New PCs won't run Windows 7/8.1

If you are thinking about upgrading your PC hardware in the near future you need to start thinking about upgrading to Windows 10 now.  Microsoft has warned that new computers running the latest Intel and AMD chips will only run Windows 10. Now, it seems that moment of transition has finally arrived.

In advance of an expected Windows 10 Creators Update, owners of newer systems with Intel 7th-generation Kaby Lake chips and AMD Ryzen chips are reporting their systems aren't receiving Windows 7 or 8.1 updates anymore. According to Microsoft's support pages, it's been long known that newer hardware will eventually be Windows 10-only. That hardware includes Intel's 7th-generation chips, AMD Ryzen and Qualcomm's 8996 series of chips.

Systems with older hardware should still be receiving updates. Older-generation CPUs (including Intel's sixth-generation Skylake) will support Windows 7 and Windows 8.1 until Jan. 14, 2020, and Jan. 10, 2023, respectively.

For a more in depth discussion of this topic read ZDNet's in depth story:

http://www.zdnet.com/article/microsoft-begins-blocking-updates-for-older-windows-versions-on-newer-hardware/