Microsoft details why Windows 11 will be faster than Windows 10

nanoguy

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Bottom line: Windows 11 brings several impressive changes, but it also shares a lot in common with Windows 10. After applying a fresh coat of paint, Microsoft seems to be encouraging users to upgrade their hardware to take advantage of these optimizations, and there's no explanation as to why it can't backport most of them to Windows 10.

Next month, Microsoft will start rolling out Windows 11 to people with supported PCs. Those looking to upgrade their aging devices will be able to choose from several new models from the company's many OEM partners.

As we approach the release date, it's worth looking at what Windows 11 brings to the table. As our readers know, there's been a lot of controversy around the system requirements for the new operating system, which are admittedly stricter than any previous version of Windows. Microsoft just posted a video discussing this at length.

Microsoft's reasons are not entirely clear, but we know the company insists on TPM 2.0 support and relatively new CPUs from AMD and Intel. Still, the Redmond company won't stop you from installing Windows 11 on an unsupported PC should you wish to do so—keep in mind that you won't receive any OS updates if you do.

The deep integration of Microsoft Teams in Windows 11, along with the new security requirements, indicates the company is simply adapting its operating system to the post-pandemic, zero-trust world. Many companies feel like they've had to trade security to continue business operations with their employees mainly working from home, so this is good news for them.

At the same time, the TPM 2.0 requirement is a new step for anti-cheat systems, so gamers who enjoy online multiplayer games can hope for fewer cheaters in their lobbies as more developers take the example of Riot Games.

Windows 11 may look like Windows 10 with a redesigned UI on the surface, but VP of Enterprise Management Steve Dispensa says there are plenty of changes under the hood that will make Windows 11 feel faster in actual use. For instance, how the operating system prioritizes apps and processes has changed to favor apps running in the foreground and will carry forward to situations where you launch additional apps.

That means that even when your PC is under heavy load, you can still launch any other app with no lag as you would if the system were idle. As demonstrated in the video, the CPU load stays the same, which can save you a lot of time, not to mention your mental sanity.

The same principle applies across the Windows UI and the Microsoft Edge browser, but one can only hope that Microsoft does the right thing and lets you easily switch to a different browser. Saving resources such as CPU cycles and reducing RAM usage by 30 percent with sleeping tabs sounds cool, but it's not a must-have for people who prefer Chrome or Firefox and are okay with their resource usage.

Another area where Windows 11 is improved is that it offers an optimized instant-on experience as your device resumes from sleep, just like your phone is always one unlock away from being ready to use. Microsoft says it has changed the way its new operating system talks to the hardware in your system, and now it will also remember the priority states so that the resume process feels faster. As a result, the wake-from-sleep time has been reduced by 25 percent, while Windows Hello authentication is 30 percent faster.

Microsoft reduced the overall disk footprint of Windows 11 thanks to the "expanded use of compression technologies," but it has not explained that in more detail. Instead, we are told that inbox apps and components that aren't needed are simply a stub until you open them, at which point they get downloaded on your system. It will probably save some space here and there, but this raises the question of why can't Microsoft do the same with the Office suite.

Circling back to the hardware requirements, Dispensa explained that having an Intel 8th generation and AMD Ryzen 2000 series CPU or newer is motivated by performance to some degree. However, the move to a single 64-bit architecture and UEFI-based firmware and Secure Boot is Microsoft's way of shaking off risks related to legacy 32-bit systems equipped with BIOS firmware.

This doesn't explain why you can't use older CPUs, but Microsoft will supposedly have more on that in the coming weeks. For now, the company wants us to believe that systems that don't meet the minimum system requirements of Windows 11 have 52 percent more kernel mode crashes according to internal tests, while those that do meet them have a 99.8 percent "crash-free experience."

If these numbers look a little odd, it's because they don't entirely support Microsoft's rationale. If a PC that meets the minimum requirements is virtually crash-free, how much worse can a slightly older one be?

Moving on to compatibility and servicing, the company says apps that work on Windows 10 will work the same on Windows 11—no surprises there. However, it doesn't say why all the other optimizations are baked into Windows 11 but can't be backported to Windows 10. Features like DirectStorage for gaming are coming to the users who can't or don't want to upgrade to Windows 11. So, Microsoft is essentially abandoning the 1.3 billion Windows 10 users that don't want to stay on the bleeding edge.

The servicing model will be one major feature update per year, which is neither good nor bad. Most people don't care about these, and the same goes for many companies who use Windows across their infrastructure. Home and Pro editions of Windows 11 will get two years of support, while Enterprise and Education editions will get three years of support, so you can at least wait a year or two before needing to update.

Perhaps the biggest insult to Windows 10 users is that Microsoft is introducing changes to the update engine in Windows 11—namely delta updates—that could have also been backported to Windows 10. Update sizes will be reduced by up to 40 percent, but Windows 10 users won't be getting that.

Overall, Windows 11 should be an exciting release. Still, Microsoft's strict minimum requirements make it look as if the company and its OEM partners are trying to force users to upgrade to newer hardware and fan the flame of the PC market.

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Cutting off all older systems that might have a performance deficit seems like a pretty *huge* way to make it "feel" faster than 10, I'll take Pepsi challenge when 11 is out since I'm pretty sure the advantage for 99% of regular users will be close to nothing at all, margin of error or slightly better on performance testing.
 
I was bored yesterday and updated my BIOS and installed the Beta.
It needs work of course, but I like a lot of the changes. It's impressive to say the least.

Maybe the older CPU's got cut, because of their security vulnerabilities. It wouldn't exactly be something either company would want to admit publicly, which could also explain why AMD and Intel aren't disputing it.
 
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I was bored yesterday and updated my BIOS and installed the Beta.
It needs work of course, but I like a lot of the changes. It's impressive to say the least.

Maybe the older CPU's got cut, because of their security vulnerabilities. It wouldn't exactly be something either company would want to admit publicly, which could also explain why AMD and Intel aren't disputing it.
I have the 8700k cpu and that has the same vulnerabilities as the 5th and 6th and 7th gen. even the 9th gen didnt fix the vulnerabilities . im in beta and no dev windows 11. honestly not any faster than 10, but I have fast hardware so maybe I wont notice a diff. microsoft cut a deal with hardware companies to sell more hardware.
 
I have the 8700k cpu and that has the same vulnerabilities as the 5th and 6th and 7th gen. even the 9th gen didnt fix the vulnerabilities . im in beta and no dev windows 11. honestly not any faster than 10, but I have fast hardware so maybe I wont notice a diff. microsoft cut a deal with hardware companies to sell more hardware.
There were def fixes each year. Hardware and/or software.
 
My old Ryzen 1700X system will get a refresh with Zen 4 6800X/6900X late next year. I might consider 11 then as the new OS. As for GPU hard to say. If Lovelace RTX4000 are actually purchasable at RRP, then maybe my old GTX1080Ti gets updated. But most likely I'll look for decent priced second hand 3080.
 
I have the 8700k cpu and that has the same vulnerabilities as the 5th and 6th and 7th gen. even the 9th gen didnt fix the vulnerabilities . im in beta and no dev windows 11. honestly not any faster than 10, but I have fast hardware so maybe I wont notice a diff. microsoft cut a deal with hardware companies to sell more hardware.
Its a beta there is a whole lot more telemetry being collected in the beta and dev builds than there will be in the final build so it is somewhat crippled in terms of performance.
 
MEH. I'll give it a year and stick with Windows 10 until they get the bugs worked out (Yeah, maybe).

But it's a nice option to consider in the future...
 
Will move to Win 11 when it launches next month. Direct storage and sane update delivery model are good but finally having proper app prioritization in Windows is great.
Support for Android apps and dynamic refresh rate is just the cherry on the top.
 
LOL
The hackers will need less than one month to find a workaround for the updates on unsupported PC. Probably some kind of emulated TPM 2.0 or something else.
 
Here come the new advertising slogans

Where would you like to go today?
TOO BAD, Those sites are blocked

What would you like to run today
TOO BAD, That software is banned

Windows 11
You must conform
You must comply

OBEY!
 
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MEH. I'll give it a year and stick with Windows 10 until they get the bugs worked out (Yeah, maybe).

But it's a nice option to consider in the future...
Only one year to work out the Win11 bugs? Keep in mind that with every update Windows 10 introduces new bugs while patching old ones. It seems to be a never ending cycle. I don't expect any OS to ever be bug free.
 
Press X to doubt.
When Windows 8 came out I said I would never support Windows 8. I haven't. Never in MS history have I been so angry towards them. I'm finished. This machine and OS will be my last MS product. If I ever decide to build another PC, it will not have a Windows OS on it.
 
Microsoft Edge browser, but one can only hope that Microsoft does the right thing and lets you easily switch to a different browser. Saving resources such as CPU cycles and reducing RAM usage by 30 percent with sleeping tabs sounds cool, but it's not a must-have for people who prefer Chrome or Firefox
News flash, Opera, which is Chrome based, already has a "snooze tap", option. So, "we don't need no steenking M$ for dat".

I can vouch for how well it works whan, (with a lowly 32 bit Win 7 & 4 GB of RAM", it's asks you something like, "are you sure you want to quit Opera with 125 tabs open"?
 
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