Windows 11: Microsoft changes the rules on compatible processors, no one understands anything anymore

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For a long time, Microsoft listed each processor compatible with Windows 11 individually: Core i7-8700K, Core i9-9900K, etc. It was long, but at least it was clear. Today the page has been redesigned in a strange way.

A nomenclature that raises questions

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Instead of listing each specific model, Microsoft now groups certain processors by generic series, with links to the Intel site. For example, we find “Intel Core i7 (14th generation)” or “Intel Core 7000X series”, without details on each variation.

This new method poses two concrete problems. First, it forgets certain processors that are even compatible. As cleverly pointed out Neowinthe Intel Core i7-7820HQ, which equips the Microsoft Surface Studio 2 itself, disappears from the list even though it is officially supported. Then, it suggests that incompatible processors are incompatible. The Celeron 3000 series appears to be compatible, while of the ten models in this range dating back to 2015, only one really works with Windows 11: the Celeron 3867U.

Only the Intel list undergoes this shaky overhaul. The AMD and Qualcomm catalogs continue to list each processor one by one, but they are no longer up to date: it is impossible to find the Snapdragon X Elite or the 9th generation Ryzen there.

Microsoft defends itself by explaining that new processors will automatically be considered compatible even without appearing in the list, and that the latter will be updated with each new major version of Windows. But this artistic blur especially risks losing owners of old configurations, while Windows 10 bows out in October 2025.

To still check the compatibility of your processor:

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