Windows 24H2 require POPCNT and SSE4.2

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https://twitter.com/TheBobPony/status/1781922187252797805

“Bob Pony
@TheBobPony
UPDATE: Since Windows 11 Build 26080, a CPU with the SSE4.2 instruction is ALSO REQUIRED TO BOOT Windows 11 Version 24H2!!

Attempting to boot Build 26080+ on systems without the SSE4.2 instruction present will trigger an automatic reboot once it reaches the boot screen phase.”

https://twitter.com/TheBobPony/status/1756771051634135277

“Bob Pony
@TheBobPony
So HUGE discovery found in Windows 11 Version 24H2, since build 25905.
A CPU with the instruction “POPCNT” IS NOW REQUIRED!
There are various system files requiring the POPCNT CPU instruction, from the Windows 11 kernel to the USB XHCI drivers.

Without POPCNT, it doesn’t boot!”

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Sounds like “not a thing”…

https://www.tomshardware.com/software/windows/older-systems-wont-be-able-to-update-to-newer-versions-of-windows-due-to-reliance-on-an-arcane-cpu-instruction

From the article –

“As previously mentioned, compatibility won’t be an issue for pretty much everyone running Windows 11 already. This new requirement will only affect users who are running modified builds of Windows 11 on super old machines, such as ones featuring Pentiums or Core 2 processors. Those people will not be able to run Windows 11 24H2 unless they figure out a way to bypass the POPCNT requirement as well”.

My “ancient” Intel Core i3 4000M laptop supports SSE4.2

POPCNT is part of the SSE4.2 instruction set.

 

 

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OldGuyForum wrote:

won’t be an issue for pretty much everyone running Windows 11 already

But will be an issue to those running Windows 10 and wish to upgrade.

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Alex5723 wrote:

OldGuyForum wrote:

won’t be an issue for pretty much everyone running Windows 11 already

But will be an issue to those running Windows 10 and wish to upgrade.

Only if you’re running Windows 10 on something like a Core 2 Duo. Any of the Intel i-series processors support these instructions (even the first generation i7s from 2008), so we’re talking 15 year old CPUs here. I can’t see there being many trying to run Windows 11 on a Core 2 or older.

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Alex5723 wrote:

But will be an issue to those running Windows 10 and wish to upgrade.

Nope…not unless their CPU doesn’t support SSE4.2

 

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https://twitter.com/thebookisclosed/status/1780867353288245520

Albacore
@thebookisclosed
Turns out Windows 11 build 26100 (purported 24H2 RTM) contains the AI Explorer requirements baked into the OS
ARM64 CPU
16GiB of RAM
225GiB system drive (total, not free space)
Snapdragon X Elite NPU (HWID QCOM0D0A)
I guess that’s one way to drive ARM64 adoption

https://twitter.com/thebookisclosed/status/1782399407310410044

Albacore
@thebookisclosed
Looking at bits present in insider build 26200, AI Explorer indeed checks these requirements and if they aren’t met, a warning will be present in its overlays. You can however skip the check altogether by disabling ID 48486440. This only disables AIX making the check, not the API

https://www.neowin.net/news/microsoft-to-warn-if-your-windows-11-pc-doesnt-meet-system-requirements-for-ai-explorer/

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OldGuyForum wrote:

Nope…not unless their CPU doesn’t support SSE4.2

There are users running Windows 11 on none SSE4.2 CPUs.
They will be stuck on 23H2.

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oh well, that’s on them users, Alex
they chose to run Win11 on such old CPUs and will have to live with not being able to update to the next Win11 release.

and notice nobody else is mentioning about AMD based CPUs, which Win11 24H2 might require an AMD based CPU with at least SSE4A

-though AMD “Bulldozer” and “Piledriver” series of CPUs (AMD FX) do have both SSE4A and SSE4.2

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and notice nobody else is mentioning about AMD based CPUs, which Win11 24H2 might require an AMD based CPU with at least SSE4A

I kinda take this part back as recent 24H2 builds (including the just released 26100.712 build in the RP channel on 5/22) will only work with AMD based processors that do have SSE4.2 and SSE4A alone no longer qualifies for such 24H2 builds.

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