Windows 11 vs Windows 10: Is It Worth Upgrading?

In the Windows 11 vs Windows 10 choice, the newer system wins. That’s our verdict for 2026.

It’s faster on modern hybrid CPUs, better at window management and more secure by default.

If your PC meets the requirements, upgrading is worth it. It costs nothing on an eligible Windows 10 PC.

We ran both systems side by side for a long time. A newer laptop had Windows 11, and an older desktop and a family laptop stayed on Windows 10.

This page shows what really differs, where the newer system is better and where it annoys. We also cover the hardware wall and a way to decide for each PC.

• The newer system needs TPM 2.0, a UEFI PC that is Secure Boot capable and a 64-bit CPU on Microsoft’s list.
• It also needs 4 GB of RAM and 64 GB of storage.
• The upgrade from an activated Windows 10 PC that meets the requirements is free. It keeps your files and apps.
• The newer system wins on Snap Layouts, hybrid CPU scheduling, security defaults and gaming features like Auto HDR.
• Android apps on Windows 11 are gone.

Windows 11 vs Windows 10: the main differences

Windows 11 gets monthly security updates and a yearly feature update. It has a redesigned interface and better multitasking.

Its hardware requirements are stricter, and stronger security is turned on by default.

The requirements, and will your PC qualify

In practice, the CPU and TPM rules decide for an older PC.

The source is the Microsoft Windows 11 specifications page.

Generally, Intel 8th generation Core and AMD Ryzen 2000 series or newer processors are on the list. We have a 7th-gen Intel desktop that isn’t, though it runs Windows 10 just fine.

Versions from 24H2 on also need a CPU with the SSE4.2 and POPCNT instructions. That rules out some very old hardware entirely.

The PC Health Check app tells you in a minute if a PC qualifies. On the family laptop, it failed on the processor.

The TPM is the other common blocker, though often it’s just switched off.

On many desktops from 2017 onward, firmware TPM only needs to be enabled in the BIOS. Intel calls it PTT, and AMD calls it fTPM.

The same goes for Secure Boot. The PC has to be Secure Boot capable, but Secure Boot doesn’t have to be on.

Our page on how to enable Secure Boot shows the BIOS steps. The full list is in our Windows 11 requirements guide.

A PC below the requirements

Technically it installs, through workarounds that skip the hardware checks. Microsoft doesn’t back that.

Microsoft says such devices aren’t guaranteed to receive updates, including security updates. It also shows a watermark and a warning.

For a main PC, that makes it a poor alternative to fresh hardware.

We tried it on an old spare machine. It installed and ran fine for daily browsing.

Still, I wouldn’t do it on a computer that holds anything important. One feature update that refuses to install is enough to leave you stranded.

In many cases you find out at the worst moment.

Speed: is the newer system faster

On modern hardware, Windows 11 is generally a little faster. Its scheduler understands hybrid processors with performance and efficiency cores.

Intel 12th generation and newer chips are the example. The system also wakes from sleep more quickly and keeps background tasks in check better.

On older PCs the difference is small, and sometimes Windows 10 feels lighter.

We found our newer laptop snappier on Windows 11, thanks to its Intel hybrid CPU. That showed most with a video editor and far too many browser tabs open.

Thread Director sends background work to the efficiency cores. The performance cores stay free for what you’re doing.

Windows 10 never got that tuning. Battery life improved noticeably for us too.

Sleep and wake were the most obvious difference. The Windows 10 laptop sometimes took ages to wake and occasionally needed a reboot.

On Windows 11 it comes back almost instantly. Random fan spins from mystery background CPU spikes also became rarer.

On the older desktop, though, we saw no real difference. That matches what most people report.

It’s no magic speed boost for old hardware. A PC that’s slow on Windows 10 will typically be slow on Windows 11 as well.

An SSD or more RAM will do far more than the operating system.

Features that make a difference

These are the ones that matter most in daily use.

The redesigned Start menu and centered taskbar get the attention. They’re mostly a matter of taste.

Snap Layouts and Snap Groups

Hover over a window’s maximize button, and a set of layouts appears. You get halves, thirds or quarters, depending on screen size.

We use the three-pane layout all the time: code editor on the left, browser top right, terminal bottom right.

Snap Groups then remember the arrangement. Clicking one of those windows in the taskbar brings back the whole set.

Windows 10 has basic snapping, but going back to it feels clumsy.

Virtual desktops, tabs and touch

Virtual desktops got better. Each can have its own wallpaper, so a work desktop can stay plain while a personal one gets the cat picture.

File Explorer finally has tabs, which saves a stack of open windows.

Touch stopped being an afterthought, with bigger targets and better gestures. On a Surface the system is now usable with no keyboard.

The tablet mode in Windows 10 was painful by comparison.

Design: the new look

The first boot looks like a macOS clone. There’s a centered taskbar, a floating Start menu without live tiles, rounded corners everywhere and softer sounds.

Our muscle memory protested for about a week.

You can move the taskbar icons back to the left. The switch sits under Settings, Personalization, Taskbar, Taskbar behaviors.

Dark mode is far more consistent too. In Windows 10, half the dialogs stayed white.

Microsoft Store and apps

The Store in Windows 10 was widely ignored. In Windows 11 it’s usable: faster and cleaner.

It carries regular desktop apps, not just the old UWP apps.

• Firefox
• OBS Studio
• VLC

App updates happen quietly in the background.

One correction applies to older articles, including the first version of this one. Running Android apps through the Amazon Appstore is over.

Microsoft has ended the Windows Subsystem for Android.

Security

The newer system is more secure. Its hardware baseline lets Microsoft turn on protections by default.

Virtualization-based security isolates sensitive parts of the system in protected memory. So malware has a harder time reaching credentials or the kernel.

Windows 10 could do this too, but rarely had it enabled. On fresh Windows 11 PCs it’s usually on out of the box.

Device encryption is more common as well. Clean installs of recent versions turn it on automatically on hardware that qualifies.

That includes the Home edition, as long as you sign in with a Microsoft account.

With device encryption on, your BitLocker recovery key is saved to your Microsoft account. I’d check it at account.microsoft.com before swapping hardware or resetting the BIOS. A TPM change then can’t lock you out.

We also found Windows Hello face and fingerprint sign-in more reliable. The Windows 10 laptop used to forget a face after certain updates.

Privacy settings are more detailed too, with clearer descriptions of each permission.

Gaming

For gaming, the newer system is the better choice in 2026.

Many fresh games and anti-cheat systems also target Windows 11 first.

Auto HDR surprised us most. Older titles look noticeably richer on an HDR monitor, with nothing changed in the game.

DirectStorage technically exists on Windows 10 as well. Microsoft built the faster storage stack into Windows 11, though, and only a limited number of games use it so far.

The Xbox app and Game Pass feel more native too. An Xbox controller pairs faster, with fewer random disconnects.

A friend who plays competitive shooters swears input feels quicker on Windows 11. We can’t measure that, so take it as one person’s impression.

How to upgrade

Your files, apps and activation carry over.

1. Run PC Health Check and fix any TPM or Secure Boot item it flags in the BIOS.
2. Make sure Windows 10 is on version 2004 or later. Version 22H2 is best.
3. Back up your documents to an external drive or OneDrive.
4. Open Settings, Update & Security, Windows Update and select Check for updates.
5. When “Upgrade to Windows 11 is ready” appears, choose Download and install.
6. Let the PC restart several times.

If no offer appears, download the Installation Assistant from Microsoft’s download page.

Afterwards, look under Settings, System, Activation. A digital license moves over automatically.

Your current edition decides the edition you get: Home becomes Home, and Pro becomes Pro.

For a fresh start, our page on a clean Windows 11 installation covers the USB method.

A rollback option stays for 10 days. After that, our page on going back from Windows 11 to Windows 10 explains a clean downgrade.

Need a key? Our Windows 11 Pro key comes as a genuine license. We email it instantly after payment.

It’s handy for a fresh build or a PC that never had an activated Windows 10.

Upgrade or stay

Upgrade if your PC meets the requirements. It’s free, and it’s better on almost every front.

Stay on Windows 10 only if the PC can’t run the newer system and you need a while before replacing it.

Workarounds for PCs below the requirements are best kept to spare machines.

Not sure about the edition? Our comparison of Windows 11 Home vs Pro breaks it down.

After a long stretch of daily use, Windows 11 feels like a more polished younger sibling of Windows 10. One that went to design school.

It’s an evolution, not a revolution. We run it on all our main machines and haven’t looked back.

The family laptop that failed the check is getting a replacement.

Mistakes we see most

• Expecting the upgrade to speed up an old PC.
• Giving up when PC Health Check fails, with the TPM only switched off in the BIOS.
• Thinking Secure Boot has to be on. The PC only has to be capable.
• Skipping the backup because the upgrade keeps files.
• Forcing the install on a main PC below the requirements.
• Waiting past day 10 to decide about going back.
• Counting on Android apps that are no longer there.
• Buying a new license for a PC whose digital license would have moved over.

Terms used on this page

A few cases from support

The laptop that failed on the CPU

PC Health Check refuses a family laptop on the processor. No setting fixes that. The owner keeps it going and shops for a replacement.

The TPM that was only off

A 2018 desktop fails the check on TPM. The firmware TPM is disabled in the BIOS. Enabled, the PC passes and upgrades for free.

The spare machine

We force the install on an old spare PC. It browses fine. We still wouldn’t trust it with anything important.

The expected speed boost

Someone upgrades a slow desktop hoping for speed. It’s just as slow. An SSD makes the real difference.

The second thoughts

A user dislikes the new taskbar after a week. The Go back option is still there on day eight. One setting moves the icons left, and the upgrade stays.

Where we tested this