This article will look at which Windows versions are supported on specific CPU architectures.
TIP: Check out this article to see how you can tell what version of Windows you are currently running.
Pre-built PC's and laptops, for office or home use, normally come pre-installed with operating systems that are already supported by the CPU architecture that is installed in the machine.
But let's imagine you buy a computer, and your operating system needs to be re-installed. You would need to know what type of processor the computer has, before you can proceed.
Let's look at how different Windows versions are supported.
| Processor Architecture. | Supported Windows Version(s) | Comments |
| x86 (32-bit) | 32-bit only | Computers built on a 32-bit processor can only support up to 4GB of RAM. Only 32-bit versions of operating systems can be installed on computers with this type of processor. |
| x64 (32-bit) | 32-bit and 64-bit | Computers with this chipset can support up to 16TB of RAM (theoretically), and can support 32-bit as well as 64-bit versions of operating systems. |
NOTE: Windows 11 can only be installed/is supported on systems with a 64-bit processor.