Windows 10 vs windows 8.1 gaming performance: Which OS Grants Better Performance?

Does the OS Matter? Windows 8.1 versus Windows 10 in Games

Introduction

Soon after Windows 8.1 launched, we published an in-depth look at how its gaming performance stacked up against Windows 7. Well that was way back at the beginning of 2014, and it’s amazing how time flies when you’re having fun. Now that Windows 10 has arrived, it’s high time that we pit it against Windows 8.1 to see whether Microsoft has found a way to make games run even better than before. We found that Windows 8.1 offered improvements in a handful of games, but Windows 10 may prove to offer an even bigger boost. Of course, the new OS is packing DirectX 12, which will revolutionize the way graphics routines are run in the latest games, but they have to be developed with DX12 in mind. That rules out just about every game currently on the market. Will Microsoft 10 perform feats of magic in DirectX 11-based games as well? We shall soon see!

Test Setup

We performed our benchmarks on the following test system:

  1. CPU: Intel Core i7-4770K quad-core CPU (overclocked to 4. 4GHz)
  2. Motherboard: ASRock Z97 Extreme 4
  3. Video Card #1: Sapphire Radeon R9 290 4GB (representing mid-range)
  4. Video Card #2: EVGA GeForce GTX 980 Ti 6GB (representing high-end)
  5. Memory: 4x4GB G.Skill DDR3-2400
  6. Solid-State Drive: Crucial MX100 512GB
  7. Power Supply: EVGA Supernova G2 850W
  8. Case: NZXT S340

We ran all tests at a resolution of 1920 x 1080, and our video cards were set to reference speeds, which translates to 947MHz/5000MHz for the Radeon R9 290 and 1000/7000 for the GeForce GTX 980 Ti. Note that due to Nvidia’s GPU Boost 2.0 feature, the 980 Ti operated at 1202MHz/7000MHz at almost all times. The drivers utilized for the Radeon card were Catalyst 15.6 beta for Windows 8.1 and Catalyst 15.7.1 for Windows 10. The drivers utilized for the GeForce card were GeForce 353.30 for Windows 8.1 and GeForce 353.62 for Windows 10. We used two different cards not just to speak to different segments of the gaming market, but also to highlight whether AMD or Nvidia might benefit more from the move to Windows 10.

We’ll be providing results for one synthetic benchmark and eight games, as follows:

  • 3DMark Fire Strike
  • Grid 2
  • Tomb Raider
  • Metro: Last Light
  • Crysis 3
  • Battlefield 4
  • Thief
  • Far Cry 4
  • The Witcher 3

We intentionally choose games from various genres, as well as a variety of both older and newer games, in order to represent as wide a sub-set of PC gamers as possible. We were also curious whether newer games or older games would benefit more from the new OS, if at all.

All righty, then, hopefully we’ve made clear how we performed our tests. There’s lots of data to go through, but let’s start off easy, with an exploration of our 3DMark results, shall we?

3DMark Fire Strike

Yes, we know, 3DMark isn’t a game. But it’s a fairly popular benchmark, and it just so happens to have separate Graphics and Physics tests that focus on video card and CPU performance, respectively. And that’s critical here, because we want to know whether Windows 10 improves computational performance, graphics processing performance, both, or neither. Well, right off the bat we can probably rule out any major improvement in CPU performance, as our Physics scores are basically a wash, varying by less than half a percent on our two test cards. How about graphics performance? Well, there’s more to say here, but it’s not a clear-cut result. On the Radeon card, performance jumped nearly 4 percent based on the Graphics Score, while the GeForce card dropped a little less than 1 percent in the move to Windows 10.

If we were to end our evaluation here, we’d conclude that Windows 10 is a great upgrade for Radeon owners and a wash for GeForce owners. But there’s much more that needs to be explored before we can jump to that conclusion. It will be interesting to see whether the delta we observed in 3DMark holds in the many game benchmarks that follow.

Grid 2

Grid 2 is quite CPU-bottlenecked when pushed to high framerates, even when running at maximum detail settings and 4x MSAA. Obviously, however, more GPU power still provides a boost, so there’s a lot going on in this game to complicate the results. Windows 8.1 actually outperforms Windows 10 on the GeForce card, while taking a back seat to the new OS on the Radeon card. We’ll call this one a split decision and move on.

Tomb Raider

Ah, Tomb Raider. Fun to play, easy to benchmark with. That’s because it is almost a pure GPU benchmark. And this time around we see unambiguous results: Windows 10 trounces Windows 8.1 on both test cards. This is the kind of performance boost you only expect to see when upgrading a video card to a much more powerful model, so it’s a very welcome result indeed.

Metro: Last Light

OK, Metro doesn’t offer up very interesting results. First of all, we should mention that because the minimum framerates reported by the built-in benchmark are notoriously inconsistent, we’ve simply excluded them here. And in terms of averages, we get the opposite result that we saw in Grid 2; Windows 10 helps the GeForce card, while slightly hurting the Radeon model. Overall, we’ll have to call this one a draw as well.

The running tally so far: 1-0-2, with one big win for Windows 10 and two ties.

Crysis 3

This game is surprisingly demanding when it comes to CPU performance, but it also loves GPU power. What does that mean for its performance under Windows 10? Well, we see barely any movement in the benchmarks, although the Radeon does get about a 2 percent boost. That suggests that the new OS might be unleashing a bit more GPU power in the slower of our two cards, although we’ll still call this one a tie based on the ambiguous results.

Battlefield 4

We actually expected Battlefield 4 to improve a lot under Windows 10, as it was one of the few games to perform better under Windows 8.1 versus Windows 7. Alas, it looks like most of the OS-based improvements have already been achieved, as our Radeon card improves by just 2 percent, and our GeForce card actually gives up a bit of performance. Looks like another draw between the two operating systems.

Thief

Here’s one of the few games where the GeForce card actually improves more than the Radeon, getting a 2 percent boost to the average framerate and an even bigger boost to minimums. The Radeon nets just a 1 percent improvement in the average and actually gives up some performance in minimums. Overall, we’ll call this one another tie between the two operating systems, although it’s becoming clear that the results are somewhat card-specific. So far, we’ve only seen a big boost on both cards in one game (Tomb Raider), but most of our other games experienced an arguably-significant boost on one card or the other, but not both.

Far Cry 4

Well, how about that? Another big win for Windows 10. While not quite as striking as the results in Tomb Raider, there’s no doubt that both our cards prefer the newer OS, with both demonstrating a 5 percent boost to average framerates in this game.

The Witcher 3

Our last game is the newest game in our test suite, and among the most graphically-demanding. While we had hopes based on our Tomb Raider and Far Cry 4 results that this would translate to a win for Windows 10, it looks like The Witcher 3 wasn’t going to react quite as fondly to the new OS. Indeed, performance was essentially identical comparing both cards on both operating systems.

Conclusion

All right, here’s the final tally:

Does Windows 10 perform miracles? Well, not quite, but given that it’s a free upgrade, we don’t recommend that you look a gift horse in the mouth. The older, mid-range Radeon R9 290 gets nearly a 5% boost in performance, which is certainly nothing to sneeze at, while the new ultra-high-end GeForce GTX 980 Ti seems to turn up its nose at the new OS, content to perform exactly as well as it did before. And while some games did turn in slightly lower performance under Windows 10 (particularly on the GTX 980 Ti), this was only with a handful of older games in which its performance was already quite high.

There are a few other angles we can take on the data we collected beyond just averages. First, let’s ask which type of games improved the most: those that are CPU-limited or those that are GPU-limited? The games in our suite that are arguably CPU-limited are Grid 2, Crysis 3, and Battlefield 4. The only improvement we saw under Windows 10 in these games was in Grid 2, and that was on the Radeon card only. So Windows 10 probably isn’t directly reducing the gaming burden on CPUs. How about our most GPU-limited games, Tomb Raider, Metro: Last Light, Far Cry 4, and The Witcher 3. Well, only Tomb Raider and Far Cry 4 demonstrated gains under Windows 10, but they were very significant, with a boost in Tomb Raider of between 8 and 16 percent, and a boost in Far Cry 4 of 5 percent. That at least gives us a clue that when Windows 10 works its magic, it’s improving the efficiency of video card operation.

Another interesting spin on the data is to look at the game benchmarks that we carried over from our earlier exploration of Windows 7 vs. Windows 8.1: Tomb Raider, Crysis 3, and Battlefield 4. In that analysis, we found that Crysis 3 and Battlefield 4 got a slight boost from Windows 8.1, while Tomb Raider stayed put. In our Windows 10 tests, we found that only Tomb Raider received a significant boost. In other words, Microsoft must have taken a different angle in improving OS performance this time around. So much for simple conclusions!

We also want to hypothesize a bit on why the Radeon card benefited so much more than the GeForce card under Windows 10. The most obvious reason might be that the GeForce card is simply more powerful and didn’t need any “extra help” from the operating system to perform at its best. While that’s a tempting explanation, we just don’t think it cuts the mustard. There are a number of games in our test suite that challenge even the mighty GTX 980 Ti, and universal enhanced efficiencies should have helped it in those games as much as the Radeon. Second, it could be that AMD’s 15.6 beta driver used for Win8. 1 wasn’t as refined as the 15.7.1 release driver used for Win10. In actuality, these drivers were released just a few weeks apart, and AMD’s beta drivers typically include all the features in later WHQL releases. Ultimately, we think there’s a third more likely reason for the Radeon’s ascent under Windows 10: driver overhead. We’ve known for quite some time that AMD’s drivers require a bit more from the CPU, and that this could potentially reduce performance slightly in games. It’s one of the behind-the-scenes reasons that AMD released its Mantle API in early 2014. Well, Windows 10 probably borrows some of the same refinements to enable more efficient drivers, and DirectX 12 will actually go far beyond that once games start tapping into its power. This should hold even more promise for improving the performance of AMD Radeon cards.

Overall, then, Windows 10 is a winner when it comes to games, and we’d highly recommend that every gamer upgrade to it soon, especially gamers using Radeon graphics cards.

[Screenshots] Windows 10 vs Windows 8.1 Gaming Benchmarks

In  this  YouTube  by TechCube  we can see  different gaming benchmarks comparison between Windows 8.1 and 10. This study was done in the initial days of May 2015.

The Unigine Heaven benchmark test showed a difference of just 3 points between Win 10 and 8.1. This is useful to measures GPU-intensive programs and tests the graphics cards to the limits.

The Unigine Sanctuary Benchmark test showed a significant difference between the two. In this test Windows 10 scored higher of 445 points.

This is of legacy mode. So you can understand that if this score is higher it would work better on the legacy graphics cards and hardware.

This benchmark test mainly supports DirectX 9 and 10. It also supports HDR rendering. Using an old benchmark test like this shows that Windows 8.1 does not score much in legacy GPU tests.

The Unigine Tropics Benchmark scores were level for both Win 10 and 8. 1. This benchmark test was released in 2008, a year later than Sanctuary. This also comes under legacy test according to Unigine website.

But this test supports DirectX 11 as well. This is indicative of the gaming power because of the different picturesques tested in this version. A variety of environments like ocean, sun-set, coconut palm trees are tested.

3D Mark 11 Gaming FPS Comparison between Windows 10 vs Windows 8.1

In the 3D Mark 11 test, there was not much difference in FPS score between the two. It is a benchmarking tool created and developed by UL, (earlier known as Futuremark). It is indicative of the performance of a computer’s 3D graphic rendering and CPU workload processing capabilities.

Windows 10 vs Windows 8.1 Gaming FPS Comparison – 3 Games Benchmarks

The following games were tested to see the superiority difference between Windows 10 and 8.1 in gaming fps speed. It also shows the range of benchmarks obtained using the same hardware, but different games.

  1. Metro: Last Light
  2. Just Cause 2
  3. Dragon Ball Z Xenoverse

The first game saw that Windows 8.1 had a better frame rate than Windows 10. It can be said that if you play this game frequently, it is better to use 8.1. But you will not much difference using Win 10 as the FPS is only 1.5 less.

The second game saw significant improvement in Windows 10 FPS. The difference between the two was only .61, though Windows 8.1 scored a bit higher.

The third game had a higher frame rate in Windows 10. Though it was marginal of 1.1 FPS, we can say that Windows 8.1 is not left behind.

All the above FPS scores were only average. It should be understood that higher the FPS score, better the game performance.

From these 3 games we can conclude that, there is not much difference in FPS rates between 10 and 8. 1. Since these tests were conducted in 2015, the game performance might have significantly improved in 2019 after the 1903 update.

Metro: Last Light

Just Cause 2

Dragon Ball Z Xenoverse

Windows  10  vs  Windows  8.1  Gaming  Battle  in  2017

In this YouTube video by CPU modder, the following system configuration was used to test the gaming performance difference between Windows 8.1 and 10 in the year 2017.

3D Mark benchmark test shows that, Windows 8.1 scored higher by 49 points. Windows 10 had a score of 13750 points. But Windows 8.1 outscored it with 13799 points.

The following games also showed a slight higher FPS rate towards Windows 8.1. The difference was very marginal. You can say that, visually you cannot find the difference between Windows 10 and 8.1 in the FPS rates.

  • Battlefield 4
  • Doom
  • GTA V
  • Rise of the Tomb Raider

Except the last game shown a high FPS rate in Windows 10.   But in 2019, with major improvements in performance, the battle would be even. Also, graphics cards might have released the Windows 10 version by June. This would definitely impact the benchmark score in Windows 10 and can show major improvement over Windows 8.1.

Windows  10  vs  Windows  8.1  Gaming Benchmarks  – Screenshots

The following are some more screenshots to see the gaming difference between Windows 10 and 8.1. As you can see below, there is not much difference to find the better of the two.  In the game below, you can see a slightly higher FPS rate in Windows 10.  But a difference of 0.9 FPS is not going to make much difference on the visual look of the game.

Conclusion

As you can see from the gaming benchmarks between Windows 8.1 and 10, the FPS and scores were not much different from each other.  We have shown results from test results obtained in 2015 and 2017. Since Windows 8.1 is lagging behind in the gross customer base in 2019, not much further benchmark tests were available in YouTube videos.

But definitely you can find more gaming benchmark tests of Windows 10 in 2019. This will be indicative of the whether there has been any significant improvement in gaming, performance wise.

Similar Posts

Windows 10 vs Windows 8.1

In an earlier post we compared the feature difference of Windows 8 vs Windows 8.1. Most of them updated to Windows 8.1 due to the learning curve and problematic features of 8.

Then came Windows 10 in 2015. Microsoft was too vociferous and aggressive in their marketing strategy to upgrade the older systems to One-OS for all devices. It put a mark of 1 billion devices in 3 years, which is still to be achieved.

Now in 2019, comes the dreaded public announcement of ending support for Windows 7, which occupied large user base. So whether you like it or not, you have to decide, whether you want to shift to Windows 8.1 or 10. You could see the Windows 7 vs Windows 10 feature comparison.

In this context, let’s see some of my personal feelings and features of Windows 8. 1 vs Windows 10 battle. Just like any other OS, it depends on your requirement to decide which is the best.

Boot Speed Comparison

In the latest YouTube video by Antony Woolmer, he compared the boot speeds of Windows 10 and 8.1. The system configuration can be seen in this image.

As expected, the results were not far from dismay. Windows 10 boot speed was comparably faster than 8.1 by 2 secs. The latest OS clocked 14:23 secs while 8.1 clocked 16:12 secs. We were expecting that boot speeds difference would be large. But both were almost equal.

In 2018, the boot time of Windows 10 was tested by tomshardware.com. Using a single 4GB DIMM, the total boot time took only 5 seconds. As more RAM got added, the boot time increased. In 2015, the boot time difference between Windows 10 and 8.1 was not much, though the later stood first by 2 seconds.

If you have a SSD, the boot time will still come down. For the test done by AVG, Windows 10 was quicker by 0. 7 seconds. Asus UX 501 (Core i7) was used in this test.

Waking up from hibernation required almost the same time. But this was considerably longer compared to direct boot. It took more than 20 seconds in both Win 8.1 and 10.

My Experience: I feel that if you are using a 32bit OS, you are more likely to get a faster boot time. You can use a tool like Bootracer, to test your boot times. Once tested, you can remove the software. Also, SSD plays a major role in the boot startup process.

Source: https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/forum/windows_10-performance/software-windows-10-vs-windows-81-vs-windows-7/f5de4bd1-0710-4f8e-b67d-ef9bbeab14de

Game Performance

You can use Game Mode, Game Bar, Game DVR options and XBox Networking in Windows 10, which are unavailable in 8.1.  PC Gaming is popular with Microsoft account users. DirectX 12 was introduced in Win 10. This gives the graphics cards the ability to use more than one core of the computer CPU at the same time. In Windows 8.1, DirectX 11 is only supported. This reduces the gaming performance, as the OS can talk only to one core.

The difference between DirectX 11 and 12 was about 85% to 300%. Windows 10 gives better framerates. Windowed Gaming is another feature supported in Win 10. You can easily switch back to desktop while playing the game.

My Experience: Though I have not played many games in my career, I would say that Win 10 graphics are more superior than 8.1. I believe the main purpose of gaming is to have a visual appearance better than the earlier OS. But regarding gaming performance, certain users still feel that Win 8.1 works without problems than 10.

Source:

[https://] appuals.com/windows-10-good-choice-gaming/
[https://] windowsreport.com/windows-8-vs-windows-10-upgrade/

Start button and menu

When you press the Start button in Windows 8.1, you are taken to the Metro desktop. This is new for Windows 7 users. But in Windows 10, Start Menu pops-up, just like in the earlier versions.

It is little bit difficult adjusting to the new way of using Start button and Metro Interface in Windows 8.1. If you are having multiple OS, like mine, you are going to have a vertigo. Though the new Windows 10 Start Menu is different, with both apps and programs listed, it is more conventional and easy to use.

Tip: When you press the Win key in 8.1, you glare at Metro Desktop. Use the same key to get back to where you are.

Connecting to new Devices

With the advent of Windows XP, it had provision for lot of hardware. You can include bluetooth and wireless adapters to your PC. But since it is closed, you are most likely to use Windows 8.1 or 10.

Windows 10 especially is moving towards cloning your Android screen on to your PC in 1903 version. This is a new path Microsoft is taking to accomodate mobile phones in their computer system. Satya Nadella has agreed the failure of Windows 10 phones and is adamant on interoperability of technologies.

You can connect your Windows 8.1 or 10 laptop to your SmartTV without much fuss. In Windows 10, you have Wireless display technology which is missing in Windows 8.1. With more high-end devices using wireless technology, Win 10 is more likely to stay.

Dark Mode

You can make your File Explorer and other default programs switch to dark background in Windows 10. So when your eyes strain looking at plain white, this can be helpful.

But this is not possible in Windows 8.1. You can change to the light theme when required in Windows 10, with a click. This option gives more aesthetic appearance and gives freedom to choose betweent the two.

I definitely like this feature, as it helped me look at the screen for more length of time. Especially in the night, this can be productive.

Security

In Windows 10 and 8.1, you have default antivirus in the form of Windows Defender. But unlike its predecessor, Win 10’s Defender is far superior than 8.1. You have ransomware and cloud protection, which could not be found in 8. 1.

Also it is not easy to turn off “Real time protection” very easily in Win 10. You have to deep to find this setting. I have been using Windows Defender in 8.1 and 10, for long time. Without any arguments, the Windows 10 version is more clear with the interface and could be opened from system tray without problems.

Universal Windows Platform (UWP) was introduced in 8.1 and keeps running in Windows 10. This is behind Edge browser in the initial days. It adds more security to existing and future apps.

The Win32 and .NET frameworks are more vulnerable as they are existing for long time.

In Windows 8.1, it is somewhat hidden. You have to use Search or shortcut to open it. This is more like the Windows Security Essentials that we have seen in Windows 7. You have MAPS (Microsoft Active Protection Service) to report malware and other forms of potentially unwanted software.

In the History tab, you have to click “View details” to know the quarantined, allowed items. But this is easy to look at in Win 10.

But users of Windows 7 will find it easy to go through the settings.

Charms Bar vs Windows Settings

This is a new feature in Windows 8.1, not available in 10. You have to move the mouse to the bottom right hand side corner to display it. From there you can open “Change PC Settings” to find the other Windows Settings.

The same kind of functionality is present using Windows Settings in Win 10. It is more like the Control Panel we see. Though the traditional one is present in both of them, these are two different ways of accessing Windows settings.

I still find that Windows 10 version is less complicated to use. Also, the amount of clicks required is less than 8.1. You can just press Win + I key to open it.

Windows Updates

I find that using the same hardware, Updates are lot more quicker in 10 compared to 8.1. Also, many-a-times, I had problems with this feature in 8.1. When you “Check for Updates” in 8. 1, it sometimes, seems to process for unlimited time without warning or error message.

But Windows 10 got a bad name in recent upgrades. These include the 1803 and 1809 version updates. There have been different issues while updating, like, restarting, BSOD errors, file deletion, compatibility issues and many others.

Compared to this, Windows 8.1 updates are more stable. They have also less problems and you can rely on them. These are like typical Windows 7 updates. You don’t have any particular version number, but are mostly KB updates.

Cortana for the Desktop

Just like “Siri” came to Apple, a voice-recognition program to give answers to your questions was invented in the Windows 10 OS. This was already existing in the Windows 8 phones called as “Cortana”. But the thing new to 10 is that, it’s available to PC users also. So if you have a mic and headphone, you can get solutions to your queries within minutes, instead of searching Google for long time.

[Image Source : winbeta.org]

This voice personal assistant from Microsoft did not have much takers. Though it works only in Windows 10, it is a feature shunned by normal users. It works OK with small commands and searches, but as a full blown speech-to-text converter, it has a far more way to go.

It is not available in Windows 8.1. But this makes it simple to use. Though you cannot completely delete it in Windows 10, its processes keep running taking valubale CPU cycles. Windows 10 phones may use it for better voice recognition, but their manufacturing is to be stopped more sooner or later.

In 1903 update, the search and Cortana features are likely to be separated. This gives more freedom and choice to the users, to keep Cortana or not.

Continuum Mode

In Windows 8.1, you either had the option of Start Screen and the Desktop mode. You couldn’t convert to tablet mode. But this changed in Windows 10.

Now in the newest technical preview, you can switch back between desktop and tablet mode. This is called the “Continuum Mode”. This toggling feature is available from the Action Centre. Also this feature is activated when you add or remove a keyboard or mouse.

Microsoft Edge

This new browser exists only in Windows 10 and not in Win 8.1. Initially Microsoft advertised that it is faster than Chrome and Firefox. But it had its own set of problems. For example, when you import Chrome bookmarks into it, the browser could not save any further favorites.

Also the “Reading Mode” is compatible with only some websites.

In 1903 updates, Microsoft is collaborating with Google, to bring the Chromium browser features to Edge. This can be seen as the best of the two worlds.

But, in Windows 8.1, you still need to use the IE11 and its old features. Otherwise, you have to resort to Chrome or Firefox for better performance.

OneDrive

This cloud app from Microsoft gives away 15GB of free space. In both Windows 8. 1 and 10, they come pre-installed. But in Windows 10, you see different colors and indicators to show whether the folders are uploaded to the cloud or not. You can make them online or offline as per your requirement.

But in Windows 8.1, a text column displays the status. This takes some time to go through your files. You need to read visually to understand whether the file is stored locally on your computer or the cloud.

But in Windows 10, a green tick mark indicator is sufficient to understand that it has been updated to the cloud.

This shows the Windows 8.1 screen of OneDrive folders and files in 2019

Apps

Microsoft Store is not as popular as the Android PlayStore or Apple Store. There are lot of apps being developed using the Windows 10 development framework. Some of these apps run in the background to give notifications.

In Windows 8.1, all the desktop apps and store apps are shown on the same screen. But not too unnecessary apps are installed without your permission. In Windows 10, some apps are installed automatically. Network bandwidth is one of the leakages that take place during this phase.

Game apps take lot of RAM and disk space. If you are not a gamer like me, you have to uninstall them manually in Windows 10. But this is not the case in Windows 8.1.

Office 2013 apps like Word, Excel, Powerpoint work without much fuss in both Windows 10 and 8.1. In my honest opinion, both did not cause problems related to Office version 2013.

Universal Apps

Using Visual Studio and Windows 8.1, you can build an app for Windows desktop and Phone at the same time. Development of Store apps became much easier with 8 and 8.1. If one had a Store app, one can easily supplement with a Windows Phone app to the same feature.

But with Windows 10, Microsoft’s vision of universal apps is becoming more clear and simple. With this new One OS, one can build apps that can be written once and run on a wide variety of devices.

On Jan 21st, Microsoft’s operating system heads Terry Myerson and Joe Belfiore made it “loud” that Universal apps will fit into the Windows environment.

This is more like passage period for Microsoft developers. The development stacks for making Windows 8, Phone apps and desktop applications were quite different for a while. But with Windows 10, Microsoft is trying to converge Windows Phone with Windows Store apps into a single platform – the Windows Runtime.

Control Panel Differences

In Windows 8.1, we saw a typical Control Panel which is the same as the 7, Vista and XP. Only thing difference was that you can directly type the items of Control Panel and they were available in the Charms search bar. But in Windows 10, we see new Settings Apps.  This is looking like a replacement for the Control Panel of 8.1.

You had small icons, large icons view in the customary Control Panel. But the layout got expanded in 10. You can reach more system options with the latest build. To lessen the learning curve, the normal Control Panel is available, but you have to use Search or right-click the Start Menu to get it.

 New Action Center

The Charms bar was an invention in Windows 8.1 This got removed in 10. In place of it, there is an updated Action Center that groups all notifications in a single window. It slides from the left side of the screen when you click the Action Center icon.

Storage Sense

You needed a third-party application to see the storage space left over in Windows 7, 8 and 8.1. But this is not much relevant to the PC. But if you wanted to know which files were occupying the chunk of your storage, you needed a program like TreeSize Professional. Windows Phone already had an app called “Storage Sense” which indicated the amount of free space left.

But in Windows 10 Technical Preview Build 9879, this app is also available in the desktop version. This is handier in the case of tablets and mobile phones, where space is much relevant. With the advent of terra-byte storage hard-disks, it becomes much more necessary what category the space is occupying.

For this purpose, you just need to launch File Explorer > This PC and then select the Open Settings icon on the Ribbon interface. In the PC Settings page, select the Storage Sense tab at the bottom of the list. In this you can see the Storage Sense page which will display the overview of storage.

Conclusion

People who are looking to change from Windows 7 to any of these OS, should definitely benefit from the new interface. Both Windows 8.1 and 10 use a Microsoft account to login to your system. This is different from the earlier OS, where you could just login using  a local account with a password. The way you can login has also changed.

Undoubtedly, Windows 10 has new added security features and has a longer support cycle. Since the tech-support for Windows 7 is being ended, there is no choice, but, to choose between Windows 8. 1 and 10. In contrast to popular belief, Windows 8.1 is as quick as Windows 10 in many aspects.

But if you want to use an OS, for connecting different devices and gaming, then Windows 10 is your best bet. You can definitely speed up your PC, with little tweaks. Though updates are the main issue, the new method of installing them in 1903 is going to improve its stability.

Though only 6% of Windows users are on 8.1, it is a more stable version of OS, with less problems and issues. Using a 32 bit version keeps it more agile and quick. Since, Windows 10 is going to stay for a long time, users tend to shift to this OS. As a lay user, it is beneficial to use it, with a longer support cycle.

Windows 10 vs. Windows 8: Performance benchmarks show a close battle for fastest

Windows 10 performance is one of the hardest things to nail down right now. Testing of the new OS, due to ship on July 29, isn’t exactly easy, because the public doesn’t yet have a way to install the RTM version.  Microsoft has been pretty mum about any under-the-hood changes. Even worse, Microsoft’s hardware partners have been handcuffed from talking about the OS at all.

One thing we do know: Among the many big changes over Windows 8, Windows 10 may literally change the game in graphics performance as the only Microsoft OS with DirectX 12. Early testing of the OS shows performance gains elsewhere will be far smaller, though.

For testing, I used two identical HP Spectre x360 laptops. One had build 10240 of Windows 10 Home, which Microsoft has officially blessed as “reviewable code.” The other had Windows 8.1 Home.

Both laptops have the same screen, same battery, same 8GB of LPDDR3, same 128GB SSD make and models, the same Intel Core i5-5200U CPUs, and the same BIOSes. Other than OSes, they are exactly the same.

I threw a bunch of different benchmarks at the machines to see if I could coax out any performance differences. I ran compression tests, chess benchmarks, and 3D rendering, as well as a spate of DX9 and DX11 benchmarks.

We were hoping for a dramatic face-off. But what we got was essentially a tie—results so close, they were separated by a margin of error.

For example, here’s the performance in PCMark 8 Creative Conventional. PCMark, for those who don’t know, simulates various “real-world” application loads. The Creative Conventional, for example, tests simulated web browsing, photo editing, video editing, gaming and group video chat. The Home load adds writing and casual gaming.

PCWorld

On identical laptops, it’s pretty much tie between OSes

As the chart above indicates, performance is near identical. Similar results persisted just about everywhere between Windows 8.1 and Windows 10: mostly a tie with some loads giving Windows 10 a very slight edge. I could produce a lengthy page of graphs between the two in WinRar, CineBench, Valve’s old Particle Test, 7Zip, Passmark and 3DMark, but what’s the point? The bars would be almost the same on all of them, and I’d just be wasting Internet bandwidth. If you want to see a graph, just take the chart above and change the name of it to 7Zip… or whatever test you want.

I won’t throw away a day of testing without giving you more numbers, though, so here’s some of the results I saw. Other tests I simply didn’t record because after a while, it felt silly essentially writing down the same number twice.

PCWorld

It’s pretty much a tie between Windows 10 and Windows 8.1—in these tests at least.

But what about gaming?

There is more promise for Windows 10 on the gaming side. DirectX 12, in games that implement it, should see healthy improvements. But in games that don’t use DX12, it’s probably going to be a lot closer.

For example, I ran Tomb Raider on our PCWorld zero-point system. It has an Intel Core i7-4770K, 16GB of DDR3/1600, and a GeForce GTX 980. I used the same Nvidia drivers with both OSes. Note that I ran Wndows 10 build 10162 rather than the current build 10240, as that’s the last ISO of Windows 10 preview that Microsoft made available—no amount of coaxing would get Microsoft’s servers to kick down anything newer. My tests show a definite, if small, edge for Windows 10. Here’s Tomb Raider for you to gawk at: 

PCWorld

Gaming using an older build actually shows a very slight edge for Windows 10.

Other tests gave up a little more of a win for Win10, but this won’t set the world on fire like DX12 is expected to once games that support it are out. We’re planning a more in-depth look at Windows 10 gaming performance, so stay tuned.

PCWorld

Windows 10 best showing was in BioShock: Infinite at medium setttings.

Here are the takeaways: The first is that despite all the Windows 8 hate out there, the OS is actually quite fast. Anecdotal reports I’ve seen from when Battlefield 4 was released, for instance, attributed many performance improvements to running Windows 8 over the beloved Windows 7. Windows 8 offered improvements in video and audio decoding that made it faster, too. Another takeaway is that if Windows 8 was zippy, Windows 10 will be, too.

This isn’t the last word

There’s a lot my initial testing doesn’t cover. Battery life improvements, file system improvements and other areas may indeed have been buffed up by Microsoft. Once I get a proper ISO of the OS, I can perform clean installs, and I’ll have a better feel for its performance outside of the areas I’ve touched on today.

OS performance testing has other challenges. Many of the benchmarks I ran are designed to test hardware, not the OS. Cinebench R15, for example, is a pure CPU test, though the OS has some impact. Windows Vista famously destroyed USB performance until SP1 was released, and the overhead from the OS can pull down performance elsewhere too.

Conclusion

Windows 10 seems to offer basically no relevant performance advantage over Windows 8 in mainstream tests, but let’s not be too negative—because there’s no reason to be. With Windows 7, Microsoft updated the scheduler for how the OS dealt with CPUs, which promised improvements and battery life savings for both Intel and AMD CPUs. That wasn’t a check-off item for Windows 10. because Windows 8.1 performance was already very good. 

And, again, let’s not forget that Windows 10 ushers in DirectX 12, which should very much yield significant performance increases in games that support it.

Author: Gordon Mah Ung, Executive Editor

One of founding fathers of hardcore tech reporting, Gordon has been covering PCs and components since 1998.

It’s Time to Upgrade to Windows 10 Now

Windows 8 vs Windows 10, which one is better? Is Windows 10 better than Windows 8? Should you upgrade to Windows 10? Now, this post is helpful for you and you can know the answers to these questions. Also, MiniTool will show you how to upgrade your PC to Windows 10.

Now Windows 10 operating system is the latest version of Windows and many persons have installed it on their PCs. Although many users initially resisted the change, it is proved to be one of the most popular operating systems of Microsoft.

However, there are still obstinate users of previous systems who have not made a decision. And they are still using Windows 8/8.1 although it will end in January 2023. Perhaps you are also one of the users.

In the following part, we will show you some significant differences between Windows 8 and Windows 10 and you can know which is better and whether you should perform an update.

Windows 8 VS Windows 10

In this part, we will make a comparison of Windows 8 and 10 in some aspects, including performance, feature, stability, security, mobility, and gaming. Now, let’s see them.

Windows 8 VS Windows 10: Performance

In general, some persons or companies look at it against the previous version when a new operating system is released by Microsoft. Similarly, TechSpot made a performance test.

This company installed Windows 7, Windows 8.1, and Windows 10 with updates applied. The machine used for testing has 8GB RAM, an Intel Core i5 process, a 1TB disk, and NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980 graphics card.

Tip: Some of you may be curious about Windows 7 vs Windows 10. Just read this post — Windows 7 vs. Windows 10: It’s Time to Upgrade to Windows 10.

Synthetic benchmarks like Future mark PCMark 7 AND Cinebench R15 show Windows 10 is faster than Windows 8.1 that is faster than Win7.

In other tests like booting, Windows 8.1 is faster than Windows 10, about 2 seconds. Performance in specific apps like Photoshop or Chrome is a bit slower in Windows 10. But Windows 10 can wake from Sleep and Hibernate mode more quickly than Windows 8.1.

In most cases, the tests show that there is no obvious difference in performance between Windows 8.1 and 10. Sometimes Windows 10 is a bit faster and sometimes it is a bit slower. That is, you don’t worry about a drop in performance if you want to upgrade to Windows 10. Up to now, Windows 10 always works pretty well.

Windows 8 VS Windows 10: Features

The obvious difference between Windows 8 and 10 is reflected in features.

Start Menu

The Start menu is the biggest change when comparing Windows 8 and 10. For Windows 8, a huge problem is that it neglects the classic desktop and Start menu.

In Windows 10, the Start menu is back and it contains the Live Tiles of Windows 8. You can move and re-size the tiles based on your needs.

Besides, the search bar is more advanced than the previous versions of Windows. Once you start typing, Windows 10 starts finding search results for your topic via the local machine and the web.

Cortana

Another feature of Windows 10 is Cortana, an intelligent voice assistant that was first appeared in Windows Phone 8.1. Now, it can be used on PC. But it is not available in Windows 8. With Cortana, you can search the web, set alarms, take notes, send emails, search for files, and more.

Task View

In Windows 8, apps installed from Store or modern apps always open in full screen. Unlike traditional desktop programs, they can’t be resized. While in Windows 10, all the apps including programs installed from Store can be resized. And you can run as many as you like at the same time.

Besides, Windows 10 has a feature called Snap Assist that allows you to organize your program windows in a single desktop. Up to four apps can be snapped per screen.

Virtual Desktop

Windows 10 offers another important feature called virtual desktop that is a significant element for businesses. It enables you to keep different sets of apps open in different desktops. This is helpful to compartmentalize your work and avoid having a cluttered desktop with several open windows.

In addition to these four features, Windows 10 also has some other improvements in features, for example, Windows Hello, PC settings, Action Center, and more. Here, we won’t show you.

In conclusion, Windows 10 wins Windows 8 in features.

Windows 10 VS Windows 8: Stability

Since Windows 95, Windows 10 is the biggest overhaul of the operating system. Even so, Windows 8 is greatly stable and shows any signs of errors, bugs, glitches, and other consequences that can irritate you. It is more stable than Windows 10.

Frankly speaking, Windows 10 is a bit unstable. As you know, Microsoft always releases some updates for the system but they often cause problems. Accidental file deletion, crashes, glitches, etc. are reported from time to time. Of course, the general stability is better than it was but the issues are irritating you for a long time.

But for Windows 10, the stability factor is not a strong suit and it never will be.

Windows 8 VS Windows 10: Security

In security, which is better Windows 8 or 10?

Apparently, Windows 10 is better than Windows 8 in terms of security. The newer product offers new features and enhances old features.

  1. It gets updates quickly compared with other Windows versions.
  2. It supports all types of the older and newer bio-metric device present on your computer.
  3. It has new and advanced Windows Defender, built-in antivirus software that can be used to detect and remove many common viruses & malware.
  4. It supports previous versions of programs, making it more secure when running a similar app. That is, the app will less likely crash.

Windows 8 VS 10: Mobility

Windows 8 is a pretty great tablet operating system but it is largely limited by a poor selection of high-quality programs in Store.

Windows 10 is better than Windows 8 in mobility. This system offers a feature call Continuum that can adjust a device’s user interface to adapt different form factors.

For example, if you are using a 2-in-1 device, Windows 10 can automatically detect a keyboard and adjust the view of your device to that of a traditional desktop computer. If you don’t connect a keyboard to the device, Windows 10 prompts you to enter Tablet Mode.

Windows 8 VS Windows 10: Gaming

Compared with Windows 8, Windows 10 has made big improvements in gaming.

Xbox is the gaming center of the operating system. You can chat with friends, view the Xbox activity feed, track the Xbox gaming stats, and more. You can stream Xbox One games from the console to a PC. That is, you can play the Xbox-exclusive games on your PC.

Besides, Windows 10 allows you to record every game. What’s more, Windows 10 supports DirectX 12 that brings improved performance and graphical features to new games.

In gaming, Windows 10 is a winner. It offers better game performance & game framerates and handles windowed gaming better. Now, it is the standard for graphics driver development.

Conclusion

After reading so much information about Windows 10 vs Windows 8, you know Windows 10 is better than Windows 8 in many aspects. If you want more persons to know the comparison of these two operating systems, you can share them on Twitter by clicking the following button.

Click to Tweet

On the other hand, as mentioned above, Microsoft will end the support for Windows 8 in January 2023. So, we recommend you to upgrade to Windows 10 as soon as possible if you haven’t installed Windows 10. Besides, the migration to Windows 10 is smoother than anything experienced in the past.

In the following part, let’s see how to upgrade Windows 8 to Windows 10.

How to Upgrade Windows 8 to Windows 10

Before You Upgrade

If you decide to upgrade to Windows 10 after reading the part of Windows 8 vs Windows 10, there are some things you should pay attention to before the update to avoid some potential problems.

  1. Check for any recent driver updates for the storage hardware and network.
  2. Download and install the available BIOS updates for your hardware. For systems originally sold in 2015 or earlier, before Windows 10’s release, this point is very important.
  3. Temporarily uninstall low-level tools and third-party security programs that may interfere with the update. Just reinstall them after the upgrade.
  4. Disconnect all unnecessary devices like external hard drives and USB drives.
  5. Create a system image for your system so that you can restore the system to a normal state if the update causes some system issues.

To do this work, you can use the professional Windows backup software, MiniTool ShadowMaker. It is designed to back up the system by default. Besides, you can use it to back up files, disks, and partitions. Just download it by following the button below.

Free Download

Step 1: Launch MiniTool ShadowMaker to continue.

Step 2: Under the Backup page, system partitions are selected as the backup source. Just go to Destination to choose an external hard drive as the target path.

Step 3: Click Back up Now to start the system backup.

Now, it’s time to start Windows 10 upgrade from Windows 8.

Method 1: Use Media Creation Tool

Media Creation Tool offered by Microsoft can be used to upgrade your computer and perform a clean install. To upgrade to Windows 10, just follow these steps below:

Step 1: Download Media Creation Tool by clicking Download tool now from the official website.

Step 2: Launch it and accept the terms.

Step 3: Check Upgrade this PC now and continue.

Step 4: The Setup tool is downloading Windows 10. This may take some time.

Step 5: Windows 10 Setup is checking your PC.

Step 6: It time to install Windows 10. Just decide what to keep, for example, keep personal files and apps. And click Install.

Step 7: Your PC will restart several times to complete the installation process.

Method 2: Use Windows 10 Update Assistant

Windows 10 Update Assistant is also helpful for you to upgrade Windows 8 to 10.

Tip: This way requires you to activate your copy of Windows 8.

Step 1: Also download this tool by clicking Update now from Microsoft’s official website.

Step 2: Launch it, accept the license terms and it will check the device compatibility including CPU, memory, disk space, and operating system.

Step 3: The tool is downloading Windows 10 update.

Step 4: Ater the update process is finished, restart the PC to let the change take effect.

Tip: If you want to install Windows 10 on your new hard drive, follow the guide — How to Install Windows 10 on a New Hard Drive.

Here we come to the end of this post. After reading this article, you know much information about Windows 8 vs Windows 10. Generally, Windows 10 is better than Windows 8. If you want to upgrade to Windows 10, follow the above two methods to easily perform the update.

If you have any suggestions, let us know in the Comment part or contact us via [email protected].

Windows 8 VS Windows 10 FAQ

Is Windows 10 better than Windows 8?

Windows 10 is better than Windows 8 in many aspects, for example, features, security, mobility, gaming, and more.

What’s the difference between Windows 8 and Windows 10?

The obvious difference between Windows 8 and Windows 10 is features, including the start menu, task view, virtual desktop, Cortana, etc. Besides, they are also different in gaming, performance, security, mobility, and more.

Is Windows 10 or 8 better for gaming?

Windows 10 is better than Windows 8 because of its improvements in gaming, especially the supports for Xbox and DirectX 12.

Can I get Windows 10 for free if I have Windows 8?

The Get Windows 10 tool is no longer supported by Microsoft. You need to offer a Windows 8 key when you install Windows 10. And Windows 10 will be installed and activated on your computer.

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Windows 11 vs. Windows 10, Play-Tested: Will an OS Upgrade Boost Your Gaming Performance?

Windows 11 offers a range of UI and quality-of-life changes, but Microsoft also claims it’s the best Windows OS yet for PC gaming. Part of this is the integration of certain gaming-centric options into the Windows settings. Another is the baked-in Xbox Game Bar. (See our rundown of key new features in Windows 11 for gamers.)

But in these days when the cost of GPUs makes buying one feel like a major life choice, how about the frame rates? What about sheer, raw gaming performance? Does 11, indeed, turn it up to 11?

Just before we posted this article, we tested Windows 11 and 10 on a mainstream Dell laptop to see the differences in performance between everyday productivity apps. To see if there’s any speed advantage (or disadvantage!) in Windows 11 for gaming, we took matters into our own hands once again: We ran the same batch of gaming benchmark tests, in turn, on the same laptop on each operating system, in a best-case scenario to show any differences. The laptop in question here is the Alienware x15, a slim and potent high-end machine. If any consistent variance in performance will arise between the two operating systems, this deluxe laptop will give us enough hardware overhead to make the margins clear.


The Test Laptop and Benchmarks

The Alienware x15 packs up-to-the-moment components: an Intel Core i7-11800H processor, 16GB of memory, and an Nvidia GeForce RTX 3070 GPU. That’s a powerful package for gaming. Perhaps not maximum specs, but definitely toward the upper end for slim laptops.


Test subject: The Alienware x15
(Photo: Molly Flores)

Now, for the benchmark tests. You can read up on how we test laptops in general for more on each test we run. Here, however, we are chiefly interested in testing gaming power. We’re using the same benchmarking games for this project that we normally use in our review process for gaming laptops, and re-running them after upgrading the test machine to Windows 11. 

This usual test suite we employ includes two synthetic tests, from 3DMark (the Time Spy and Night Raid subtests), as well as three AAA gaming titles (each on two visual settings). These real-world games are Assassin’s Creed Valhalla, F1 2021, and Rainbow Six: Siege. To see a wider range of popular games, we also added the demanding Red Dead Redemption 2, and the recently released Forza Horizon 5, to the mix on both operating systems.

Each of these games was run at two visual settings, to provide a scale of performance and differences. The exceptions are Red Dead Redemption 2 and Forza Horizon 5, which we kept at the maximum quality setting just to stress the laptop in another way. Also, note that F1 2021 is run twice, but both runs are at maximum settings—the difference is that one run has Nvidia’s DLSS image-sharpening tech switched off, the other has DLSS on. (For more on DLSS, see our primer.) 


Before We Start: Some Windows 11 Gaming Variables

Before we dive in, it’s worth mentioning some of the built-in Windows 11 gaming features, because they may have an effect on our results.

For starters, by default, in the main Windows 11 settings under the Gaming tab, a new feature called Game Mode is active. The OS says this will «optimize your PC for play by turning things off in the background. » This Microsoft support page(Opens in a new window) mentions that Game Mode won’t let drivers install in the background and that it «helps achieve a more stable frame rate depending on the specific game and system.» Those are some big claims, so we’ll see if there’s a notable difference in the results.


Windows 11 Gaming Settings

Additionally, under the display settings (in Settings, select Display > Graphics, then click the text that says “change default graphics settings”) there are options for hardware-accelerated GPU scheduling and variable refresh rate. The former says it reduces latency and improves performance, while the latter is essentially forced universal V-Sync. These two options and Game Mode were all switched on for the upcoming results.


Testing Results: Synthetic Benchmarks and Real-World Games

With all of that pesky context out of the way, let’s get to those results. The first table here shows the results for the two 3DMark tests. ..

The two synthetic scores here fell close together, but they weren’t identical. Windows 11 had the edge by 74 points on Time Spy and 239 points on Night Raid. That’s not nothing, as we sometimes see less of a gap than that between two totally different laptops. It is also outside of the variance we usually see from run to run on the same laptop.

It’s ultimately not much of a practical gap in raw power at the end of the day, and it won’t amount to much in your everyday gaming, but nobody is going to turn down extra juice. We were able to replicate this slight advantage with repeated runs, too. So between that and the gap’s existence at all, the result is worth noting. It’s not going to move the needle much, but it is a good sign if you were worried that Windows 11 would reduce this type of performance.

Gaming Tests

Unlike the conclusion we drew in our Windows 11 vs. Windows 10 productivity tests, and to a degree the synthetic tests, we noted some marked jumps between the operating systems here. Some games are also identical between the two, and we should temper any concrete conclusions with this observation: We saw some big frame-rate jumps between benchmark runs simply by restarting the computer or game before.

We ran these tests more than once to replicate any noteworthy gaps, and to try to mitigate that. But frame-rate results, even on canned benchmark tests like these, can be finicky at times, regardless, given the wide array of factors at play. (Plus, some of those factors may be ones attributable to Windows 11 in ways we and others haven’t uncovered yet.)

The game tests are where things get interesting, and where a lot of the nuance is. F1 2021 and Rainbow Six: Siege saw at least a few frames of improvement on Windows 11. In the case of the former, it was only 3fps on both settings, so not a world of difference. It was repeatable, though, and seeing as it’s the same laptop and with only the OS and the supporting system software changing, you’d take the “free” boost any day.

Recommended by Our Editors

Windows 11 vs. Windows 10, Tested: Will the OS Upgrade Speed Up Your Current PC?

The Best Windows 11 Tips and Tricks

With Windows 11, Microsoft Makes Every PC an Xbox

Rainbow Six: Siege, on the other hand, saw a nice jump when going from Windows 10 to 11, enough to drive us to retest the game several times. But, the deltas did, indeed, hold up: a whopping 12fps and 16fps difference on the low and maximum presets, respectively. Again, we’re hesitant to draw any major conclusions here about Windows 11 being definitively better for gaming, given the many variables at play (and the fact that most of the games didn’t change much), but these data points still are what they are. 

Curiously, it doesn’t seem that the built-in, toggle-able gaming features are responsible. We switched Game Mode, GPU acceleration, and variable refresh rate off, and the frame rates in Windows 11 didn’t drop back to Windows 10 levels. (Somewhat comically, they actually went up by 4fps and 1fps in those two games. ) Isolating any one setting didn’t have a clear, trackable effect, either. Between run-to-run variance and other factors, we’ll call that a wash. But the Windows 11 numbers were better regardless.


Alienware x15: Another view
(Photo: Molly Flores)

Meanwhile, the larger open-world AAA titles (Assassin’s Creed Valhalla, Red Dead Redemption 2, and Forza Horizon 5) were totally unchanged by the OS switch. Perhaps the higher-fps titles (F1 2021 and Rainbow Six: Siege) are more susceptible to frame-rate differences, but these three demanding games saw virtually no change. Valhalla was technically one or two frames lower on Windows 11, but that’s well within the margin of error, and Red Dead and Forza served up identical frame rates. Disabling the Windows 11 gaming features also saw, at most, changes up or down of 1fps, so there’s nothing to remark on there either.


Will Moving to Windows 11 Up Your Game?

TL;DR? No, not much, if at all.

On a gaming-performance basis, let’s just say we see no reason not to take the plunge to Windows 11 based on these results. Plenty of other considerations come into play with an OS upgrade, of course, but if the numbers lean either way, it’s marginally in favor of Windows 11. No games in our tests performed worse on the new OS, at least, and a few saw better frame rates. The synthetic tests, too, were boosted slightly. 


The Windows 11’s Game Bar pop-ups in action

Anecdotally, some of the new features have had their ups and downs. The improved built-in Game Bar is another positive for Windows 11, though in our own off-hours experiments, we’ve had some issues getting the built-in footage-capture feature working properly. We’ve also noted some conflicts with streaming. In our use, streaming through Discord saw some significant lag on Windows 11 on the viewers’ end. We’re not the only folks who have seen this; some community troubleshooting threads suggested turning the GPU hardware scheduling feature off. (Indeed, that did fix our issue on this end.) 

Problems like this are likely to vary system to system, and hopefully can be ironed out with future updates. As far as raw frame rates go, though, our testing noted some mild improvements in spots, giving Microsoft some footing to claim this is the best OS yet for gaming. Maybe another half-dozen tests would cement that impression, but from what we’ve seen so far, Windows 11 is looking performance-neutral at worst.

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Testing Windows 11 in games and benchmarks against Windows 10 and 8.1 / Computer and mobile games / iXBT Live

A few days left before the official presentation of Microsoft, where the latest operating system Windows 11 will be presented. According to rumors, Windows 11 will be optimized for work with content in 4K, which will allow you to achieve an unsurpassed immersive effect, and the gaming experience promises to sparkle with new colors. But these are all rumors. Luckily, we got our hands on real Windows 11 tests. Let’s take a look at them in comparison with previous systems from Microsoft.

Test stand
  • Processor: Intel Pentium G4560 2/4 3.5 Gigaigerz
  • Video card: Nvidia GeForce 1050 2GB
  • RAM: 2×4 2400
  • Maternal board: h210m-dgs R3.0 BIOS 7.509000
  • Power Sata 3 SSD 128 and 256 GB

The test bench is not new, but is still quite real in our time of mining and a pandemic.

Contents
  • Test bench
  • System resources

    The newest system turned out to be less voracious compared to 10 in terms of space, but still loses to the optimized Windows 8.1 Embedded. Also, do not forget that this is only a couple of first launches and no one knows how much the system will grow in the future.

    RAM consumption:

    8.11011

    After a clean start and installation of all driver components, systems consume different amounts of memory, which is not surprising, because technology does not stand still, but owners of 8 GB should not switch to Windows 10/11 in order to avoid Frisians. (Unless you require dx 12).

    CPU consumption:

    8.11011

    To be honest, the trend of cluttering the system with unnecessary services began a long time ago and this does not help increase performance in the applications you need. Sorry Microsoft, but 115-130 processes is overkill. Avoid new systems if you have a 4-thread CPU.

    Benchmarks

    Superposition Benchmark 1.1 is an extensive graphics performance test that shows the system’s possible gaming performance.

    8.11011

    This turned out to be a processor test, but it’s okay, because in the future it will only confirm the correctness of its result.

    Geekbench 5 is an extensive benchmark suite that includes not only a user simulation test, but also a video system test.

    Cinebench 20 is CPU testing by rendering.

    8.1 — 86310-82111-839

    While Windows 10/11 is CPU-intensive with many processes, Microsoft has been able to make progress on core scheduling and prioritization, but the Specter and Meltdown patches are hitting the CPU hard and Windows 8.1 is taking the lead.

    PU-Z 1.96 is a CPU test by calculation.

    8.11011

    This test only confirms the previous one, because Specter and Meltdown with background processes significantly affects the net performance, which could be used in the desired task. Windows 8.1 is back on horseback.

    Games

    What kind of testing can do without amazing games? Let’s determine which system will be better for different configurations and what kind of pitfalls we may encounter.

    Resident evil 6

    In general, the systems are equivalent, but there are nuances. In open spaces, where strong CPU work is not required, new systems lead in terms of the maximum frame, but as soon as a lot of objects enter the frame, drawdowns and distinct friezes begin, which is associated with a greater consumption of memory and CPU resources by background processes on new systems. The eight, on the other hand, loses by the maximum frame in simple scenes, which may be due to the new scheduler (direct interaction between the GPU and its memory, bypassing the CPU).

    World Of Tanks

    8.11011

    Unfortunately, obs refused to record readings, but the result is already obvious, because the old game works great with the old system and the more free resources in the system, the better. There were friezes on 10/11 due to the high consumption of RAM.

    FINAL FANTASY XV

    8. 11011

    Only 8.1 does not freeze and it pleases, nevertheless there is a point in circumcising the system.

    Counter-Strike: Global Offensive

    8.11011

    It makes no difference to the old engine what to work on, because even with a higher consumption of 10/11, it shows the same result. Freezes were not observed during the tests.

    Conclusion

    Progress does not stand still, but this does not mean that you should headlong into something new and fashionable, because you always need to think with your own head. Ask yourself why you need to switch to a new system, what will you get there and do you need it? I ran these tests just to further confirm that Microsoft is not only for progress, but also for turning its system into a full-fledged service, and not your personal abode. Tests clearly showed this, because who knows what 100-130 processes and constantly loaded 2 GB of RAM are doing. Are you willing to donate your system resources just because someone wants it? Everything has been clear to me for a long time, but is it clear to you?

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    he quite often uses drives from KingFast with a volume of 120 and
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    Why I upgraded from Windows 10 to Windows 8.1 on a mid-range PC in 2019

    This content was written by a website visitor and has been rewarded.

    What if you don’t like Windows 10 and the legacy Windows 7 doesn’t work because it’s primitive and end of support? There is an exit!
    In this blog, I’ll share with you the story of moving from Windows 10 to Windows 8.1 on a mid-range PC in 2019.

    recommendations

    I’ve already written two blogs about the wonderful Windows 8.1: driver integration and performance comparison on older hardware. Now it’s time to compare Windows 10 and Windows 8.1 on fairly powerful hardware: a 4-core Intel Core i5 with 16 gigabytes of RAM and an SSD drive.
    It would seem — such iron for the eyes for the operation of Windows and the difference is not noticed, but everything is not so simple.

    But, first things first.

    ***

    Why I didn’t like Windows 10.

    About half a year has passed since I switched from Windows 10 version 1809 to Windows 10 version 1903.
    At first everything was fine, those minor flaws that were in Windows 10 version 1809 in version 1903 were fixed, but new ones were added.

    First, Windows has become slow. Her response to my actions became too noticeable. This is a subjective feeling and cannot be measured, but still, I really did not like it.

    Second, booting Windows 10 has become very slow, in the 6 years that I have been using SSD drives, I used to not notice this process, but Windows 10 version 1903 let us down here.

    18 seconds! For an SSD, that’s an eternity.

    Thirdly, the bugs that I began to encounter on a daily basis. I’m using the UWP Alarms & Clock app because I have to take my medications by the clock and the alarms are set for different times.
    So, after the alarm goes off, when you open the Start menu or the volume control, the sound of the system is turned off, and the sound of the alarm starts playing.
    A trifle, but unpleasant.

    One fine day I upgraded (I hadn’t updated for a couple of months before) and just got on the buggy updates that started with Windows 10 version 1903 in late summer and autumn.
    After the update, my Start menu and search broke.
    To say I was furious is an understatement. I’m used to the perfectly debugged and problem-free operation of Windows 10 version 1607, and this behavior of the OS is unacceptable for me!

    Fourth — telemetry.
    Many write that they do not care about telemetry, although everyone already admits that Windows 10 cannot work comfortably on the HDD because of it and a bunch of processes unnecessary for the user.
    And now I encountered her at her worst when she paralyzed the computer.

    A friend brought a 4 TB hard drive for me to download a lot of information. On the disk, about 3 TB is already occupied by various information.
    Need to download urgently, he leaves for places where there is no normal Internet. In the torrent client, I changed folders to download to his disk, I look — it almost does not download, the torrent writes «the disk is overloaded.»
    Added a friend’s hard drive to the exceptions in Windows Defender — does not help. In the task manager, it was visible that the system processes are using the disk. And until they subsided, it was impossible to download for half an hour.

    And since I had already tried Windows 8.1, I thought — «Maybe, well, this direct x 12, I’d rather sit on a perfectly working Windows?».

    No sooner said than done. The Windows 8.1 stick is still lukewarm from previous reinstalls, and I immediately started migrating from Windows 10 to Windows 8.1.

    But before uninstalling Windows 10, I decided to compare its performance with Windows 8.1.

    The first thing I did was check the download speed.

    Just 8.5 seconds!

    Next — loading RAM. Here and below — the first screenshot is Windows 10, the second is Windows 8. 1.

    WinRAR 4.50 performance test.

    The performance gain is already noticeable!

    Tests from EVEREST Ultimate Edition 4.60.1562 Beta.

    Memory delay.

    CPU Queen.

    FotoWorxx CPU.

    Windows 8.1 is faster in most tests!

    Now the disk space. On Windows 10, I also disabled Secure Storage! And this is plus 7 GB!

    A win for Windows 8.1.

    Background and system processes.

    Windows 8.1 is ahead again.

    Only encountered one problem, Microsoft .NET Framework 3.5 was not installed from Programs and Features.

    But, PowerShell in my experienced hands fixed this problem in half a minute.

    ***

    I didn’t notice any difference in games. Moreover, I have a powerful video card with DirectX 12 support (Gigabyte GeForce GTX 1060 WINDFORCE OC) and I see that the picture remains the same after enabling or disabling DirectX 12 in games.
    It was in the old days, the transition from DirectX 8 to DirectX 9 or from DirectX 9 to DirectX 10-11, changed the picture radically. Now plus or minus 5% frames per second and no changes by eye.

    In general, the lack of DirectX 12 is the only disadvantage of this wonderful OS. Unlike the ancient Windows 7, support for Windows 8.1 with updates will continue for more than 3 years, until 2023!

    I will most likely resist the temptation to try the new Windows 10 version 1909, which is about to be released. But, for sure, everything will be there in the best traditions of Windows versions 1809 and 1903, so this will be a trial installation, and Windows 8.1 will remain my main system for a long time: both on an ancient laptop and on a medium-powered computer.

    What version of Windows do you prefer and why? Has anyone been in such a situation with Windows 10, like me, when you want to use it, and bugs get on your nerves?

    This material was written by a site visitor and has been rewarded.

    Windows 10 vs. Windows 8.1 speed comparison

    One of the marketing promises of Windows 10 is even faster performance (the corresponding slogan is “Designed for speed”). Compared to Win 8.1, the system should turn on faster, wake up from sleep mode, etc. But is it really so? Let’s check!

    Test device and initial data

    For tests, we took a top-end multimedia laptop — ASUS UX-501 . Configuration: Intel Core i7 (overclocked to 3.6 GHz), 16 GB of RAM, GeForce 960M GTX graphics card and 128 GB SSD drive. This is one of the most interesting devices of 2015.

    A clean installation of both versions of Windows software (drivers, test programs) was performed. The test was conducted in a room with a temperature of 23 degrees, the “Optimal” power consumption mode was selected, all tasks using the Rundll32.exe, advapi32.dll, ProcessIdleTasks command worked, all the updates proposed by Microsoft were installed, all the optimization functions proposed by Windows were included. All tests were performed three times, the arithmetic mean was entered into the tables.

    Testing

    1. Boot time

    Used Windows® Performance Toolkit — a set of tools that manufacturers of Windows devices and software use when they want to test the performance and speed of their products on average computers. The result of version 8.1 is on the left, “tens” is on the right, the unit of measure is seconds:

    The difference cannot be called big, but it is clear that Microsoft nevertheless decided to spend time and do better and without that an excellent indicator — Windows 10 is faster than its predecessor by 0 .7 seconds. On a top device like the UX-501, the owner of the device will not notice big differences, but on a regular laptop or PC, the difference can become much more noticeable.

    Winner: Windows 10

    2. Launching Internet Explorer

    While working on the computer, we constantly open and close applications. The long loading time of an important program for work is not only annoying (and nerves, as you know, are not iron), but also interferes with work or surfing the Internet.

    The Windows Assessment Toolkit is used for measurements. Unit of measurement — milliseconds:

    Again, an improvement from 0.9seconds to 0.45 seconds, not everyone will notice — but such an indicator in any case warms the soul, Microsoft has taken care of the user here too.

    Winner: Windows 10

    3. Typing, web browsing and video chat

    PCMark 8 benchmark tool is used for these tests. It simulates real life scenarios: surfing the web, working in Office 2013, Adobe Creative Suite and other programs that are commonly used at home and in the office for work. The exact time to complete the task is measured, up to milliseconds:

    Differences are minimal — only 1%. True, still in favor of Windows 10.

    Winner: Windows 10

    4. Performance in Word, Powerpoint and Excel

    PCMark measures the speed of work when working in basic office applications — for example, the processing time of a large spreadsheet in Excel:

    And here the increase is already much more obvious: office workers associated with computing seem to really need to upgrade to the «ten».

    Winner: Windows 10

    5. Grand Theft Auto V

    God bless him, with the office — let’s play! The test is being passed by the best game of 2015 — GTA V, with its own built-in benchmark responsible for measuring FPS (frames per second).

    The first «defeat» of the new OS from Microsoft. But it is worth remembering that the “ten” supports DirectX 12, which makes games up to 50% faster than before. The point is small — finally wait for such games.

    Winner: Windows 8.1

    6. Adobe Creative Suite

    Good performance is needed not only by gamers and nervous housewives, but also by IT professionals. An illustrative example is Adobe Creative Suite:

    And again, the victory is more than convincing, as much as 17% — for Windows 10. Microsoft has worked on the use of resources and drivers, so for every self-respecting IT specialist, the «top ten» is not a luxury, but an essential need.

    Winner: Windows 10

    7. Battery Life (Office)

    Microsoft promises that Windows 10 will take better care of weak Windows laptop batteries. PCMark 8 runs performance tests until the battery is completely discharged:

    In all three tests, Windows 10 ran 9 minutes longer. Honestly, I would like more, but thanks for that.

    Winner: Windows 10

    8. Battery life (games)

    When we’re hacking into something very interesting, not only time flies very quickly, but also battery power. Unfortunately, even with the latest driver from NVIDIA, when playing GTA V, the time in the «ten» has decreased, all tests show a decent «minus» of 13 percent:

    Winner: Windows 8.1

    9. Battery life (movies)

    While watching a 1080p video clip with Windows Media Player on Windows 8.1, the laptop shut down after 2 hours and 25 minutes. In Windows 10, this figure turned out to be much better — 3 hours, or + 25%. Apparently, the «ten» is more rational about this use case — background activity is minimized, only the video player works «seriously»:

    Winner: Windows 10.

    The final score is 2:7 against Windows 8. 1.

    Verdict

    Windows 10, even at the very beginning of its life cycle, is already faster than Windows 8.1. But miracles do not happen: in the winning use cases for the «ten» use cases, the increase in speed is most often minimal, significant progress has been made only in terms of video viewing. Also, let’s not forget that the tests were carried out on a «clean» version of the system, Windows with a large number of installed games, programs and drivers will start to work much more slowly over time.

    How (faster, slower) does Windows 10 work for you, dear readers? Share your opinion in the comments!

    Article on : 14 reasons not to upgrade your PC to Windows 10.

    Windows 8 vs Windows 7: who is faster?

    12/15/2012

    Not so long ago, we already published a review of the preliminary release of Windows 8. Since then, the official release of the new operating system from Microsoft has taken place, however, most personal computer users reacted to the new product with a certain degree of skepticism and are in no hurry to part with excellent the proven Windows 7.

    The main reasons that frighten users in the new operating system have remained unchanged: fundamental changes in the interface (for example, the lack of a Start button) and concerns about Windows 8’s demands on system resources. And, if in the first case, it is enough for you to install a special program that will save you from the Metro interface (which MicroSoft currently calls Modern) and return the familiar panel with the Start button to the desktop, then the question of the speed of Windows 8 for the time being time remained open. Today we will compare the speed of Windows 7 and Windows 8 and try to visualize the advantages and disadvantages of the new system.

    Windows 8 vs 7: Boot, Shutdown and Wake Speed ​​

    Most users have heard that the new Windows 8 boots and shuts down significantly faster than its predecessor. In practice, the increase in speed was really impressive. From a Samsung Spinpoint F1 1TB hard drive, the new Win8 booted in just 17 seconds, while Win7 took 27 seconds. Thus, the new system loads 33% faster, and owners of high-speed SSD drives will be able to see it on the screen in just a few seconds after starting the computer.

    Windows 8 vs 7: Startup time

    A similar increase in speed can be seen when the computer is turned off. It took Windows 8 just 8 seconds to turn off the power, while Windows 7 took only 12 seconds on the same hardware.

    Windows 8 vs 7: Shutdown time

    In addition to our tests, we decided to put the computer into hibernation and record the time it takes to wake it up. As we expected, Windows 8 coped with the exit from sleep mode faster than its predecessor by 3 seconds. By the way, testing was carried out both on a regular hard drive and on an SSD drive, which did not affect the wake-up speed at all. In both cases, it took 10 seconds for Windows 8 to wake up from sleep.

    Windows 8 vs 7: Waking up from sleep mode

    Windows 8 vs 7: Graphics and Internet browser performance

    To test graphics and 3D graphics performance, we took the well-known 3Dmark 11. The performance of both operating systems turned out to be almost the same , but it is worth noting separately that graphics performance is very dependent on drivers and future versions of graphics drivers for Windows 8 may significantly improve the picture for the better.

    Windows 8 vs 7: Graphics and 3D performance

    According to MisroSoft, one of the strengths of Windows 8 is multimedia. Testing in PCmark 7 fully confirms this and on identical hardware Windows 8 showed a speed increase of 9%

    Windows 8 vs 7: Multimedia performance

    Google V8 test was chosen to evaluate the performance of browsers. As you might expect, Firefox and Chrome browsers have shown tremendous speed superiority over both Internet Explorer and their Windows 7 counterparts.0003

    Windows 8 vs 7: Browser performance

    Windows 8 vs 7: Programs and games

    Two bundles took part in testing the performance of office programs: Office 2013 under Windows 8 and Office 2010 under Windows 7. The final test result showed an unconditional the victory of the new Windows 8 operating system armed with a new office suite and a 10% increase in productivity, which will undoubtedly please office workers.

    Windows 8 vs 7: Microsoft Excel

    To evaluate the speed of games under Windows 8, we took Battlefield 3, Hard Reset and Just Cause 2. As we have already said, game performance directly depends on video card drivers, so the results are similar to the 3D- graphics and Windows 8 is just a tiny bit behind its predecessor.

    Windows 8 vs 7: Battlefield 3

    Windows 8 vs 7: Hard Reset

    Windows 8 vs 7: Just Cause 2

    In conclusion, it can be noted that, despite the fears, the new Windows 8 operating system from the global software giant justified the hopes placed on it. Starting and shutting down a computer running Windows 8 is significantly faster. When working with office programs, browsers and multimedia applications, it shows significantly better performance, and in games it practically does not lag behind its predecessor Windows 7.

    Especially for readers who have already switched to the new operating system, we have prepared a selection of programs for Windows 8. The selection includes programs that optimize and speed up the work of Windows 8, as well as several utilities that return the familiar Start button to the desktop.

    15

    2

    Tests Windows 8.1 Windows 10 Windows 11
    Graphics (Vulkan) 19387 19178

    Dima wrote:

    Thank you very much!
    Very useful!

    Empty wrote:

    are you okay on 7-ke?

    You see, if the work didn’t require it, then I might have been sitting tight on Linux for a long time, and so Windows is needed. And if Vin8 gains popularity, then you may have to switch (or install two Windows), but of course a little later. Now there is an old build, I don’t go into it at all, I will have to install the final version later.

    And so, if we talk specifically about Win7 and Win8, then nothing so far
    in the eight does not beckon.

    HorrorTM wrote:

    rachehan36

    In short, either personal impressions or specifics indicating ALL the details, details and conditions. And without them, these tests look like an article for hamsters of the level «8-ka — cool, 7-ka — junk and sucks.»

    Exactly. It was for ordinary «hamsters» that this material was written. 90% of people sitting in front of the monitor do not know the difference between IDE and SATA, as well as between HDD and SSD, and they will simply not be interested in reading a dry analytical note.

    rachehan36

    In half a year a new Windows will come out — that’s when you’ll think-evaluate-decide.

    I’m afraid there will be nothing to evaluate. In 8-ke, it was not the design that changed, but the concept, and if, fearing the reaction of users, Microsoft does not move back, then in the next version of the OS, the current changes will be even more developed and it will be even more sharpened for tiling, one-click, centralized program storage, touch control (which actually equipped with monoblocks, which are gaining popularity in the west), etc.
    Now about the reaction of users. Yes, they got used to the Start menu, yes, they didn’t implement it very well, in fact, separate Metro and regular desktops. But in the end, the advantages in the form of “live” tiles, one-click software installation, etc. in the minds of «hamsters» will outweigh the unusualness. Just look at the smartphone market, where Android and iOS currently occupy, according to various estimates, about 80% of the market, and Windows Mobile is trailing behind. But Metro focused specifically on robots and apples, with their stacks of which there is a one-click installation, etc.

    I don’t want to breed another meaningless holivar, so I’ll say right away that I’ll stay at 7. I’ll stay because I want to install programs MYSELF, I want to go to sites that interest me, and not read what the news tile slips me, I don’t want to reinstall a bunch applications from a perfectly tuned “for me” machine (including licensed ones). I’m only afraid that a very decent part of Android and Apple users, having seen in Windows 8 a completely familiar one-click interface, a centralized software warehouse with a one-click installation, etc., will not bother the new OS works better or worse, but simply switch to it. They will move because it is more convenient for them, because they do not want to bother with searching for software, downloading software, installing software, getting to various sites with trojans / banners / extortionists, etc. As correctly noted, this is a system for «hamsters».

    rachehan36 wrote:

    Empty

    And yes, I personally will be waiting! ))

    Well, yes, and then someone will again declare «an unconfirmed negative. »

    Although, frankly, if I write, then I will count on such an effect.;)

    In the meantime, I haven’t written, personally I can only advise you one thing — are you okay on 7-ke ?, everything suits / works / spins? Then sit on it, do not bother with the 8th. In six months, a new Windows will be released — that’s when you’ll think-evaluate-decide.

    rachehan36 wrote:

    Horror™

    Well, at least there are hypothetical tests, but on your part there is only an unconfirmed negative.

    Those. it’s like already I have to confirm that such tests are about nothing, and the article is unfinished ?!

    Well, if so — if you please!

    Such things, claiming to be NORMAL tests, have the right to be only of two types / categories:

    Option 1: — when the author, without touching on the specifics, conveys purely HIS IMHO, his feelings and impressions.
    Option-2: — the review is being conducted on the merits, indicating ALL technical details and details.

    In this article all sorts of seconds/percentages and other «parrots» are constantly flashing. But at the same time, there is almost nothing about the conditions of these tests, the platforms on which they were conducted, etc. And about the tests themselves, everything is somehow too superficial. In short, FEW DETAILS — technical !!! Without them, it is impossible for a more or less competent user-reader to adequately evaluate the results and draw conclusions for himself personally.

    For example, about the long-suffering «launch time»… How was it measured, from when and until when… ? Or was everything again measured according to the method of small software wiring for suckers, when the time is measured before the appearance of the desktop? And no one cares that at the same time 2/3 of the services have not yet loaded, i.e. in fact, the OS is still NOT operational?

    HOW can the reader understand WHAT was measured there?

    In short, either personal impressions or specifics indicating ALL the details, details and conditions. And without them, these tests look like an article for hamsters of the level «8-ka — cool, 7-ka — junk and sucks.»

    Something like this. I hope it’s clearer now.

    I heard about the same thing and the same words about Win7 when it came out.

    Yes, that’s not what we’re talking about! It’s about the article.

    Tomorrow I’ll put Win8 on a very real tablet with a very weak configuration — 1 GHz, 1 GB of RAM, as a result there will be something to talk about.

    Good luck.
    And if again we are talking about comparisons with the 7th, then do not forget to repeat everything on the SAME tablet. Or the same. To have something to compare.

    Empty wrote:

    why is it NOT worth putting take-8 out

    And yes, I personally will be waiting! ))

    Empty wrote:

    unconfirmed negative

    Why not confirmed. When I set myself Win8, from time to time I used it for 4 months, from early builds. The last build was a Developer Preview, this was in August, a month before going on sale (or how many there, I don’t remember exactly). And this build absolutely did not stand out in terms of speed in real conditions, when there was already a lot of software on the wheelbarrow, etc.

    I love everything new, at first it was interesting to use it with a new interface, to try how to use this Metro interface on a desktop PC. You can see my review. Impressions are such that this system is not needed at all for the desktop.

    I have never been against the seven. It was a system modified after Vista, and in fact the first normal system after Win XP, which at that time was already 8 years old, and it was already obsolete, so I was definitely in favor of switching to Win7 and now I’m sitting on Win7.

    As practice has shown, it is also possible to switch to the figure eight calmly. Adapting to the Metro interface on a computer without touch input will take 2-3 days — this is to fully get used to the lack of a Start menu. Then it is normally used, even has its own conveniences and pluses. But in August there was still no full support from third-party software, a number of antiviruses directly stated that they would not even be installed on the eight. So I left it for now.

    Now I think there is already support in general, you can switch to Win 8, but again, you should not believe in such tests. It is necessary, I think, on the contrary, to be prepared for the fact that everything will be worse, right up to the first service pack.

    View all messages
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    Which Windows is better for games

    Most users, without much thought, simply install the latest version of the operating system from Microsoft and then are surprised when on computers familiar with the “old woman” Windows 7, even some modern games run better than they do. Below are the results of the comparison to answer the question which of the Windows supported by Microsoft is better for games.

    Contents

    • Windows XP
    • Vista
    • Windows 7, 8, 10
    • Testing
    • Results of the performed measurements
    • Terminals

    Windows XP

    Of course, we should not miss Windows XP from the analysis, since it has a high prevalence to this day. But you will have to upset the owners of computers with this OS, because since the beginning of the distant 2014, programmers who release games have practically ceased to support XP, and many modern toys simply no longer go under it.

    Therefore, such users no longer have the opportunity to launch and enjoy new products. But this old Windows is distinguished by its simplicity and minimal “gluttony” to system resources. Everyone who uses XP notes that it has almost no lags, and early PC games on it run almost without loss.

    Vista

    No matter how unsuccessful this modification of Windows may be, it is still somewhat younger than XP, and therefore we will briefly touch on it. A huge number of negative reviews on forums dedicated to computer games testify to various kinds of bugs and its significant “gluttony” to equipment resources. Today it is no secret to anyone that this OS is the least suitable for virtual toys.

    Windows 7, 8, 10

    Much more detailed analysis of these three still supported operating systems should be taken into account. An objective comparison of all these operating systems was made on the same computer «Intel Core i5-4690K» with an MSI R9 290X Lightning video card (the PC processor was not overclocked). The following official versions of Windows were installed one by one on the PC:

    1. 7 Ultimate SP1 x64;
    2. 8.1 Pro x64;
    3. 10 Pro x64.

    The testing methodology consisted of artificial tests and FPS measurements using real game programs. In order to minimize erroneous results, each test was performed 5 times. All computer and monitor settings were set the same for all three operating systems.

    Testing

    The problem of FPS drops for users of «Tens» was solved by disabling the p2p-updates system, since it is enabled by default in Windows 10 Pro. You just need to open the settings tab in Windows Update and disable this system. After that, the lags in the toys disappear.

    The maximum possible values ​​were always selected in the graphic settings.

    It should also be noted that the «fps_max 0» command was issued via the console. This allowed us to remove the default FPS limits.

    MSSA 2x anti-aliasing and tessellation are enabled in GTA V.

    In addition to launching applications, a walk around the map and an obligatory battle scene were also mandatory conditions.

    The image quality has always been set to the highest possible.

    Frame rate measured by in-game benchmark.

    The resolution was 1920×1080.

    Graphics quality — maximum.

    Tested only in maximized screen modes (no windowed modes).

    Fans of tank battles can make sure that only the maximum settings were used when running their favorite.

    Results of measurements taken

    The results for «3DMark Fire Strike» look very logical and are consistent with the age of each OS, although the «Ten» is not much ahead of its younger brothers, but still turned out to be in the lead. However, further in real conditions, she could not always hold the first position.

    In practice, the «old» Windows 7 showed the best result, and the «Eight» showed the worst.

    The «Grand Theft» application displayed a small but still margin of more modern operating systems.

    In the popular «The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt» all three operating systems go head to head. The differences are only one frame per second, and this may be due to a banal equipment error.

    The performance in Dying Light is almost similar to the above test, but here the latest Microsoft development with an index of «10» turned out to be an outsider, and «Seven» with a small margin, but still showed the best result.

    Of course, we also tested the game «Battlefield 4», which is the leader in popularity among a significant number of users. Despite criticism of the poor performance of PC owners on Windows 10, the result turned out to be quite worthy, and Windows 7 and 10 are clear leaders. It is most likely that the new Ten was able to achieve this indicator only thanks to the preliminary implementation of a small event in the Windows Update settings, which was mentioned at the beginning of this article.

    In the game «Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor» the new OS pleased with a significant increase in FPS, which amounted to 66.18. It was impossible to immediately believe in such a successful indicator, therefore, in this case, ten times testing was carried out (2 times more than with other applications). But the result turned out to be true. As a result, for fans of this toy, the installation of the 10th version of the OS is fully justified.

    According to the results of measurements in Far Cry 4, a firm belief has already begun to emerge that the G8 for fans of playing computer games turns out to be the worst option, since the Ten and Seven continue to lead confidently here, and the winners’ figures are almost are the same, although for Windows 10 users it will be nice to know that even by a small value of 0. 01, the modern OS is still better.

    Fans of tank battles in «World of Tanks» are not recommended to upgrade from «Seven» to newer versions of «Windows», because in this game it is an unconditional favorite.

    In «War Thunder» versions 8 and 10 showed identical results, and Windows 7 continues to confidently hold the palm with a margin of almost 3%.

    A similar situation has developed in BioShock Infinite, where Windows 7 is again ahead of its younger counterparts.

    Pins

    According to our research, the main conclusion is ambiguous, as the favorites change in different applications. However, armed with a tool as completely devoid of emotions as mathematics, it is possible to bring all the results into a single average graph.

    Thus, Windows 10’s «Total Average FPS» is the best. The old «Windows 7» works very cheerfully with modern toys and often surpasses the more modern «Eight». Considering that the life cycle of the 10th version is just beginning, and at the same time it already has better parameters, for gamers, the best option would be to upgrade to it the installed earlier OS, as Microsoft specialists continue to improve it together with third-party software developers.

    Similar articles

    Which Windows ? is BETTER for gaming and work. 7 tests

    Guys from a well-known YouTube channel conducted a number of experiments on the speed of different versions of windows. Now you will finally know which windows is actually the fastest and most productive. Many days have been spent preparing this video, and now we know the truth. So that various experts do not say in the comments what theories computer gurus did not build in their videos, practice and experiment really showed which windows is the best. Watch carefully because each experiment reveals the pros and cons of certain operating systems. In the end, let’s sum up which windows is more productive.

    You will also receive partial or complete answers to questions such as:

    I’ve heard different ideas, read a lot of your comments about which windows is better.

    Some computer experts say that the fastest and lightest windows 10 HOME. It is HOME, not PRO, because the professional version adds more business features. These functions make the system a little heavier, and in principle, home and pro are almost the same system.

    Others argue that the seven is still the easiest and there is no better one. In the comments, someone also writes that windows 8.1 was the peak of microsoft’s success, and then everything was gone and 10 just failed. She became less productive. Did anyone else think the other way around? that the most productive is windows 10 corporate with LTSC marking. It’s very interesting if that’s the case.

    Now we will take these four systems, we will not test the professional one, since home is almost the same, only easier. Let’s do a few experiments on them. To do this, we will use one laptop

    and the most approximate settings and conditions so that all experiments are honest. To achieve the right conditions for the experiment, the guys had to suffer. Each system had to be installed in its entirety. They are all 64-bit, by the way. Then it was necessary to install drivers and the same set of programs. And in order to install the seven, I generally had to separately format the hard drive and test it completely separately. And wait more than one day for it to pump up all the latest updates.

    Someone might say that there have already been similar experiments on the network, but they were carried out on a virtual machine and often according to one parameter. I believe that for an objective comparison, you need to use a real physical computer and compare systems according to different indicators. Therefore, I immediately ask you to rate this work with your like and friendly comment! And remember that your likes and comments are very important to us! Probably, you can’t wait to see the actual experiments, and there will be as many as SEVEN!

    Test 1: for the speed of turning on and loading windows.

    Let’s start the first test: the speed of turning on and loading windows. Here we will determine which windows will load faster. For this comparison to be objective, as I said already, it is necessary to make sure that after a clean installation of windows, the same programs and drivers are installed. And the installation of updates has passed, because the update can slow down the inclusion. We make several launches of each system and note to determine the fastest launch. We start the countdown from the appearance of the manufacturer’s logo, and end as soon as the browser starts. This will mean that the system is ready to go. Well, are you ready? Go!

    Results:

    First booted Windows 8.1 in 22 seconds!
    In second place is Windows 10 home with a record of 46 seconds!
    Followed by Windows 7 with its best time of 50 seconds.
    Windows 10 LTSC finishes last with 62 seconds.

    Interesting results, but they have one nuance: a video about boot acceleration has already been shot on a similar laptop, and when analyzing why such a long download, the reason was revealed — the video card driver. I think this is one of the reasons why the laptop turned on so quickly at the eight. It was released along with the eight and the drivers for it were created specifically for the eight. But this error, I think, is small. The experiment still shows which windows is faster. It is also interesting that the home ten overtook the seven in loading. This is a reason to think for those who say that the seven is the fastest. But it’s too early to say anything. This is just an inclusion. Further it will be more interesting. Based on the results of experiments, when you decide on the version of windows you want to have, remember that a license can be purchased at an affordable price in the official store. The licenses are verified there, there are hundreds of satisfied customers, delivery is instant and, in which case, there is a guarantee and technical support. . Look for digital licenses in the official store.

    Test 2: Status of memory and processes in Task Manager immediately after power on.

    We see that all systems really work differently. We launched the task manager right away and waited for the system to enter a stable working state. This will be seen because how much the processor and hard drive are involved. The longest had to wait seven. She, after switching on, does not calm down and continues to calculate something, search for 10 minutes. At the same time, it does not find an update for a long time.

    Windows 7 started 45 processes, 578 threads.
    Windows 8.1 — 42 processes 746 threads.
    Windows 10 home — 140 processes and 1393 threads
    Windows LTSC — 122 processes and 1044 threads.

    So far, this does not give us much, because the process is different from the process. We will better understand the difference in processor performance in subsequent tests. More interesting here is what happens to memory.

    Windows 7 took only 1. 12 gigabytes. And before updating windows 7 sp1, it immediately took more than 3 gigabytes. So the update is good.
    Windows 8.1 took 0.9 gigabytes out of eight available. This is the absolute minimum.
    Windows 10 home uses 1.9 gigabytes,
    Windows LTSC uses one and a half gigabytes.

    In this test, as in the previous one, the figure eight shows itself to be a very light and undemanding system.

    Test 3 — launching programs

    Working with a computer, we use different programs and it is important for us that they start and work quickly. How will the same program run on different systems? I will use the Gimp program. It is a free alternative to photoshop. It takes quite a long time to start up. Loads the RAM, as there are many different small files with libraries and fonts. Let’s make several launches of each system and determine the best results.

    Windows 7 loads this program in 13 seconds.
    Windows 8.1 in 28 seconds.
    Windows LTSC — 29 seconds
    Windows 10 home — 31 seconds

    Let me remind you that these are their best results from several runs!!! Finally, windows 7 fans can be proud of it. Very productive use of memory! But the next test will show the performance of the processor.

    Test 4. Benchmarks and CINEBENCH R15 and

    R20 for processor performance.

    The CINEBENCH R15 program will help us with this, which loads the processor with calculations and gives it points for performance. What system do you think is better? Well, here are the results:

    Windows 7 scores 215 points.
    Windows 8.1 — 217 points.
    Windows 10 home — 212 points.
    Windows LTSC highest — 218 points.

    Let’s try another version of CINEBENCH R20. But on the eight, by the way, it did not work. Results:

    Windows 7 scores 463 points.
    Windows 10 home — 461 points.
    Windows 10 LTSC wins again — 465 points.

    The results are identical in all versions of the program. Windows LTSC shows the best performance. The eight is in second place, the seven is in third, and home is last. But it is worth considering that the difference is very small. Between the first and fourth places — 6 points in the first test and 4 points in the second. It’s only 2.5 and 1 percent. Not such a significant difference.

    Test 5. Benchmark 3DMARK 06 — performance in games

    In the fifth test, there is another benchmark, and here the results will be more interesting. We use 3dmark 06. This benchmark evaluates performance in games. We compare the results. And there is a big difference.

    Windows 7 and Windows 10 LTSC perform well. Moreover, in the seven, the rendering is slightly higher, and in LTSC the processor test is better.
    But Windows 8.1 and Windows 10 home show much less fps and they have slower rendering. And the home version is even worse than all.

    Your opinion is interesting here. Write your theories in the comments. Why did 3d mark show such results? It turns out that seven and corporate ten LTSC are best suited for games, or does the 3d mark show something wrong? The drivers were official everywhere and there were no other applications in the background that would interfere. So we draw conclusions. And finally, the 6th test will help us figure out the performance.

    Test 6. Convert video files from one format to another.

    Let’s convert video files from one format to another and compare the time spent on the task. We will convert the same file, in the same program. Of course, with the same settings. Imagine my surprise — the results were completely different.

    The fastest conversion was Windows 10 LTSC : 1 minute 46 seconds.
    The second was Windows 7 — 1 minute 54 seconds.
    Third Windows 8.1 — 2 minutes 9 seconds.
    Fourth Windows 10 home — 2 minutes 18 seconds.

    Again the results are similar to the previous test. LTSC and the seven are more productive than the home ten.

    And finally

    Test 7: which system takes up less disk space.

    This also indirectly affects the speed, since the C drive needs free space for fast system operation. Let’s measure the size of the windows folder, after deleting from it what can be deleted and what can create a large comparison error — temporary files for updates. And then the eighth version turned out to be the most compact. It is followed by a corporate ten. Well, we can summarize.

    What can be said about each version of windows based on these experiments.

    Windows 7 : Doesn’t start very fast, but starts programs quickly, requires little memory, gives good performance in games and applications, takes up quite a lot of disk space after numerous updates over the years.
    Windows 8.1 : Boosts like a rocket, minimal RAM usage, good processor performance but poor graphics performance and minimal disk space.
    Windows 10 Home : Starts fast, loads RAM, starts programs slowly, shows the weakest CPU and graphics performance.
    Windows 10 LTSC : slow startup, not very demanding on RAM, better CPU performance and very good in 3d graphics, takes up less space.

    Your reaction to these conclusions is very interesting.

    Based on this extensive experiment, I made two main conclusions.

    First conclusion: Windows 10 LTSC version is best for this laptop. She gives the best results. Well, the seven is just as good.