Windows Processor Requirements

This specification details the processors that can be used with Customer Systems that include Windows Products (including Custom Images). Updates to this specification may be released in the future as requirements change.

For each listed edition, Company must use only the processors listed, as specified in the tables below. The requirements below apply whenever the edition below is pre-installed or provided on external media, including as downgrade or down edition software.

For clarity, Company must also meet all processor and other requirements specified in Minimum Hardware Requirements for Windows 10, located at https://msdn.microsoft.com/library/windows/hardware/dn915086(v=vs.85).aspx (or updated URL).

If after the inclusion of a processor series in this specification (“Listed Processor”), a processor becomes commercially available that uses the same naming convention or identifier as a Listed Processor but has additional or different features or functionality (“New Processor”), Company must not use New Processor for Customer Systems without Microsoft’s prior written permission. If Company believes a processor has been omitted from this list, please contact Company’s Microsoft OEM or ODM Account Manager.

The processors listed in the tables below, represent the latest processor generations and models which are supported for the listed Windows Edition. Previous generations of processors and models (indicated by «Up through»), remain supported in addition to the listed processors and models.

Some product editions or edition/processor configurations listed below may have no or limited support. Information on support is available at Microsoft Support Policy (https://support.microsoft.com/lifecycle) and Microsoft Lifecycle FAQ (https://support.microsoft.com/help/18581). For specific hardware support, please refer to your Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) provider.

Windows Client Edition Processors

Windows Edition	Intel Processors	AMD Processors	Qualcomm Processors
Windows 7 and earlier editions	Up through the following 6th Generation Intel Processors (Intel Core i3/i5/i7-6xxx, Core m3/m5/m7-6xxx, and Xeon E3-xxxx v5), and through series equivalent Intel Atom, Celeron and Pentium Processors	Up through the following AMD 6th Generation Processors (A-Series Ax-8xxx & E-Series Ex-8xxx & FX-870K)	N/A
Windows 8.1	Up through the following 6th Generation Intel Processors (Intel Core i3/i5/i7-6xxx, Core m3/m5/m7-6xxx, and Xeon E3-xxxx v5), and through series equivalent Intel Atom, Celeron and Pentium Processors	Up through the following AMD 6th Generation Processors (A-Series Ax-8xxx & E-Series Ex-8xxx & FX-870K)	N/A
Windows 10 Enterprise LTSB 1507	Up through the following 6th Generation Intel Processors (Intel Core i3/i5/i7-6xxx, Core m3/m5/m7-6xxx, and Xeon E3-xxxx v5), and through series equivalent Intel Atom, Celeron and Pentium Processors	Up through the following AMD 6th Generation Processors (A-Series Ax-8xxx & E-Series Ex-8xxx & FX-870K)	N/A
Windows 10 1511	Up through the following 7th Generation Intel Processors (Intel Core i3/i5/i7-7xxx, Core m3-7xxx, and Xeon E3-xxxx v6), and Intel Atom, Celeron, and Pentium Processors	Up through the following AMD 7th Generation Processors (A-Series Ax-9xxx & E-Series Ex-9xxx & FX-9xxx)	N/A
Windows 10 1607	Up through the following 7th Generation Intel Processors (Intel Core i3/i5/i7/i9-7xxx, Core m3-7xxx, and Xeon E3-xxxx v6), Intel Atom, Celeron, and Pentium Processors	Up through the following AMD 7th Generation Processors (A-Series Ax-9xxx & E-Series Ex-9xxx & FX-9xxx)	N/A
Windows 10 Enterprise LTSB 1607	Up through the following 7th Generation Intel Processors (Intel Core i3/i5/i7/i9-7xxx, Core m3-7xxx, and Xeon E3-xxxx v6), Intel Atom, Celeron, and Pentium Processors	Up through the following AMD 7th Generation Processors (A-Series Ax-9xxx & E-Series Ex-9xxx & FX-9xxx)	N/A
Windows 10 1703	Up through the following 7th Generation Intel Processors (Intel Core i3/i5/i7/i9-7xxx, Core m3-7xxx, and Xeon E3-xxxx v6) and 8th Generation Processors (Intel Core i3/i5/i7-8xxxU), Intel Atom (J4xxx/J5xxx and N4xxx/N5xxx), Celeron, and Pentium Processors	Up through the following AMD 7th Generation Processors (A-Series Ax-9xxx & E-Series Ex-9xxx & FX-9xxx), AMD Athlon 2xx, and AMD Ryzen 3/5/7 2xxx	N/A
Windows 10 1709	Up through the following 8th Generation Intel Processors (Intel Core i3/i5/i7/i9-8xxxK/U/H/G, and Intel Xeon E-21xx [1] ), Intel Atom (J4xxx/J5xxx and N4xxx/N5xxx), Celeron and Pentium Processors	Up through the following AMD 7th Generation Processors (A-Series Ax-9xxx & E-Series Ex-9xxx & FX-9xxx); AMD Athlon 2xx, AMD Ryzen 3/5/7/Threadripper 2xxx, AMD Opteron [2] and AMD EPYC 7xxx [2] Processors	Qualcomm Snapdragon 835
Windows 10 1803	Up through the following 9th Generation Intel Processors (Intel Core i3/i5/i7/i9-9xxx), and Intel Xeon E-21xx [1] ), Intel Atom (J4xxx/J5xxx and N4xxx/N5xxx), Celeron and Pentium Processors	Up through the following AMD 7th Generation Processors (A-Series Ax-9xxx & E-Series Ex-9xxx & FX-9xxx); AMD Athlon 2xx, AMD Ryzen 3/5/7/Threadripper 2xxx, AMD Opteron [2] and AMD EPYC 7xxx [2] Processors	Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 and 850
Windows 10 1809	Up through the following 10th Generation Intel Processors (Intel Core i3/i5/i7/i9-10xxx), and Intel Xeon W-12xx/W-108xx [1] , Intel Xeon SP 32xx, 42xx, 52xx, 62xx, and 82xx [1] , Intel Atom (J4xxx/J5xxx and N4xxx/N5xxx), Celeron and Pentium Processors	Up through the following AMD 7th Generation Processors (A-Series Ax-9xxx & E-Series Ex-9xxx & FX-9xxx); AMD Athlon 2xx processors, AMD Ryzen 3/5/7/Threadripper 2xxx, AMD Opteron [2] and AMD EPYC 7xxx [2]	Qualcomm Snapdragon 850
Windows 10 Enterprise LTSC 1809	Up through the following 10th Generation Intel Processors (Intel Core i3/i5/i7/i9-10xxx), and Intel Xeon W-12xx/W-108xx [1] , Intel Xeon SP 32xx, 42xx, 52xx, 62xx, and 82xx [1] , Intel Atom (J4xxx/J5xxx and N4xxx/N5xxx), Celeron and Pentium Processors	Up through the following AMD 7th Generation Processors (A-Series Ax-9xxx & E-Series Ex-9xxx & FX-9xxx); AMD Athlon 2xx processors, AMD Ryzen 3/5/7 4xxx, AMD Opteron [2] and AMD EPYC 7xxx [2]	N/A
Windows 10 1903	Up through the following 11th Generation Intel Processors (Intel Core i3/i5/i7-11xxx), and Intel Xeon W-12xx/W-108xx [1] , Intel Xeon SP 32xx, 42xx, 52xx, 62xx, and 82xx [1] , Intel Atom (J4xxx/J5xxx and N4xxx/N5xxx), Celeron and Pentium Processors	Up through the following AMD 7th Generation Processors (A-Series Ax-9xxx & E-Series Ex-9xxx & FX-9xxx); AMD Athlon 2xx processors, AMD Ryzen 3/5/7/9/Threadripper 3xxx, AMD Opteron [2] and AMD EPYC 7xxx [2]	Qualcomm Snapdragon 850 and 8cx
Windows 10 1909	Up through the following 11th Generation Intel Processors (Intel Core i3/i5/i7-11xxx), and Intel Xeon W-12xx/W-108xx [1] , Intel Xeon SP 32xx, 42xx, 52xx, 62xx, and 82xx [1] , Intel Atom (J4xxx/J5xxx and N4xxx/N5xxx), Celeron and Pentium Processors	Up through the following AMD 7th Generation Processors (A-Series Ax-9xxx & E-Series Ex-9xxx & FX-9xxx); AMD Athlon 2xx processors, AMD Ryzen 3/5/7/9/Threadripper 3xxx, AMD Opteron [2] and AMD EPYC 7xxx [2]	Qualcomm Snapdragon 850 and 8cx
Windows 10 2004	Up through the following 11th Generation Intel Processors (Intel Core i3/i5/i7-11xxx), and Intel Xeon W-12xx/W-108xx [1] , Intel Xeon SP 32xx, 42xx, 52xx, 62xx, and 82xx [1] , Intel Atom (J4xxx/J5xxx and N4xxx/N5xxx), Celeron and Pentium Processors	Up through the following AMD 7th Generation Processors (A-Series Ax-9xxx & E-Series Ex-9xxx & FX-9xxx); AMD Athlon 2xx processors, AMD Ryzen 3/5/7/9 4xxx, AMD Opteron [2] and AMD EPYC 7xxx [2]	Qualcomm Snapdragon 850 and 8cx
Windows 10 20H2	Up through the following 11th Generation Intel Processors (Intel Core i3/i5/i7-11xxx), and Intel Xeon W-12xx/W-108xx [1] , Intel Xeon SP 32xx, 42xx, 52xx, 62xx, and 82xx [1] , Intel Atom (J4xxx/J5xxx and N4xxx/N5xxx), Celeron and Pentium Processors	Up through the following AMD 7th Generation Processors (A-Series Ax-9xxx & E-Series Ex-9xxx & FX-9xxx); AMD Athlon 2xx processors, AMD Ryzen 3/5/7/9 4xxx, AMD Opteron [2] and AMD EPYC 7xxx [2]	Qualcomm Snapdragon 850 and 8cx

[1] Intel Xeon processors are supported on Windows 10 Pro for Workstations and Windows 10 Enterprise only

[2] AMD Opteron and AMD EPYC processors are supported on Windows 10 Pro for Workstations and Windows 10 Enterprise only

Windows IoT Core Processors

Windows Edition	Intel Processors	Qualcomm Processor	Broadcom	NXP Processors
Windows 10 1703	Up through currently enabled Intel Joule, Atom, Celeron and Pentium Processors [3]	Up through currently enabled Qualcomm Snapdragon Processors [3]	Up through currently enabled Broadcom Processors [3]	N/A
Windows 10 1709	Up through currently enabled Intel Joule, Atom, Celeron and Pentium Processors [3]	Up through currently enabled Qualcomm Snapdragon Processors [3]	Up through currently enabled Broadcom Processors [3]	N/A
Windows 10 1803	Up through currently enabled Intel Joule, Atom, Celeron and Pentium Processors [3]	Up through currently enabled Qualcomm Snapdragon Processors [3]	Up through currently enabled Broadcom Processors [3]	N/A
Windows 10 IoT Core 1809 (SAC)	Up through currently enabled Intel Atom, Celeron and Pentium Processors [3]	Up through currently enabled Qualcomm Snapdragon Processors [3]	Up through currently enabled Broadcom Processors [3]	Up through currently enabled NXP i.MXProcessors [3]
Windows 10 IoT Core 1809 (LTSC)	Up through currently enabled Intel Atom, Celeron and Pentium Processors [3]	Up through currently enabled Qualcomm Snapdragon Processors [3]	Up through currently enabled Broadcom Processors [3]	Up through currently enabled NXP i.MXProcessors [3]

[3] Information on which processors are currently enabled is available atВ /windows/iot-core/learn-about-hardware/socsandcustomboards

Windows 10 IoT Enterprise

Review the Windows Client Edition Processors support matrix above for Windows 10 IoT Enterprise.

NOTE: The processor support matrix only reflects the core OS support for the processor. There may be other dependencies like hardware-specific drivers which are not reflected in this matrix. Please contact your OEM or processor manufacturer for hardware-specific support.

Windows Server Processors

Windows Edition	Intel Processors	AMD Processors	Hygon Processors [6]
Windows Server 2012 R2 [4]	Up through the following 7th Generation Intel Processors (Intel Core i3-7xxx/Celeron/Pentium; Xeon E3 v6); Xeon SP 32xx, 42xx, 52xx, 62xx, and 82xx; Xeon D 15xx; and Atom C33xx	Up through the following AMD 7th generation processors (AMD A-Series Ax-9xxx & E-Series Ex-9xxx & FX-9xxx), AMD Ryzen Family, AMD EPYC 7xx1, AMD EPYC 7xx2, and AMD EPYC 7xx3	N/A
Windows Server 2016 [5]	Up through the following 9th Generation Intel Processors (Core i3-9xxx, Pentium G5xxx, Celeron G49xx); Xeon E22xx; Xeon SP 32xx, 42xx, 52xx, 62xx, and 82xx; Xeon D 21xx; and Atom C33xx	Up through the following AMD 7th generation processors (AMD A-Series Ax-9xxx & E-Series Ex-9xxx & FX-9xxx), AMD Ryzen Family, AMD EPYC 7xx1, AMD EPYC 7xx2, and AMD EPYC 7xx3	N/A
Windows Server 2019	Up through the following 9th Generation Intel Processors (Core i3-9xxx, Pentium G5xxx, Celeron G49xx); Xeon E22xx; Xeon SP 32xx, 42xx, 52xx, 62xx, and 82xx; Xeon D 21xx; and Atom C33xx	Up through the following AMD 7th generation processors (AMD A-Series Ax-9xxx & E-Series Ex-9xxx & FX-9xxx), AMD Ryzen Family, AMD EPYC 7xx1, AMD EPYC 7xx2, and AMD EPYC 7xx3	Hygon C86 7xxx

[4] Company may submit for certification (in the Windows Hardware Compatibility Program) Customer Systems running Windows Server 2012R2 and the identified processors until December 31, 2018; after such date, no new Customer Systems will be certified running Windows Server 2012R2.

[5] Microsoft continues to evaluate the processor list and potential end dates for certification (in the Windows Hardware Compatibility Program) for Customer Systems running Windows Server 2016.

[6] China Market Only

NOTE: The list of supported processors above does not in itself determine Microsoft support for Windows Server. The listing is a prerequisite for system certification. Only systems based on the above approved processors can be certified for Windows Server.

How to Find Windows 10 Computer Specifications & Systems Requirements

Here’s an overview of how to find computer specification requirements, versions, and languages available for Windows 10.

Table of Contents

System requirements for installing Windows 10

These are the basic requirements for installing Windows 10 on a PC. If your device does not meet these requirements, you may not have the great experience intended with Windows 10 and might want to consider purchasing a new PC.

RAM: 1 gigabyte (GB) for 32-bit or 2 GB for 64-bit

Hard drive size:

32GB or larger hard disk

Note: See below under “More information on hard drive space to install or update Windows 10” for more details.

Compatible with DirectX 9 or later with WDDM 1.0 driver

Display: 800×600 Internet Connection:

Internet connectivity is necessary to perform updates and to download and take advantage of some features. Windows 10 Pro in S mode, Windows 10 Pro Education in S mode, Windows 10 Education in S mode, and Windows 10 Enterprise in S mode require an internet connection during the initial device setup (Out of Box Experience or OOBE), as well as either a Microsoft account (MSA) or Azure Activity Directory (AAD) account. Switching a device out of Windows 10 in S mode also requires internet connectivity. Learn more about S mode here.

There may be additional requirements over time for updates, as well as requirements to turn on specific features within the OS.

Keeping Windows 10 up-to-date

Windows 10 is designed to deliver updates for the supported lifetime of the device. Two types of updates may be provided: quality updates and feature updates. Quality updates include both security and non-security updates and are typically targeted to be released once a month. Feature updates also include security and non-security fixes as well as new features to Windows 10 and are typically provided twice a year. Ensuring that your device receives these updates and is kept up-to-date is important for your device security. Windows 10 periodically checks for updates so you don’t have to. When an update is available—and sufficient free disk space is available on your device—it will be automatically installed. So that Windows 10 continues to stay updated, it’s important to ensure your device has sufficient free space. See additional applicable details in the following notes.

Important notes about updates:

• A device might not be able to receive updates if the device hardware is incompatible, if it lacks current drivers or sufficient available hard drive space, or if it’s otherwise outside of the Original Equipment Manufacturer’s (“OEM”) support period. Visit the Windows Lifecycle Fact Sheet or the Lifecycle FAQ for Windows products to learn more about the servicing timeline for each feature update.
  • Some of the disk space needed for installing updates is only temporarily required. Typically, ten days after installing an update, a disk cleanup will be automatically performed to delete copies of the older, unneeded Windows files and free up space again.
• Not all features in an update will work on all devices.
• An internet connection is required to perform updates and Internet access (ISP) fees might apply.
• If you need assistance installing an update, Windows 10 Update Assistant may be able to help.

More information on hard drive space requirements to install or update Windows 10

The size of the Windows operating system that comes with your device and the amount of space needed to download and install Windows updates, are highly variable as they depend on a variety of factors. Visit here to learn why. The factors that impact the amount of free hard drive space needed to take an update include: the versions of Windows previously installed on the machine, the amount of disk space available to reuse from Windows files, such as the virtual memory pagefile or hibernation file, which applications are installed on your device and how those applications store data. Starting with the May 2019 Update, the system requirements for hard drive size for clean installs of Windows 10 as well as new PCs changed to a minimum of 32GB. The 32GB or larger drive requirement is set to leave space for users to install apps and to keep data on the device. Installing Windows or updating from a previous version of Windows on devices with less than 32GB storage will continue to work if the device has enough free space available. When updating, Windows will attempt to automatically free up enough hard drive space and guide you through freeing up even more if the automatic cleanup is not sufficient. You can also take steps to free up space on your own. For more information, see Free up space to install the latest Windows 10 update or visit the related FAQ.

Feature-specific requirements for Windows 10

In addition to the requirements above that are needed to run Windows, some features have additional requirements. In some cases, features included with updated versions of Windows 10 will be best experienced with newer processors. For specific hardware support please refer to your Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM). Below are some additional details regarding requirements for key features:

• BitLocker Drive Encryption (available with Windows 10 Pro or Windows 10 Enterprise only) requires a Trusted Platform Module (TPM) 1.2 or higher and Trusted Computing Group (TCG)-compliant BIOS or UEFI. BitLocker can be used on devices without TPM, but you will need to save a startup key on a removable device such as a USB flash drive. TPM 2.0 and InstantGo support is required when you want to automatically encrypt the local drive when joining a device to Azure Active Directory (AAD). Check with your PC manufacturer to confirm if your device supports the correct TPM version and InstantGo for the scenario you want to enable.
• BitLocker To Go requires a USB flash drive (available in Windows 10 Pro and Windows 10 Enterprise only).
• Client Hyper-V requires a 64-bit system with second level address translation (SLAT) capabilities and additional 2 GB of RAM (available in Windows 10 Pro and Windows 10 Enterprise only).
• Cortana is only currently available on Windows 10 for the United States, United Kingdom, China, France, Italy, Germany, Brazil, Mexico, Japan, Canada, Spain, Australia and India.
• Microsoft account is required for some features.
• Miracast requires a display adapter which supports Windows Display Driver Model (WDDM) 1.3, and a Wi-Fi adapter that supports Wi-Fi Direct.
• Movies & TV application is not available in all regions. For the most up-to-date list of regions, please go to the Movies & TV information page.
• Secure boot requires firmware that supports UEFI v2.3.1 Errata B and has the Microsoft Windows Certification Authority in the UEFI signature database.
• Skype is available only in select countries and regions. Calling to select countries and regions only. Excludes special, premium and non-geographic numbers. For details, visit the Office FAQ page.
• Snap: The number of applications that can be snapped will depend upon the minimum resolution for the application with a limit of two applications in Tablet mode and four applications in Desktop mode.
• Speech recognition will vary by device microphone. For a better speech experience, you will need a:
  • High fidelity microphone array
  • Hardware driver with microphone array geometry exposed
• Tablet mode is available on tablets and 2-in-1s with GPIO indicators or those that have a laptop and slate indicator will be able to be configured to enter «tablet mode» automatically.
• Touch: To use touch, you need a tablet or a monitor that supports multi-touch.
• Two-factor authentication requires the use of a PIN, Biometric (finger print reader or illuminated infrared camera), or a phone with Wi-Fi or Bluetooth capabilities.
• Windows Hello requires a camera configured for near infrared (IR) imaging or fingerprint reader for biometric authentication. Devices without biometric sensors can use Windows Hello with a PIN or a portable Microsoft compatible security key.
• Xbox application requires an Xbox Live account, which is not available in all regions. For the most up-to-date list of regions, please go to Xbox Live Countries and Regions website.
• Wi-Fi Direct Printing requires a Wi-Fi adapter that supports Wi-Fi Direct and a device that supports Wi-Fi Direct Printing.