First overview of system requirements

Although Windows 11 is struggling to beat Windows 10, that doesn’t stop Microsoft from working on the next version of its major operating system. Today, the German website Deskmodder says it has new information about Windows 12 running requirements.

Where is Microsoft located with Windows 12?

Windows 12 is still classified. During the Microsoft Ignite 2022 event, the company released a concept of what the future operating system might look like. We can see a floating taskbar (dock), as well as a clock in the upper right corner and the weather in the left corner, always at the top of the interface.

As you can see in the image below, the search bar located directly on the desktop comes to radically change the layout compared to Windows 11. The ability to place widgets directly on the desktop can also be a part. A new configuration is already undergoing more or less hidden cross-testing Microsoft Edge Canary (Insider) channel.

Panos Panay, the big boss of Windows, has already talked about the next versions of the operating system. He explained that Windows 12 will be a combination of cloud-based experiences and artificial intelligence. Two areas where the company is focusing a lot, as evidenced by the arrival of artificial intelligence on Microsoft 365 or the new collaborative tool Loop that comes to compete with Asana or Notion.

If no official date has yet been shared on the release date of Microsoft’s next operating system, the first indiscretion calls for a 2024 release. In fact, the Redmond giant will revert to a more traditional calendar for Windows which proposes a major release every three years.

What is the minimum configuration for Windows 12?

The system requirements for Windows 11 are now quite stringent, which makes computers as young as a few years old incompatible. Conditions that led many users to stay on Windows 10 or bypass restrictions to install Windows 11 on incompatible devices.

Previous rumors raised the possibility of a simultaneous release of Windows 12 and 14th generation Intel “Meteor Lake-S” processors. Initially expected in early 2024, the Founder’s chips would be delayed, calling into question this simultaneous release and rearranging the schedule for both products.

According to information from the German Deskmodder site, Windows 12 should continue to use TPM 2.0 (Trusted Platform Module). This encryption standard was highlighted during the introduction of Windows 11, and is now a required component for installing the operating system. The new “Pluto” security chip, which has been installed on some devices since the beginning of 2022, is more secure than TPM 2.0 against malware and physical attacks. The latter will not be required to run Windows 12.

Finally, the minimum amount of RAM can increase to 8 GB (As opposed to 4GB for Windows 11). This can be explained by the possibility of using the operating system in the cloud, as it is currently being tested in certain versions of Windows 11 Insider. CPU-wise, the requirements will likely remain the same: an 8th generation Intel or AMD processor with Zen 2 architecture.