Question Should I upgrade to windows 11 if my cpu is not supported? (My cpu: Intel i7-6700k 6th gen)

tracker39

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Nov 5, 2017
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Hello! Like I said on the title , my cpu Intel i7-6700k (6th gen) is not supported for windows 11 and normally I wouldn't mind staying to windows 10.. but I read that after October 14 2025, Microsoft will no longer release security updates for windows 10. I was thinking to format my PC anyway so I thought maybe I should try windows 11 with Rufus ( By pass the requirements of windows 11 with Rufus ) . So I did some research and the most common answer was that even with an unsupportive cpu, it's fine to upgrade to windows 11 and in most cases you won't even see the difference but just in case I should back up my files. So... Is it "safe" to update to windows 11 with a cpu that is not supported ? and what's the worst that can happen if I update? By the way this is my full PC Build: https://pcpartpicker.com/list/p9FPMV
 
Solution
Is it "safe" to update to windows 11 with a cpu that is not supported ? and what's the worst that can happen if I update?
Some future windows 11 update can make unsupported cpus to be unusable with windows 11.
They have been declared unsupported and if this happens, you wouldn't be able to do anything about it.

Just stay on windows 10. And keep your antivirus software updated.

Or if you intend to upgrade to windows 11, then get supported hardware for it.
How do you intend to do this upgrade if the CPU isn't supported? Unsupported means that it won't run at all (without jumping through many dodgy hoops) and Microsoft can at any time disable those workarounds.
Well, I have done some research and I have seen people use Rufus and bypass the requirements of windows 11.. its quite simple too.. (check the image) so for now I was thinking to update to windows 11 and if Microsoft disable those workarounds and I don't receive updates anymore well then probably I will upgrade my PC.. but I was wondering what could be the worst that can happen if I update to windows 11... ?
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Is it "safe" to update to windows 11 with a cpu that is not supported ? and what's the worst that can happen if I update?
Some future windows 11 update can make unsupported cpus to be unusable with windows 11.
They have been declared unsupported and if this happens, you wouldn't be able to do anything about it.

Just stay on windows 10. And keep your antivirus software updated.

Or if you intend to upgrade to windows 11, then get supported hardware for it.
 
Solution
Some future windows 11 update can make unsupported cpus to be unusable with windows 11.
They have been declared unsupported and if this happens, you wouldn't be able to do anything about it.

Just stay on windows 10. And keep your antivirus software updated.

Or if you intend to upgrade to windows 11, then get supported hardware for it.
Yeah.. I almost forgot about it... I was curious about that.. So what exactly it means unusable in this case? I won't be able to keep using the cpu at all ? or I won't be able to keep using the windows 11 and I will have to go back to windows 10?
 
Save a little money, reuse your DDR4 and upgrade the platform to Ryzen 5000 or 12th gen Intel. You will get a big upgrade, and won't have to worry about Windows compatibility. Even a lowly i3 12100, with its IPC improvements, is a pretty sizeable upgrade over your current chip.
Well, I built this PC 4-5 years ago.. I know it's not that good compare to the PCs that are available now , but it's more than sufficient for my current needs and usage... so I don't really want to upgrade yet... :sweatsmile: