Windows 7, Windows 8 and Windows 10 had almost identical hardware requirements. Anyone who bought a current computer with Windows Vista around 2010 can, with a few exceptions, still operate it to this day. Most of these PCs will not be able to switch to Windows 11. It is not yet entirely clear where Microsoft will draw the line, and I remain convinced that the list of supported CPUs will be extended, but there will definitely be devices that will fall by the wayside.
That is what we wanted, even if it were technically feasible differently. One can of course be divided about this. Anyone who owns a PC today that is still “good enough” and is also technically capable of running Windows 11 will rightly be annoyed by this decision.
Nevertheless, the decision to buy a new one remains a voluntary one, because Windows 10 is still supported and the devices do not run any worse. Especially in light of the fact that the switch to Windows 11 will be possible as part of a free upgrade, you can understand the annoyance.
That said, there are certainly people who use Windows 11 as an opportunity to consider getting a new computer. For them the question arises from the headline: should you buy now or wait?
There are – as always – several reasons for and against.
Due to the discussions about the hardware requirements of Windows 11, users who do not get detailed information, but rather casually pick up the information, may be generally unsettled:
If I buy a new PC now, can it even run Windows 11?
Simple answer: yes!
Regardless of whether it is a laptop, tablet, desktop PC or a mainboard with a CPU – it is almost impossible to find a device on the market that is not compatible with Windows 11. Practically all of them have TPM 2.0, either as a chip or on the software side via the CPU. Devices with CPUs that are no longer supported by Windows 11 are also no longer available in regular stores. Exceptions can only be found with the super cheap China devices.
You don’t have to worry that a manufacturer of a Windows 10 device will no longer provide drivers for Windows 11, because the driver model does not change.
The only reason why it might be worthwhile from a technical point of view to wait for devices for and with Windows 11 is a well-known one: If you buy now, you run the risk of having an “old device” in the fall. The new devices will come with new CPUs that have not yet been presented, which in turn promise more performance and more efficiency, they will have longer battery life, be lighter and so on – just the normal evolution. However, I don’t see anything on the horizon that goes beyond the famous “Damn! If I had known that! ”Effect.
Of course, I am not a clairvoyant, but I do not consider the risk of having an “old device” in the fall, if you strike it now, to be no greater than usual.
Where I am relatively certain, however, that if you wait to buy a new one, you will not save any money. Hardware prices are still above average due to the general shortage of chips. There is no relaxation insight, and there will certainly be major marketing campaigns for Windows 11 by the OEMs, who also want to be paid.
If you want a new gaming PC, then it is advisable to postpone the purchase regardless of Windows 10 and 11 until the prices are “normal” again, which can, however, be a game of patience. The manufacturers of graphics cards, for example, will not say goodbye to the high prices quite voluntarily, the story of the scarcity will probably be told for a while longer when it is no longer true.
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