Windows 11 System Requirements For Version 23H2 [Updated]

Here’s everything you need to know about Windows 11 23H2 system requirements to ensure your device is compatible with the latest version of the Windows 11 operating system. With the release of Windows 11 23H2, it is essential to know whether your computer meets Microsoft’s recommended Windows 11 23H2 hardware requirements to avoid unexpected installation and performance issues after the update. Keep scrolling to learn all the new prerequisites, supported processors, and feature requirements to upgrade to Windows 11 23H2.

Let me give you the good news first. Windows 11 2032 Update requires the exact system hardware configuration as version 22H2 from last year. So if Windows 11 23H2 is already installed on your device, it qualifies to run version 23H2 on desktop, laptop, and Surface devices.

And if you’re planning to switch from Windows 10, ensure that your device hardware meets minimum requirements. For example, 64GB storage, 4GB RAM, 64-bit dual-core processor, Trusted Platform Module (TPM) version 2.0 and Secure Boot.

Furthermore, to perform a fresh installation and activate your Windows 11 copy, updated requirements stipulate users to create an account using their Microsoft account credentials. This also means that the device must have an internet connection. Otherwise, the setup process will remain incomplete.

In this guide, I am going to walk you through all the system requirements to install Windows 11 for the version 23H2 update.

Table of Contents

Windows 11 Version 23H2 System Requirements:

Here are the hardware requirements for the Windows 11 23H2 update:

Processor: 1GHz or faster CPU or System on a Chip (SoC) with two or more cores
RAM: 4GB
Hard drive: 64GB or larger
System firmware: UEFI, Secure Boot capable
TPM: Trusted Platform Module (TPM) version 2.0
Graphics: Compatible with DirectX 12 or later with WDDM 2.0 driver
Display resolution: High definition (720p) display greater than 9″ diagonally, 8 bits per color channel
Networking: Microsoft account and internet connectivity

As I have stated earlier, you will also need to have a Microsoft account and an active internet connection to complete Windows 11 Home and Windows 11 Pro setup and activation. What this means is that the Home and Pro editions will not support local accounts, particularly during the initial setup.

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Windows 11 23H2 Compatible Processors:

Like the original version, Windows 11 23H2 does not work with all processors currently available in the market. For instance, the Windows 11 October 2023 update is compatible with Intel Core 8th Gen and higher processors in addition to some Atom, Celeron, Xeon, and Pentium CPUs.

If an AMD SoC powers your device, Windows 11 Version 23H2 only supports the second-generation Ryzen (plus Threadripper) and newer processor units, along with some Athlon and EPYC CPUs.

Regarding ARM support, the latest version of Windows 11 supports Microsoft SQ1 and SQ2, alongside Qualcomm Snapdragon 850, 7c, 8c, and 8x first and second generation.

Moreover, the Intel 7th Gen processors support is also available but limited only to the 7820HQ chip. Additionally, Intel Core Xeon W and Core X processors fall into the supported category, but with a qualifier that the device has Declarative, Componentized, Hardware Support Apps (DCH) drivers.

See below the list of supported processors from Intel, AMD, and Qualcomm.

Intel Supported Processors

8th Gen – Coffee Lake
9th Gen – Coffee Lake Refresh
10th Gen – Comet Lake and Ice Lake
11th Gen – Rocket Lake and Tiger Lake
Pentium – Gold, and Silver
Xeon – Skylake-SP, Cascade Lake-SP, Cooper Lake-SP, Ice Lake-SP
Supported Intel processors

AMD Supported Processors

Ryzen – 2000, 3000, 4000, 5000
Ryzen – Threadripper 2000, 3000, Pro 3000
EPYC – 2nd Gen and 3rd Gen
Athlon – Gold, Silver, 3xxx, 300x
Supported AMD processors

Qualcomm Supported Processors

Snapdragon 850
Snapdragon 7c
Snapdragon 8c
Snapdragon 8cx
Snapdragon 8cx (Gen2)
Microsoft SQ1
Microsoft SQ2
Supported Qualcomm processors

In case of an unsupported device, it is possible to upgrade using the ISO file or bootable USB flash drive created with the Media Creation Tool (MCT) but do so at your own risk. Anyway, the device will still need to meet the minimum hardware requirements mentioned above.

Windows 11 23H2 Features Requirements:

Check the full list of the hardware requirements to support specific features:

5G support: requires a 5G capable modem.
Auto HDR: requires an HDR monitor.
BitLocker to Go: requires a USB flash drive.
Client Hyper-V: requires a processor with second-level address translation (SLAT) capabilities (available in Windows Pro and above editions).
DirectStorage: requires 1 TB or greater NVMe SSD to store and run games that use the “Standard NVM Express Controller” driver and a DirectX 12 Ultimate GPU.
DirectX 12 Ultimate: available with supported games and graphics chips.
Presence requires a sensor that can detect human distance from the device or intent to interact with the device.
Intelligent Video Conferencing: This feature requires a video camera, microphone, and speaker (audio output).
Multiple Voice Assistant (MVA): requires a microphone and speaker.
Snap three-column layouts: require a screen that is 1920 effective pixels or greater in width.
Mute/Unmute from Taskbar: requires a video camera, microphone, and speaker (audio output). The app must be compatible with features to enable global mute/unmute.
Spatial Sound: requires supporting hardware and software.
Microsoft Teams: This app requires a video camera, microphone, and speaker (audio output).
Touch: requires a screen or monitor that supports multi-touch.
Two-factor authentication requires using a PIN, biometric (fingerprint reader or illuminated infrared camera), or a phone with Wi-Fi or Bluetooth capabilities.
Voice Typing: requires a microphone.
Wake on Voice: requires a Modern Standby power model and microphone.
Wi-Fi 6E: requires new WLAN IHV hardware and driver and a Wi-Fi 6E capable access point or router.
Windows Hello: requires a camera configured for near-infrared (IR) imaging or a fingerprint reader for biometric authentication. Devices without biometric sensors can use Windows Hello with a PIN or a portable Microsoft-compatible security key.
Windows Projection: requires a display adapter that supports Windows Display Driver Model (WDDM) 2.0 and a Wi-Fi adapter that supports Wi-Fi Direct.

Conclusion:

Lastly, let me remind you that Windows 11 version 23H2 is an optional update from Microsoft. Therefore, it won’t download and install automatically until you manually update from the Installation Assistant or Windows Update settings. However, on a device nearing the end of service, Windows 11 version 23H2 setup will install automatically. After verification of all the system hardware requirements, you can perform an in-place upgrade or clean install of Windows 11 23H2.