The Intel i7 is a very powerful CPU (processor) but there are a few different generations. The newer generations such as the 11th gen and 12th gen are faster, and therefore run most things on a computer with ease.
Windows 11 was recently released, and typically newer versions of Windows have more demand for resources. In this article, I will explain if you should upgrade to Windows 11 on an i7.
You should upgrade to Windows 11 on an i7. Windows 11 and Windows 10 have virtually identical performance, and Windows 11 has a better looking user interface. But, only two 7th generation i7’s are supported by Microsoft for Windows 11, as well as any i7 that is 8th generation or newer.
It’s possible to install Windows 11 on an unsupported i7, but you miss out on a few things. Below, I will explain what these are, as well as, detailed info on why Windows 11 is currently the best version of Windows.
What Happens if You Install Windows 11 on an Unsupported i7
It’s possible to install Windows 11 on an unsupported i7. Doing so is a good idea, because Windows 10 and Windows 11 have virtually identical performance. But, here is specifically what happens if you install Windows 11 on an unsupported i7.
You don’t get the enhanced security features included in Windows 11, and Microsoft does not offer support if you have an issue with Windows 11. The enhanced security features in Windows 11 required a technology called TPM 2.0 or higher, which unsupported i7’s don’t have.
Microsoft offers very good user support if you have an issue with Windows. You can post your question on the forum, and a Microsoft rep will help you with your specific issue. They will also ask you to provide specific info about your computer if relevant.
For example, they will say run such and such command and copy and paste the output into the question thread. This is very good, but if you are running Windows 11 on an unsupported i7, Microsoft will not help you with this issue.
The TPM 2.0 or higher technology comes with the i7’s that are supported for Windows 11. Therefore, these are much more secure from malware and viruses. But, provided you have a decent antivirus or anti-malware program – there are many free ones – this is not really an issue.
It’s just that Windows 11 with these features is far more secure. Microsoft has stated that they consulted with various expert cyber security advisors who stated that adding the features they did makes it significantly more difficult for a computer to be compromised.
Although, the chances of having important info stolen are very low, especially if you follow general cyber security guidelines such as not having your passwords to key things saved somewhere obvious on your desktop, using secure passwords, and changing them often.
Windows 11 has a higher crash rate on unsupported i7’s
It has been reported by Microsoft that when they released Windows 11, users provided feedback on how it was performing. They found that the number of times that Windows 11 crashes on unsupported i7’s is double that of supported i7’s.
But, if you dig into the numbers, the number of crashes is so small that overall it’s not worth worrying about in my opinion. The rate of Windows 11 crashing on supported and unsupported i7’s is:
- i7’s below an 8th generation – 0.16% crash rate
- i7’s 8th generation and above – 0.08% crash rate
As you can see from the percentage of times that Windows 11 crashes when using it, the actual crash rate is very low, whether you’re using an 8th generation + i7, or an i7 that is below an 8th generation.
Therefore, the number of times it will crash won’t have a noticeable difference. Therefore, overall, the main consideration is that unsupported i7’s can’t utilize the new security features built into Windows 11.
Full list of i7’s that are supported for Windows 11
Microsoft has provided a full list of ALL of the Intel processors that are supported on Windows 11 on their official website.
Of these all i7’s that are a 6th generation or below are not supported to run Windows 11. Of the 7th generation i7’s only the following 2 are supported for Windows:
- i7-7800X
- i7-7820HQ
On top of that all 8th, 9th, 10th, 11th, 12th, and 13th generation i7’s are supported by Microsoft. In summary, the answer to should you upgrade to Windows 11 on an i7, the answer is a strong yes. Provided, you take into account the limitations explained above, particularly that some certain generations of the i7 are unsupported.
What Version of Windows Is Best for the i7
There are different generations of the i7, and newer generations offer significantly better performance than older generations. Currently, Intel only sells brand new i7’s that are 4th generation or newer. But, below is a full rundown of what version of Windows is the best for each generation of the i7.
In general, Windows 7 is the best for i7’s that are 3rd generation or older. For 4th generation to 9th generation Windows 7 is best, but depends on what you’re using your computer for (explained further below). A 9th gen or newer i7, Windows 11 is best.
To make it far easier to see what version of Windows is best for an i7 below is a table that shows how well an i7 performs on Windows 11.
| Generation | Web browsing and working on documents | Resource intensive programs like video editing software | Gaming |
| i7 4th generation | Yes. Ok performance. | No. | No. |
| i7 5th generation | Yes. Good performance. | Yes, but very slow and almost unusable. | Yes. But, only games that are not graphics intensive like Minecraft. |
| i7 6th generation | Yes. Good performance | Yes, but very slow and almost unusable. | Yes. But, only games that are not graphics intensive like Minecraft. |
| i7 7th generation | Yes. Very good performance | Minimum | Yes. Minimum for graphics intensive games |
| i7 8th generation | Yes, Excellent performance, the best performance possible. | Yes. Ok performance. | Yes. Good for graphics intensive games |
| i7 9th generation | Yes, Excellent performance, the best performance possible. | Yes. Excellent performance. | Yes. Very good for graphics intensive games |
| i7 10th generation | Yes, Excellent performance, the best performance possible. | Yes. Excellent performance. | Yes. Excellent for graphics intensive games |
| i7 11th generation | Yes, Excellent performance, the best performance possible. | Yes. Excellent performance. | Yes. Excellent for graphics intensive games |
| i7 12th generation | Yes, Excellent performance, the best performance possible. | Yes. Excellent performance. | Yes. Excellent for graphics intensive games |
| i7 13th generation | Yes, Excellent performance, the best performance possible. | Yes. Excellent performance. | Yes. Excellent for graphics intensive games |
It’s worth noting that Windows 7 is faster than Windows 10, or 11. Therefore, if you want to use it for gaming or resource intensive programs, AND your i7 is an 8th gen or below you should run Windows 7 instead.
Is the Intel Core i7 Good for Windows 11
The i7 is one of the more powerful i-series processors (CPUs) that Intel makes. Each new version of Windows uses more computer resources. So, this is if the Intel Core i7 is good for Windows 11.
Overall, the Intel Core i7 is good for Windows 11. But, only the 8th gen and 2 specific models of the 7th gen i7 are supported for the i7. Unsupported i7’s will work but don’t have support from Microsoft if there’s an issue, and can’t utilize the additional security features added to the Windows 11.
Therefore, they are less secure. Also, only the 9th generation or above of the i7 will provide excellent performance for gaming, and resource intensive programs.
On an i7 that is a lower generation than a 9th gen, it can still play graphics intensive games, and run resource intensive programs like video editing software.
But, it will provide average performance, and on earlier generations like the 5th and 6th gen, it will be just enough to where it won’t be frustratingly slow.