Out-of-date software is what’s driving people to constantly replace their devices

To be honest 1GHz is really basic requieement. I had laptop origimally equipped with Pentium Sandy Bridge (same gen as yours 2nd-gen i7, just much more budget friendly, at the expense of less cache, no hardware virtualization support etc) procesor with two cores clocked nominally 2.2 GHz.

Is Internet connection really necesary for Windows 11 updates? Windows 10 could be updated with files on USB flash drive downloaded on another computer. Only one-time licence activation requiered Internet connection.

 

And people are insisting there is no collusion between M$ & hardware manufacturers. I call shenanigans.

 

And you keep insisting there is a HUGH international conspiracy between Microsoft and the hardware manufacturers with the goal of ripping off consumers while offering no evidence whatsoever. It is you spewing the shenanigans rumors.

Not one consumer protection agency in the US, EU, NZ, Australia, UN or the ICPEN have levied charges against MS or those hardware companies that alleges such massive crimes.

Oh wait! I get it now. Microsoft has paid off all the corrupt leaders in those countries and organizations so they are among the conspirators too. Of course. How silly of me. Microsoft must have an OPEC style "cartel" consisting of Microsoft, all those dozens of hardware companies, and the global government leaders who meet regularly in some secret lair to engage in their price fixing, organized crime activities. I should have realized that. My bad.

 

I think the 1GHz part is mostly a placeholder at this point. Anything on the approved list is going to be higher. With maybe an exception or 2 it appears that for the Intel Core series you need an 8th gen or newer. Likely for security features. My 2nd gen i7 has been running at 4.6 GHz for 12 years now. Very old but plenty fast. Still a long way from being on the approved list.