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Intel has has confirmed that its seventh-generation CPUs – coined ‘Kaby Lake’ – will only be compatible with Windows 10.
The news comes off the back of recent announcements that similar processors such as AMD’s Zen chips will also only be compatible with Windows’ latest operating system.
This announcement comes after Windows made a similar announcement earlier this year, saying: “Windows 10 will be the only supported Windows platform on Intel’s upcoming ‘Kaby Lake’ silicon, Qualcomm’s upcoming ‘8996’ silicon, and AMD’s upcoming ‘Bristol Ridge’ silicon."
It should come as no surprise that Microsoft has followed through on its promises to dictate the processor market.
AMD explained that its CPU was ‘fully aligned’ to work alongside Microsoft’s software.
A spokesperson from Microsoft told PC World: “As new silicon generations are introduced, they will require the latest Windows platform at that time for support.
"The goal appears to be to move forward with new features, even if it means leaving some users behind. “This enables us to focus on deep integration between Windows and the silicon, while maintaining maximum reliability and compatibility with previous generations of platform and silicon.”
The fate of both Intel and AMD processors has now been sealed, meaning that everyone from retailers right the way down to end-users will have to opt into Windows 10 if they want to keep up-to-date with the latest components.
