If you're still running Windows 10, there's something worth knowing straight away: Windows 10 officially reached end of support on 14 October 2025. That means Microsoft no longer provides free security updates, technical support, or feature updates for it. Your PC will keep working, but it becomes gradually more exposed to security risks the longer it goes without patches.

If you're not ready to move on yet, Microsoft does offer a paid Extended Security Updates (ESU) programme for Windows 10 - and in a recent update, Microsoft extended free eligibility routes and pushed the overall consumer ESU cut-off out to 12 October 2027, a year later than originally planned. That buys some breathing room, but it's a stopgap, not a long-term plan.

What Windows 11 actually requires

Windows 11 has noticeably stricter hardware requirements than any previous version of Windows. The full list:

  • Processor: a 64-bit processor with 2 or more cores, from Microsoft's approved list (see below)
  • RAM: 4GB minimum (8GB+ is genuinely recommended for smooth day-to-day use)
  • Storage: 64GB or more
  • System firmware: UEFI, Secure Boot capable
  • TPM: Trusted Platform Module version 2.0 - this one catches out the most people
  • Graphics: DirectX 12 compatible, with a WDDM 2.0 driver

The processor cutoff that trips people up

Even if your PC meets every other requirement, Windows 11 only officially supports specific processor generations:

  • Intel: 8th Generation Core ("Coffee Lake", roughly 2017 onwards) and newer. Most 7th Generation and older Intel chips are not officially supported.
  • AMD: Ryzen 2000 series and newer. First-generation Ryzen (1000 series) and older AMD processors are not officially supported.

This means a laptop that still feels perfectly capable for browsing and office work can technically fall outside official support, purely because of its processor's age - nothing to do with how fast it feels day to day.

How to check your own PC

  1. Press Windows key + R, type tpm.msc and press Enter - this tells you your TPM version directly
  2. Download Microsoft's free PC Health Check app for a complete one-click compatibility check
  3. Check your exact processor model (Settings > System > About) and compare its generation against the list above

If your PC doesn't qualify

You've got a few genuine options:

  • Stay on Windows 10 for now, ideally enrolled in ESU while you plan your next move - but treat this as temporary, not a permanent fix
  • Check for a BIOS/firmware TPM setting - some older PCs have TPM 2.0 built in but disabled by default, which a quick BIOS change can fix (this won't help with an unsupported processor generation, though)
  • Move to a newer machine - and this is where refurbished genuinely helps: a well-specified refurbished laptop with an 8th-generation Intel or Ryzen 2000-series processor or newer will meet Windows 11's requirements at a fraction of new-laptop pricing. When browsing, look for the exact processor model listed on each product page so you can check it against the list above yourself.

At MR Laptop, every laptop's exact processor and specification is listed clearly on its product page, so you can check Windows 11 compatibility for yourself before you buy - not just take our word for it.

Browse our refurbished laptops →