AMD’s New Mobile Processors Aimed for Windows 11 Support Only

The new mobile processors, Ryzen AI 300, developed by AMD, will not support the Windows 10 operating system as per the company’s website. Instead, these chips will exclusively endorse 64-bit versions of Windows 11, Ret Hat Enterprise Linux, and Ubuntu.

Rationale on AMD’s Decision

The decision to withdraw support for the older operating system seems logical from AMD’s viewpoint. Ryzen AI 300 processors come equipped with a robust AI engine (NPU) designed to accelerate various AI functions in Windows 11 — features non-existent in Windows 10. Furthermore, these processors are for laptops, which primarily come with a pre-installed operating system—preferably Windows 11 by most manufacturers.

Implications of AMD’s Decision

However, Microsoft plans to discontinue Windows 10 support no earlier than October 2025, making AMD’s decision somewhat premature. The lack of Windows 10 support on AMD’s latest platform is puzzling for many users who still prefer it and are not ready to transition to Windows 11.

Small Popularity of Windows 11: The Reasons

A significant reason behind the lukewarm reception of Windows 11 has been its exceedingly stringent processor requirements. The upcoming 24H2 update will only amplify these challenges, necessitating models to support POPCNT and SSE4.2 instructions. Hence, the system will abandon many older chips. Another point of contention is the introduction of advertisements in the ‘Start’ menu of Windows 11. An optional update adds a section to the menu with ‘recommendations’ for apps from select developers in the Microsoft Store.