Windows 11 Update

Question

Why do my "PC Health Check" app tell me that my laptop is not upgradable to Windows 11 due to "The processor isn't currently supported for Windows 11" and when I look at the approved processors I can clearly find my processor "Intel Core i5-6300U"???

Either the approved processor list must be wrong or PC Health Check app must be wrong. Please advise which it is or provide me with someone I can talk to about this (note: all other system requirements were met)

Answer 1

The PC Health Check utility is correct, you may be looking at the Windows 10 22H2 supported processor list, your 6th generation Intel Core i5-6300U processor is not on the supported Intel processor list for Windows 11, the minimum requirement for Windows 11 is an 8th generation Intel Core processor, below is the list of supported processors fro Windows 11.

https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-hardware/design/minimum/supported/windows-11-supported-intel-processors

Answer 2

The PC Health Check app is the correct tool to determine whether a specific device is eligible for Windows 11. The Windows processor requirement pages are primarily for OEMs building new systems and do not, by themselves, guarantee that every existing device with that CPU can upgrade.

Key points from the documentation:

1. Devices must meet all Windows 11 minimum hardware requirements, not just processor model:
   • Compatible 64‑bit processor with 2+ cores at 1 GHz or faster
   • 4 GB RAM or more
   • 64 GB storage or more
   • TPM 2.0
   • Graphics compatible with DirectX 12 or later with WDDM 2.0 driver
   • Other firmware and configuration requirements
   If any of these are not met or not correctly configured, the device cannot be upgraded, even if the CPU family appears in a processor list.
2. The official guidance for customers is to rely on PC Health Check for upgrade eligibility:
   • The processor requirement page explicitly directs customers to use PC Health Check to determine Windows 11 eligibility for a device.
   • The processor list is for OEMs to know which CPUs they may use in new Windows devices and does not override the full set of minimum hardware and firmware requirements.
3. If PC Health Check reports “The processor isn’t currently supported for Windows 11,” that means the device, as currently identified and configured, does not meet Microsoft’s supported-CPU criteria for upgrade—even if the CPU name looks similar to entries on OEM lists.

To move forward:

• Confirm eligibility using the latest PC Health Check app as described in “How to use the PC Health Check app.”
• Review the full Windows 11 minimum hardware requirements in “Compatibility for Windows 11” and “Find Windows 11 specs, features, and computer requirements” to ensure all conditions (including TPM 2.0 and firmware) are met.
• If PC Health Check continues to report the CPU as unsupported, the device is not considered eligible for the standard Windows 11 upgrade path.

For additional confirmation, use the guidance in “Upgrade to Windows 11: FAQ” and “Ways to install Windows 11” to verify that the device meets all listed requirements and to see supported upgrade methods.

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References:

• How to use the PC Health Check app
• Windows Processor Requirements
• Ways to install Windows 11
• Upgrade to Windows 11: FAQ
• Compatibility for Windows 11