XPS 8910, no Windows 11 support

Question

Is anyone else bothered that a 5 year old 2016 desktop cannot be upgraded to Windows 11 because of the CPU generation? I put a lot of money into this computer, including adding memory and changing to a solid state disk. This is rather upsetting to say the least.

JOcean · Accepted Answer

I cannot disagree with you and understand your frustration. But Microsoft has decided that this is their line in the sand and they are not going to budge. Dell and all the other PC manufacturers are in the same boat and MS has not waivered with their supported system specs. This YouTube video has a good perspective on this situation.

JOcean · Accepted Answer

You could do that but keep in mind that Windows 10 is going to be supported for 4 more years and it is a very stable platform. By that time your system would be 8 years old and you would certainly want to upgrade then. But if you are eager to upgrade to Windows 11 then you could easily use the SSD and RAM from your system in the new system. Just make sure that your components are going to be compatible. And you can probably sell your current system to offset some of the cost of a new one.

MrRichieC · Answer

Same here with my Dell XPS 8920 with the i7-7700 CPU. I am seriously not impressed!

FDA_CONSULT · Answer

Ouch.  My computer is only 4 years old and I added memory and SSD 2 years ago.  My investment is trashed.  I am thinking of ordering a new computer, then taking my extra memory and SSD and putting it into the new computer just to make it possible to upgrade.  What do you think?

FDA_CONSULT · Answer

Right.  Decided to wait based on the stability comment.

JOcean · Answer

Good idea and glad I could help out!

GrandpaRandy · Answer

Terrible service from Dell and then Microsoft. If Dell would update to a workable solution with a driver and or BIOS update, our XPS8910 6700 processor's could complete the updates. It's Dell's fault for not repairing this on my $3000 system, not Microsoft's. Dell built the system, and I was told by your sales person, this was the best. Stop passing the buck and take responsibility.

anamnesis57 · Answer

If the cpu generation is the culprit, neiter Dell nor any other company can do anything. It's Microsoft's decision. If it's TPM (eg 1.2), some companies like HP provide a firmware upgrade TPM 1.2 to 2.0. Even the HP Z440 (2014) with an E5-generation 4(!) cpu can get Win 11 with the upgraded TPM.

FDA_CONSULT · Answer

I would not feel so bad if I had not added $$ with an SSD and extra memory.  It does look like I can reuse the SSD and memory in a new system.

FDA_CONSULT · Answer

It is the CPU generation that is the culprit.  TPM is OK.  This does not seem to me to be a really valid reason to deny the upgrade, but it is what it is.

Raleighwood007 · Answer

I'm not happy this computer missed the cut off by literally 6 months tech wise Why the hell they do not make or sell an upgraded chip for this motherboard on this POS dell is beyond me! If they did it would be a easy solution to make it Windows 11 compatible is complete BS on this POS dell is beyond me. I'm never buying another dell this XPS 8910 was a POS right out of the box. My Vostro 3670 wasn't half bad, and it was windows 11 compatible it was only 6 months newer than the XPS8910 but some imbedded chip on vostro's motherboard which couldn't be soldered off the board removed and replaced so there was no fixing the POS so now I'm stuck having to use this 8910 which is an even bigger POS! I will never be buying another Dell Computer as long as I live. I've got no clue what I was thinking buying this 8910 in first place bc I had already written Dell off, and I went against my better judgement but it'll will never happen again!

Jimmy crack corn · Answer

Unacceptable, this will be the last time I will ever buy a Dell. This oversight with no fix to extend life is again a sign that Dell partners with Microsoft and not its paying customers. Also, it shows the limited company vision for shareholders, how to fill a landfill and quick profiteering they have often exhibited. I can remember when I first bought this 8910 and the fan made a grinding noise as well as the Bluetooth keyboard continuously lost connection just out of the box… I seriously thought about sending it back and never buying Dell again. This ending takes the cake for this 8910! Build your own machine and use Linux or pay a 14yr old to do it.

(edited)

Jimmy crack corn · Answer

I am a rookie because I have bought many Dell servers and desktops and laptops over the last 30 years, but not anymore.

F399 · Answer

Try Ghost Spectre Win 11 pro. My 8010 spins like a top. Beast of a machine!

gartaud · Answer

Super late to the party, but I upgraded a XPS 8910 to Windows 11 over the weekend, and it was straightforward (clean install).

1. Use Dell SupportAssist to make sure you have the latest firmware/UEFI/BIOS installed. Reboot as needed.

2. Backup your computer in the cloud/OneDrive using the Windows Backup feature (which you probably have enabled in the first place to get Windows 10 ESU for free)

3. Use the Windows 11 Media Creation Tool to prep a USB key with the Windows 11 installer Download Windows 11

4. Boot on that USB key. (Press F12 at startup to boot from USB key if not booting from USB key in the first place.)

5. Install Windows 11. The PC might reboot a few times.

6. Log in Windows 11 using your Microsoft account. You may use the backup you created earlier to restore some settings or start clean.

7. Reinstall Dell SupportAssist and download whatever drivers did not come with Windows 11 (you can find Dell Support assist the Microsoft Store app)

8. At this point you should have all the drivers you need, except for the Intel chipset. Download and install the Chipset INF Utility from Support for Intel® Chipset Software Installation Utility and you should be good to go.

9. If you have a graphics card that is still getting security update drivers, install the latest driver. For Nvidia card, you can do that by installing the Nvidia app from Download NVIDIA App for Gamers and Creators | NVIDIA The app will know what driver you need.

10. Then install all the Windows updates that Window Update want to install.

11. The June 2026 update, if it is not fixed in the future, will introduce a major issue: an attempt to update the secure boot credentials that will completely freeze the computer about five minutes after startup. Simply comment out the task that trigger the lockup as explained at ‎XPS 8910 and the nightmare of June 2026 secure boot update | DELL Technologies to make the problem go away.

12. Optionally, enable Core isolation/Memory Integrity in Windows Security. This will make your PC more secure at the expense of performance. (It's good idea to do so unless you want to game on your computer and want the best performance.)

Enjoy!

Windows General

XPS 8910, no Windows 11 support

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