Microsoft has published the minimum CPU requirements for Windows 11

[Sky-Knight]

That particular acronym is "not computing" for me at the moment.

Sorry... I'm up to my neck in this junk.

It's Open Source Software, or FOSS is the other one, Free Open Source Software.

The point was that "going linux" and opting into the dev channel will give you a far more course and rude experience than Microsoft's insider Beta track.

I cannot fault anyone that chooses to "go linux" and stick to LTS support cycle products. They don't evolve quickly, but they work... Which is rather what we need an operating system to do right? It's a foundation brick... not special but still critical.

 

[britechguy]

This has resulted in many skipped releases for end users and has been something of a trend since roughly Windows 98.

Indeed, but this generally also meant that whatever one you chose to stay with, at that time, was still under support. Right now, that means you had better be on Windows 8.1 or later.

 

[britechguy]

I cannot fault anyone that chooses to "go linux" and stick to LTS support cycle products.

Nor can I. But all too frequently the statement, "I'm going to go Linux," is nothing that ever gets action. Also, the idea that Linux (as the number of distros is myriad) never has any sort of issues similar to those experienced by Windows (or any OS, really) is just plain wrong.

Very few people, other than home users, and very sophisticated ones at that, can just bail on Windows. We, as techs, would go under in no time if we lost touch with "what's happenin' now" with Windows. It remains the dominant OS, by far, out there on people's desktops.

I also have found Windows 10 to be so far superior to any of the earlier iterations of Windows I had to deal with as to be undeserving of bitter complaint. And since Windows 11 shares massive amounts of DNA with Windows 10, I doubt there will be any huge difference in stability and reliability there.

The fact is, no matter the OS under discussion, if you are sticking with that OS you stick with that the maker of that OS supports. Period, end of sentence. At least if the intention is to use the hardware like most of us use it in daily life and in contact with cyberspace. We all know there are the odd exceptions where things like Windows XP, and some esoteric software that runs under it that controls a million-dollar piece of equipment, will be nursed along exclusively to allow that, and without any contact with cyberspace.

 

[Sky-Knight]

@britechguy Yeah I don't count Windows 11 has a normal "odd" release that can be "skipped". I see it as a line in the sand as Microsoft shows off the next Windows 10 feature update they're calling a new OS just so they can shed the dead weight of ancient hardware. From a quality standpoint I assume it's just going to be more "Windows 10".

Gen 8 really is the place we all should want to be for a whole host of reasons, this is inclusive of the AMD equivalents. And with a planned drop dead date of Win10 in 2025 on the schedule, I have plenty of time to rotate into platforms that are getting less expensive by the day.

 

[britechguy]

I see it as a line in the sand as Microsoft shows off the next Windows 10 feature update they're calling a new OS just so they can shed the dead weight of ancient hardware.

As do I. It's nothing but Windows 10 Version 21H2 with a tarted-up UI and enforcement of minimum hardware standards.

I don't even anticipate much in the line of divergence between Windows 10 and 11 except in certain UI elements and security features directly supported at the hardware level. I fully anticipate that certain things that may make their appearance in Windows 11 will be promptly ported back to Windows 10, much like telemetry was ported back to Windows 7.

Microsoft has said it wants "One Windows," and I believe they still do, and that the core code of both Windows 10 and 11 will be virtually identical.

 

[Sky-Knight]

@britechguy I agree, heck I'll go on record to say I expect the new UI to be on Windows 10 in the spring next year, fall at the latest. It's just a versioning game to ditch the hardware, the "platform" will be the same on "both".

 

[NviGate Systems]

I switched to Linux around 2020 but that was mainly due to a lack of license, and well, I have better things to spend the money on. Most of my previous machines had a prior Windows license that I could upgrade.

But I still have a VM of both 10 and 11 in various stages as I build deployment images and VM is great for that.

I do have a Windows box for when I need specific apps, it's an older Dell Wyse Thin client that has Windows Embedded 8, sadly no upgrade to 8.1. But it works when I need native access to Windows tools.

The issue with Linux is that it's become fragmented and it's not easy even for someone like me who has played with it for a while. For example, Wine can have over 3 different names that I haven't bothered to figure out. There is wine, winelib, winelib32 and winelib64. Honestly, what newbie isn't gonna scratch their head and wonder?

For the moment I run Pop OS. It's supported by a hardware company, so that's something. I don't run bleeding edge hardware so support is a bit easier.

I agree with the line in the sand, and I'm glad that Microsoft has made plans of this type, because before Microsoft essentially would run on a washing machine or anything that had supported hardware, and didn't have any backbone to limit it.

Now if only we could get tech companies to stop selling ewaste with useless cpu like Celeron, maybe things would get better. (They should sell everything with i5 but lock performance until you pay and unlock the extra GHz.)

 

[Sky-Knight]

@NviGate Systems Post Gen8, the I3s became plenty of CPU, that's yet another benefit... but if you haven't seen those new units run I can understand why you default to the i5.

I mean take a peek at this brand new cpu, launched... well basically now: https://www.intel.com/content/www/u...r-8m-cache-up-to-4-40-ghz/specifications.html

This is an i3, but it's a hyperthreaded QUAD CORE, running between 1.9 and 4.4ghz, with a TDP that scales between 35 and 45W.

That's overkill for most office duty workloads. And in comparison to that box you've got Windows 8 on... probably uses a quarter the power or less. On a CPU with an MSRP of $233.

 

[SAFCasper]

Our thoughts have went a similar way. Used to be insistent on new workstations for MSP clients being minimum i5, 8GB, 256GB SSD. But in the last few years i3 is perfectly acceptable.

I like to look at passmark benchmarks for a rough idea of CPU performance - https://www.cpubenchmark.net/cpu_list.php

i3-7100 - 4,307
i3-10100 - 8,829

i5-7500 - 6,064
i5-10500 - 13,230

Scores have more than doubled and a current gen i3 now benches 45% higher than an i5 from just ~3 years ago.

 

[NviGate Systems]

Is that mobile or desktop? Just curious. I was taking a stab at Lenovo, HP and Acer who always had the Walmart 199.99 special laptops that consumers seem to gravitate to. I'd love to see that ewaste segment gone. But I think for the moment, companies will push whatever scrap metal they can.

My current Linux box is a Nexcom BIS533, which has an i5-4570TE which has a TDP of 35W and is passively cooled.

Funny, my Thin Client is an AMD G-T56N, which is rated at 18W, so my client is probably 1/3 the power of that i3 haha. Well at least thermally. It's probably has 1/100 of the crunch power.

I don't support too many businesses class machines, but I do work with a pawn shop to reload machines when loans run out, so Windows 11 is going to be interesting both from a security standpoint and logistics.

 

[Sky-Knight]

@NviGate Systems Both actually... but there are still plenty of dual core options in the i3 space. So you can't just say yeah, i3 that's fine... but you can't just write them off either.

There will always be junk too.

 

[Blues]

I have trouble calling some of that "ewaste" as junk or ewaste as the problem is often more that people get them with the wrong expectations and intentions. I love the Celeron CPUs but for mostly purpose driven equipment and not so much for say Windows and regular use outside maybe web surfing. The expectation of its usable life is typically shorter than a computer that is $100-$400 more but again how long it can be used really depends on its use. It is a principle that applies to so many goods you can buy just look at wires where typically the more data or power you push through it the thicker you want it to be.

 

[Galdorf]

One of the requirements of windows 11 which won't be in effect till windows 10 eol is a webcam i have looked at the code and indeed you need a true 720p web camera on laptops and desktop pc.

 

[fincoder]

i have looked at the code

You've had access to Windows source code?

 

[Sky-Knight]

Windows 11 Webcam Requirement: Will Yours Work in 2024?

Microsoft states that, starting with 2023, all laptops that run Windows 11 must have a working, HD webcam installed.

windowsreport.com

For the moment, Microsoft says that both the front and rear-facing webcams are optional. The tech giant adds that all devices, except for PCs, will be required to have a forward-facing webcam in the near future.

The last time I checked... we were working with PCs...

Microsoft demanding mobile devices have a front facing camera in two years isn't much of an issue... since they all have them TODAY.

People really need to stop thinking the sky is falling and go read the darned documentation.

Note, it's right here: https://download.microsoft.com/download/7/8/8/788bf5ab-0751-4928-a22c-dffdc23c27f2/Minimum Hardware Requirements for Windows 11.pdf

And will it change in the future? Yes... will existing hardware that was compatible magically become not? No.

Also, if he's got a copy of the Windows 11 source code, I've got some ocean front property down the street to sell.

 

[nlinecomputers]

Seems an odd requirement. But I assume that it's for facial recognition? Have not read your link.

 

[fincoder]

That windowsreport article quotes the Microsoft Windows 11 requirements document:
Starting from January 1, 2023, all Device Types except Desktop PC, are required to have Forward-facing camera which meets the following requirements [HD 720, AE, AWB].

 

[Sky-Knight]

Seems an odd requirement. But I assume that it's for facial recognition? Have not read your link.

It's just there for that via Windows Hello, but also teleconferencing reasons. Teams is built into Win11 after all.

But still, these are OPTIONAL components, unless the device is mobile. It's only a requirement for laptops, tablets, and phones in two years. Which changes exactly nothing relative to how all machines have been made for ages now.

Who doesn't have a front facing camera on their laptops / tablets / phones right now? Though I will find it funny when people have to take the tape off... But, I'm not terribly exited for even more footage of people on camera that shall we say... aren't ready to be?

*Edit*, Yes @fincoder that was what I was pointing out...

 

[nlinecomputers]

Who doesn't have a front facing camera on their laptops / tablets / phones right now?

That's why I said it was an odd requirement. No need to require something that is universal.

 

[fincoder]

The webcam requirement entry in the document is probably to specify the camera minimum specs (720, AE, AWB) rather than to mandate the camera itself, considering that desktops are excepted.

And it's probably for manufacturers designing new devices, telling them they must have that camera spec in products manufactured from that date.