Asrock Unveils New List of Windows 11-Compatible Motherboards
Asrock has published a list of motherboards it believes might be compatible with Windows 11 when that OS launches later this year. Unfortunately, we’ve got to frame the list that way because the manufacturer itself isn’t sure what’s going to happen with every product. The list, however, may shed some light on how Microsoft’s thinking is evolving.
First, here’s the expected compatibility as Asus sees it. Intel PPT and AMD fTPM support are analogous for the purpose of this discussion:
We’d normally break Threadripper out into its own support column, but Asrock elected to include it here with the 300-series chipsets. This news is pretty decent, if true. It implies all Ryzen-era chipsets are compatible with Windows 11. The “actual level of support [will be] based on [an] official release of Windows 11 by Microsoft,” however, points to how uncertain this information still is. What Asrock is saying here, between the lines, is “We can support it if Microsoft allows it.”
Microsoft has not updated its CPU compatibility lists since the 24th of June, so we don’t have any news to report on that front. Asrock’s new notice does have some basic information in it for how you can find the TPM / PPT settings on your motherboard.
Right now, the big question is which CPUs and motherboards will or will not be allowed to upgrade to Windows 11. We’re still waiting to find out the verdict on certain systems based on 7th Gen Intel CPUs or first-gen Ryzen. This is where support could still get a little wonky. If Intel decides to allow 7th Gen CPUs on Z270, does that mean 6th Gen will be locked out? Or will the company simply stick with 8th Gen and the 300-series of motherboards?
Right now, we recommend waiting and seeing as far as Windows 11 is concerned. Hardware prices are still high enough that it’s best to hold off building a new system anyway, and Microsoft will have and hopefully final guidance in the weeks to come. As for which motherboards today are compatible with Windows 11, that’s easy: Any system you build around an 8th to 11th Gen Core CPU should be fine. AMD’s Zen 2 and Zen 3 architectures also appear to be fine. One caveat: Anyone intending to drop the OS on a small SSD should be wary of the increased storage requirements. Windows 10 called for 20GB of minimum storage for the 64-bit version, but Windows 11 moves up to 64GB.
Asrock is not the only company that has published guides like this. Asus, Biostar, Gigabyte, and MSI have all published guides to various products of their own.
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