Intel i5-6600 series processors are not compatible with Windows 11 operating system. We look at the details of the processor and options available for systems built on i5-6600 processors.
The information in this document is suitable for:
- Intel i5-6600 series
- Intel i5-6600T series
- Intel i5-6600K series
About Intel i5-6600 processors
Intel i5-6600 series processors belong to the 6th generation of Intel i5 family of processors. All these processors have been discontinued and are not being currently manufactured by Intel.
Intel i5-6600 series processors belong to the Skylake family of processors. These processors were first released in Q3 of 2015. So, it has been nearly 10 years since the initial launch of the i5-6600 series processors.
Intel i5-6600 compatibility with Windows 11
Intel i5-6600 series processors are not compatible with the Windows 11 operating system. You can refer Microsoft’s document or list of processors compatible with Windows 11. You will notice that the Intel i5-8200 series processors were the first amongst the i5 family of core processors that supported Windows 11.
So, all i5 processors below Intel i5-8200 series are incompatible with Windows 11. This would include Intel i5-6600, i5-6600T and i5-6600K.
For Intel i5-6600 systems running on Windows 10, time is running out. Windows 10 will become end of life on 14 October 2025.
Will Windows 10 computer stop working after October 2025?
We assume you have an Intel i5-6600 based computer running on Windows 10 operating system. Windows 10 becomes end of life on 14 October 2025. So, does this mean that your computer will stop working after October 2025?
No, not really. Your Windows 10 computer will continue to run after 14 October 2025. However, your computer will no longer have access to security updates from Microsoft.
This would expose your computer to security vulnerabilities reported for Windows 10 after 14 October 2025. There is strong chance that your Windows 10 computer may be exploited or targeted by threat actors and hackers to organize information theft and even cyber attacks.
How to run Windows 10 after October 2025?
I5-6600 series processors cannot support Windows 11. And Windows 10 goes end of life on 14 October 2025. So, is there a way to continue running Windows 10 after October 2025?
Well, you could enroll in a paid subscription program for Extended Security Updates for Windows 10. The ESU program for Windows 10 allows access to extended security updates for Windows 10.
Extended security updates are released every month under the ‘Patch Tuesday’ project of Microsoft on 2nd Tuesday of every month. The ESU program charges you a fee to offer Extended Security Updates specific to Windows 10 operating system.
The fee for the ESU program is yet to be disclosed by Microsoft. However, it is a given fact that the Extended Security Updates cost more money than a normal software license.
Therefore, you may want to consider or weigh the costs of Windows 10 Extended Security Updates. The ESU or Extended Security Updates can be bought for a period between 1 to 3 years. If you buy Extended Security Updates for Windows 10 for 3 years, you will continue to receive security updates for Windows 10 until October 2028.
Should I install Windows 11 on unsupported processor?
Do we recommend installing Windows 11 on i5-6600 series processors. We have good reasons to not recommend installing Windows 11 on unsupported hardware. The main causes to discourage installing Windows 11 on unsupported processors include:
- Your computer may malfunction due to inherent software and hardware incompatibilities
- Access to security updates for Windows 11 is not guaranteed.
Therefore, we do not suggest installing Windows 11 on unsupported hardware or processor.
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.