Microsoft has unveiled its latest processor support lists for Windows 11, specifically for version 24H2. This update brings official backing for some of the cutting-edge Intel processors, including the Lunar Lake and Arrow Lake Core Ultra 200 series. However, a notable shift has occurred, as support for Intel’s 8th, 9th, and 10th Generation processors has been discontinued. This change may stem from Intel’s transition of its 7th to 10th Gen integrated graphics processing units (iGPUs) to a legacy support model back in December.
Despite Windows 11 version 24H2 being available to consumers for several months, Microsoft has only recently published the official CPU support lists on its Hardware Developer site. When Windows 11 was initially launched, many users were taken aback to find that several Intel CPUs, particularly the 7th Gen Kaby Lake series and older models, were not supported. Now, it appears that the 8th, 9th, and 10th Gen processors are facing a similar fate.
The removal of support for Intel processors introduced as recently as 2020, such as the 10th Gen Comet Lake, raises eyebrows. The Core i9-10900K, with its impressive 10 cores and 20 threads, capable of reaching speeds up to 5.3 GHz, seems too powerful to be sidelined, especially when compared to a Celeron 6305 Tiger Lake chip from the same year, which remains on the support list.
As for the AMD landscape, the introduction of Ryzen 8000 chips to the official Windows 11 support list marks a significant development. However, some discrepancies have been noted, such as the mislabeling of the Ryzen 7 Pro 8945HS, which should correctly be identified as the Ryzen 9 Pro 8945HS. Additionally, the absence of the non-Pro variant from the list suggests potential oversights in the documentation.
Windows 11 version 24H2 supported AMD processors
Interestingly, Microsoft has yet to include explicit support for Ryzen 9000 and Ryzen AI mobile chips in this update. Notably absent are popular models like the Ryzen AI 9 370 HX. However, Microsoft has indicated that new and upcoming processors based on existing architectures will still be considered supported, even if they are not explicitly listed.
It is worth noting that Microsoft’s approach to processor support has been known to evolve. Systems equipped with CPUs that fall outside the official support lists can still receive Windows updates, suggesting a degree of flexibility in their support strategy.
