Intel i7-7820 not compatible with Windows 11

Intel i7-7820 is a Kaby Lake processor from the family on Intel core processors. We look at Intel i7-7820’s compatibility with Windows 11.

Intel i7-7820 is not compatible with Windows 11. So, you cannot upgrade Windows 10 to Windows 11 on systems that are based on the Intel i7-7820 processors.

Before proceeding ahead, let us review some basics of Intel i7-7820 processor. The page lists the technical specifications of the Intel i7-7820 series core processor.

There are two important points for you to understand when we talk about an Intel processor i7-7820:

• Intel i7-7820 belongs to the i7 family of processors.
• i7-7820 is a 7th generation processor from the i7 family of Intel processors

Windows 11 has stringent hardware requirements. These hardware requirements have been shared by Microsoft on this page.

Processor requirements for Windows 11

For installing Windows 11 or upgrading Windows 10 to Windows 11, the computer processor must be compatible with the following standards:

• 1 gigahertz (GHz) or faster processor with 2 or more cores on a compatible 64-bit processor or System on a Chip (SoC).
  

Understandably, Intel i7-7820 does have a processor that is faster than 1 GHz and has more than 2 cores. So, why is Intel i7-7820 incompatible with Windows 11?

For Windows 11, Microsoft has listed processors that are compatible. These processors can be found on the Microsoft page here.

You can notice that Intel i7-7820 (Kaby Lake processors) did not make it to the list of compatible processors for Windows 11.

Noticeably, one can verify that the X series processors in the i7-7820 (i7-7820X) are compatible with Windows 11. The X series is called the Skylake series.

When does Windows 10 become end of life?

Windows 10 will become end of life on 14 October 2025.

Will my Windows 10 computer stop working in October 2025?

No, your Windows 10 computer will not stop working on 14 October 2025. The end-of-life status implies that you will not get security updates for Windows 10 from that date.

Any new security threats or vulnerabilities reported and disclosed for Windows 10 will remain unpatched on your computer running on Windows 10 after 14 October 2025. You can read about the effect of EOL or End-of-life status for Windows 10 computers on this page.

What are my options if my Intel processor is not compatible with Windows 11?

Since your Intel i7-7820 is not compatible with Windows 11, you have the following options:

• Let the computer continue to run on Windows 10 without security updates. This is not a recommended solution from the security perspective. There is a strong risk of the PC being exploited by threat actors or hackers.

• Extended Security Update Program – You can choose to subscribe for Extended Security Updates (ESU) for Windows 10. Extended Security Updates can be bought for a maximum period of up to 3 years. ESU will be available sometime in October 2025. Pricing details for the Extended Security Updates for Windows 10 are unavailable right now. ESU can be bought for a minimum duration of 1 years and maximum duration of 3 years.

• Buy a new PC – You could look into buying a new PC with a processor that is compatible with Windows 11 and the system comes with Windows 11 preinstalled.

• Install Windows 11 on unsupported hardware – Microsoft published a registry key that allows you to bypass hardware requirements for Windows 11. This allows you to install Windows 11 on unsupported hardware. Microsoft, however, does not recommend installing Windows 11 on unsupported hardware because such installations would not have access to Windows 11 security updates. There are also high chances of system malfunction due to stringent hardware requirements for Windows 11.