USAFRet]

saying this version of windows are not supported

Which will not be a thing for another 4 years.

 

[alceryes]

It's rather obvious there's no money in supporting older products on anybody's part.

Do you think it would've cost AMD a lot of extra resources/money? I don't.
I also don't think AMD's involvement would need to be extreme. Windows 11 was built on a Windows 10 base. Microsoft already knows most (if not all) they need to know about the 1st gen Ryzens from Windows 10.

 

[drea.drechsler]

Do you think it would've cost AMD a lot of extra resources/money? I don't.
....

I really can't say how much involvement/resources it would take. My point is that doing it, whatever the outlay, offers zero payback in money terms. And not nearly enough in 'good-will' in their estimation. What is more likely is they might feel there will be harm to good-will as people continue to deride it's lackluster performance and inherent memory compatibility issues compared to the latter Ryzen CPU's.

Remember that in business good-will is as highly valued as cash reserves, and there's quite a process for valuing it. If your market thinks your products are <Mod Edit> they won't want it irrespective of the facts, and that's valuable. AMD's currently clawing back good-will from the days of Bulldozer and Excavator so that the market does want it so I feel AMD would like to leave the Summit Ridge processors behind... along with those older ones. Win11 makes for a clean break and easy to do that. So in this sense it's neither an Engineering nor Financial decision but purely a Marketing decision.

 

[LeviTech]

This kind of choices from MS (That I'm not in agreement with) has nothing to do with CPU performance. I've got a laptop with AMD 3020e that is able to get win11.

 

[LeviTech]

I'm fully confident Ryzen 1000 should be considered "Zen .5" as it seems so rushed and unready compared to the follow-ons. Probably needed to get a market presence with a proper processor even with it's many flaws though. I think AMD wishes it to go away now and this is an easy way to push it into the same oblivion as Bulldozer and Excavator.

The AMD Ryzen™ Embedded R1102G with Radeon™ Vega 3 Graphics is simple an AMD 3020e that is supported by win11.
I think the only difference between both is that AMD 3020e supports 2 channels of ram while R1102G only supports 1.

 

[kerberos_20]

I'm fully confident Ryzen 1000 should be considered "Zen .5" as it seems so rushed and unready compared to the follow-ons. Probably needed to get a market presence with a proper processor even with it's many flaws though. I think AMD wishes it to go away now and this is an easy way to push it into the same oblivion as Bulldozer and Excavator.

what flaws? im still on first gen ryzen, and im not seeing flaws with it