Windows 11 runs on PC with ancient single-core Intel Pentium 4 CPU
Windows 11 may have system requirements that have caused controversy by overriding a relatively modern PC, but the OS can actually run on computers supported by a 15-year-old Intel Pentium 4 (Mill Cedar) processor.
This rather surprising achievement was achieved by the ‘Carlos BC’ which tweeted about it and then shared a video to show how ancient systems went on, as seen by PC MAG.
As you can see, the full PC specification consists of an Intel Pentium 4 661 (1 core, 2-thread) in the ASUS P5Q motherboard (LGA 775), with 4GB of DDR2 RAM (at 800MHz) and NVIDIA GeForce GT 710 graphics card. SSD 120GB Present for storage (with Carlos provide CPU-Z validation from the system too).
The hardware is good enough for Carlos to install Windows 11, go to the route using the Windows 10 PE installer, and note that “Windows 11 is installed in the MBR / Legacy boot mode, there is no EFI emulation involved”.
Carlos further observed that the Windows update functions on the PC alright, and he installed the latest patch of Tuesday cumulative updates for Windows 11 without problems. That said, as you would expect, Microsoft OS is on the slow side sometimes running on this hardware configuration.
Analysis: new OS, old machine – but not without risk
It is enough to open the eye how low the PC power can be obtained and still running Windows 11, especially given that the hard floor of the system requirements calls for a dual-core CPU, not a single core model as used here.
The large block block for many machines is the provisions of TPM 2.0, which has been implemented by Microsoft for security reasons (and safe boot), and not surprisingly distinguished PCs also none. As we have seen, and even writing guidance on ourselves, it is possible to improve to Windows 11 on non-TPM machines with a solution that Microsoft has known.
But even then, the software giant is very warn of doing so, it shows that it can cause ‘device damage’ or even ‘damage’, and you are not guaranteed to receive updates (but as Carlos is known, you can get it. – At least for now) .
Obviously, it is a strange situation where it is possible to install Windows 11 on a PC with a single-core CPU that cannot be supported using an unofficial method, but you cannot have an official installation on a PC with a processor from the 7thran Intel range that appears only five years ago. Carlos also tweeted to note that this Pentium CPU is not even the oldest that you can boot Windows 11 with, too.
