Intel’s i7 6700K processor is incompatible with Windows 11. So, you will not be able to update your Windows if the processor on your system is detected as an i7-6700K. This seems like a processor only limitation because an i7-6700K processor based system would easily comply with other major requirements to upgrade from Windows 10 to Windows 11.
For the uninitiated, the upgrade from Windows 10 operating system to Windows 11 operating system can happen if your personal computer is compatible with Windows 11. The compatibility criteria include –
- a processor with a clock speed of at least 1 Ghz
- a processor with at least 2 cores
- RAM of 4 GB or more
- internal hard drive storage of 64 GB or more
- DirectX12 support
- TPM 2.0 compatibility
Aside from these compatibility criteria, Microsoft has its own criteria about the processors that can work with Windows 11. As per Microsoft, the stringent requirements for compatibility with Windows 11 have been set to ensure that the user experience is not compromised. In its own studies, Microsoft has found out that systems that are incompatible with the listed requirements have a high crash rate. Therefore, Microsoft would want users to have a hassle free operating system experience with Windows 11.
When you upgrade Windows 10 to the latest build as of August 2021, and if you are on an Intel i7-6700K, you will see a popup post upgrade to the 21H build of Windows 10. The screen shot of such a popup is given below:
It is unclear if the processors’ list will be updated in the near future to include more processors. And, it remains unclear why a 4 Hz processor from Intel, that is faster than most i3 and i5 processors has been left out of the PC compatibility list for a Windows 10 to Windows 11 upgrade.
Windows 11 is being launched in next six weeks, on 5th October, 2021. Microsoft has confirmed that eligible personal computers will receive Windows 11 updates through the Windows update program. Microsoft has also confirmed that the update process may take up to 6 months for the roll out to all the eligible systems. So, we may have to keep a watch on the 7th generation i7-6700K from Intel that seems to have failed to make it to the list in first go.
To know more about Windows 11, consider visiting these pages
Rajesh Dhawan is a technology professional who loves to write about Cyber-security events and stories, Cloud computing and Microsoft technologies. He loves to break complex problems into manageable chunks of meaningful information.