Windows 11 Incompatible with i7 Processor

Madhav 76

I have a gaming laptop with i7-7700HQ processor, 4 cores, 8GB ram etc. However, my PC isn't compatible (a lot i7 cores are compatible, for some reason, this one is not)

Should I install windows 11 using the other methods that were discussed online? It just seems like downloading an OS when it is not officially supported by your processor would be a bad idea. I remember reading somewhere that windows might not even roll out updates for users who have installed windows 11 in any other way.

Also, is windows working on releasing a build that would work on this processor?

Please help. I desperately want to download Windows 11, but don't want to make any rash decisions.

Miko Gorospe 21 Reputation points

2021-10-05T04:23:09.753+00:00

We got the same problem even though it's says on their website that it's compatible
Miko Gorospe 21 Reputation points

2021-10-05T04:29:47.673+00:00

mybad i look though it again and it is not compatible for some reason.
Madhav 76 Reputation points

2021-10-05T04:41:32.12+00:00

Yup, for some reason, this particular processor is not compatible. It is so confusing and irritating, I have been patiently waiting for this release since half a year now, and I can't even download it, while a lot of my peers who have lower intel processors have because weirdly they are compatible.
Vinicius Oliveira 11 Reputation points

2021-10-06T03:23:51.6+00:00

It's a shame that it does not support! I'm at the same page, with a pretty powerful machine and since I knew it has TPM 2.0 I didn't even bother about the update. Until I've enter in the Health Chekc today and it is stated that it does not support Windows 11 by default. And it's funny, even though there are not many differences between the 7th gen and 8th gen CPUs, Microsoft only released support to 7th gen CPU for the ones that are present in their Surface laptops that are still being sold today.

Came on Microsoft, release Windows 11 for every computer that has TPM 2.0 or at least are from 2015 or newer. Or the odds of we having once again a OS that has no presence in the marketshare is huge. I'm certainly be moving to Linux for sure and will be using only Windows once in a while for games.!

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Madhav 76 Reputation points

2021-10-06T05:14:50.2+00:00

I share the exact same sentiments as you do, thanks for letting me know I am not alone in this.
Danish Mohammed E 21 Reputation points

2021-10-06T06:04:34.477+00:00

Same issue here. Its frustrating
Desmond Fial 11 Reputation points

2021-10-06T10:42:14.747+00:00

To be honest this is a bad move on microsoft part.
And it would be a good idea for them to fix this NOW.
II also have this processor in my laptop and also i can't update to win11 (the rest is of the systeem req are green)

Also this REALLLLY is a good idea during the CHIP CHIP CHIP CHIP shortage.

SO Microsoft don't MAKE me buy a new gaming laptop AGAIN this one is not even 3 years old (something something E-WASTE)
RyoAoki-4197 6 Reputation points

2021-10-07T22:41:23.127+00:00

Dear in the pciture ,the url belongs to a version of windows 10, please check this link that it is from the version of windows 11:
https://learn.microsoft.com/es-es/windows-hardware/design/minimum/supported/windows-11-supported-intel-processors
Ian Tully 16 Reputation points

2021-10-11T16:52:29.313+00:00

If they really have only made this available for Surface compatible processors then I think the other manufacturers should be making loud complaints. Clearly it is not about generations as lots of i3 machines are listed, nor about power since there are cheap Celeron ones too. I bought my i7 HP laptop expecting it to be relatively future proof, not out-of-date a mere three years later, with no explanation from Microsoft, Intel or HP.

There needs to be greater clarity on what specs we need to keep relatively abreast of Microsoft's changes, it should not be a lottery, with the occasional processor a "rogue" where future developments are concerned.
Mr Sandman 1 Reputation point

2021-10-15T14:42:55.353+00:00

I bought a 17" Alienware gaming Laptop with 32 GB Ram with a 6GB dedicated Video Card as well as an i7-7700HQ processor... How is it that it can't run windows 11? Am i missing something here? I feel like my PC could run it rather easily yet its not compatible?
Bob 1 Reputation point

2021-10-15T19:55:53.193+00:00

I have same issue with i7 Processor which is much more capable then the i3's that are approved.

Microsoft is acting more like Apple now
Aalhad Damle 1 Reputation point

2021-10-22T05:32:36.03+00:00

I have a i5 7200U processer which is EXTREMELY fast. I dont wanna throw away my pc to get a better one.
edit:
(I have already reported to microsoft)
Sai Praveen 1 Reputation point

2021-10-27T12:56:53.53+00:00

Same issue here My laptop is i7 7th generation (7500U) and I am not able to upgrade to Windows 11. then what's the use by selling this type of laptop, while i3 laptops getting windows 11. waste fellows.
david chesworth 1 Reputation point

2021-11-10T09:38:37.603+00:00

Told by Microsoft that Intel paid them not to allow i7 chips to run on windows 11

I have a

HP Pavilion 23-q275na All-in-One-United

the chip is an

Intel Core i7-6700T
CPU speed: 2.8 GHz (3.6 GHz max turbo boost)
CPU cores: 4
CPU Cache: 8 MB
TDP: 35 W
Integrated graphics: Intel HD graphics (GT2)

Everything else Microsoft wants it supports, except this chip. I asked Microsoft and was told i7 chips not supported cause we simply don't want to support them, we are being paid to refuse them by Intel. Is this true?
Wissam Faris 1 Reputation point

2021-11-14T08:43:23.717+00:00

same problem , I have core i7 10700 and it says it is'not supportes by win11

any help
NelCapeTown 21 Reputation points

2021-11-19T03:54:44.547+00:00

I feel exactly the same. When I bought my HP Omen with the i7 7700HQ processor I definitely expected it to be future proof. I know there was one previous Windows 10 Update which was also said to be incompatible with this processor, but eventually it installed and worked without a problem. If I remember correctly it was towards the end of 2018 with one of the major Windows 10 updates.
Unfortunately I'm a software developer so I need Windows since I'm developing software for it, but unless they bridge the compatibility gap, I'll stay on Windows 10 for the time being.
I am disappointed that they are not responding to any requests to provide an understandable explanation why this particular processor is not compatible. Surely there must be something they can do if they want Windows 11 to have a good market share?
James Burgess 1 Reputation point

2021-12-10T12:57:50.91+00:00

how is it my cheap msi gameing laptop with only i5 cpu support win.11, but my more expensive 16 g ram rog strix i7 doent?
astara 1 Reputation point

2021-12-15T10:48:54.233+00:00

Problem is number of cores. MS doesn't sell win10/11 lics to users for more than 4 cores.

MS wants to regain control which is why the last version of windows that did everything ('Ultimate') has been pushed out the door. Run media center, movie at tsame time browsing web and having 2-3 games running in background that you can switch between....not havin that.

You can't easily move your workload to the cloud -- for that matter you not only don't need MS cloud + can't have MS apps, but could be a competitor to MS if you have enough CPU's (got one of those Intel 25C (50HT) models?

Users need to know their place. One of those places is as a mobile client machine that can run on a server as part of a VM.

MS wants you to only have small PC-units that they can rent to you.
Sawcy1 11 Reputation points

2022-01-19T17:52:57.717+00:00

Hello, I also just found out mine is not compatible. I know my laptop is 7 years old, but I did buy the best of the best when I had it built. I have an Intel Core i7-4700MQ CPU @ 2.40 GHz. This CPU does have 4 cores and seems to fit the other requirements, so I'd like to know what it is not on their list.
Ideafix 1 Reputation point

2022-01-20T15:34:33.977+00:00

It has nothing to do with the number of cores. I have a Ryzen 9 3900 (12 cores / 24 Threads) and the PC Health Check tool detected it as compatible. Windows 11 is currently running fine on it.

The problem with only some processors being supported isn't related to the processors themselves, but with the DCH compliance of their respective driver packages, which is a requirement now.

Basically, Everything Intel Gen 8 or AMD Zen+ and above are supported, with some exceptions being made on some Intel Gen 7 processors that have shipped with DCH-compliant drivers.

More info below:

https://blogs.windows.com/windows-insider/2021/08/27/update-on-windows-11-minimum-system-requirements-and-the-pc-health-check-app/
Steve Collins 1 Reputation point

2022-09-20T01:49:31.617+00:00

That isn't quite right. I have a 9th Gen and it is not compatible.

31 answers

Reza-Ameri 16,831 Reputation points

2021-10-05T16:13:24.357+00:00

Since your microprocessor is not ready, I advise you to open start and search for feedback and open Feedback Hub app and add a report and ask to make this processor compatible.
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3 people found this answer helpful.
NelCapeTown 21 Reputation points

2021-10-31T15:28:08.233+00:00

Thank you for this suggestion. I sent feedback via the feedback hub. It will be interesting to see if Microsoft will explain why the Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-7700HQ CPU @ 2.80GHz 2.81 GHz is not compatible while many lesser processors are.

Derrick Farthing 11 Reputation points

2021-11-04T19:49:16.123+00:00

I have the same i7 7700 issue and have sent in a message via the feedback hub... However I'm not sure anything will come back! Please everybody do the same in the hope that Microsoft may eventually add this great cpu to the list. My pc is 3 years old and i7 7700 is the highest ranked cpu the motherboard will take. It is the most stable and excellent gaming pc (also used for home/office work).

NelCapeTown 21 Reputation points

2021-11-19T04:27:43.187+00:00

Thank you for this. I followed your advice and submitted a case via the Feedback Hub.
I mentioned that when I bought my laptop approximately 3 years ago it was one of the most expensive on the market. People told me I'm silly since I'm not even a gamer, but I need a good machine for software development. I also stated that there is no way in which I am now going to spend the same amount of money again to replace it and I will certainly not buy a cheaper i3 or i5 just to be able to run Windows 11.
I definitely believe we are at least owed a good explanation if there really is some characteristic of this processor that makes it totally incompatible. But as someone said before - unless Microsoft makes Windows 11 user-friendly and easy to migrate to, they are definitely going to sit with the same issue they had with all the versions of Windows that came between Windows 95 and Windows XP. I never upgraded because I heard how much everyone else was complaining about those versions. And Windows 95 worked for me. In those days I did very little Microsoft development and most of my work was on linux - so I'm not saying that it will be as easy for me to do now since all my dev work is now with Microsoft products.

Michael Kloppel 6 Reputation points

2021-11-20T19:02:51.117+00:00

Intel was quite aware that Windows 11 was being released. Intel and AMD are not required to create the drivers to make their older processors compatible with Windows 11. That said, there are alternatives to Windows 11 if the need be.

I will slide into a Linux release. Linux is no where as easy to use as Windows but once it is installed and setup it works very well. You get an interface that in some ways looks like Windows but the machine operates more like an Apple / Macintosh or Android device. Many of us are familiar with Android OS and some of us have used Macs the interface is similar to both Windows and Apple / Macintosh. Linux based operating systems have a smooth learning curve that most of us can master.

Thus if Microsoft does not create a Windows 11 release that accepts many more common CPUs then LINUX here I COME!

Bill Owen 1 Reputation point

2021-12-05T16:52:28.477+00:00

His processor is just fine.
It's Microsoft who is not ready.
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Kapil Arya 7,596 Reputation points MVP

2021-10-05T06:56:29.227+00:00

I have a gaming laptop with i7-7700HQ processor, 4 cores, 8GB ram etc

Unfortunately, this processor is not compatible for Windows 11, according to Microsoft. The screenshot you provided has a browser window with URL to Windows 10 V1709 supported processors.

Check with official Windows 11 list of supported processors: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-hardware/design/minimum/supported/windows-11-supported-intel-processors
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Rosh Hashannah 11 Reputation points

2021-10-09T19:33:19.247+00:00

I have an Acer Predator 15, i7 7700HQ, 16gm RAM and 6GB NVidia GTX 1660 - NOT COMPATIBLE WITH WINDOWS 11!!!

My other laptop that has an i3 7020U with 8 GB RAM - IS COMPATIBLE WITH WINDOWS 11!!!!!

This is just............................. come on man :/
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Tommy Landrum 6 Reputation points

2021-12-12T10:08:40.64+00:00

same!!!!!
I have ACER predator 15 with your same processor, 16 gb ddr4 and Nvidia GE Force GTX 1060...this is BS

IAmCool 0 Reputation points

2023-01-19T13:34:37.0133333+00:00

This is a very dumb move from Microsoft
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Amr Mohamed 6 Reputation points

2021-10-07T15:11:32.693+00:00

I am waiting an update soon on this, i7-7700hq is not weak processor!
and this is a very ugly move from Microsoft.
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Zoltán Kovács 6 Reputation points

2021-10-08T09:02:15.217+00:00

Same problem with Intel Core i7-7700HQ, kinda unacceptable...
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