TPM2.0 Compatibility? (ASRock z97x Fatal1ty Killer motherboard)
I had an SSD failure yesterday (my OS disk), so I decided it might be time to try Windows 11. I was a little shocked to find my PC is not compatible. It seems I need a TPM2.0 compatible motherboard.
The specs for mine (https://www.asrock.com/mb/Intel/Fatal1ty%20Z97X%20Killer/) in the Connectors section shows "TPM HEADER". Does this allow me to by a 'TPM 2.0 Module' from somewhere such as eBay/Amazon and then allow me to install Windows 11?
Or do I need another motherboard (and likely a new CPU, etc.)?
Specs of current PC:
- ASRock Fatal1ty Killer z97x
- 16 GB Ram (up to 32 GB upgradable)
- 1660GTX
A TPM header does allow for the installation of a TPM module, but you are then running up against the fact that your processor is either a 4th or 5th Generation Intel which is also far below the minimum requirement for Windows 11 (generally speaking 7th/8th generation or later https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-hardware/design/minimum/supported/windows-11-supported-intel-processors).
It is possible to do a clean install of Windows 11 on a system that does not meet the TPM and (some) of the CPU requirements using a registry hack and wouldn't require you to install an aftermarket TPM module. However, this is a poor choice and you may run into issues updating your system in the future.
Windows 10 will be supported until October 2025. In this situation you'd be far better served to remain on Windows 10 until you can upgrade to a motherboard and CPU that are fully compliant with Windows 11 hardware requirements.