No, you cannot install Windows 11 on i3 3rd generation processor-based computers if you were to follow Microsoft’s recommended action plan for the upgrade. i3 3rd generation processors are not compatible with Windows 11. You can check the list of processors that are compatible with Microsoft Windows 11. In the list, you can notice that the i3 3rd generation processors are not mentioned.
You can read more about the Windows 11 compatible processors on the Microsoft website. However, you can install Windows 11 on unsupported computers by following a registry-based approach (not recommended by Microsoft). We have added this approach below so that you could consider upgrading your non-critical or hobby computers to Windows 11.
We still suggest that you would be better off avoiding the registry-based bypass method to upgrade to Windows 11 from an unsupported computer.
There are 49 processors from the Intel i3 family of processors that are compatible with Windows 11. Spread across the 8th generation, 9th generation, 10th generation and 11th generation, these processors support Windows 11 operating system updates.
- Can I install Windows 11 on i3 processors?
- Which i3 generation processors are compatible with Windows 11?
- My processor is compatible with Windows 11. What does this mean?
- My Intel i3 processor is not compatible with Windows 11. Can I get Windows 11?
- My Intel i3 processor is not compatible with Windows 11. Do I need to update or clean install Windows 11?
- Summary
Can I install Windows 11 on i3 processors?
Microsoft released a registry hive entry that can be used to go around the eligibility requirements for installing Windows 11 on unsupported computers. This registry entry will bypass the eligibility requirement for installing Windows 11. CPU type and TPM 1.2 restrictions will be bypassed once the registry entry is created. At the same time, Microsoft suggests that this strategy is not recommended for upgrading to Windows 11.
The bypass TPM and CPU eligibility entry needs to be created as under:
- Launch the registry editor using the Regedit command on a Windows computer.
- Open the registry hive – HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\Setup\MoSetup. In the right pane, look for an entry that has the name: AllowUpgradesWithUnsupportedTPMOrCPU. It is of the type of Type: REG_DWORD.
- Right-click on the entry to modify the REG_DWORD entry to set a value of 1.
- The Value of 1 for AllowUpgradesWithUnsupportedTPMOrCPU tells Windows to bypass eligibility requirements.
The method above is not recommended by Microsoft. There is no clarity if you will get security updates for Windows 11 after having bypassed the eligibility requirements on unsupported computers on i3 processors. Therefore, we do suggest that such methods should be used only on non-business computers that are incompatible with Windows 11 operating system.
Installing Windows 11 on unsupported computers is a good college project. You could install the operating system on non-critical systems.
Which i3 generation processors are compatible with Windows 11?
Intel i3 generation processors starting from the 8th generation are compatible with Windows 11. However, not all processors may be compatible on account of the generation compatibility alone. Below, we list the generation-wise Intel i3 family processors that are compatible with Windows 11.
Intel 8th generation processors compatible with Windows 11
The following twelve processors from the Intel 8th generation processors are compatible with Windows 11:
- i3-8100
- i3-8100B
- i3-8100H
- i3-8100T
- i3-8109U
- i3-8130U
- i3-8140U
- i3-8145U
- i3-8145UE
- i3-8300
- i3-8300T
- i3-8350K
Your computer would still need to fulfill other eligibility requirements for Windows 11 update. Some of these eligibility requirements for Windows 11 are:
- Processor that is at least 1 GHz and has at least 2 cores.
- RAM of at least 4 GB.
- 64 GB or higher hard drive storage.
- Firmware that supports UEFI and secure boot capable.
- Trusted Platform Module (TPM) version 2.0.
- Compatible with DirectX12.
Which Intel i3 9th generation processors are compatible with Windows 11?
The following eleven Intel i3 9th generation processors are compatible with Windows 11:
- i3-9100
- i3-9100E
- i3-9100F
- i3-9100HL
- i3-9100T
- i3-9100TE
- i3-9300
- i3-9300T
- i3-9320
- i3-9350K
- i3-9350KF
Assuming you have one of these Intel i3 9th generation processors on your computer, you still need to comply with the hardware requirements of Windows 11 based computers.
Which Intel i3 10th generation processors are compatible with Windows 11?
Most processors from the Intel i3 10th generation are compatible with Windows 11. The following 20 processors from the Intel i3 10th generation family are compatible with Windows 11.
- i3-1000G1
- i3-1000G4
- i3-1005G1
- i3-10100
- i3-10100E
- i3-10100F
- i3-10100T
- i3-10100TE
- i3-10100Y
- i3-10105
- i3-10105F
- i3-10105T
- i3-10110U
- i3-10110Y
- i3-10300
- i3-10300T
- i3-10305
- i3-10305T
- i3-10320
- i3-10325
Your computer will also need to comply with the other hardware requirements for a Windows 11 based compatible system.
Which Intel i3 11th generation processors are compatible with Windows 11
There are six processors from the Intel i3 11th generation that are compatible with Windows 11. On such computers, you will be able to update to Windows 11 without any hassles. This is presuming that your computer complies with the other hardware requirements required for the Windows 11 computer.
The following processors from the Intel i3 11th generation are compatible with Windows 11:
- i3-1110G4
- i3-1115G4
- i3-1115G4E
- i3-1115GRE
- i3-1120G4
- i3-1125G4
My processor is compatible with Windows 11. What does this mean?
If your Intel i3 processor is compatible with Windows 11, it implies that your system will get an automatic update to Windows 11 through the Windows Update program. The update notification should land in the Windows Update program on your computer.
For most eligible computers, this process should have been complete by now. This should ensure a clear and organic update from Windows 10 to Windows 11 operating system. As part of the update process, you will not lose any user data.
Furthermore, compatible systems will continue to received product and security updates for Windows 11 from Microsoft.
Should you wish to go back to Windows 10, you can choose to return back to Windows 10 within ten days of the upgrade. The old Windows installation data is retained during the update process for a period of 10 days.
My Intel i3 processor is not compatible with Windows 11. Can I get Windows 11?
Yes, you can still get Windows 11 if you choose to bypass the eligibility requirements of CPU (processor) and TPM 1.2. We have already shared the detailed instructions above.
If your Intel i3 processor is not compatible with Windows 11, you can still install Windows 11 on your computer. Such an installation will not be supported by Microsoft in terms of product updates, quality updates, feature updates, and security updates. This policy may change at a later date. However, as of September 2022, we know that computers that are not supported for Windows 11 will not get any updates through the Windows Update program. You can read more about the update policy stated by Microsoft on this Windows 11 page.
Microsoft has suggested that you could follow one of the following three methods to install Windows 11 on an incompatible computer:
- You can download the Windows 11 operating system as an ISO image and use it for doing a fresh install of the operating system on a non-supported computer system.
- You can download Windows Installation assistant. This will work like a virtual assistant that takes you through the logical steps of installing Windows 11 on the unsupported computer.
- You can also create an installation media of Windows 11 on a DVD or USB drive to boot into Windows 11 and lead the installation of operating system from there on.
All these three methods involve downloading the Windows 11 from Microsoft’s Windows 11 update page that is available on this page: https://www.microsoft.com/software-download/windows11.
My Intel i3 processor is not compatible with Windows 11. Do I need to update or clean install Windows 11?
If your Intel i3 processor is not compatible with Windows 11, you can choose to stay with the Windows 10 operating system. Windows 10 was launched in 2015. It will become end of life in October 2025. This means that you will continue to receive product updates, quality updates, security updates, and feature updates for Windows 10 until October 2025. There is no immediate trigger for you to try and install Windows 11 on your unsupported computer.
You could choose to take a decision at a later date. Or, you could buy a new computer with Windows 11 operating system.
Summary
The full list of 49 Intel i3 family processors that are compatible with Windows 11 has been listed for your ready reference. If your processor is incompatible with Windows 11, you may choose to continue with Windows 10 operating system. Alternatively, you may do a clean installation of Windows 11 on the unsupported computer. This installation will remain unsupported in terms of Windows Update by Microsoft.
You may also like to read the following content relevant to Windows 11:
- AMD Ryzen 5 2400G is not compatible with Windows 11
- Intel i7-7700T processors not compatible with Windows 11
- Intel i5-6500 is not compatible with Windows 11
- Desktop Window Manager is using a lot of memory on Windows 11
Rajesh Dhawan is a technology professional who loves to blog about smart wearables, Cloud computing and Microsoft technologies. He loves to break complex problems into manageable chunks of meaningful information.