With the deadline for ‘Windows 10 upgrade to Windows 11’ looming for October 2025 there are some hardware requirements to be met.
If you are in business, you will need to ensure all your PCs are upgraded before this date to ensure continued operation of Microsoft 365 products and essential Security Updates.

“Microsoft 365 Apps will no longer be supported after October 14, 2025, on Windows 10 devices,” the company confirmed. “To use Microsoft 365 Applications on your device, you will need to upgrade to Windows 11.”https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/lifecycle/end-of-support/end-of-support-2025

Additional products to be axed in 2025 include: All Office 2016/2019, All Server Products 2019 or older (Exchange/Server/SQL/Dynamics)

So what is the minimum PC specifications for 2025 for your Office PC?
The official minimum specifications will not be the same as the minimum functional specifications.
We are going to explain is what is the minimum you will need to have a functional office PC .

If you are lost or daunted by any of this – Let us know and we can do a full audit of your equipment!

Your business PC should be running Windows 11 Professional (not Home edition) along with the following specifications:


CPU / Processor: Any 2018 or newer processor. Intel 8th Generation (i5-8400) or AMD Ryzen 3000 series or later.

Older processors may work but in order to have a reasonable work flow this is now the minimum spec we will support under Win 11 Pro.
Check that your PASSMARK ‘CPU Mark’ has a value of 9200 or greater to be classed as a functional business computer.
Ideally you should be aiming for a ‘CPU Mark’ of 14000 to 25000 for good performance and 25000 to 65000 for high performance.
An Intel i5 12400 (12th Gen) processor would give a ‘CPU Mark’ of 19497 – as a good reference point.
If you need to buy a new system. Aim for a CPU that has true AI ability (NPU) released after Q1 2024.
The Intel Core Ultra 7 165H or AMD Ryzen AI 300 Series for example both have AI NPU at the start of 2025.


RAM / Memory: 8Gb will work but 16Gb is now the recommended new minimum with 32Gb+ being ideal. DTP systems should be 64 to 128Gb.

A system with only 4Gb of RAM will either be upgraded or discontinued.
If you are buying a new system in 2025, please aim to buy a system that supports DDR5 RAM.


Hard Drive: A 500Gb Solid State Drive is now the minimum required for storage. Ideally a modern NVMe SSD is required for performance.

You will be able to function on 250Gb SSD but it will certainly start to run low on space and this can hinder performance / reliability.
A new system/ upgrade should aim for being 500Gb to 1Tb/1000Gb to be a functional desktop/laptop for the office. Aim for Gen4 NVMe.
If you system has a mechanical Hard Disk Drive / HDD then it is time to get that changed to a Solid State Drive / SSD at minimum.
Systems that require additional space should look at additional drives, cloud storage or NAS solutions.


Motherboard: Typically any motherboard that supports the CPUs outlined above should work. The one requirement is that it should support a Secure Boot environment / UEFI. Most motherboards from 2018 onwards should support this.
A TPM v2.0 (Trusted Platform Module) was a requirement previously but Microsoft has allowed non TPM enabled computers to install Windows 11.


Screen Size: A minimum of 24″ at 1920×1080 (Full HD) resolution would be a generally functional display in 2025 but ideally a 27″ at 2560×1440 (Quad HD) is recommended in order to fit modern websites at their correct dimensions and to be able to see documents/spreadsheets correctly.

Although 3840×2160 (4K) is the gold standard now, a system with 2560×1440 (Quad HD) is an excellent balance and often preferred.
If you system is the older 1280×720 (HD) or less then you will not be able to function correctly in todays office.


What desktop PC do we recommend for 2025 that is budget friendly, reliable, AI capable and a good speed?
The ASUS NUC 14 PRO Mini Computer NUC14RVHU5 with Core Ultra5-125 or Ultra7-155H
UK:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Computer-NUC14RVHU5-Ultra5-125H-Processor-Graphics/dp/B0DKNQB2XG?th=1
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Intel-Ultra-7-155H-Processor-4-8GHz/dp/B0DKNQB2XG/ref=sr_1_3

USA:
https://www.amazon.com/NUC14RVH-Canyon-Computer-Display-Thunderbolt/dp/B0D6VWLYRG
https://www.amazon.com/Ultra-4-8GHz-Desktop-Computer-Intel/dp/B0D6BKM3M1/

Try to avoid buying any ‘All-in-one’ solution as they are difficult to repair and they add to the e-waste problem when you need to upgrade and the screen is embedded.

What monitor do we recommend for Business?
A 27″ WQHD 2560×1440 with “IPS” and Tilt/Height Adjustments = The key specification list ideally with USB C – but make sure its an IPS display.
The MSI MAG 274QRF QD E2 27″ Monitor is a good option and it actually comes in a black or white version.
UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/MSI-MAG-274QRF-QD-E2/dp/B0CPQ59G1H/ref=sr_1_11
USA: https://www.amazon.com/MSI-MPG274URF-QD-Adaptive-Synch-DisplayPort/dp/B0CZWCD61X
or two budget friendly options:
AOC Q27B3CF2 – IPS 27″ 2560×1440 with Height Adjustment.
LG UltraGear QHD 27-Inch Gaming Monitor 27GL83A-B – IPS
UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/AOC-27-L-Q27B3MA-Monitor/dp/B0D42CGB4D/ref=sr_1_5?crid=1HRWF2WIOFMH1&th=1
USA: https://www.amazon.com/LG-27GL83A-B-Ultragear-Compatible-Monitor/dp/B07YGZL8XF


To ensure your computers are working well with the rest of the network, make sure your network is using a modern firewall like the UniFi Security Gateway along with a Gigabit capable Switch ideally matching the firewall technology. We recommend the Ubiquiti UniFi range of equipment.
If you are using older network equipment beyond 5 years, it will be most certainly time to upgrade and ensure your network is protected.

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