🖥️ System Upgrade Report: Windows 11 Compatibility Review
✅ 1. Current System Specifications
| Case |
Kolink Observatory ATX Mid-Tower |
| CPU |
Intel Core i7-7700 (Kaby Lake, 4C/8T, 3.6–4.2 GHz) |
| Motherboard |
Gigabyte GA-Z270-Gaming K3 (LGA 1151, Z270 chipset) |
| RAM |
Corsair 32GB DDR4-3000MHz (4x8GB Vengeance LPX) |
| Graphics Card |
Asus RoG Strix GeForce GTX 1070Ti (8GB, Dual HDMI/DP) |
| Primary SSD |
Samsung 970 EVO 500GB NVMe PCIe 3.0 M.2 |
| Secondary SSD |
Samsung Evo 850 500GB SATA SSD |
| Optical Drive |
24x DVD-RW SATA Drive |
| Power Supply |
Cooler Master V850 850W 80+ Gold (Modular) |
| CPU Cooler |
Cooler Master MasterLiquid Lite 120 AIO |
| Operating System |
Windows 10 Pro 64-bit |
❌ 2. Incompatible Components (Windows 11 Requirements Not Met)
| Component |
Issue |
Windows 11 Requirement |
| CPU: i7-7700 |
Not supported by Windows 11 |
Requires Intel 8th Gen or newer |
| Motherboard: Z270 |
No TPM 2.0, no Secure Boot |
Requires TPM 2.0 & Secure Boot |
🔁 3. Recommended Substitutes
| Old Component |
Recommended Replacement |
Reason |
| CPU: i7-7700 |
Intel Core i7-10700 (LGA 1200) |
8C/16T, supported by Windows 11 |
| Motherboard: Z270 |
Gigabyte Z590 AORUS ULTRA (ATX) |
ATX, DDR4, TPM 2.0, Secure Boot, modern features |
✅ Existing RAM, SSDs, GPU, PSU, and AIO cooler are compatible with these upgrades.
📀 4. Optical Drive – Include or Leave Out?
| Keep the Optical Drive |
No added cost; still useful for discs |
Check if new motherboard has available SATA ports |
| Remove the Optical Drive |
Cleaner build; improved airflow |
Rarely used today |
| Alternative (External) |
Use a USB DVD drive only when needed |
Simple, modern solution (~£20); keeps front panel clean |
Recommendation:
If you no longer use DVDs regularly, consider removing the optical drive and covering the bay with a blanking plate. For occasional use, a USB external drive is a flexible option.
🧩 Final Notes
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