Also, you're likely to run into driver incompatibility issues on unsupported devices. While Microsoft is unlikely to do that in practice, it's still better to be on the safer side. Microsoft makes you accept that the company can stop providing updates, and security patches to Windows 11 on these devices. But there are several drawbacks to installing Windows 11 on an unsupported device. There are plenty of workarounds available to install Windows 11 on unsupported devices that already run Windows 10. However, these are not hard requirements. Related: Can Your PC Run Windows 11? Check These System Requirements Additionally, Microsoft has stated that 6th and 7th Gen Intel CPUs as well as first-generation AMD Ryzen processors are also unsupported for Windows 11.

Microsoft has laid out some recommended requirements for Windows 11. The other reason why you could have to pay for Windows 11 is if you own an incompatible device. You Own a Device Incompatible With Windows 11

Related: How to Build a Gaming PC That Plays the Latest Games Instead, you'll have to purchase a Windows 10 product key, and then claim the free upgrade to Windows 11. As such, you'll need to buy a new license key to get Windows on your new PC.Īt the time of writing, you can't buy a Windows 11 key specifically. OEM keys only work on one PC, so you can't carry the license over to your new PC. There's a good chance that if you have a Windows 10 PC, it's using an OEM license key. We say 'may' because it entirely depends if you have another Windows 10 PC and the kind of license it has. If you're assembling a new PC, then you may have to pay for Windows 11. Building a New Computer Without a Windows 10 Licence That being said, there are two major scenarios that could force you to pay for Windows 11. Even Windows 7 users can easily upgrade to Windows 11 from the Windows update menu. We're not sure how long this offer will last, but chances are that Microsoft will support a free Windows 10 to Windows 11 upgrade for quite some time.

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