Yes, Intel i5 processors can run Windows 11. According to the Intel processor compatibility list released by Microsoft, there are a total of 126 Intel i5 processors, of which 91 processors are compatible with Windows 11. That said, other than these 91 Intel i5 processors, none of the other Intel i5 processors are compatible with Windows 11. These Intel i5 processors that support Windows 11 are at least 8th generation or higher. And Intel i5 generation processors below the 8th generation are not compatible with Windows 11.
It’s worth noting that even if your Intel i5 processor is 8th generation or higher, your computer still needs to be compatible with other Windows 11 hardware requirements in order to run Windows 11. The hardware requirements for Windows 11 are as follows:
A processor with a frequency of 1 GHz or higher and at least 2 cores.
At least 4 GB RAM.
64 GB internal storage.
Hardware firmware compatible with UEFI and Secure Boot.
Trusted Platform Module 2.0
Overall, 91 of the 126 Intel i5 Core processors are compatible with Windows 11, and 35 of the processors are not compatible with Windows 11. As mentioned above, Intel i5 4th, 5th, 6th and 7th generation processors are not compatible with Windows 11. Below, we’ll detail all Windows 11-compatible processors in the Intel i5 series.
Can I install Windows 11 on Intel i5 processor incompatible with Windows 11?
Yes. Actually, you can install Windows 11 on any unsupported devices. Incompatible with Windows 11 doesn’t mean you can run Windows 11. In order to ensure the better security and performance, Microsoft tests lots of hardware and processors. The processors with higher hardware crash rate running on Windows 11 will be marked as incompatible process by Microsoft. Therefore, Microsoft will not send the Windows 11 upgrade to these incompatible processors based computers. In other words, these devices can’t directly upgrade to Windows 11 via Windows update program. But you can perform a clean install on Windows 11 on incompatible processor based computers. Read the article How to install Windows 11 on unsupported PCs to learn more details.
24 processors from Intel i5 8th generation compatible with Windows 11
There are 24 processors from Intel i5 8th generation compatible with Windows 11.
i5-8210Y
i5-8250U
i5-8257U
i5-8259U
i5-8260U
i5-8265U
i5-8269U
i5-8279U
i5-8300H
i5-8305G
i5-8310Y
i5-8350U
i5-8365U
i5-8365UE
i5-8400
i5-8400B
i5-8400H
i5-8400T
i5-8500
i5-8500B
i5-8500T
i5-8600
i5-8600K
i5-8600T
In summary, Intel i5 8200 series, 8300 series, 8400 series, 8500 series and the 8600 series can run Windows 11.
14 processors from Intel i5 9th generation compatible with Windows 11
There are 14 processors from Intel i5 9th generation to run Windows 11. They are from the 9300 series, 9400 series, 9500 series and the 9600 series.
i5-9300HF
i5-9400
i5-9400F
i5-9400H
i5-9400T
i5-9500
i5-9500E
i5-9500F
i5-9500T
i5-9500TE
i5-9600
i5-9600K
i5-9600KF
i5-9600T
26 processors from Intel i5 10th generation compatible with Windows 11
Intel i5 10th generation based computers can upgrade to Windows 11 via Windows update program. They are from the i5 10200 series, i5 10300 series, i5 10400 series, i5 10500 series and the Intel i5 10600 series.
i5-10210U
i5-10210Y
i5-10300H
i5-1030G4
i5-1030G7
i5-10310U
i5-10310Y
i5-1035G1
i5-1035G4
i5-1035G7
i5-1038NG7
i5-10400
i5-10400F
i5-10400H
i5-10400T
i5-10500
i5-10500E
i5-10500H
i5-10500T
i5-10500TE
i5-10505
i5-10600
i5-10600K
i5-10600KF
i5-10600T
i5-L16G7
22 processors from Intel i5 11th generation compatible with Windows 11
Just like the Intel i5 10th generation processors, the Intel i5 11th generation also support the upgrade to Windows 11. They are from the 11200 series, 11300 series, 11400 series, 11500 series and the 11600 series.
i5-11260H
i5-11300H
i5-1130G7
i5-11320H
i5-1135G7
i5-1135G7
i5-11400
i5-11400F
i5-11400H
i5-11400T
i5-1140G7
i5-1145G7
i5-1145G7E
i5-1145GRE
i5-11500
i5-11500H
i5-11500T
i5-1155G7
i5-11600
i5-11600K
i5-11600KF
i5-11600T
2 processors from Intel i5 12th generation compatible with Windows 11
i5-12600K
i5-12600KF
Conclusion
This article lists all Intel Core i5 processors that are compatible with Windows 11. If your Intel i5 processor is not on the compatibility list, you can choose to perform a clean install of Windows 11, which will also allow you to experience Windows 11.
